# Psalms 88.1

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Psalms](/codex/psalms/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> **1. <sup>A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.</sup> O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.**
>
> 2. Let my prayer enter into thy presence; Incline thine ear unto my cry. 3. For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draweth nigh unto Sheol. (Psalms 88:1-3, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> **1. <b>A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Suffering of Affliction.” A contemplation by Heman, the Ezrahite. </b> Yahweh, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.**
>
> 2. Let my prayer enter into your presence. Turn your ear to my cry. 3. For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol. (Psalms 88:1-3, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> **1. A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: <sup>for the sons: or, of the sons</sup> <sup>Maschil: or, A Psalm of Heman the Ezrahite, giving instruction</sup>**
>
> 2. Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; 3. For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. (Psalms 88:1-3, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> **1. A Song, a Psalm, by sons of Korah, to the Overseer, 'Concerning the Sickness of Afflictions.', An instruction, by Heman the Ezrahite. O Jehovah, God of my salvation, Daily I have cried, nightly before Thee,**
>
> 2. My prayer cometh in before Thee, Incline Thine ear to my loud cry, 3. For my soul hath been full of evils, And my life hath come to Sheol. (Psalms 88:1-3, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
---

_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.