Psalm 80 6

Psalm 80:6 kjv

Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

Psalm 80:6 nkjv

You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves.

Psalm 80:6 niv

You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us.

Psalm 80:6 esv

You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.

Psalm 80:6 nlt

You have made us the scorn of neighboring nations.
Our enemies treat us as a joke.

Psalm 80 verses

Psalm 80 6 Meaning

Psalm 80:6 depicts a profound state of national suffering and grief, where the people are so overwhelmed by sorrow that tears have become their primary sustenance and drink. It highlights God's sovereign administration of this affliction, portraying Him as the one who causes them to consume their own sorrows in overwhelming abundance, signifying deep distress and deprivation.

Psalm 80 6 Context

Psalm 80 is a communal lament (an Ashaphic psalm), likely sung by the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a period of national distress, possibly stemming from Assyrian invasions or other calamities that devastated their land. The psalm repeatedly pleads for God to "Restore us, O God" (vv. 3, 7, 19) and asks Him to "Shine forth Your face, that we may be saved." The context is one where God, who had brought Israel out of Egypt like a flourishing vine, has now allowed it to be broken down, making it vulnerable to its enemies. Verse 6, "You make us drink the bread of tears, And give us tears to drink in large measure," directly describes the intense suffering and complete deprivation experienced by the people, framing their sorrow as a divinely appointed sustenance, emphasizing the depth of their affliction and their dependence on God for their restoration.

Psalm 80 6 Word analysis

• You make us drink (תַּשְׁקֵמוֹ - tashqêmo): From the Hebrew root shaqah (שָׁקָה), meaning "to give to drink" or "to make to drink." The Hiphil (causative) stem here strongly indicates God's active agency; He is the one who causes or administers this drinking. This signifies His direct involvement in their suffering, implying divine discipline or judgment.
• the bread (לֶחֶם - lehem): A fundamental staple food, representing sustenance and basic necessity for life. Here, its nature is paradoxically defined by what accompanies it.
• of tears (דִּמְעָה - dima'a): Tears, flowing from sorrow or grief. The genitive construction "bread of tears" means tears are not merely with their food but constitute their food, a poetic and hyperbolic expression emphasizing extreme suffering where grief is their entire diet.
• And give us (וּתַשְׁקֵנוּ - u’tashqênu - though the direct verb is usually not repeated in the Hebrew in this specific structure as translated, it's implied God is still the one giving/making them drink, as in "You make us drink… and [You give us] tears to drink"): The parallelism implies continued divine agency. This repetition emphasizes the persistence and abundance of their sorrow.
• tears (וּדְמָעוֹת - u'dma'ot): Repetition of the noun "tears" reinforces the central image and overwhelming presence of grief.
• to drink: Implied from the verb "make us drink" earlier and the context. Tears are their sole drink.
• in large measure (שָׁלִישׁ - shalish): Literally "a third part" (e.g., of a liquid measure, a specific military rank), but in this poetic context, it signifies an overflowing, abundant, or overflowing measure. It is not just tears, but tears in superabundant quantity, indicating the relentless and profound nature of their sorrow. This is often interpreted as a large or full measure, indicating a deep and inexhaustible supply of grief.
• Words-Group Analysis:
• "You make us drink the bread of tears": This vivid phrase functions as a metonymy and a powerful metaphor. Their very sustenance has become grief. Instead of consuming actual food, their diet consists solely of sorrow and lamentation. This reflects complete deprivation and an immersive experience of misery.
• "And give us tears to drink in large measure": This parallels and amplifies the first half. It's a hyperbole that portrays their overwhelming state of despair. Not only are tears their "bread," but tears themselves are their "drink," and in an endless, overwhelming torrent ("large measure"). This parallelism deepens the sense of utter despair and saturation in sorrow. It underscores the severity of God's disciplinary action.

Psalm 80 6 Bonus section

The strong parallelism in Psalm 80:6, where the second half of the verse mirrors and intensifies the first ("bread of tears" // "tears to drink in large measure"), is a common Hebrew poetic device that amplifies the intended meaning and impact. This specific lament is often linked to the Assyrian captivity, where the Northern tribes (Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin) endured extreme hardship. The "bread of tears" contrasts sharply with the "bread from heaven" (manna) God provided in the wilderness, highlighting the reversal of divine favor due to the nation's turning away from Him. The emphasis on God as the one "making them drink" underscores the theological point that nothing occurs outside of His ultimate permission or direct action, even calamity, pushing the people to recognize their need for Him as their sole deliverer rather than attributing their suffering to chance or other deities. This perspective encourages introspection and repentance as the only pathway to divine restoration.

Psalm 80 6 Commentary

Psalm 80:6 succinctly and profoundly captures the depth of Israel's national anguish. The language goes beyond mere sadness; it describes a state where sorrow is so pervasive that it replaces the fundamental elements of survival – bread and water. The people are not just weeping; they are "drinking" tears as their daily sustenance. This imagery communicates not just the presence of suffering, but its all-consuming nature, defining their existence. The explicit declaration "You make us drink" reveals the psalmist's understanding that this intense affliction is not random misfortune, but a direct act of God's sovereignty. He is the one who administers this bitter cup of tears, indicating His judgment or severe discipline. The "large measure" emphasizes the relentless, continuous, and overwhelming torrent of grief they endure. The verse therefore is a cry from a people immersed in divinely appointed suffering, underscoring their utter dependency on God to turn away His anger and restore them, as repeatedly pleaded for in the surrounding verses. It portrays suffering as both severe and originating from God, intended to bring the people back to Him.