Psalms 119:136
My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law. Tsadhe
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The psalmist's tears aren't just about sadness over people's disobedience; they reveal a deep, personal agony because God's honor is being trampled. This sorrow stems not from personal offense, but from seeing the Creator of the universe dishonored by His own creation.
The psalmist, deeply committed to God's law, expresses profound sorrow and distress over the widespread disobedience he witnesses. This verse follows his plea for God to order his steps and protect him from oppression, highlighting his personal struggle alongside his grief for others' rebellion. The outpouring of tears underscores the intense emotional toll taken by seeing God's commands disregarded.
The psalmist isn't just sad; he's weeping rivers of tears. What could possibly cause such an overwhelming emotional response?
This verse paints a vivid picture of profound sorrow. The sheer volume of tears ('rivers of waters') isn't just hyperbole; it's meant to convey the depth of the psalmist's grief.
Why Such Deep Sadness?
Who are these 'they' causing the psalmist such anguish? Understanding them reveals much about the nature of sin and its impact.
The pronoun 'they' in this verse is crucial. While not explicitly named, the commentators suggest it refers to 'wicked men' or those living in rebellion against God.
Who Are 'They'?
Understand the original words
torah · Hebrew Noun
An instruction, commandment, or principle given by God to His people for their guidance, life, and governance; it encompasses the entirety of God's revealed will.
This passage also uses the powerful imagery of weeping for the sin and rebellion of people, mirroring the psalmist's deep sorrow over the lawlessness he witnesses.
Ezekiel 9:4This verse describes a divine command to mark those who sigh and groan over the abominations being committed in the city, highlighting a similar righteous grief over widespread sin.
Luke 19:41-42Jesus himself wept over Jerusalem, lamenting their rejection of God's ways and the impending destruction that would result, demonstrating a divine sorrow over disobedience.
Romans 9:2The Apostle Paul expresses profound grief and continual sorrow in his heart for his kinsmen, the Israelites, showing a deep concern for the spiritual state of others that echoes the psalmist's lament.
gillPsalms 119:136: "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law."
Rivers of waters run down mine eyes,.... That is, "out of" them; as the Syriac version: or, "mine eyes let down rivers of waters" (t); see Lamentations 3:48 ; that is, an abundance of tears, which flowed like a river; an hyperbolical expression, setting forth the excessiveness of grief. The reason follows, because they keep not thy law; the persons are not mentioned, but must be understood of wicked men; whose…
cambridgePsalms 119:136: "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law."
136 . Mine eyes run down with streams of water] For the phrase cp. Lamentations 3:48 ; Lamentations 1:16 . The righteous indignation which he feels at one moment for the lawlessness of men ( Psalm 119:53 ) is tempered at another by profound sorrow and pity.
The psalmist's tears aren't just about sadness over people's disobedience; they reveal a deep, personal agony because God's honor is being trampled. This sorrow stems not from personal offense, but from seeing the Creator of the universe dishonored by His own creation.
The psalmist, deeply committed to God's law, expresses profound sorrow and distress over the widespread disobedience he witnesses. This verse follows his plea for God to order his steps and protect him from oppression, highlighting his personal struggle alongside his grief for others' rebellion. The outpouring of tears underscores the intense emotional toll taken by seeing God's commands disregarded.
The psalmist, deeply committed to God's law, expresses profound sorrow and distress over the widespread disobedience he witnesses. This verse follows his plea for God to order his steps and protect him from oppression, highlighting his personal struggle alongside his grief for others' rebellion. The outpouring of tears underscores the intense emotional toll taken by seeing God's commands disregarded.
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"My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.
Tsadhe" — The psalmist's tears aren't just about sadness over people's disobedience; they reveal a deep, personal agony because God's honor is being trampled. This sorrow stems not from personal offense, but f…