Psalms 42:4

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֬י דִמְעָתִ֣י לֶ֭חֶם יוֹמָ֣ם וָלָ֑יְלָה בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר אֵלַ֥י כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

Transliteration

hāyətâ-to-me dimʿātî leḥem yômām wā-lāylâ in-ʾĕmōr to-me all-the-yôm where ʾĕlōheykā

Grammar Details

• *hāyətâ*: verb, qal perfect, 3rd person feminine singular - 'has been'
• *dimʿātî*: noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular possessive suffix - 'my tear/tears'
• *leḥem*: noun, masculine singular - 'bread/food'
• *yômām*: adverb - 'by day/daily'
• *wā*: conjunction with prefixed vav - 'and'
• *lāylâ*: noun, masculine singular - 'night'
• *ʾĕmōr*: infinitive construct with prefixed bet - 'in the saying/when it is said'
• *yôm*: noun, masculine singular with definite article - 'the day'
• *ʾĕlōheykā*: noun, masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular possessive suffix - 'your God'

Word Meanings

• *hāyətâ*: has been/became
• *dimʿātî*: my tear/my tears (collective singular)
• *leḥem*: bread/food/sustenance
• *ʾĕlōheykā*: your God/your gods

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept a feast.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, How I went with the throng, and led them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  When I remember{H8799)} these things, I pour out{H8799)} my soul in me: for I had gone{H8799)} with the multitude, I went{H8691)} with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday{H8802)}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Why art thou so full of heuynes (o my soule) & why art thou so vnquiete within me?

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  When I remembred these things, I powred out my very heart, because I had gone with the multitude, and ledde them into the House of God with the voyce of singing, and prayse, as a multitude that keepeth a feast.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And I powred out of me my very heart, remembryng this howe that before tyme I haue passed with a great number, bringyng the vnto the house of the Lord: with a voyce of ioy & prayse, & with a company that kept holy day.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  When I remember these [things], I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, How I used to go with the crowd, and led them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  These I remember, and pour out my soul in me, For I pass over into the booth, I go softly with them unto the house of God, With the voice of singing and confession, The multitude keeping feast!

• American Standard Version (1901)

  These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, How I went with the throng, and led them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, How I went with the throng, and led them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Let my soul be overflowing with grief when these things come back to my mind, how I went in company to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with the song of those who were keeping the feast.

• World English Bible (2000)

  These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  I will remember and weep! For I was once walking along with the great throng to the temple of God, shouting and giving thanks along with the crowd as we celebrated the holy festival.

Referenced Verses

• Isa 30:29 : 29 You will sing as on the night of a sacred festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.
• Ps 62:8 : 8 My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
• Ps 122:1 : 1 I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD.'
• Ps 81:1-3 : 1 For the director of music, on the Gittith, a psalm of Asaph. 2 Sing joyfully to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob. 3 Raise a song and strike the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp.
• Ps 100:4 : 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him, and bless His name.
• Lam 2:19 : 19 Arise, cry out in the night, at the start of the night watches; pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your little children who faint from hunger at every street corner.
• Lam 4:1 : 1 How the gold has grown dim, the fine gold has changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street.
• Luke 16:25 : 25 But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.'
• Deut 16:11 : 11 Rejoice before the Lord your God—you, your son and daughter, your male and female servants, the Levite in your towns, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow living among you, in the place the Lord your God chooses to establish His name.
• Deut 16:14-15 : 14 Be joyful at your festival—you, your son and daughter, your male and female servants, the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who live in your towns. 15 For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.
• Ruth 1:21 : 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.
• 1 Sam 1:15-16 : 15 Hannah answered, 'No, my lord. I am a woman deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.' 16 Do not consider your servant a worthless woman. It is out of my great sorrow and distress that I have been speaking until now.'
• 1 Chr 15:15-28 : 15 The Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD. 16 David instructed the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as singers, to sing joyful songs accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel, Asaph son of Berechiah from his relatives, and Ethan son of Kushaiah from the descendants of Merari, their brothers. 18 With them were their second-rank colleagues: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, who served as gatekeepers. 19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played bronze cymbals to sound the music. 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played the harps according to Alamoth. 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah played the lyres to direct with Sheminith. 22 Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, directed the music because he was skilled. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer—the priests—blew the trumpets before the ark of God, and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also gatekeepers for the ark. 25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of the thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom with rejoicing. 26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of singing. David also wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts of joy, the sound of the ram's horn, trumpets, cymbals, and the music of harps and lyres.
• 1 Chr 16:1-9 : 1 They brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent that David had set up for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 He distributed to every person of Israel, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. 4 David appointed Levites to serve before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the chief, with Zechariah as his assistant, along with Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They played harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals. 6 Benaiah and Jahaziel, the priests, blew the trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 On that day, David first gave Asaph and his brothers the task of singing praise to the LORD. 8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make his deeds known among the peoples. 9 Sing to him, sing praises to him; meditate on all his wonderful works. 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually. 12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has pronounced. 13 You descendants of Israel, his servant, you children of Jacob, his chosen ones. 14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 15 Remember his covenant forever, the word he commanded for a thousand generations. 16 The covenant he made with Abraham, and the oath he swore to Isaac. 17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant. 18 He said, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance." 19 When you were few in number, a small group of strangers in the land, 20 they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. 21 He did not allow anyone to oppress them; for their sake, he rebuked kings, 22 "Do not touch my anointed ones, and do not harm my prophets." 23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. 24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 25 For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling. 28 Ascribe to the LORD, families of the nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. 30 Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. 31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" 32 Let the sea resound and everything in it; let the fields be joyful and everything in them. 33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. 34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever. 35 And say, "Save us, O God of our salvation, gather us and deliver us from the nations, so that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise." 36 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Then all the people said, "Amen" and praised the LORD. 37 David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the LORD’s covenant to minister regularly by following the daily requirements. 38 Obed-edom and his relatives, totaling sixty-eight, were also assigned, with Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah serving as gatekeepers. 39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests were stationed before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon. 40 They were to continually offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering, morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded for Israel. 41 Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen were designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments for worship of God. Jeduthun’s sons were assigned to the gates. 43 Then all the people departed, each to his house, and David returned to bless his own household.
• 2 Chr 7:10 : 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad of heart because of the goodness the LORD had shown to David, to Solomon, and to His people Israel.
• 2 Chr 30:23-26 : 23 The whole assembly decided to celebrate the festival for another seven days, so they celebrated joyfully for seven more days. 24 Hezekiah king of Judah contributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the officials provided a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. A large number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites, the whole assembly from Israel, the foreigners who had come from Israel, and those who lived in Judah. 26 There was great joy in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.
• Job 29:2-30:31 : 2 Oh, that I were as in the months gone by, as in the days when God watched over me, 3 when His lamp shone upon my head, and I walked by His light through the darkness. 4 I was as in the prime of my life, when the intimate friendship of God was over my tent. 5 The Almighty was still with me, and my children surrounded me. 6 My steps were bathed in cream, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me. 7 When I went out to the city gate, and took my seat in the public square, 8 the young men saw me and stepped aside, and the aged stood and rose to their feet. 9 Leaders refrained from speaking and laid their hands on their mouths. 10 The voices of nobles quieted, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths. 11 For when the ear heard me, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw me, it gave testimony about me. 12 Because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the orphan who had no helper. 13 The blessing of the one about to perish came upon me, and I made the widow's heart sing for joy. 14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. 15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. 16 I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the case of one I did not know. 17 I broke the jaws of the wicked and snatched the prey from his teeth. 18 I said, 'I will die with my nest, and my days will be as numerous as the sand.' 19 My roots spread out to the waters, and the dew stayed overnight on my branches. 20 My glory is renewed within me, and my bow in my hand is made strong again. 21 People listened to me and waited, and they kept silent for my counsel. 22 After I spoke, they did not speak again, and my words fell gently upon them. 23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouths wide for the spring rain. 24 When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it; and the light of my face brought them no discouragement. 25 I chose their way and sat as their chief; I lived as a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners. 1 But now, those younger than I mock me—people whose fathers I would have refused to place with my sheepdogs. 2 Even the strength of their hands is useless to me; their vigor has perished. 3 They are gaunt from poverty and hunger; they gnaw the dry ground in desolate wastelands. 4 They pluck salt herbs from the bush, and the roots of broom trees are their food. 5 They are driven out from among society, and people shout at them as if they were thieves. 6 They dwell in the dry streambeds, in holes in the ground, and among the rocks. 7 Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they huddle together. 8 They are sons of fools, nameless men, driven out from the land. 9 And now I have become their taunt; I am a byword among them. 10 They detest me and keep far from me; they do not refrain from spitting in my face. 11 Because God has loosened my cord and afflicted me, they throw off all restraint in my presence. 12 On my right-hand side, the mob rises up; they push away my feet and build up their ways of destruction against me. 13 They tear up my path; they help advance my ruin, even though no one comes to assist them. 14 They come in as through a wide breach; chaos rolls in like a wave under the crash of destruction. 15 Terrors are turned upon me; they pursue my dignity like the wind, and my salvation has vanished like a cloud. 16 And now my soul is poured out within me; days of suffering seize hold of me. 17 At night my bones are pierced within me, and my veins find no rest. 18 With great force my garment is disfigured; it binds me like the collar of my tunic. 19 He has cast me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes. 20 I cry out to You, but You do not answer; I stand up, but You just look at me. 21 You have turned cruel to me; with Your strong hand, You oppose me. 22 You lift me up and make me ride on the wind; You dissolve me in the storm. 23 I know You will bring me back to death, to the house appointed for all the living. 24 Surely one does not stretch out a hand in ruin or cry for help in disaster. 25 Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the needy? 26 But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness came. 27 My insides are in turmoil and never sit still; days of suffering confront me. 28 I walk in mourning without sunlight; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. 29 I am a brother to jackals and a companion to ostriches. 30 My skin grows black and peels off, and my bones burn with fever. 31 My harp is turned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.
• Ps 55:14 : 14 But it is you, a man like me, my companion and my close friend.