The Meaning of Psalms 42:3 Explained

Psalms 42:3

KJV: My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

YLT: My tear hath been to me bread day and night, In their saying unto me all the day, 'Where is thy God?'

Darby: My tears have been my bread day and night, while they say unto me all the day, Where is thy God?

ASV: My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

My tears  have been my meat  day  and night,  while they continually  say  unto me, Where [is] thy God? 

What does Psalms 42:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 42:1-11 - Thirsting After God
This psalm clearly embalms the holy musings and yearnings of the exiled king during Absalom's rebellion. Their setting to music was left to the sons of Korah, Psalms 42:7-11. It was a great favorite with the early Church, driven to the Catacombs, on the walls of which are many designs of hunted deer.
The water brooks, Psalms 42:1-3. The hind suffers much from the sultry heat, but it dare not linger too long at the water-hole, because the wild beasts gather there. We never realize the value of God's house till we are compulsorily separated from its sacred rites. How blessed it is to return to the sanctuary after such separation! "In the abundance of thy lovingkindness will I come into thy house," Psalms 5:7, r.v.
The blessed past, Psalms 42:4-6. Exiled to the Hermons, beyond the Jordan, the fugitive recalls the festal crowds, wont to gather at the holy feasts. But when such thoughts oppress us, we should turn our hearts to God and in touching Him, we cease to be lonely. See Hebrews 12:22, etc.
The bitter present, 2 Chronicles 20:19. The day of pain and rebuke, when the heart is pierced, is the day of God! "His lovingkindness;" "his song;" "the God of my life;" "God of my rock;" "the health of my countenance;" "my God"-what a heritage is this! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 42

1  David's zeal to serve God in the temple
5  He encourages his soul to trust in God

What do the individual words in Psalms 42:3 mean?

have been to me My tears my food day and night while they say to me all continually where [is] your God
הָֽיְתָה־ לִּ֬י דִמְעָתִ֣י לֶ֭חֶם יוֹמָ֣ם וָלָ֑יְלָה בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר אֵלַ֥י כָּל־ הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה ؟ אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ

הָֽיְתָה־  have  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִּ֬י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
דִמְעָתִ֣י  My  tears 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: דִּמְעָה  
Sense: tears.
לֶ֭חֶם  my  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
יוֹמָ֣ם  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יׄומָם  
Sense: by day, in the daytime subst.
וָלָ֑יְלָה  and  night 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר  while  they  say 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלַ֥י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַ֝יּ֗וֹם  continually 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אַיֵּ֥ה  where  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: אַיֵּה  
Sense: where?.
؟ אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).