Psalms 56:8 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou tellest my wanderings— David's whole life, from his victory over Goliath till the death of Saul, was almost entirely spent in wandering from place to place. He was now in exile at Gath; he comforts himself, however, that God was with him wherever he fled; and beheld, as no unconcerned spectator, the distresses of his unhappy situation. He therefore adds, put my tears into thy bottle; which seems to intimate, that the custom of putting tears into the ampullae, or urnae lachrymales, so well known among the Romans, was more anciently in use among the eastern nations, and particularly among the Hebrews. These urns were of different materials; some of glass, some of earth, as may be seen in Montfaucon's Antiq. Expliquees, tom. 5: p. 116 where also may be found the various forms or shapes of them. These urns were placed on the sepulchres of the deceased, as a memorial of the distress and affection of their surviving relations and friends. It will be difficult to account for the expression of the Psalmist, but upon the supposition, If this be allowed, when the Psalmist prays put my tears into thy bottle, the meaning will be, "Let my distress, and the tears I have shed in consequence of it, be ever before thee; excite thy kind remembrance of me, and plead with thee to grant the relief that I stand in need of." The allusion is pertinent and expressive. The next expression, are they not in thy book? denotes the confidence which the Psalmist placed in the kind regard of God towards him, as though he took an account of every tear that he shed, and would in due time remember and comfort him. See Chandler and Calmet.