Psalms 80:5 Meaning: When God Feeds You with the Bread of Tears
You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure.
Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.
Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in large measure.
Thou hast caused them to eat bread of tears, And causest them to drink With tears a third time.
Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure:
Meaning in one sentence
In Psalm 80:5, the psalmist cries that God has fed them with tears. What does this metaphor mean for those who suffer under God’s hand?
Context
Psalm 80 was written by Asaph, a worship leader in Israel, during a time when the nation was in deep distress. The northern tribes, Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, are named, suggesting this lament comes after the Assyrian invasion or during a period when God's people were humiliated by their enemies. The psalmist cries out again and again for God to turn them back and let His face shine on them. Verse 5 strikes the raw center of that cry. The people had known better days: God once planted them like a vine and cleared the ground for it. Now they feel like God has turned from them, and their daily life tastes like nothing but tears.
Key Words
The key phrase is “bread of tears.” In the ancient world, bread was the staff of life, the one thing you ate every day. To say God feeds His people with bread made of tears is to say that sorrow has become their daily sustenance. There is no relief, no meal without weeping. The second image is just as stark: “tears to drink in large measure.” The Hebrew word behind “large measure” is shalish, which literally means a third, a specific drinking vessel. The commentators note that it pictures a cup measured out, full to the brim with tears. God is not just allowing tears; He is serving them, like a drink poured into a cup. This is not a small portion but an abundant one. The poet is saying: sorrow has become your entire diet, and God is the one who gave it to you.
How Christians Read This Verse
Reformed commentators like Calvin see this psalm as the cry of the afflicted Church, and the bread of tears as the sorrow God’s people endure when He hides His face. The Jewish interpreters, as Gill notes, connected the “great measure” to specific captivities, Babylon, Greece, each a measured trial. The Cambridge Bible points out that the word shalish may refer to a large drinking goblet, suggesting the abundance of grief. Across traditions, Christians read this verse as an honest admission: God sovereignly gives and allows sorrow, and the faithful can bring that pain back to Him in prayer. No tradition pretends this verse is easy; they all sit with its discomfort.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this verse and think the psalmist is accusing God of cruel punishment. They assume the tears are deserved because of sin, and the verse is a complaint against God’s justice. In fact, the psalmist is not accusing God of wrong. He is crying out for restoration. He knows that even sorrow comes from God’s hand, but he trusts that the same God can turn tears into joy. The verse is a lament, not a verdict; it is permission to tell God exactly how much it hurts.
Living This Out
Maybe this week you have eaten meals in silence, or you have cried so often that tears feel like your only drink. You might wonder if God has noticed. This verse does not tell you to stop crying. It gives you words for the pain. You can say to God: This is what it feels like, You have fed me with the bread of tears. The psalmist stayed in the conversation. He did not walk away. He kept asking God to turn and shine. You can do the same. Let the tears be your prayer, and trust that the One who measures them out can also wipe them away.
Main takeaway: When sorrow becomes your daily portion, you can still cry out to the God who measures it out and who alone can turn your tears to joy.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Have you ever been so sad that you cried while you ate your dinner? The psalmist felt that way. He told God exactly how he felt, and you can too.
For ages 9, 12
The psalmist says God gave them “bread of tears”, meaning their sorrow was like food they had to eat every day. When you are sad for a long time, it can feel like that. But notice: the psalmist is still talking to God. He is not hiding his pain. He is bringing it to God. That is what prayer is for. You can tell God when you are hurting, even if you do not have the right words.
Questions People Ask
What does 'bread of tears' mean in Psalm 80:5?
It is a metaphor that compares tears to food. Just as bread is eaten every day for strength, tears have become the daily portion of God’s people. They are so overwhelmed with grief that sorrow is their only sustenance.
Why does the psalmist say God feeds them with tears? Does God cause suffering?
The psalmist is speaking from the experience of God’s people who believe that everything comes from God’s hand, including times of discipline and testing. But this is a cry of lament, not a final statement. The psalmist expects God to hear and restore. Christians across traditions hold that God allows suffering for purposes we may not understand, but He is not cruel or uncaring.
What is the 'large measure' mentioned in the verse?
The Hebrew word is shalish, which means a third, likely a specific vessel for measuring drink. Commentators explain it as a drinking cup full to the brim. It emphasizes that the tears are not a small amount but an abundant, measured-out portion of sorrow.
How should this verse comfort someone who is suffering?
It gives you permission to be honest with God. The psalmist did not hide his pain or pretend everything was fine. He told God exactly how it felt: 'You have fed me with tears.' That raw honesty is a form of faith. It keeps the conversation open, trusting that God who gives can also heal.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study