Lamentations 3:19

ז (Zayin)

3:19 Remember ¹  my impoverished and homeless condition, ² 

which is a bitter poison. ³ 

Psalms 69:21

69:21 They put bitter poison ⁴  into my food,

and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. ⁵ 

Jeremiah 8:14

Jeremiah Laments over the Coming Destruction

8:14 The people say, ⁶ 

“Why are we just sitting here?

Let us gather together inside the fortified cities. ⁷ 

Let us at least die there fighting, ⁸ 

since the Lord our God has condemned us to die.

He has condemned us to drink the poison waters of judgment ⁹ 

because we have sinned against him. ¹⁰ 

Jeremiah 9:15

9:15 So then, listen to what I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, ¹¹  say. ¹²  ‘I will make these people eat the bitter food of suffering and drink the poison water of judgment. ¹³ 

Jeremiah 23:15

23:15 So then I, the Lord who rules over all, ¹⁴ 

have something to say concerning the prophets of Jerusalem: ¹⁵ 

‘I will make these prophets eat the bitter food of suffering

and drink the poison water of judgment. ¹⁶ 

For the prophets of Jerusalem are the reason ¹⁷ 

that ungodliness ¹⁸  has spread throughout the land.’”

¹ tc The LXX records ἐμνήσθην (emnhsqhn, “I remembered”) which may reflect a first singular form זָכַרְתִּי (zakharti) whereas the MT preserves the form זְכָר (zÿkhor) which may be Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular (“Remember!”) or infinitive construct (“To remember…”). A 2nd person masculine singular imperative would most likely address God. In the next verse נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) is the subject of זְכָר (zÿkhor). If נַפְשִׁי (nafshi) is also the subject here one would expect a 2fs Imperative זִכְרִי (zikhri) a form that stands in the middle of the MT’s זְכָר (zÿkhor) and the presumed זָכַרְתִּי (zakharti) read by the LXX. English versions are split between the options: “To recall” (NJPS), “Remember!” (RSV, NRSV, NASB), “Remembering” (KJV, NKJV), “I remember” (NIV).

² tn The two nouns עָנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי (’onyi umÿrudi, lit., “my poverty and my homelessness”) form a nominal hendiadys in which one noun functions adjectivally and the other retains its full nominal sense: “my impoverished homelessness” or “homeless poor” (GKC 397-98 §124.e). The nearly identical phrase is used in Lam 1:7 and Isa 58:7 (see GKC 226 §83.c), suggesting this was a Hebrew idiom. Jerusalem’s inhabitants were impoverished and homeless.

³ tn Heb “wormwood and gall.” The two nouns joined by ו (vav), לַעֲנָה וָרֹאשׁ (la’ana varo’sh, “wormwood and bitterness”) form a nominal hendiadys. The first retains its full verbal sense and the second functions adjectivally: “bitter poison.”

⁴ tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”

⁵ sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.

⁶ tn The words “The people say” are not in the text but are implicit in the shift of speakers between vv. 4-13 and vv. 14-16. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Heb “Gather together and let us enter into the fortified cities.”

⁸ tn Heb “Let us die there.” The words “at least” and “fighting” are intended to bring out the contrast of passive surrender to death in the open country and active resistance to the death implicit in the context.

⁹ tn The words “of judgment” are not in the text but are intended to show that “poison water” is not literal but figurative of judgment at the hands of God through the agency of the enemy mentioned in v. 16.

¹⁰ tn Heb “against the Lord.” The switch is for the sake of smoothness in English.

¹¹ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.”

¹² tn Heb “Therefore, thus says the Lord…” The person is shifted from third to first to better conform with English style.

¹³ tn Heb “I will feed this people wormwood and make them drink poison water.” “Wormwood” and “poison water” are not to be understood literally here but are symbolic of judgment and suffering. See, e.g., BDB 542 s.v. לַעֲנָה.

¹⁴ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “Therefore, thus says the Lord…concerning the prophets.” The person is shifted to better conform with English style and the word “of Jerusalem” is supplied in the translation to avoid the possible misunderstanding that the judgment applies to the prophets of Samaria who had already been judged long before.

¹⁶ tn Heb “I will feed this people wormwood and make them drink poison water.” For these same words of judgment on another group see 9:15 (9:14 HT). “Wormwood” and “poison water” are not to be understood literally here but are symbolic of judgment and suffering. See, e.g., BDB 542 s.v. לַעֲנָה.

¹⁷ tn The compound preposition מֵאֵת (me’et) expresses source or origin (see BDB 86 s.v. אֵת 4.c). Context shows that the origin is in their false prophesying which encourages people in their evil behavior.

¹⁸ sn A word that derives from this same Hebrew word is used in v. 11 at the beginning of the Lord’s criticism of the prophet and priest. This is a common rhetorical device for bracketing material that belongs together. The criticism has, however, focused on the false prophets and the judgment due them.