Psalms 42:3
My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easily missed here is the intense, almost physical experience of grief described. The psalmist isn't just sad; his tears have become his food, meaning his sorrow has completely consumed him, taking the place of any appetite or nourishment. This profound suffering is then amplified by the cruel taunts of his enemies, making his spiritual desolation a public spectacle.
The sting of the enemies' taunts ("Where is your God?") wasn't just about the Psalmist's current suffering, but about their mockery of his faith. Their words tried to prove God was either absent, powerless, or uncaring, twisting his deep sorrow into proof of God's abandonment.
Imagine grief so deep it steals your appetite. The psalmist describes a state where tears become more constant than meals.
The Depth of Despair
The phrase "My tears have been my meat day and night" is a powerful metaphor for overwhelming sorrow. It wasn't just about crying a lot; it suggests that the grief was so profound it consumed the psalmist's focus, replacing the natural need for food. This signifies a state where emotional pain eclipses physical needs.
The enemies' taunts, "Where is your God?" cut deeper than any personal suffering. They question not just the psalmist's faith, but God's very power and presence.
The Enemy's Weapon
The most piercing pain for the psalmist comes not from his tears, but from the mocking question of his enemies: "Where is your God?"
This psalm likely arose during the intense sorrow and displacement of the Babylonian exile, a time when the devastation of Jerusalem and the Temple, coupled with taunts from oppressors, made people question God's presence and power.
c. 1000 BC
David's Reign as King
The Psalms are traditionally attributed to David, a period marked by both great triumphs and significant personal struggles, including periods of exile and persecution.
c. 975 BC
Solomon's Temple Construction
The construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem under Solomon, serving as the central place of worship and national identity for the Israelites.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom split into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah, leading to increased political instability and conflict.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Exile of Israel
The northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire, and many of its inhabitants were deported, serving as a dire warning for Judah.
This verse echoes the sentiment of being fed with tears, highlighting how deep sorrow can become one's constant companion, much like the psalmist in Psalm 42:3.
Psalms 102:9The psalmist here also speaks of ashes as bread and mingling tears with drink, painting a vivid picture of profound grief and distress that mirrors the experience in Psalm 42:3.
Lamentations 3:29-30This passage describes the posture of one in deep sorrow, putting their mouth to the dust and enduring reproach, which resonates with the desolation and public taunts faced by the psalmist in Psalm 42:3.
Job 30:10In Job's lament, he describes being spared by his enemies, who even spit in his face, reflecting the humiliation and public mockery implied by the question, 'Where is your God?' in Psalm 42:3.
Zechariah 13:7This prophetic passage speaks of God's shepherd being struck, leading to the scattering of the sheep, which can be seen as a divine parallel to the psalmist's sense of abandonment and the enemies' taunts about his absent God.
bensonPsalms 42:3: "My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?"
Psalm 42:3-4 . My tears have been my meat, &c. — That is, I am wholly given over to grief and sorrow while I hear the continual reproaches of my enemies, saying unto me, Where is thy God? — Of whom thou hast so often boasted, as of one so able and ready to help all that trust in him, and call upon him? and particularly as one engaged to thee by many great and special promises? He is de…
poolePsalms 42:3: "My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?"
My tears have been my meat; which notes both the great abundance and constant course of his tears, and the secret satisfaction and ease which he found in giving vent to his passion this way. Possibly his tears and grief took away his appetite, and so were to him instead of food. Where is thy God, of whom thou hast so often boasted, as of one so able and ready to help all that trust in…
What's easily missed here is the intense, almost physical experience of grief described. The psalmist isn't just sad; his tears have become his food, meaning his sorrow has completely consumed him, taking the place of any appetite or nourishment. This profound suffering is then amplified by the cruel taunts of his enemies, making his spiritual desolation a public spectacle.
The sting of the enemies' taunts ("Where is your God?") wasn't just about the Psalmist's current suffering, but about their mockery of his faith. Their words tried to prove God was either absent, powerless, or uncaring, twisting his deep sorrow into proof of God's abandonment.
The sting of the enemies' taunts ("Where is your God?") wasn't just about the Psalmist's current suffering, but about their mockery of his faith. Their words tried to prove God was either absent, powerless, or uncaring, twisting his deep sorrow into proof of God's abandonment.
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Even in deep sorrow and mockery, the psalmist finds a way to remember and long for God. This remembrance becomes a crucial anchor.
The Anchor of Remembrance
Despite the overwhelming grief and the enemies' taunts, the psalmist doesn't completely despair. The context (implied by Benson and Calvin) reveals he is exiled from the sanctuary, the place where God's presence was most tangibly felt.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began deporting Judeans, including many of the elite and skilled workers, to Babylon, marking the start of the Babylonian exile.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, scattering the remaining Judeans into exile. This event is the most profound crisis for national and religious identity.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus Cylinder Issued
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon, and his decree allowed exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
"My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”" — What's easily missed here is the intense, almost physical experience of grief described. The psalmist isn't just sad; his tears have become his food, meaning his sorrow has completely consumed him,…
