Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law. צ Tsadde
Parallel translations
- WEB Streams of tears run down my eyes, because they don’t observe your law. TZADI
- KJV Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.
- BSB My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.
- 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 my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
- Ezek 9:4Yahweh said to him, “Go through the middle of the city, through the middle of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
- Jer 14:17“You shall say this word to them, “‘Let my 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 wound.
- Jer 9:18Let 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 15:11“It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night.
- Ps 119:158I look at the faithless with loathing, because they don’t observe your word.
- Ps 119:53Indignation has taken hold on me, because of the wicked who forsake your law.
- Luke 19:41When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it,
- Rom 9:2–3that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
- Jer 13:17But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and my eye shall weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because Yahweh’s flock is taken 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
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