Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.
Parallel translations
- WEB Streams of tears run down my eyes, because they don’t observe your law. TZADI
- BSB My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.
- NKJV Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law. צ Tsadde
- NASB My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Your Law. Tsadhe
- NLT Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions. Tsadhe
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Streams of tears run from his eyes because people do not keep God's law. He grieves deeply over others' disobedience.
Overview
Closing the PEY stanza, the psalmist weeps profusely over the widespread breaking of God's law. His sorrow is not for himself but for God's honor and the sin of others. This holy grief over sin reflects the heart of Christ, who wept over Jerusalem's hardness, and of the godly who mourn the dishonor done to God (Luke 19:41; Ezek. 9:4).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Jer 9:1Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
- Ezek 9:4And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
- Jer 14:17Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.
- Jer 9:18And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.
- 1 Sam 15:11It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
- Ps 119:158I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.
- Ps 119:53Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
- Luke 19:41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
- Rom 9:2–3That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
- Jer 13:17But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock is carried away captive.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 119:136 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.