39:16 She is harsh 1 with her young,
as if they were not hers;
she is unconcerned
about the uselessness of her labor.
39:18 But as soon as she springs up, 2
she laughs at the horse and its rider.
1 sn This verb, “to deal harshly; to harden; to treat cruelly,” is used for hardening the heart elsewhere (see Isa 63:17).
2 tn The colon poses a slight problem here. The literal meaning of the Hebrew verb translated “springs up” (i.e., “lifts herself on high”) might suggest flight. But some of the proposals involve a reading about readying herself to run.