John Calvin Commentary Psalms 119:136

"Streams of water run down mine eyes, Because they observe not thy law. TSADHE." — Psalms 119:136 (ASV)

Rivers of waters run from my eyes. Here David affirms that he was inflamed with no ordinary zeal for the glory of God, since he completely dissolved into tears on account of the contempt shown to the divine law. He speaks hyperbolically, but still he truly and plainly expresses the disposition of mind with which he was endowed; and it corresponds with what he says in another place, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up (Psalms 69:9). Wherever the Spirit of God reigns, He excites this ardent zeal, which burns the hearts of the godly when they see the commandment of the Most High God regarded as nothing.

It is not enough that each of us strives to please God; we must also desire that His law may be held in esteem by all people. In this way holy Lot, as the Apostle Peter testifies, distressed his soul when he saw Sodom as a cesspool of all kinds of wickedness (2 Peter 2:8).

If, in former times, the ungodliness of the world drew from the children of God such bitter grief, so great is the corruption into which we today have fallen, that those who can look upon the present state of things unconcerned and without tears are three, even four times, insensible.

How great in our day is the frenzy of the world in despising God and neglecting His doctrine? A few, no doubt, are to be found who profess with their mouths their willingness to receive it, but scarcely one in ten proves the sincerity of their profession by their lives.

Meanwhile, countless multitudes are swept away by the impostures of Satan and to the Pope; others are as thoughtless and indifferent about their salvation as animals; and many Epicureans openly mock at all religion. If, then, there is the smallest portion of piety remaining in us, full rivers of tears, and not merely small drops, will flow from our eyes.

But if we are to give evidence of pure and uncorrupted zeal, let our grief begin with ourselves—in our seeing that we are still far from having attained to a perfect observance of the law; indeed, that the depraved lusts of our carnal nature are often rising up against the righteousness of God.