New International Version Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? New Living Translation Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? English Standard Version Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Berean Standard Bible Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? Berean Literal Bible Can Your loving devotion be recounted in the Grave, or Your faithfulness in Abaddon? King James Bible Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? New King James Version Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? New American Standard Bible Will Your graciousness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? NASB 1995 Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? NASB 1977 Will Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Thy faithfulness in Abaddon? Legacy Standard Bible Will Your lovingkindness be recounted in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? Amplified Bible Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave Or Your faithfulness in Abaddon (the underworld)? Berean Annotated Bible Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon (Destruction) Christian Standard Bible Will your faithful love be declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Abaddon? Holman Christian Standard Bible Will Your faithful love be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? American Standard Version Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or thy faithfulness in Destruction? Contemporary English Version Are your love and loyalty announced in the world of the dead? English Revised Version Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in Destruction? GOD'S WORD® Translation Will anyone tell about your mercy in Sheol or about your faithfulness in Abaddon? Good News Translation Is your constant love spoken of in the grave or your faithfulness in the place of destruction? International Standard Version Can your gracious love be declared in the grave or your faithfulness in Abaddon? NET Bible Is your loyal love proclaimed in the grave, or your faithfulness in the place of the dead? New Heart English Bible Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in Destruction? Webster's Bible Translation Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleCan Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? World English Bible Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in Destruction? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionIs Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction? Berean Literal Bible Can Your loving devotion be recounted in the Grave, or Your faithfulness in Abaddon? Young's Literal Translation Is Thy kindness recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness in destruction? Smith's Literal Translation Shall thy mercy be recounted in the grave, thy faithfulness in destruction? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleShall any one in the sepulchre declare thy mercy: and thy truth in destruction? Catholic Public Domain Version New American Bible Is your mercy proclaimed in the grave, your faithfulness among those who have perished? New Revised Standard Version Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThey that are in the graves shall declare thy lovingkindness, and thy faithfulness in destruction. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And they will tell your kindness which is in the tombs and your faithfulness in destruction! OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Shall Thy mercy be declared in the grave? Or Thy faithfulness in destruction? Brenton Septuagint Translation Shall any one declare thy mercy in the tomb? and thy truth in destruction? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Day and Night I Cry Out Before You…10Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You? Selah 11Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? 12Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?… Cross References Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Psalm 115:17 It is not the dead who praise the LORD, nor any who descend into silence. Psalm 6:5 For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol? Isaiah 38:19 The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness. Your faithfulness in Abaddon? Isaiah 38:18 For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. Psalm 30:9 “What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness? Proverbs 15:11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD—how much more the hearts of men! Job 10:21-22 before I go—never to return—to a land of darkness and gloom, / to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.” Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten. / Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun. Job 7:9-10 As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come back up. / He never returns to his house; his place remembers him no more. Job 14:10-12 But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he? / As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry, / so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep. Isaiah 14:9-11 Sheol beneath is eager to meet you upon your arrival. It stirs the spirits of the dead to greet you—all the rulers of the earth. It makes all the kings of the nations rise from their thrones. / They will all respond to you, saying, “You too have become weak, as we are; you have become like us!” / Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are your bed and worms your blanket. Ezekiel 26:20 then I will bring you down with those who descend to the Pit, to the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the earth below like the ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or set in splendor in the land of the living. Matthew 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Luke 20:38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.” John 5:28-29 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice / and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. / And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Treasury of Scripture Shall your loving kindness be declared in the grave? or your faithfulness in destruction? in destruction Psalm 55:23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee. Psalm 73:18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. Job 21:30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. Jump to Previous Abaddon Dead Declared Destruction Faith Faithfulness Grave House Kindness Love Loving Mercy News Recounted Steadfast StoryJump to Next Abaddon Dead Declared Destruction Faith Faithfulness Grave House Kindness Love Loving Mercy News Recounted Steadfast StoryPsalm 88 1. A prayer containing a grievous complaint.Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, The grave marks the end of a person’s public witness among the living. In Sheol, the realm of the dead, the psalmist sees silence, isolation, and the loss of earthly participation in worship. His lament presses the urgency of God’s help before death removes him from the congregation that declares God’s steadfast love. Psa 115:17 It is not the dead who praise the LORD,… Your faithfulness in Abaddon? Abaddon, the place of destruction, portrays death as ruin and separation from the activities of life. The question does not deny God’s faithfulness but pleads for it to be shown in deliverance. The psalmist longs to remain alive so that God’s faithfulness may be known and praised openly. Isa 38:18 For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You.… Persons / Places / Events 1. The Sons of KorahThe authors of Psalm 88, a group of Levitical singers and musicians who played a significant role in temple worship. 2. Heman the Ezrahite Traditionally attributed as the author of this psalm, Heman was a wise man and a musician in King David's time. 3. Abaddon A term used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a place of destruction, often associated with the grave or the realm of the dead. 4. The Grave (Sheol) In Hebrew thought, Sheol is the abode of the dead, a place of darkness and silence. 5. God's Loving Devotion and Faithfulness Central themes in the psalm, highlighting God's covenant love and reliability, even in times of despair. Teaching Points The Reality of Human MortalityRecognize the brevity of life and the importance of living with an eternal perspective. The Urgency of Worship and Proclamation Understand that our time to proclaim God's loving devotion and faithfulness is now, while we are alive. God's Presence in Despair Even in the depths of despair, like Heman, we can cry out to God, trusting in His presence and ultimate deliverance. The Hope Beyond the Grave As Christians, we have the hope of resurrection and eternal life through Jesus Christ, transforming our understanding of death and the grave. Faithfulness in Trials Emulate the psalmist's faithfulness in continuing to seek God, even when circumstances seem hopeless. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Psalm 88:11?2. How does Psalm 88:11 challenge our understanding of God's wonders among the dead? 3. What does Psalm 88:11 reveal about the importance of praising God while alive? 4. How can Psalm 88:11 deepen our appreciation for God's works in our lives? 5. How does Psalm 88:11 connect with the hope of resurrection in Christ? 6. How can we apply the urgency of Psalm 88:11 to our daily worship? 7. How does Psalm 88:11 challenge the belief in God's mercy after death? 8. What historical context influenced the writing of Psalm 88:11? 9. Does Psalm 88:11 suggest a lack of hope for the dead? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 88? (11, 12) In these verses appear three prominent features of the Hebrew conception of the underworld. It is a place of "destruction" (comp. Job 26:6; Job 28:22), of "darkness" (comp. Psalm 88:6), and of "forgetfulness," which may imply not only that the dead are forgotten, both of God and men (comp. Psalm 31:12 with Psalm 88:5), but that they themselves have, to borrow the heathen figure, drunk of the water of Lethe. (Comp. Psalm 6:5; Psalm 30:9, and for both ideas combined Ecclesiastes 9:5-10.) . . . Verse 11. - Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave? Wilt thou wait till I am in my grave before thou showest any mercy upon me? or, Will not that be too late? Can thy faithfulness to thy promises be shown in destruction? literally, in Abaddon; i.e. "perdition" - a name of Sheol (cf. Job 26:6; Job 28:22). Psalm 88:11 sets love and faithfulness against the silence of the grave and the desolation of Abaddon. By asking whether God’s goodness can be celebrated in death, the psalmist underscores the privilege and urgency of praising Him in the land of the living. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Can Your loving devotionחַסְדֶּ֑ךָ (ḥas·de·ḵā) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty be proclaimed הַיְסֻפַּ֣ר (hay·sup·par) Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5608: To count, recount, relate in the grave, בַּקֶּ֣בֶר (baq·qe·ḇer) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6913: A grave, sepulcher Your faithfulness אֱ֝מֽוּנָתְךָ֗ (’ĕ·mū·nā·ṯə·ḵā) Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 530: Firmness, steadfastness, fidelity in Abaddon? בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן׃ (bā·’ă·ḇad·dō·wn) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 11: Abaddon -- (place of) destruction or ruin, Abaddon Additonal Resources Psalm 88:11 Blue Letter BiblePsalm 88:11 Bible Gateway Psalm 88:11 Bible.com Psalm 88:11 NIV |



