An expression of strong emotion (such as grief) by shedding tears. Both men and women of the past, including mighty warriors like David, wept, not considering it a sign of weakness. (Ge 42:24; 43:30; 45:2, 3, 14, 15; 46:29; Ru 1:9, 14; 2Sa 13:36; Job 30:25; Ps 6:6-8) The death of a loved one or a friend was one of the chief causes for weeping. (2Sa 18:33–19:4; Lu 7:11-15; 8:49-56; Joh 20:11-15) And the death of respected and beloved individuals might give rise to national weeping (2Sa 3:31-34), long periods sometimes being devoted to such expression of grief. (Ge 50:1-3, 10, 11; Nu 20:29; De 34:8) Other circumstances that occasioned weeping were defeat in warfare (De 1:44, 45; Jer 31:15; La 1:16), captivity (Ps 137:1), oppression (Ec 4:1), great calamity (Es 3:13, 14; 4:1-4), and remorse over sin (Ezr 10:1-4; Jer 3:21, 22; 31:9; Joe 2:12; Lu 22:54-62; Jas 4:8, 9; see MOURNING). Weeping in religious ceremony was associated with worship of the Babylonian god Tammuz.​—Eze 8:14.

Aside from feelings of personal loss or affliction, deep concern and intense feeling for others often prompted weeping. Thus the apostle Paul spoke of admonishing and correcting fellow believers with tears. (Ac 20:31; 2Co 2:4) With weeping, he mentioned those who were “walking as the enemies of the torture stake of the Christ.” (Php 3:18, 19) And because of the close bond of love existing between Paul and the overseers of the Ephesus congregation, all wept upon learning of the possibility that they might not see the apostle’s face again.​—Ac 20:36-38.

There were times when worshipers of Jehovah wept during prayer, as did Hannah, Hezekiah, and Nehemiah. (1Sa 1:9-11; 2Ki 20:1-5; Ne 1:2-4; Ps 39:12) Even Jesus Christ, while on earth, supplicated and petitioned his Father “with strong outcries and tears.”​—Heb 5:7.