What is the meaning of Psalm 88:9?

My eyes grow dim with grief

• The psalmist’s sorrow is so intense that it affects his physical vision: “My eyes waste away with grief” (Psalm 6:7).

• Such imagery portrays unrelenting tears and exhaustion (Psalm 31:9; Lamentations 5:17).

• Grief is not minimized or spiritualized away; Scripture treats it as a real, bodily burden.

• Yet even in profound darkness, the writer remains conscious of God’s presence—his very ability to articulate the pain is evidence that God still hears (Psalm 34:18).

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I call to You daily, O LORD

• The lament immediately turns to persistent prayer: “O LORD, I have called on You all day long” (Psalm 86:3).

• Daily, unceasing cries mirror the New Testament charge to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

• The covenant name “LORD” (YHWH) underscores a personal relationship; the sufferer approaches a faithful God who has revealed His character (Exodus 34:6).

• Repetition of prayer is not vain babble; it is an act of determined faith, like the widow who kept coming to the judge (Luke 18:1–7).

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I spread out my hands to You

• The lifted or outstretched hands picture surrender, longing, and expectation (Psalm 143:6).

• Scripture often links this posture with intercession and dependence: Moses on the hill (Exodus 17:11–12), Solomon at the temple dedication (1 Kings 8:54), believers in corporate worship (1 Timothy 2:8).

• By opening his hands, the psalmist visually declares that he has nothing left to cling to—his only hope is in God’s mercy (Psalm 63:4).

• In tragedy, the outward gesture reinforces inward trust: God welcomes honest lament and bodily expression of need.

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summary

Psalm 88:9 captures a believer who is physically drained by sorrow, yet refuses to stop praying. Eyes blurred by tears, lips still calling on the covenant Lord, hands lifted in surrendered faith—every phrase shows raw honesty mingled with steadfast hope. The verse invites us to bring our deepest grief to the God who not only hears daily cries but also sustains those who keep reaching out to Him.