Psalm 80 5

Psalm 80:5 kjv

Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

Psalm 80:5 nkjv

You have fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure.

Psalm 80:5 niv

You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.

Psalm 80:5 esv

You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure.

Psalm 80:5 nlt

You have fed us with sorrow
and made us drink tears by the bucketful.

Psalm 80 verses

Psalm 80 5 Meaning

Psalm 80:5 describes the intense suffering and profound sorrow experienced by God's people, depicting their life as being consumed by tears and distress. The verse portrays God as the active agent who has "fed them with the bread of tears" and "given them tears to drink in full measure," signifying a state of continuous, overwhelming grief that permeates their entire existence, appointed by divine decree as a form of discipline.

Psalm 80 5 Context

Psalm 80 is a communal lament, often attributed to the sons of Asaph, a group of Temple musicians. It is a heartfelt prayer to God for national restoration. The psalm portrays Israel as a vine that God transplanted and established but has now been ravaged and consumed, facing intense suffering and shame. This suffering is directly attributed to God's hand as discipline. Verse 5 encapsulates this profound distress, preceding the repeated plea, "Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!" The historical backdrop likely involves a period of severe national calamity, such as invasion, exile, or the breaking of national strength, potentially following the Assyrian conquests of the Northern Kingdom, as suggested by the specific mention of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin (Ps 80:2). The verse emphasizes that their suffering is not accidental but divinely ordained.

Psalm 80 5 Word analysis

• You have fed them (הֶאֱכַלְתָּם, he'echaltam): This Hiphil perfect verb "fed" from the root אָכַל ('akhal, to eat/feed) signifies that God is the active subject who has provided or caused this "food." It highlights divine sovereignty and agency, meaning the suffering is not arbitrary but divinely allowed or inflicted as discipline. God, the traditional provider of sustenance, is here depicted as providing sorrow itself as their daily "bread."
• with the bread of tears (לֶחֶם דִּמְעָה, lekhem dim'ah):
  • Bread (לֶחֶם, lekhem): Represents daily sustenance, basic provision for life. It is something consumed continually.
  • Tears (דִּמְעָה, dim'ah): Signify deep sorrow, grief, and lament.
  • "Bread of tears": A powerful metaphor illustrating that tears, weeping, and sorrow have become their fundamental means of existence and constant experience, consuming them as much as physical food sustains them. It means their lives are filled with overwhelming, unrelenting grief.
• and given them tears to drink (וַתַּשְׁקֵמוֹ דְמָעוֹת, vattashqeimo d'ma'ot):
  • Given... to drink (וַתַּשְׁקֵמוֹ, vattashqeimo): This Hiphil verb from שָׁקָה (shaqah, to drink/give drink) again emphasizes God's active role in providing. Just as bread represents food, drink completes the sustenance necessary for life.
  • Tears (דְמָעוֹת, d'ma'ot): Repetition of the word for "tears" reinforces the pervasive nature of their sorrow.
  • "Given them tears to drink": Further solidifies the imagery of grief saturating every aspect of their lives, akin to essential hydration. The combination with "bread of tears" portrays a life utterly defined by sorrow.
• in full measure (בִּשְׂלִישׁ, bish'lish): This word (shalish) is rich in meaning. In this context, it is most commonly understood as a large measure, referring to a specific unit of liquid capacity, perhaps "a third-measure," implying an overflowing or abundant amount.
  • "Full measure" / "Large measure": Suggests that the tears are not just a daily experience but are given in overflowing abundance, emphasizing the depth and extremity of their suffering. It implies an overwhelming quantity, leaving no room for relief.
  • Alternatively, shalish can refer to a "treble" or "triple," emphasizing an intensified degree of suffering. Some lexicons also point to a military officer, but that is less fitting here, or a musical instrument, equally unfitting. The "measure" interpretation is strongly supported by the context of "drinking."

• "You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink": This combined phrase emphasizes the pervasive and consuming nature of their suffering. It is their very diet, their means of living, saturated with grief. This isn't merely an occasional sorrow but a continuous, core component of their existence. It's an indictment of their current desperate state while simultaneously acknowledging divine sovereignty over it. This imagery also creates an implicit polemic: their suffering is not due to the failure of foreign deities or blind fate, but from the deliberate hand of their covenant God, challenging notions that He is absent or powerless.

Psalm 80 5 Bonus section

The "bread of tears" imagery draws parallels with "bread of affliction" (Deut 16:3) or "water of affliction" (Isa 30:20), indicating a life permeated by hardship and divine judgment. The mention of tears as a "full measure" might evoke the covenant curses found in Deuteronomy, where abundance of suffering could be a sign of divine displeasure. This verse is central to understanding the nature of lament in the Psalms: it acknowledges God's agency in suffering, expresses deep sorrow without diminishing God's power, and forms the basis for earnest prayer for divine intervention and restoration, emphasizing that suffering is often a precursor to repentance and revival.

Psalm 80 5 Commentary

Psalm 80:5 powerfully encapsulates the deep anguish of the Israelites during a time of national decline and divine judgment. By declaring that God has "fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure," the psalmist conveys an overwhelming and inescapable experience of sorrow. This is not a passive affliction but an active, divine provision, signaling that God himself is behind their suffering, employing it as a means of discipline for their unfaithfulness. The imagery is profoundly impactful, portraying tears as their very sustenance, filling their daily lives completely and without reprieve. This vivid metaphor serves to intensify the lament, preparing the way for the desperate pleas for God's restoration that follow throughout the psalm. It acknowledges the severity of God's discipline, yet also implicitly holds out hope for His intervention, as only He who inflicts can also heal and restore.