Bible Strands
Psalms 42:3
My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist speaks to God while facing persistent daily mockery from others. This occurs during a period of spiritual drought as he recalls past communal worship.
The words — The Hebrew לֶ֭חֶם (Le.chem, "food") and דִמְעָתִ֣י (dim.'a.Ti, "my tears") literally state that sorrow has replaced sustenance day and night. The phrase בֶּאֱמֹר אֵלַי (be'emar elay, "when they say to me") introduces the direct verbal challenge.
The thread — The questioning motif appears in Psalms 79:10 and Psalms 115:2, where the text explicitly records nations asking "Where is their God?" Joel 2:17 parallels this crisis with priests pleading for mercy between the portico and altar.
Why it lands — The passage records how external doubt can normalize grief into a daily routine. It requires the reader to face the reality of sustained mockery without assuming immediate divine intervention.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
Cross-references
- Psalms 79:10 Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.
- Psalms 115:2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
- Joel 2:17 Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
- Psalms 42:10 Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
- Psalms 80:5 You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears.
- Psalms 102:9 For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears
- Psalms 79:12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord.
- Micah 7:10 Then my enemy will see and will be covered with shame—she who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; at that time she will be trampled like mud in the streets.
- 2 Samuel 16:12 Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.”
- Psalms 3:2 Many say of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah