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Psalms 88:2

King James Version (KJV)
Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

Let my prayer come before thee - It is weak and helpless, though fervent and sincere: take all hinderances out of its way, and let it have a free passage to thy throne. One of the finest thoughts in the Iliad of Homer concerns prayer; I shall transcribe a principal part of this incomparable passage - incomparable when we consider its origin: -

Και γαρ τε Λιται εισι Διος κουραι μεγαλοιο,<-144 Χωλαι τε, ῥυσσαι τε, παραβλωπες τπ 'οφθαλμω·π

Αἱ ῥα τε και μετοπισθπ 'Ατης αλεγουσι κιουσαι·π

Ἡ δπ 'Ατη σθεναρη τε και αρτιπος· οὑνεκα πασαςπ

Πολλον ὑπεκπροθεει, φθανει δε τε πασαν εππ 'αιαν,Βλαπτουςπ 'ανθρωπους· αἱ δπ 'εξακεονται ποισσω·π

Ὁς μεν τπ 'αιδεσεται κουρας Διος, ασσον ιουσας,Τονδε μεγπ 'ωνησαν, και τπ 'εκλυον ευξαμενοιοπ .

Ὁς δε κπ 'ανῃνηται, και τε στερεως αποειπῃ,Λισσονται δπ 'αρα ταιγε Δια Κρονιωνα κιουσαι,Τῳ Ατην ἁμπ 'ἑπεσθαι, ἱνα βλαφθεις αποτισηπ .

Αλλπ 'Αχιλευ, πορε και συ Διος κουρησιν ἑπεσθαιπ

Τιμην, ῃτπ 'αλλων περ επιγναμπτει φρενας εσθλων .

Iliad., 9:498-510.

Prayers are Jove's daughters; wrinkled, lame, slant-eyed,

Which, though far distant, yet with constant pace

Follow offense. Offence, robust of limb,

And treading firm the ground, outstrips them all,

And over all the earth, before them runs

Hurtful to man: they, following, heal the hurt.

Received respectfully when they approach,

They yield us aid, and listen when we pray.

But if we slight, and with obdurate heart

Resist them, to Saturnian Jove they cry.

Against, us supplicating, that offense

May cleave to us for vengeance of the wrong.

Thou, therefore, O Achilles! honor yield

To Jove's own daughters, vanquished as the brave

Have ofttimes been, by honor paid to thee.

Cowper.

On this allegory the translator makes the following remarks: "Wrinkled, because the countenance of a man, driven to prayer by a consciousness of guilt, is sorrowful and dejected. Lame, because it is a remedy to which men recur late, and with reluctance. Slant-eyed, either because in that state of humiliation they fear to lift up their eyes to heaven, or are employed in taking a retrospect of their past misconduct. The whole allegory, considering when and where it was composed, forms a very striking passage." Prayer to God for mercy must have the qualifications marked above.

Prayer comes from God. He desires to save us: this desire is impressed on our hearts by his Spirit, and reflected back to himself. Thus says the allegory, "Prayers are the daughters of Jupiter." But they are lame, as reflected light is much less intense and vivid than light direct. The desire of the heart is afraid to go into the presence of God, because the man knows, feels, that he has sinned against goodness and mercy. They are wrinkled - dried up and withered, with incessant longing: even the tears that refresh the soul are dried up and exhausted. They are slant-eyed; look aside through shame and confusion; dare not look God in the face. But transgression is strong, bold, impudent, and destructive: it treads with a firm step over the earth, bringing down curses on mankind. Prayer and repentance follow, but generally at a distance. The heart, being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin does not speedily relent. They, however, follow: and when, with humility and contrition, they approach the throne of grace, they are respectfully received. God acknowledges them as his offspring, and heals the wounds made by transgression. If the heart remain obdurate, and the man will not humble himself before his God, then his transgression cleaves to him, and the heartless, lifeless prayers which he may offer in that state, presuming on God's mercy, will turn against him; and to such a one the sacrificial death and mediation of Christ are in vain. And this will be the case especially with the person who, having received an offense from another, refuses to forgive. This latter circumstance is that to which the poet particularly refers. See the whole passage, with its context.

Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

Let my prayer come before thee - As if there were something which hindered it, or which had obstructed the way to the throne of grace; as if God repelled it from him, and turned away his ear, and would not hear.

Incline thine ear unto my cry - See the notes at Psalm 5:1.

Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary
The first words of the psalmist are the only words of comfort and support in this psalm. Thus greatly may good men be afflicted, and such dismal thoughts may they have about their afflictions, and such dark conclusion may they make about their end, through the power of melancholy and the weakness of faith. He complained most of God's displeasure. Even the children of God's love may sometimes think themselves children of wrath and no outward trouble can be so hard upon them as that. Probably the psalmist described his own case, yet he leads to Christ. Thus are we called to look unto Jesus, wounded and bruised for our iniquities. But the wrath of God poured the greatest bitterness into his cup. This weighed him down into darkness and the deep.
Ellen G. White
Prophets and Kings, 341

“Let my prayer come before Thee:
Incline Thine ear unto my cry;
For my soul is full of troubles:
And my life draweth nigh unto the grave.”
PK 341.1

Psalm 88:2, 3. PK 341

“Thou art my hope, O Lord God:
Thou art my trust from my youth.
By Thee have I been holden up.”
“Forsake me not when my strength faileth.”
“O God, be not far from me:
O my God, make haste for my help.”
“O God, forsake me not;
Until I have showed Thy strength unto this
generation,
And Thy power to everyone that is to come.”
PK 341.2

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