You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears. You fed them with the bread of tearsThis phrase suggests a period of intense sorrow and suffering for the people of Israel. The "bread of tears" symbolizes sustenance that is filled with grief, indicating that their daily life is consumed by sadness. In the historical context, this could refer to times of national distress, such as the Babylonian exile, when the Israelites faced the consequences of their disobedience to God. The imagery of tears as bread highlights the depth of their lamentation, as bread is a basic necessity, suggesting that their sorrow is as constant and essential as their daily food. This phrase can be connected to Lamentations 3:19-20, where the prophet Jeremiah speaks of his affliction and bitterness. It also foreshadows the suffering of Christ, who is described as a man of sorrows in Isaiah 53:3. and made them drink the full measure of their tears
The "full measure" implies an overwhelming abundance, indicating that the people are not just experiencing a small amount of grief, but are inundated with it. This could be seen as a form of divine discipline, where God allows His people to experience the consequences of their actions to bring them to repentance. The act of drinking tears suggests an internalization of sorrow, where the grief is not only external but also deeply felt within. This can be related to the experience of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He was deeply troubled and His sweat was like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Theologically, this phrase underscores the idea that God uses trials to refine and purify His people, as seen in passages like Hebrews 12:11, which speaks of the peaceful fruit of righteousness that comes from discipline. Persons / Places / Events 1. AsaphThe author of Psalm 80, Asaph was a prominent Levite singer and seer in David's court. He is known for his role in leading worship and composing psalms. 2. IsraelThe nation of Israel is the primary subject of this psalm. The psalm is a communal lament, reflecting the struggles and suffering of the people. 3. GodThe psalm addresses God directly, acknowledging His sovereignty and seeking His intervention in the midst of Israel's distress. 4. TearsSymbolic of deep sorrow and suffering, tears in this context represent the emotional and spiritual anguish of the people. 5. Bread and DrinkThese elements are typically associated with sustenance and provision, but here they are metaphorically used to describe the overwhelming sorrow experienced by Israel. Teaching Points Understanding Divine DisciplineGod sometimes allows His people to experience sorrow as a form of discipline or correction. This is not out of cruelty but out of a desire to bring them back to Himself. The Role of Lament in FaithLament is a valid and important expression of faith. It allows believers to bring their deepest pains and questions before God, trusting in His ultimate goodness and sovereignty. Hope in RestorationEven in the midst of tears, there is hope for restoration. God's character is one of mercy and compassion, and He desires to restore His people. Community in SufferingThe communal nature of this lament reminds us of the importance of supporting one another in times of distress. We are called to bear each other's burdens. Prayer as a Response to SufferingIn times of sorrow, turning to God in prayer is a powerful response. It acknowledges our dependence on Him and invites His intervention in our circumstances. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding the historical context of Israel's suffering enhance our interpretation of Psalm 80:5? 2. In what ways can the concept of the "bread of tears" be seen in our own lives today, and how should we respond? 3. How does the theme of lament in Psalm 80 connect with other biblical examples of lament, such as in Lamentations or the life of Job? 4. What role does community play in helping us navigate times of deep sorrow, according to biblical principles? 5. How can we balance the expression of our pain with the hope of restoration that is promised in Scripture? Connections to Other Scriptures Lamentations 3This chapter also speaks of consuming tears and suffering, echoing the theme of divine discipline and the hope for restoration. Psalm 42Similar to Psalm 80, this psalm describes tears as a constant companion, highlighting the psalmist's deep longing for God's presence. Exodus 16The provision of manna in the wilderness contrasts with the "bread of tears," illustrating how God can provide both physical sustenance and spiritual comfort. People Asaph, Benjamin, Joseph, Manasseh, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Bowlful, Bread, Caused, Causest, Drink, Eat, Fed, Feedest, Full, Givest, Hast, Large, Measure, Sorrow, Tears, Third, WeepingDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 80:1-19 8149 revival, nature of Psalm 80:4-5 5198 weeping Psalm 80:4-6 5821 criticism, among believers
8615 prayer, doubts Psalm 80:4-7 8610 prayer, asking God Library One Antidote for Many Ills
This morning's sermon, then will be especially addressed to my own church, on the absolute necessity of true religion in our midst, and of revival from all apathy and indifference. We may ask of God multitudes of other things, but amongst them all, let this be our chief prayer: "Lord, revive us; Lord, revive us!" We have uttered it in song; let me stir up your pure minds, by way of remembrance, to utter it in your secret prayers, and make it the daily aspiration of your souls. I feel, beloved, that …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859Dishonest Tenants
'And He began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Blessing of God.
NUMB. VI. 22-27. We have already seen the grace of GOD making provision that His people, who had lost the privilege of priestly service, might draw near to Him by Nazarite separation and consecration. And not as the offence was the free gift: those who had forfeited the privilege of priestly service were the males only, but women and even children might be Nazarites; whosoever desired was free to come, and thus draw near to GOD. We now come to the concluding verses of Numb. vi, and see in them one …
James Hudson Taylor—Separation and Service Period iii. The Critical Period: A. D. 140 to A. D. 200
The interval between the close of the post-apostolic age and the end of the second century, or from about 140 to 200, may be called the Critical Period of Ancient Christianity. In this period there grew up conceptions of Christianity which were felt by the Church, as a whole, to be fundamentally opposed to its essential spirit and to constitute a serious menace to the Christian faith as it had been commonly received. These conceptions, which grew up both alongside of, and within the Church, have …
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History The Wicked Husbandmen.
"Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: and when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto …
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord Discourse on the Good Shepherd.
(Jerusalem, December, a.d. 29.) ^D John X. 1-21. ^d 1 Verily, verily, I say to you [unto the parties whom he was addressing in the last section], He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. [In this section Jesus proceeds to contrast his own care for humanity with that manifested by the Pharisees, who had just cast out the beggar. Old Testament prophecies were full of declarations that false shepherds would arise to …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Homiletical.
Twenty-four homilies on miscellaneous subjects, published under St. Basil's name, are generally accepted as genuine. They are conveniently classified as (i) Dogmatic and Exegetic, (ii) Moral, and (iii) Panegyric. To Class (i) will be referred III. In Illud, Attende tibi ipsi. VI. In Illud, Destruam horrea, etc. IX. In Illud, Quod Deus non est auctor malorum. XII. In principium Proverbiorum. XV. De Fide. XVI. In Illud, In principio erat Verbum. XXIV. Contra Sabellianos et Arium et Anomoeos. …
Basil—Basil: Letters and Select Works Rules to be Observed in Singing of Psalms.
1. Beware of singing divine psalms for an ordinary recreation, as do men of impure spirits, who sing holy psalms intermingled with profane ballads: They are God's word: take them not in thy mouth in vain. 2. Remember to sing David's psalms with David's spirit (Matt. xxii. 43.) 3. Practise St. Paul's rule--"I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the understanding also." (1 Cor. xiv. 15.) 4. As you sing uncover your heads (1 Cor. xi. 4), and behave yourselves in comely reverence as in the …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII Farewell Discourse to Disciples.
(Jerusalem. Evening Before the Crucifixion.) ^D John XIV.-XVI. ^d 1 Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me. [That one should betray him and one should deny him, that all should be offended, and that the Lord should depart, raised anxieties which Jesus here seeks to quiet. That they should go out as homeless wanderers without the presence of their Lord and be subjected to persecution, was also in their thoughts. But Jesus sustains their spirits by appealing to them to …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Barren Fig-Tree;
OR, THE DOOM AND DOWNFALL OF THE FRUITLESS PROFESSOR: SHOWING, THAT THE DAY OF GRACE MAY BE PAST WITH HIM LONG BEFORE HIS LIFE IS ENDED; THE SIGNS ALSO BY WHICH SUCH MISERABLE MORTALS MAY BE KNOWN. BY JOHN BUNYAN 'Who being dead, yet speaketh.'--Hebrews 11:4 London: Printed for J. Robinson, at the Golden Lion, in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1688. This Title has a broad Black Border. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This solemn, searching, awful treatise, was published by Bunyan in 1682; but does not appear …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 80:5 NIVPsalm 80:5 NLTPsalm 80:5 ESVPsalm 80:5 NASBPsalm 80:5 KJV
Psalm 80:5 Commentaries
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