'Weep' in the Bible

Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Then Joseph hurried out [of the room] because his heart was deeply touched over his brother, and he sought privacy to weep; so he entered his chamber and wept there.

Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, so that we may eat.’

Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar; your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul will grieve, and all those born in your house will die as men [in the prime of life].

Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they were too exhausted to weep [any longer].

“O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

Hazael said, “Why are you weeping, my lord?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons (descendants) of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, kill their young men with the sword, smash their children to pieces, and rip up their pregnant women.”

Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law.

“Did I not weep for one whose life was hard and filled with trouble?Was not my heart grieved for the needy?

“Therefore my lyre (harp) is used for [the sound of] mourning,And my flute for the [sound of the] voices of those who weep.

A time to weep and a time to laugh;A time to mourn and a time to dance.

They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, to the high places to weep.Moab wails over Nebo and over Medeba;Everyone’s head is shaved, and every beard is cut off [in mourning].

Therefore I (Isaiah) will weep bitterly for Jazer, for the vines of Sibmah.I will drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh;For the war-cry [of the enemy] has fallen on your summer fruits and your harvest.

Therefore I say, “Look away from me;Let me weep bitterly.Do not try to comfort me over the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will most certainly be gracious to you at the sound of your cry for help; when He hears it, He will answer you.

Now look, their brave men shout outside;The ambassadors [seeking a treaty] of peace weep bitterly.

Oh that my head were watersAnd my eyes a fountain of tears,That I might weep day and nightFor the slain of the daughter of my people!

But if you will not listen and obey,My soul will weep in secret for your pride;My eyes will weep bitterlyAnd flow with tears,Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.

Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him;But weep bitterly for the one who goes away [into exile],For he will never returnAnd see his native country [again].

“O vines of Sibmah, I will weep for youMore than the weeping of Jazer [over its ruins and wasted vineyards].Your tendrils [of influence] stretched across the sea,Reaching [even] to the sea of Jazer.The destroyer has fallenOn your summer fruits and your [season’s] crop of grapes.

“I weep for these things;My eyes overflow with tears,Because a comforter,One who could restore my soul, is far away from me.My children are desolate and perishing,For the enemy has prevailed.”

“Son of man, listen carefully, I am about to take away from you the desire of your eyes [your wife] with a single stroke. Yet you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not flow.

Your turbans will be on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will rot away in your sins and you will groan to one another.

“And they will make themselves [completely] bald for youAnd wrap themselves in sackcloth;And in bitterness of soul they will weep for youWith bitter mourning and wailing.

Awake [from your intoxication], you drunkards, and weep;Wail, all you drinkers of wine,Because of the [fresh] sweet wineThat is cut off from your mouth.

Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord,Weep between the porch and the altar,And let them say, “Have compassion and spare Your people, O Lord,And do not make Your inheritance (Israel) an object of ridicule,Or a [humiliating] byword among the [Gentile] nations.Why should they say among the peoples,‘Where is their God?’”

Announce it not in Gath [in Philistia],Weep not at all [and in this way betray your grief to Gentiles];In Beth-le-aphrah (House of Dust) roll in the dust [among your own people].

speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the Lord of hosts and to the prophets, saying, “[Now that I am returned from exile] shall I weep in the fifth month [mourning the destruction of the temple], and fast as I have done these many years [in Babylon]?”

and say ‘We piped the flute for you [playing wedding], and you did not dance; we wailed sad dirges [playing funeral], and you did not mourn and cry aloud.’

When He had gone in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is sleeping.”

Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are you who hunger now [for righteousness, actively seeking right standing with God], for you will be [completely] satisfied. Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are you who weep now [over your sins and repent], for you will laugh [when the burden of sin is lifted].

Woe to you who are well-fed (gorged, satiated) now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now [enjoying a life of self-indulgence], for you will mourn and weep [and deeply long for God].

When the Lord saw her, He felt [great] compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.”

They are like children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, and saying, ‘We played the flute for you [pretending to be at a wedding], and you did not dance; we sang a dirge [pretending to be at a funeral], and you did not weep [so nothing we did appealed to you].’

Now they were all weeping loudly and mourning for her; but He said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead, but is sleeping.”

But Jesus, turning toward them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, that you will weep and grieve [in great mourning], but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief].

and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess [anything];

Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom.

Come [quickly] now, you rich [who lack true faith and hoard and misuse your resources], weep and howl over the miseries [the woes, the judgments] that are coming upon you.

“And the kings and political leaders of the earth, who committed immorality and lived luxuriously with her, will weep and beat their chests [in mourning] over her when they see the smoke of her burning,

“And merchants of the earth will weep and grieve over her, because no one buys their cargo (goods, merchandise) anymore—