Psalm 80:5
New International Version
You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.

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

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

Berean Standard Bible
You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears.

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

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

New American Standard Bible
You have fed them with the bread of tears, And You have made them drink tears in large measure.

NASB 1995
You have fed them with the bread of tears, And You have made them to drink tears in large measure.

NASB 1977
Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, And Thou hast made them to drink tears in large measure.

Legacy Standard Bible
You have fed them with the bread of tears, And You have made them to drink tears in large measure.

Amplified Bible
You have fed them the bread of tears, And You have made them drink [bitter] tears in abundance.

Christian Standard Bible
You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure of tears to drink.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure of tears to drink.

American Standard Version
Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in large measure.

Contemporary English Version
You gave us tears for food, and you made us drink them by the bowlful.

English Revised Version
Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You made them eat tears as food. You often made them drink [their own] tears.

Good News Translation
You have given us sorrow to eat, a large cup of tears to drink.

International Standard Version
You fed them tears as their food, and caused them to drink a full measure of tears.

Majority Standard Bible
You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears.

NET Bible
You have given them tears as food; you have made them drink tears by the measure.

New Heart English Bible
You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

World English Bible
You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You have caused them to eat bread of tears, "" And cause them to drink "" With tears a third time.

Young's Literal Translation
Thou hast caused them to eat bread of tears, And causest them to drink With tears a third time.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou gavest them to eat the bread of tears, and thou wilt give them to drink in tears by measure.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
How long wilt thou feed us with the bread of tears: and give us for our drink tears in measure?

Catholic Public Domain Version
How long will you feed us the bread of tears, and give us to drink a full measure of tears?

New American Bible
You have fed them the bread of tears, made them drink tears in great measure.

New Revised Standard Version
You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You fed them bread with tears and you made them drink with tears.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in large measure.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou wilt feed us with bread of tears; and wilt cause us to drink tears by measure.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hear Us, O Shepherd of Israel
4O LORD God of Hosts, how long will Your anger smolder against the prayers of Your people? 5You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears. 6You make us contend with our neighbors; our enemies mock us.…

Cross References
Isaiah 63:9-10
In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. / But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.

Lamentations 3:32-33
Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion. / For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.

Jeremiah 31:18-20
I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God. / After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ / Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the LORD.

Hosea 11:8-9
How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassion is stirred! / I will not execute the full fury of My anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man—the Holy One among you—and I will not come in wrath.

Isaiah 64:9-12
Do not be angry, O LORD, beyond measure; do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray; we are all Your people! / Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation. / Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins. ...

Jeremiah 14:17-18
You are to speak this word to them: ‘My eyes overflow with tears; day and night they do not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people has been shattered by a crushing blow, a severely grievous wound. / If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’”

Lamentations 2:11-12
My eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. / They cry out to their mothers: “Where is the grain and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers.

Ezekiel 24:16-18
“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow. / Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.” / So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I had been commanded.

Job 9:16-18
If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice. / For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause. / He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.

Isaiah 42:24-25
Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law. / So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...

Hebrews 12:5-11
And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. / For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” / Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? ...

Revelation 3:19
Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, / who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. / For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.


Treasury of Scripture

You feed them with the bread of tears; and give them tears to drink in great measure.

Psalm 42:3
My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

Psalm 102:9
For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,

Job 6:7
The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

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Bowlful Bread Caused Causest Drink Eat Fed Feedest Food Full Givest Great Large Measure Sorrow Tears Third Time Weeping
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Bowlful Bread Caused Causest Drink Eat Fed Feedest Food Full Givest Great Large Measure Sorrow Tears Third Time Weeping
Psalm 80
1. The psalmist in his prayer complains of the miseries of the church
8. God's former favors are turned into judgments
14. He prays for deliverance














You fed them
The phrase "You fed them" suggests a deliberate action by God, indicating His sovereignty and control over the circumstances of His people. The Hebrew root for "fed" is "לָחַם" (lacham), which can also mean to provide or supply. In this context, it is a poignant reminder that God is the ultimate provider, even when what He provides is not what we desire. Historically, this reflects the period of Israel's distress, possibly during the Assyrian or Babylonian captivity, where the people felt that their sustenance was sorrow itself.

with the bread of tears
The "bread of tears" is a metaphorical expression that conveys deep sorrow and mourning. In Hebrew, "לֶחֶם" (lechem) means bread, a staple of life, suggesting that tears have become as common and necessary as food. This imagery is powerful, illustrating that the people's grief was so overwhelming that it became their sustenance. Theologically, it reflects the consequences of turning away from God, where spiritual nourishment is replaced by sorrow.

and made them drink
The phrase "and made them drink" continues the metaphor of consuming sorrow. The Hebrew verb "שָׁקָה" (shaqah) means to give to drink, implying that God allowed or caused them to experience this sorrow fully. This can be seen as a form of divine discipline, where God uses hardship to bring His people back to repentance and reliance on Him. It underscores the idea that God is intimately involved in the lives of His people, even in their suffering.

their full measure of tears
"Full measure of tears" suggests an abundance or overflowing of sorrow. The Hebrew word "מָשָׁק" (mashaq) implies a complete or overflowing portion. This phrase indicates that the people's suffering was not just a brief moment but a prolonged period of distress. Historically, this could relate to the extended periods of exile and oppression faced by Israel. Spiritually, it serves as a reminder of the depth of human suffering due to sin and the need for divine intervention and redemption.

(5) Bread of tears.--See Psalm 42:3.

In great measure.--Heb., shalish, 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."

Verse 5. - Thou feedest them with the bread of tears (comp. Psalm 42:2, "My tears have been my meat day and night"). And givest them tears to drink in great measure; or, and givest them to drink a copious draught of tears; literally, shalish is a measure of capacity, probably the third part of an ephah (see Isaiah 40:12).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You fed them
הֶ֭אֱכַלְתָּם (he·’ĕ·ḵal·tām)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 398: To eat

with the bread
לֶ֣חֶם (le·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

of tears
דִּמְעָ֑ה (dim·‘āh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1832: Tears (of one weeping)

and made them drink
וַ֝תַּשְׁקֵ֗מוֹ (wat·taš·qê·mōw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8248: To quaff, to irrigate, furnish a, potion to

their full measure
שָׁלִֽישׁ׃ (šā·lîš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7991: A triple, a triangle, a three-fold measure, a general of the third rank

of tears.
בִּדְמָע֥וֹת (biḏ·mā·‘ō·wṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 1832: Tears (of one weeping)


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OT Poetry: Psalm 80:5 You have fed them with the bread (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 80:4
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