Psalms 42:3

My tears have been my meat day and night,.... That is, he could not eat for sorrow, like Hannah, 1 Samuel 1:7,8; or while he was eating tears fell in plenty, and they were as common, day and night,

My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? My tears have been my meat day and night - I cannot eat with sadness.

My tears have been my meat; which notes both the great abundance and constant course of his tears, and the secret satisfaction and ease which he found in giving vent to his passion this way. Possibly his tears and grief took away his appetite, and so were to him instead of food. Where is thy God, of whom thou hast so often boasted, as of one so able and ready to help all that trust in him and call upon him, and particularly as one engaged to time by many great and special promises? He is gone and departed from thee, and no where to be found of thee. He is either unable or unwilling to help thee, or regardless of thee.

Psalms 42:3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where [is] thy God?Ver. 3. My tears have been my meat day and night] Hunters say the hart sheddeth tears, or something like tears, when he is pursued, and not able to escape. Hereunto David might allude. Sure it is, that as hinds calving, so men, by weeping, cast out their sorrows, Job 39:3. Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor. And, Affert solatium lugentibus suspiriorum societas, saith Basil, sighs are an ease of sorrow. Of Mr Bradford the martyr it is reported, that in the midst of dinner he used oft to muse, having his hat over his eyes, from whence came commonly plenty of tears dropping on his trencher. - αγαθοιδαριδακρυεςανθρες. The better any are, the more inclined to weeping; as David than Jonathan, 1 Samuel 20:41 Here we have him telling us that his tears were his meat, so Psalms 80:5, or his bread, as Gregory readeth it; and he giveth this reason, that, like as the more bread we eat the dryer we are, and the more thirsty; so the more tears of godly sorrow we let fall the more we thirst after that living fountain springing from above. David’ s greatest grief was, that he was banished from the sanctuary; and next to that, the reproachful blasphemy of his enemies hitting him in the teeth with his God, as if not able or not willing to relieve him now in his necessity, and bitterly upbraiding him with his hopes as altogether vain. Whiles they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?] Violenti certe impetus, saith Vatablus here. These were violent shocks indeed; and such as wherewith David’ s faith might have been utterly overthrown, had it not been the better rooted, and with it upheld, by the special power of the Spirit of grace. Other of God’ s suffering saints have met with the like measure. At Orleans, in France, as the bloody Papists murdered the Protestants, they cried out, Where is now your God? What is become of all your prayers and psalms now? Let your God that you called upon save you if he can. Others sang in scorn, Judge and revenge my cause, O Lord; others, Have mercy on us, Lord, &c. The queen mother of Scotland, having received aid from France, forced the Protestants for a while to retire to the highlands, whereupon she scoffingly said, Where is now John Knox’ s God? My God is now stronger than his, yea, even in Life; but her brags lasted not long; for within a few days six hundred Protestants beat above four thousand French and Scots, &c. (Mr Knox’ s Life, by Mr Clark). God’ s servants fare the better for the insolencies of their enemies; who, when they say, Where is now their God? might as well say between the time of the new and old moon, Where is now the moon? when as it is never nearer the sun than at that time.

(3) My tears.—Comp. Psalms 80:5; Psalms 102:9; and Ovid Metam. x. 75, “Cura dolorque animi lacrimæque alimenta fuere.”Where is thy God?—For this bitter taunt comp. Psalms 79:10; Psalms 115:2; Joe 2:17, etc.

Verse 3. My 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 honour of my God and his truth than for myself, when the idolaters, who have thy people in captivity, insultingly cry, Where is thy God?

3, 4. Present sorrow contrasted with past happiness.

My tears have been my meat - The word rendered tears in this place is in the singular number, and means literally weeping. Compare Psalms 39:12.

3. Tears have been my meat—Because their ceaseless flow mingled with his food. Psalms 80:5; Psalms 102:9.