Locking and Locked Spaces in Psalm 88: Sheol and Suffocating Waters

In Psalm 88, the psalmist complains of being taken to a place from which he cannot escape (vv. 4-6), an action which has a locking effect on him. He later finds himself actually locked in (vv. 7-8, 16-17), in a place of turbulence and pain. The first set of metaphors are associated with “the pit”, Sheol, and the place of the dead, a place that is dark and very deep. His companions are those already in the netherworld. The second set of metaphors indicate that, although he is not yet dead, he is unable to return to life for he is caught in the sweeping power of overwhelming waves, pressed in, totally trapped by divine pressure. This paper studies these metaphors, their original contexts, and their intertextual usages, to gain a better understanding of the significance of place in Psalm 88 for both the psalmist’s inner state, and his relationship with God. Keywords: Lament, Sheol, Metaphors, Psalm 88, Intertextual, Place