Psalms 78:25

78:25 Man ate the food of the mighty ones. ¹ 

He sent them more than enough to eat. ² 

Psalms 80:5

80:5 You have given them tears as food; ³ 

you have made them drink tears by the measure. ⁴ 

Psalms 102:9

102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread, ⁵ 

and mix my drink with my tears, ⁶ 

Psalms 105:16

105:16 He called down a famine upon the earth;

he cut off all the food supply. ⁷ 

Psalms 136:25

136:25 to the one who gives food to all living things, ⁸ 

for his loyal love endures.

Psalms 147:9

147:9 He gives food to the animals,

and to the young ravens when they chirp. ⁹ 

[78:25]  ¹ sn Because of the reference to “heaven” in the preceding verse, it is likely that mighty ones refers here to the angels of heaven. The LXX translates “angels” here, as do a number of modern translations (NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[78:25]  ² tn Heb “provision he sent to them to satisfaction.”

[80:5]  ³ tn Heb “you have fed them the food of tears.”

[80:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “[by] the third part [of a measure].” The Hebrew term שָׁלִישׁ (shalish, “third part [of a measure]”) occurs only here and in Isa 40:12.

[102:9]  ⁵ sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).

[102:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “weeping.”

[105:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “and every staff of food he broke.” The psalmist refers to the famine that occurred in Joseph’s time (see v. 17 and Gen 41:53-57).

[136:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “to all flesh,” which can refer to all people (see Pss 65:2; 145:21) or more broadly to mankind and animals. Elsewhere the psalms view God as the provider for all living things (see Pss 104:27-28; 145:15).

[147:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “which cry out.”