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Selected Verse: Psalms 88:5 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ps 88:5	Strong Concordance	Free [02670] among the dead [04191], like the slain [02491] that lie [07901] in the grave [06913], whom thou rememberest [02142] no more: and they are cut off [01504] from thy hand [03027].
	King James	Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Free . . . dead--Cut off from God's care, as are the slain, who, falling under His wrath, are left, no longer sustained by His hand.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Free . . . dead--Cut off from God's care, as are the slain, who, falling under His wrath, are left, no longer sustained by His hand.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Free among the dead - Luther renders this, "I lie forgotten among the dead." DeWette renders it, "Pertaining to the dead - (den Todten angehorend) - stricken down, like the slain, I lie in the grave," and explains it as meaning, "I am as good as dead." The word rendered "free" - חפשׁי chophshı̂y - means properly, according to Gesenius (Lexicon), (1) prostrate, weak, feeble; (2) free, as opposed to a slave or a captive; (3) free from public taxes or burdens. The word is translated "free" in Exo 21:2, Exo 21:5,Exo 21:26-27; Deu 15:12-13, Deu 15:18; Sa1 17:25; Job 3:19; Job 39:5; Isa 58:6; Jer 34:9-11, Jer 34:14; and at liberty in Jer 34:16. It occurs nowhere else except in this verse. In all these places (except in Sa1 17:25, where it refers to a house or family made free, and Job 39:5, where it refers to the freedom of the wild ass), it denotes the freedom of one who had been a servant or slave. In Job 3:19, it has reference to the grave, and to the fact that the grave delivers a slave or servant from obligation to his master: "And the servant is free from his master." This is the idea, I apprehend, here. It is not, as DeWette supposes, that he was weak and feeble, as the spirits of the departed are represented to be (compare the notes at Isa 14:9-11), but that the dead are made free from the burdens, the toils, the calamities, the servitudes of life; that they are like those who are emancipated from bondage (compare Job 7:1-2; Job 14:6); that death comes to discharge them, or to set them at liberty. So the psalmist applies the expression here to himself, as if he had already reached that point; as if it were so certain that he must die that he could speak of it as if it had occurred; as if he were actually in the condition of the dead. The idea is that he was to all appearance near the grave, and that there was no hope of his recovery. It is not here, however, the idea of release or emancipation which was mainly before his mind, or any idea of consolation as from that, but it is the idea of death - of hopeless disease that must end in death. This he expresses in the usual language; but it is evident that he did not admit any comfort into his mind from the idea of freedom in the grave. Like the slain that lie in the grave - When slain in battle. They are free from the perils and the toils of life; they are emancipated from its cares and dangers. Death is freedom; and it is possible to derive solace from that idea of death, as Job did Job 3:19; but the psalmist here, as remarked above, did not so admit that idea into his mind as to be comforted by it. Whom thou rememberest no more - As if they were forgotten by thee; as if they were no longer the object of thy care. They are suffered to lie and waste away, with no care on thy part to restore them to life, or to preserve them from offensiveness and decay. So the great, the beautiful, and the good lie neglected in the grave. And they are cut off from thy hand - Margin, "by." The Hebrew is literally "from thy hand," but still the idea is that it was by the agency of God. They had been cut down, and were forgotten - as if God regarded them no more. So we shall all moulder in the grave - in that deep, dark, cold, silent, repulsive abode, as if even God had forgotten us.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Free among the dead - Luther renders this, "I lie forgotten among the dead." DeWette renders it, "Pertaining to the dead - (den Todten angehorend) - stricken down, like the slain, I lie in the grave," and explains it as meaning, "I am as good as dead." The word rendered "free" - חפשׁי chophshı̂y - means properly, according to Gesenius (Lexicon),

(1) prostrate, weak, feeble;

(2) free, as opposed to a slave or a captive;

(3) free from public taxes or burdens.

The word is translated "free" in Exo 21:2, Exo 21:5,Exo 21:26-27; Deu 15:12-13, Deu 15:18; Sa1 17:25; Job 3:19; Job 39:5; Isa 58:6; Jer 34:9-11, Jer 34:14; and at liberty in Jer 34:16. It occurs nowhere else except in this verse. In all these places (except in Sa1 17:25, where it refers to a house or family made free, and Job 39:5, where it refers to the freedom of the wild ass), it denotes the freedom of one who had been a servant or slave. In Job 3:19, it has reference to the grave, and to the fact that the grave delivers a slave or servant from obligation to his master: "And the servant is free from his master." This is the idea, I apprehend, here. It is not, as DeWette supposes, that he was weak and feeble, as the spirits of the departed are represented to be (compare the notes at Isa 14:9-11), but that the dead are made free from the burdens, the toils, the calamities, the servitudes of life; that they are like those who are emancipated from bondage (compare Job 7:1-2; Job 14:6); that death comes to discharge them, or to set them at liberty. So the psalmist applies the expression here to himself, as if he had already reached that point; as if it were so certain that he must die that he could speak of it as if it had occurred; as if he were actually in the condition of the dead. The idea is that he was to all appearance near the grave, and that there was no hope of his recovery. It is not here, however, the idea of release or emancipation which was mainly before his mind, or any idea of consolation as from that, but it is the idea of death - of hopeless disease that must end in death. This he expresses in the usual language; but it is evident that he did not admit any comfort into his mind from the idea of freedom in the grave.

Like the slain that lie in the grave - When slain in battle. They are free from the perils and the toils of life; they are emancipated from its cares and dangers. Death is freedom; and it is possible to derive solace from that idea of death, as Job did Job 3:19; but the psalmist here, as remarked above, did not so admit that idea into his mind as to be comforted by it.

Whom thou rememberest no more - As if they were forgotten by thee; as if they were no longer the object of thy care. They are suffered to lie and waste away, with no care on thy part to restore them to life, or to preserve them from offensiveness and decay. So the great, the beautiful, and the good lie neglected in the grave.

And they are cut off from thy hand - Margin, "by." The Hebrew is literally "from thy hand," but still the idea is that it was by the agency of God. They had been cut down, and were forgotten - as if God regarded them no more. So we shall all moulder in the grave - in that deep, dark, cold, silent, repulsive abode, as if even God had forgotten us.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Free - Well nigh discharged from the warfare of the present life, and entered as a member into the society of the dead. Whom - Thou seemest to neglect and bury in oblivion.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Free among the dead - במתים צפשי bammethim chophshi, I rather think, means stripped among the dead. Both the fourth and fifth verses seem to allude to a field of battle: the slain and the wounded, are found scattered over the plain; the spoilers come among them, and strip, not only the dead, but those also who appear to be mortally wounded, and cannot recover, and are so feeble as not to be able to resist. Hence the psalmist says, "I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no strength," Psa 88:4. And I am stripped among the dead, like the mortally wounded (חללים chalalim) that lie in the grave. "Free among the dead," inter mortuos liber, has been applied by the fathers to our Lord's voluntary death: all others were obliged to die, he alone gave up his life, and could take it again, Joh 10:18. He went into the grave, and came out when he chose. The dead are bound in the grave; he was free, and not obliged to continue in that state as they were. They are cut off from thy hand - An allusion to the roll in which the general has the names of all that compose his army under their respective officers. And when one is killed, he is erased from this register, and remembered no more, as belonging to the army; but his name is entered among those who are dead, in a separate book. This latter is termed the black book, or the book of death; the other is called the book of life, or the book where the living are enrolled. From this circumstance, expressed in different parts of the sacred writings, the doctrine of unconditional reprobation and election has been derived. How wonderful!

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¹⁹ The small [06996] and great [01419] are there; and the servant [05650] is free [02670] from his master [0113].

⁶ Turn [08159] from him, that he may rest [02308], till he shall accomplish [07521], as an hireling [07916], his day [03117].

¹ Is there not an appointed time [06635] to man [0582] upon earth [0776]? are not his days [03117] also like the days [03117] of an hireling [07916]?
² As a servant [05650] earnestly desireth [07602] the shadow [06738], and as an hireling [07916] looketh [06960] for the reward of his work [06467]:

⁹ Hell [07585] from beneath is moved [07264] for thee to meet [07125] thee at thy coming [0935]: it stirreth up [05782] the dead [07496] for thee, even all the chief ones [06260] of the earth [0776]; it hath raised up [06965] from their thrones [03678] all the kings [04428] of the nations [01471].
¹⁰ All they shall speak [06030] and say [0559] unto thee, Art thou also become weak [02470] as we? art thou become like [04911] unto us?
¹¹ Thy pomp [01347] is brought down [03381] to the grave [07585], and the noise [01998] of thy viols [05035]: the worm [07415] is spread [03331] under thee, and the worms [08438] cover [04374] thee.

¹⁹ The small [06996] and great [01419] are there; and the servant [05650] is free [02670] from his master [0113].

⁵ Who hath sent out [07971] the wild ass [06501] free [02670]? or who hath loosed [06605] the bands [04147] of the wild ass [06171]?

²⁵ And the men [0376] of Israel [03478] said [0559], Have ye seen [07200] this man [0376] that is come up [05927]? surely to defy [02778] Israel [03478] is he come up [05927]: and it shall be, that the man [0376] who killeth [05221] him, the king [04428] will enrich [06238] him with great [01419] riches [06239], and will give [05414] him his daughter [01323], and make [06213] his father's [01] house [01004] free [02670] in Israel [03478].

¹⁶ But ye turned [07725] and polluted [02490] my name [08034], and caused every man [0376] his servant [05650], and every man [0376] his handmaid [08198], whom ye had set [07971] at liberty [02670] at their pleasure [05315], to return [07725], and brought them into subjection [03533], to be unto you for servants [05650] and for handmaids [08198].

¹⁴ At the end [07093] of seven [07651] years [08141] let ye go [07971] every man [0376] his brother [0251] an Hebrew [05680], which hath been sold [04376] unto thee; and when he hath served [05647] thee six [08337] years [08141], thou shalt let him go [07971] free [02670] from thee: but your fathers [01] hearkened [08085] not unto me, neither inclined [05186] their ear [0241].

⁹ That every man [0376] should let his manservant [05650], and every man [0376] his maidservant [08198], being an Hebrew [05680] or an Hebrewess [05680], go [07971] free [02670]; that none should serve [05647] himself of them, to wit, of a Jew [03064] his brother [0251].
¹⁰ Now when all the princes [08269], and all the people [05971], which had entered [0935] into the covenant [01285], heard [08085] that every one [0376] should let his manservant [05650], and every one [0376] his maidservant [08198], go [07971] free [02670], that none should serve [05647] themselves of them any more, then they obeyed [08085], and let them go [07971].
¹¹ But afterward [0310] they turned [07725], and caused the servants [05650] and the handmaids [08198], whom they had let go [07971] free [02670], to return [07725], and brought them into subjection [03533] [03533] for servants [05650] and for handmaids [08198].

⁶ Is not this the fast [06685] that I have chosen [0977]? to loose [06605] the bands [02784] of wickedness [07562], to undo [05425] the heavy [04133] burdens [092], and to let the oppressed [07533] go [07971] free [02670], and that ye break [05423] every yoke [04133]?

⁵ Who hath sent out [07971] the wild ass [06501] free [02670]? or who hath loosed [06605] the bands [04147] of the wild ass [06171]?

¹⁹ The small [06996] and great [01419] are there; and the servant [05650] is free [02670] from his master [0113].

¹⁸ It shall not seem hard [07185] unto thee [05869], when thou sendest him away [07971] free [02670] from thee; for he hath been worth [07939] a double [04932] hired servant [07916] to thee, in serving [05647] thee six [08337] years [08141]: and the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] shall bless [01288] thee in all that thou doest [06213].

¹² And if thy brother [0251], an Hebrew man [05680], or an Hebrew woman [05680], be sold [04376] unto thee, and serve [05647] thee six [08337] years [08141]; then in the seventh [07637] year [08141] thou shalt let him go [07971] free [02670] from thee.
¹³ And when thou sendest [07971] him out free [02670] from thee, thou shalt not let him go away [07971] empty [07387]:

²⁶ And if a man [0376] smite [05221] the eye [05869] of his servant [05650], or the eye [05869] of his maid [0519], that it perish [07843]; he shall let him go [07971] free [02670] for [08478] his eye's [05869] sake.
²⁷ And if he smite [05307] out his manservant's [05650] tooth [08127], or his maidservant's [0519] tooth [08127]; he shall let him go [07971] free [02670] for his tooth's [08127] sake.

⁵ And if the servant [05650] shall plainly [0559] say [0559], I love [0157] my master [0113], my wife [0802], and my children [01121]; I will not go out [03318] free [02670]:

² If thou buy [07069] an Hebrew [05680] servant [05650], six [08337] years [08141] he shall serve [05647]: and in the seventh [07637] he shall go out [03318] free [02670] for nothing [02600].

¹⁸ No man [3762] taketh [142] it [846] from [575] me [1700], but [235] I [1473] lay [5087] it [846] down [5087] of [575] myself [1683]. I have [2192] power [1849] to lay [5087] it [846] down [5087], and [2532] I have [2192] power [1849] to take [2983] it [846] again [3825]. This [5026] commandment [1785] have I received [2983] of [3844] my [3450] Father [3962].

⁴ I am counted [02803] with them that go down [03381] into the pit [0953]: I am as a man [01397] that hath no strength [0353]: