You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse paints a vivid picture not just of sorrow, but of sorrow so overwhelming that it has become the very sustenance of God's people. The imagery of being "fed" with tears and having them to "drink in full measure" suggests that their grief wasn't just an occasional visitor, but their constant, daily portion, defining their existence.
You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is crying out to God on behalf of his people, lamenting their suffering and scattering. He pleads with God, the Shepherd of Israel, to shine his face upon them as he did in days past, contrasting that with their current state of distress. This verse vividly describes their deep sorrow and hardship, as if tears have become their constant sustenance and drink.
Ever felt like sorrow was all you could stomach? This verse describes a profound, daily experience of grief.
The imagery of being "fed with the bread of tears" and given "tears to drink in full measure" is incredibly powerful. It doesn't just mean that the people are crying sometimes; it suggests that sorrow has become their primary sustenance, their constant companion.
More Than Just Sadness
Think about what bread is to us – it's essential, it's what we have day in and day out. Here, tears have replaced that basic necessity. It speaks to a deep, pervasive suffering where joy is absent, and every moment is saturated with grief. The "full measure" emphasizes the overwhelming abundance of this sorrow, leaving no room for anything else.
Is God actively causing this pain, or is He allowing it? This verse challenges our understanding of God's involvement in suffering.
The psalm doesn't shy away from attributing this state of deep sorrow directly to God. The phrases "You have fed them" and "You have given them" are striking. This isn't about God causing evil, but about His sovereign allowance and perhaps even His purposeful use of hardship in the lives of His people.
A Difficult Provision
For a nation in distress, possibly exiled or under severe oppression, God is presented as the one who is allowing, and in a sense providing, this "bread of tears." This can be incredibly hard to grapple with, but it points to a God who is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, even the painful ones. It’s a reminder that even when we feel abandoned, God is still present, and His actions, even those we don't understand, are part of a larger purpose, often to discipline or refine His people.
Ask a follow-up
What does it mean to drink tears 'in full measure'? This verse hints at a specific, overwhelming quantity of suffering.
The phrase "in great measure" or "in full measure" in the original Hebrew likely refers to a specific, large quantity. Scholars discuss terms like "shalish," possibly a third of a larger measure or a specific drinking vessel. Regardless of the exact historical measurement, the point is clear: the sorrow is not slight or temporary. It is abundant and overwhelming.
Beyond Capacity
Imagine being given a cup so full of tears that it overflows, or being served a meal where every bite is seasoned with grief. This imagery conveys a sense of being completely saturated with sadness, beyond what one can easily bear. It speaks to a profound and prolonged period of affliction where the people have reached the limit of their endurance.
Understand the original words
lechem dim'ah · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A poetic expression for profound sorrow, affliction, and deep distress, representing a season where suffering is the primary experience of the believer.
This psalm is likely a lament cried out during or after the Babylonian exile, a time when the people of God experienced profound suffering and devastation, feeling abandoned and overwhelmed by sorrow.
c. 734-732 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Israel
King Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria invades the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting thousands and placing the kingdom under tribute. This event severely weakened Israel and set the stage for its eventual destruction.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Exile
The capital city of Samaria falls to the Assyrians after a long siege. The remaining population of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is exiled, and the land is resettled with foreign populations.
701 BC
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib invades the Southern Kingdom of Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. While Jerusalem is miraculously spared, Judah suffers greatly.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquers Judah and begins deporting Israelites to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and exiling most of the remaining population. This is a devastating blow to the Israelite nation and their faith.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon. This leads to the eventual decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.
This passage echoes the imagery of Psalms 80:5, describing tears as constant 'meat' and a source of 'drink,' highlighting a pervasive and consuming sorrow.
Lamentations 3:15This verse speaks of being 'given wormwood to drink' and being 'filled with bitterness,' which powerfully parallels the idea of sorrow as a constant, almost consumable, experience.
Isaiah 30:20Though not using the same imagery, this verse promises that despite 'affliction and distress,' the Lord will provide 'bread' and 'water,' contrasting the desperate need for sustenance with the provision of tears in Psalms 80:5.
Jeremiah 9:1The prophet wishes his head were 'water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears,' expressing a desire for constant weeping that resonates with the deep sorrow described in Psalms 80:5.
clarkePsalms 80:5: "Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure."
Thou feedest them with the bread of tears - They have no peace, no comfort, nothing but continual sorrow. In great measure - שליש shalish, threefold. Some think it was a certain measure used by the Chaldeans, the real capacity of which is not known. others think it signifies abundance or abundantly.
ellicottPsalms 80:5: "Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure."
(5) Bread of tears. —See Psalm 42:3 . In great measure.—Heb., shalîsh, i.e., a third part. (Comp. Isaiah 40:12, Margin.) Probably meaning a third part of an ephah. (See Exodus 16:36; Isaiah 5:10, LXX.) But here evidently used in a general way, as we say “a peck of troubles.”
This verse paints a vivid picture not just of sorrow, but of sorrow so overwhelming that it has become the very sustenance of God's people. The imagery of being "fed" with tears and having them to "drink in full measure" suggests that their grief wasn't just an occasional visitor, but their constant, daily portion, defining their existence.
The psalmist is crying out to God on behalf of his people, lamenting their suffering and scattering. He pleads with God, the Shepherd of Israel, to shine his face upon them as he did in days past, contrasting that with their current state of distress. This verse vividly describes their deep sorrow and hardship, as if tears have become their constant sustenance and drink.
The psalmist is crying out to God on behalf of his people, lamenting their suffering and scattering. He pleads with God, the Shepherd of Israel, to shine his face upon them as he did in days past, contrasting that with their current state of distress. This verse vividly describes their deep sorrow and hardship, as if tears have become their constant sustenance and drink.
"You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure." — This verse paints a vivid picture not just of sorrow, but of sorrow so overwhelming that it has become the very sustenance of God's people. The imagery of being "fed" with tears and having them to "d…
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Last reviewed October 2026