Psalms 119:136 (KJV)

What does Psalms 119:136 mean?

Psalms 119:136 describes the psalmist weeping deeply because people do not follow God’s law. The verse uses the image of “rivers of waters” streaming from the psalmist’s eyes to show intense sorrow over others’ disregard for God’s commands.

The writer of Psalm 119, traditionally understood as someone devoted to God’s word, is speaking personally to God. The verse comes in a long section where the psalmist expresses love for God’s law and grief when it is ignored. The sorrow here is not just for personal suffering, but for the way others’ disobedience to God’s law brings pain and loss.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 119:136

• “Rivers” (פֶּלֶג, peleg; H6388): This word often means a stream or channel, but here it is used poetically to describe an overwhelming flow of tears, emphasizing the depth of the psalmist’s grief.
• “Waters” (מַיִם, mayim; H4325): The use of “waters” adds to the image of abundant, unstoppable weeping, not just a few tears but a flood.
• “Keep” (שָׁמַר, shamar; H8104): This word means to guard, observe, or pay careful attention to. The psalmist’s sorrow is specifically because others are not carefully observing or guarding God’s law (תּוֹרָה, torah; H8451), showing a deep concern for faithfulness.

Why Psalms 119:136 matters

• This verse highlights that the psalmist’s grief is not self-centered but is rooted in compassion and concern for the spiritual state of others.
• The strong emotional language shows how seriously the psalmist values God’s law, revealing the central theme of Psalm 119: a deep love for God’s instructions.
• By connecting personal sorrow to the community’s disobedience, the verse helps readers see the impact of collective faithfulness or unfaithfulness on those who care about God’s ways.