Fifteen psalm verses that name comfort or ask for it, grouped for grief and for the weary.
The word comfort appears in ten verses of the psalms, and eight of them are on this page. Most are prayers, not statements. The writers ask for comfort, say where they found it, or admit that it did not come. Psalm 77 says the soul refused to be comforted. Psalm 69 looked for comforters and found none. Where comfort does arrive, it comes through company, through God's word, or through his loving kindness.
The verses are grouped in three parts: the comfort verses themselves, verses for someone grieving, and verses for the weary who need strength as well. Each has the World English Bible text and a short note. Tick the ones you want and print them as one sheet. This page is scripture, not grief counselling.
The verses where the word comfort appears, whether it is asked for or has already come. Most say where it comes from.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for you are with me.Your rod and your staff,they comfort me.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
The comfort comes from company: for you are with me. The rod and staff belong to the shepherd of verse 1, so the comfort is in being looked after on the way through.
This is my comfort in my affliction,for your word has revived me.
This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
Comfort in affliction is named as something specific: your word has revived me. The verse does not say the affliction ended.
Please let your loving kindness be for my comfort,according to your word to your servant.
Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.
A request rather than a report: let your loving kindness be for my comfort. The writer grounds it in a promise already made, according to your word to your servant.
In the multitude of my thoughts within me,your comforts delight my soul.
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
A crowded mind, the multitude of my thoughts, is set beside comforts that delight the soul. Both are in the same line.
Increase my honorand comfort me again.
Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
Comfort me again assumes it has happened before. The psalm is a prayer from someone who, in verse 9, speaks of old age and failing strength.
Show me a sign of your goodness,that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed,because you, LORD, have helped me, and comforted me.
Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
The writer asks for a sign others can see: that the LORD has helped me, and comforted me. Comfort here is meant to be visible, not only felt.
For loss and mourning. Some of these verses do not resolve. They give grief words before anything else.
You count my wanderings.You put my tears into your container.Aren’t they in your book?
Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
Tears are pictured as kept and recorded: you put my tears into your container. Aren't they in your book?
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Near is the key word. The verse does not promise the broken heart will mend quickly, only that the LORD is close to it.
Precious in the LORD’s sight is the death of his saints.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
The death of those who belong to God is called precious in his sight. It is not treated as a small thing.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord.My hand was stretched out in the night, and didn’t get tired.My soul refused to be comforted.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
My soul refused to be comforted. The psalm lets that stand and only turns to remembering God's deeds of old in verse 11.
Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness.I looked for some to take pity, but there was none;for comforters, but I found none.
Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
I looked for comforters, but I found none. For grief that others have stopped noticing, this verse puts the experience into words.
Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress.My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.
Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.
Grief is described in the body: my eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief. The verse opens with a plain request for mercy.
For tiredness that sleep does not fix, where comfort and strength are asked for together.
I am weary with my groaning.Every night I flood my bed.I drench my couch with my tears.
I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
I am weary with my groaning, and the nights are spent in tears. The psalm does not hide the exhaustion.
God, you are my God.I will earnestly seek you.My soul thirsts for you.My flesh longs for you,in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
The heading places this psalm in the desert of Judah, and the verse describes a dry and weary land where there is no water. The thirst it names is for God.
My soul is weary with sorrow;strengthen me according to your word.
My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
Weary with sorrow and asking for strength in the same line. The strength is asked for according to your word, like the comfort in 119:50.
Comfort in the psalms is mostly about the present: you are with me, your word has revived me. Hope looks ahead: I shall still praise him. Some psalms hold both. Psalm 42 asks the soul why it is in despair and answers with hope in God. Psalm 119 uses both words, sometimes a verse apart: 119:49 says you gave me hope, and 119:50 says this is my comfort in my affliction.
Psalm 23:4 names comfort directly: your rod and your staff, they comfort me. For a less familiar verse, Psalm 119:50 says comfort came through God's word in affliction.
Psalm 56:8 pictures tears being kept, Psalm 34:18 says the LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and Psalm 31:9 describes grief in the body. Psalm 77 is worth reading whole if comfort has not come yet.
Psalm 119:28 asks for both in one line: my soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Psalm 73:26 sets a failing heart beside God as the strength of my heart.
Psalm 6:6 begins I am weary with my groaning, and Psalm 63:1 describes a dry and weary land. Psalm 119:28 asks for strength for a soul weary with sorrow.
In the World English Bible it appears in ten verses: 23:4, 69:20, 71:21, 77:2, 86:17, 94:19, and four verses in Psalm 119 (50, 52, 76 and 82).
For comfort, Psalm 23:4 and Psalm 119:50. For hope, Psalm 130:5 and Psalm 42:5, which both hope while things are still hard.
Psalms for Grief and the Loss of a Loved OnePsalms for a Broken HeartPsalms of HopePsalms About StrengthPsalms for Peace of Mind and ComfortPsalms of Encouragement