God’s Word Translation
Psalms 42:3
3My tears are my food day and night. People ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
Psalms 42:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
- New International Version (NIV)My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?”
Context of Psalms 42:3
1As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When may I come to see God’s face? My tears are my food day and night. People ask me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4I will remember these things as I pour out my soul: how I used to walk with the crowd and lead it in a procession to God’s house. ⌞I sang⌟ songs of joy and thanksgiving while crowds of people celebrated a festival. 5Why are you discouraged, my soul? Why are you so restless? Put your hope in God, because I will still praise him. He is my savior and my God.
Read all of Psalms 42Psalms 42:3 word by word
הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֬י דִמְעָתִ֣י לֶ֭חֶם יוֹמָ֣ם וָלָ֑יְלָה בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר אֵלַ֥י כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 42:3
- Psalms 80:5You made them eat tears as food. You often made them drink ⌞their own⌟ tears.
- Psalms 102:9I eat ashes like bread and my tears are mixed with my drink
- 2 Samuel 16:12Maybe the Lord will see my misery and turn his curse into a blessing for me today.”
- Psalms 42:10With a shattering blow to my bones, my enemies taunt me. They ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
- Psalms 3:2Many are saying about me, “Even with God ⌞on his side⌟, he won’t be victorious.” Selah
- Psalms 22:8“Put yourself in the Lord’s hands. Let the Lord save him! Let God rescue him since he is pleased with him!”
- Psalms 79:10Why should the nations ⌞be allowed to⌟ say, “Where is their God?” Let us watch as the nations learn that there is punishment for shedding the blood of your servants.
- Psalms 115:2Why should other nations say, “Where is their God?”
Commentaries on Psalms 42:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3My tears have been my meat day and night - My longing has been so intense after spiritual blessings, that I have forgotten to take my necessary food; and my sorrow has been so great, that I have had no appetite for any. I feel more for the honor of my God and his truth than for myself, when the idolaters, who have thy people in captivity, insultingly cry, Where is thy God?Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3My tears have been my meat - The word rendered tears in this place is in the singular number, and means literally weeping. Compare Psalm 39:12. The word meat here means literally bread, and is used in the general signification of food, as the word meat is always used in the English version of the Bible. The English word meat, which originally signified food, has been changed gradually in its signification, until it now denotes in common usage animal food…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Crying so much that tears become food shows deep sadness (Psalms 80:5; 102:9; see 6:6; 56:8; 119:136; 126:5). The wicked try to impose their timing on God and deny his power to intervene.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Where is thy God?--implying that He had forsaken him (compare 2Sa 16:7; Psa 3:2; 22:8).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 42:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 42
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries