88:8 Thou hast put away mine {f} acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: {g} [I am] shut up, and I cannot come forth.
(f) He attributes the loss and displeasure of his friends to God's providence by which he partly punishes and partly tries his.
(g) I see no end to my sorrows.
88:1-9 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.
