What Does Psalm 88:2 Mean in the King James?
Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse’s “cry” is a ringing voice that can also be song, and God’s ear is asked to stretch toward it.
THE MEANING
You ask for your prayer to come before God and for God’s ear to turn toward your cry. The word translated “cry” also names a ringing shout or song, while “incline” pictures an ear stretching toward what is voiced. The verse gives your distress a voice before the presence it addresses.
THE ROOT
רִנָּה
rinnah
GROWS FROM
רנן
ranan
Ring out, cry aloud, or sing aloud.
The word for your “cry” is רִנָּה (rinnah, a ringing cry), a word that also names song or a shout. Its root רנן (ranan, to ring out or cry aloud) joins the voice of need to the voice that sings, so “cry” holds more than distress alone.
ALSO GROWS
ranan: To sing aloud or shout.
רָנַן
The verb shows a voice ringing outward, whether in grief or joy.
rinnah: A ringing cry, shout, or song.
רִנָּה
This noun holds vocal appeal and song in the same word-family.
תְּפִלָּה
tefillah
GROWS FROM
פלל
palal
Intervene, interpose, or judge.
The prayer-word belongs to פלל (palal, to interpose or judge), a family that includes praying and judges. Prayer appears as a matter brought into someone’s hearing, not speech emptied into nowhere.
ALSO GROWS
hitpallel: To pray or intercede.
הִתְפַּלֵּל
The related verb keeps the sense of bringing a matter forward in prayer.
pelilim: Judges or arbiters.
פְּלִילִים
This branch shows the root’s connection to matters presented for another to consider.
הַטֵּה
hatteh
GROWS FROM
נטה
natah
Stretch out, extend, or turn aside.
“incline” in this verse is hatteh. The verse does not picture the ear as merely receiving sound; it asks the ear to stretch toward the cry. This root makes listening an active turning of attention.
ALSO GROWS
natah: To stretch out, extend, or incline.
נָטָה
The root verb makes the reaching action beneath “incline” visible.
matteh: A staff or rod; also a tribe.
מַטֶּה
The staff is an extended form, while the word’s wider branch sense carries the image of extension.
THE PATTERN
A cry of need is voiced toward God as something that can arrive and be heard.
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.THE THREAD
A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.Psalm 17:1 pairs רִנָּה (rinnah, “ringing cry”) with תְּפִלָּה (tefillah, “prayer”), the same two word-families present here. The pairing makes cry and prayer two expressions of one appeal: a voiced need brought before God.
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