In the biblical narrative, tears are a profound expression of human emotion, often associated with sorrow, repentance, and supplication. The Bible presents tears as significant to God, who observes and responds to the cries of His people. This entry explores the biblical understanding of tears and their spiritual implications.

Tears as a Reflection of Suffering and Sorrow

Throughout Scripture, tears are frequently linked to suffering and sorrow. The psalmist David, in his moments of distress, speaks of his tears as a constant companion: "I am weary from my groaning; all night I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears" (Psalm 6:6). This vivid imagery underscores the depth of his anguish and the sincerity of his lament before God.

God's Compassionate Observation

The Bible assures believers that God is attentive to their tears. In Psalm 56:8, David expresses confidence in God's intimate awareness of his suffering: "You have taken account of my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle—are they not in Your book?" . This metaphorical language suggests that God not only sees but also cherishes and remembers the tears of His people, indicating His deep compassion and care.

Tears of Repentance and Divine Response

Tears are also associated with repentance and a turning back to God. In the account of King Hezekiah, when faced with a terminal illness, he weeps bitterly and prays to the Lord. God's response is immediate and compassionate: "I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you" (2 Kings 20:5). This narrative highlights the power of genuine repentance and God's readiness to respond with mercy and healing.

Tears in the Ministry of Jesus

The New Testament continues this theme, with Jesus Himself displaying deep empathy and compassion. In John 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept" , we see the Savior's tears at the death of Lazarus, reflecting His profound empathy for human suffering. Jesus' tears demonstrate His identification with human grief and His divine compassion.

The Promise of Comfort

The Bible offers hope and comfort to those who weep, promising a future where tears will be no more. Revelation 21:4 provides a vision of the ultimate consolation: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away" . This promise assures believers of God's ultimate plan to eradicate sorrow and bring eternal joy.

Conclusion

In summary, tears in the Bible are a powerful symbol of human emotion and divine compassion. They reflect the depth of human suffering and the sincerity of repentance, while also highlighting God's attentive and loving response. Through the lens of Scripture, tears are not merely a sign of weakness but a testament to the profound relationship between God and His people, marked by empathy, healing, and the promise of eternal comfort.Psalm 56:8
You tell my wanderings: put you my tears into your bottle: are they not in your book?
Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 38:3-5
And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
Nave's Topical Index

Reading the Law with Tears and Joy
... bore especially on ritual, though the tears of the ... if the ritual had been irregularly
observed, and the ... Neglect of God's law weakens the power of understanding ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/reading the law with tears.htm

Christ the Son of God.
... he may be, we can indorse no man who tears in two ... We can honor Jesus as the Son of
God only by ... it, and whose every direction is to be observed simply because ...
/.../iv christ the son of god.htm

Of the vision that Appeared to a Certain Man of God Before the ...
... own promise, gave himself up entirely to tears of penitence ... had died there, he ever
after observed this manner ... that course through the fear of God, in penitence ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xxv of the vision.htm

Extraordinary Trances
... then she burst into a flood of tears and cried out ... About half an hour after six,
I observed distress take ... Then she said aloud, "Give God the glory." About seven ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/extraordinary trances.htm

A Happy Boy.
... He kept a watch over his heart, and observed the workings ... with God in prayer, and
would plead with God at an ... forced to cry out, "The prayers and tears of that ...
/.../wesley/stories of boys and girls who loved the saviour/a happy boy.htm

Epistle vii. To the Clergy, Concerning Prayer to God.
... prayers, our groanings, and our tears, knock at ... because his commandments were not
observed; but that ... pray with watchfulness; and undoubtedly God, who "rebukes ...
/.../cyprian/the epistles of cyprian/epistle vii to the clergy.htm

Thanksgiving to God for Deliverance from the Evils Expected Owing ...
... Tell me not then of tears and rheums, for these things ... in trees; and the meanest
of them may be observed to have ... Do not then lay blame on God on account of the ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xi thanksgiving to god.htm

Happy Mary.
... in another world, asking strange questions concerning God, and Christ ... and many times
came from her knees with tears. ... as might render her less observed by others ...
/.../wesley/stories of boys and girls who loved the saviour/happy mary.htm

The Tears of the Penitent.
... two psalms (li., xxxii.), all blotted with tears, in which ... It may be observed that
of these two psalms, the ... dated after the sharp thrust of God's lancet which ...
/.../maclaren/the life of david/xiii the tears of the penitent.htm

Here, by Way of Objection, Several Questions are Raised. ...
... We have observed (chap ... sec.25), that in this way God yielded to the feigned repentance ...
Book of Judges that, whenever they wept, though their tears were deceitful ...
/.../calvin/of prayer--a perpetual exercise of faith/chapter 15 here by way.htm

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