Lamentations 1:19

ק (Qof)

1:19 I called for my lovers, ¹ 

but they had deceived me.

My priests and my elders

perished in the city.

Truly they had ²  searched for food

to ³  keep themselves ⁴  alive. ⁵ 

Lamentations 1:2

ב (Bet)

1:2 She weeps bitterly at night;

tears stream down her cheeks. ⁶ 

She has no one to comfort her

among all her lovers. ⁷ 

All her friends have betrayed her;

they have become her enemies.

Lamentations 1:7

ז (Zayin)

1:7 Jerusalem ⁸  remembers, ⁹ 

when ¹⁰  she became a poor homeless person, ¹¹ 

all her treasures

that she owned in days of old. ¹² 

When her people fell into an enemy’s grip, ¹³ 

none of her allies came to her rescue. ¹⁴ 

Her enemies ¹⁵  gloated over ¹⁶  her;

they sneered ¹⁷  at her downfall. ¹⁸ 

Isaiah 20:5

20:5 Those who put their hope in Cush and took pride in Egypt will be afraid and embarrassed. ¹⁹ 

Isaiah 30:1-7

Egypt Will Prove Unreliable

30:1 “The rebellious ²⁰  children are as good as dead,” ²¹  says the Lord,

“those who make plans without consulting me, ²² 

who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, ²³ 

and thereby compound their sin. ²⁴ 

30:2 They travel down to Egypt

without seeking my will, ²⁵ 

seeking Pharaoh’s protection,

and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade. ²⁶ 

30:3 But Pharaoh’s protection will bring you nothing but shame,

and the safety of Egypt’s protective shade nothing but humiliation.

30:4 Though his ²⁷  officials are in Zoan

and his messengers arrive at Hanes, ²⁸ 

30:5 all will be put to shame ²⁹ 

because of a nation that cannot help them,

who cannot give them aid or help,

but only shame and disgrace.”

30:6 This is a message ³⁰  about the animals in the Negev:

Through a land of distress and danger,

inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, ³¹ 

by snakes and darting adders, ³² 

they transport ³³  their wealth on the backs of donkeys,

their riches on the humps of camels,

to a nation that cannot help them. ³⁴ 

30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping. ³⁵ 

For this reason I call her

‘Proud one ³⁶  who is silenced.’” ³⁷ 

Isaiah 31:1-3

Egypt Will Disappoint

31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, ³⁸ 

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots ³⁹ 

and in their many, many horsemen. ⁴⁰ 

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel ⁴¹ 

and do not seek help from the Lord.

31:2 Yet he too is wise ⁴²  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ⁴³ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ⁴⁴ 

and the nation that helps ⁴⁵  those who commit sin. ⁴⁶ 

31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;

their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.

The Lord will strike with ⁴⁷  his hand;

the one who helps will stumble

and the one being helped will fall.

Together they will perish. ⁴⁸ 

Jeremiah 2:18

2:18 What good will it do you ⁴⁹  then ⁵⁰  to go down to Egypt

to seek help from the Egyptians? ⁵¹ 

What good will it do you ⁵²  to go over to Assyria

to seek help from the Assyrians? ⁵³ 

Jeremiah 2:36

2:36 Why do you constantly go about

changing your political allegiances? ⁵⁴ 

You will get no help from Egypt

just as you got no help from Assyria. ⁵⁵ 

Jeremiah 8:20

8:20 “They cry, ⁵⁶  ‘Harvest time has come and gone, and the summer is over, ⁵⁷ 

and still we have not been delivered.’

Jeremiah 37:7-10

37:7 “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Give a message to the king of Judah who sent you to ask me to help him. ⁵⁸  Tell him, “The army of Pharaoh that was on its way to help you will go back home to Egypt. ⁵⁹  37:8 Then the Babylonian forces ⁶⁰  will return. They will attack the city and will capture it and burn it down. 37:9 Moreover, I, the Lord, warn you not to deceive yourselves into thinking that the Babylonian forces ⁶¹  will go away and leave you alone. For they will not go away. ⁶²  37:10 For even if you were to defeat all the Babylonian forces ⁶³  fighting against you so badly that only wounded men were left lying in their tents, they would get up and burn this city down.”’” ⁶⁴ 

Ezekiel 29:6-7

29:6 Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord

because they were a reed staff ⁶⁵  for the house of Israel;

29:7 when they grasped you with their hand, ⁶⁶  you broke and tore ⁶⁷  their shoulders,

and when they leaned on you, you splintered and caused their legs to be unsteady. ⁶⁸ 

Ezekiel 29:16

29:16 It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help. ⁶⁹  Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’”

[1:19]  ¹ sn The term “lovers” is a figurative expression (hypocatastasis), comparing Jerusalem’s false gods and political alliance with Assyria to a woman’s immoral lovers. The prophet Hosea uses similar imagery (Hos 2:5, 7, 10, 13).

[1:19]  ² tn Here the conjunction כּי (ki) functions in (1) a temporal sense in reference to a past event, following a perfect: “when” (BDB 473 s.v. 2.a; cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or (2) a concessive sense, following a perfect: “although” (Pss 21:12; 119:83; Mic 7:8; Nah 1:10; cf. BDB 473 s.v. 2.c.β) or (3) with an intensive force, introducing a statement with emphasis: “surely, certainly” (BDB 472 s.v. 1.e). The present translation follows the third option.

[1:19]  ³ tn The vav (ו) prefixed to וַיָשִׁיבוּ (vayashivu) introduces a purpose clause: “they sought food for themselves, in order to keep themselves alive.”

[1:19]  ⁴ tn The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) functions as a metonymy (= soul) of association (= life) (e.g., Gen 44:30; Exod 21:23; 2 Sam 14:7; Jon 1:14). When used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), the Hiphil הָשִׁיב (hashiv) of שׁוּב (shuv, “to turn, return”) may mean “to preserve a person’s life,” that is, to keep a person alive (Lam 1:14, 19).

[1:19]  ⁵ tc The LXX adds καὶ οὐχ εὗρον (kai ouc Jeuron, “but they did not find it”). This is probably an explanatory scribal gloss, indicated to explicate what appeared to be ambiguous. The LXX often adds explanatory glosses in many OT books.

[1:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “her tears are on her cheek.”

[1:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “lovers.” The term “lovers” is a figurative expression (hypocatastasis), comparing Jerusalem’s false gods and foreign political alliances to sexually immoral lovers. Hosea uses similar imagery (Hos 2:5, 7, 10, 13). It may also function as a double entendre, first evoking a disconcerting picture of a funeral where the widow has no loved ones present to comfort her. God also does not appear to be present to comfort Jerusalem and will later be called her enemy. The imagery in Lamentations frequently capitalizes on changing the reader’s expectations midstream.

[1:7]  ¹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:7]  ¹² sn As elsewhere in chap. 1, Jerusalem is personified as remembering the catastrophic days of 587 b.c. when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city and exiled its inhabitants. Like one of its dispossessed inhabitants, Jerusalem is pictured as becoming impoverished and homeless.

[1:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “the days of her poverty and her homelessness,” or “the days of her affliction and wandering.” The plural construct יְמֵי (yÿme, “days of”) functions in the general sense “the time of” or “when,” envisioning the time period in which this occurred. The principal question is whether the phrase is a direct object or an adverb. If a direct object, she remembers either the season when the process happened or she remembers, i.e. reflects on, her current season of life. An adverbial sense, “during” or “throughout” normally occurs with כֹּל (kol, “all”) in the phrase “all the days of…” but may also occur without כֹּל (kol) in poetry as in Job 10:20. The adverbial sense would be translated “during her poor homeless days.” Treating “days” adverbially makes better sense with line 7b, whereas treating “days” as a direct object makes better sense with line 7c.

[1:7]  ¹⁴ tn The 3rd person feminine singular suffixes on the terms עָנְיָהּ וּמְרוּדֶיהָ (’onyah umÿrudeha, “her poverty and her homelessness,” or “the days of her affliction and wandering”) function as subjective genitives: “she became impoverished and homeless.” The plural noun וּמְרוּדֶיהָ (umÿrudeha, lit. “her homelessnesses”) is an example of the plural of intensity. The two nouns עָנְיָהּ וּמְרוּדֶיהָ (’onyah umÿrudeha, lit., “her poverty and her homelessness”) form a nominal hendiadys in which one noun functions adjectivally and the other retains its full nominal sense: “her impoverished homelessness” or “homeless poor” (GKC 397-98 §124.e). The nearly identical phrase עֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים (’aniyyim mÿrudim, “homeless poor”) is used in Isa 58:7 (see GKC 226 §83.c), suggesting this was a Hebrew idiom. Jerusalem is personified as one of its inhabitants who became impoverished and homeless when the city was destroyed.

[1:7]  ¹⁵ tc The BHS editors suggest that the second bicola in 1:7 is a late addition and should be deleted. Apart from the four sets of bicola here in 1:7 and again in 2:19, every stanza in chapters 1-4 consists of three sets of bicola. Commentators usually suggest dropping line b or line c. Depending on the meaning of “days” in line a (see note on “when” earlier in the verse) either line makes sense. The four lines would make sense as two bicola if “days of” in line 7a is understood adverbially and 7b as the direct object completing the sentence. Lines 7c-d would begin with a temporal modifier and the rest of the couplet describe conditions that were true at that time.

[1:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “into the hand of.” In such phrases “hand” represents power or authority.

[1:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and there was no helper for her.” This phrase is used idiomatically in OT to describe the plight of a city whose allies refuse to help ward off a powerful attacker. The nominal participle עוֹזֵר II (’oser) refers elsewhere to military warriors (1 Chr 12:1, 18, 22; 2 Chr 20:23; 26:7; 28:23; 26:15; Ps 28:7; 46:6; Ezek 12:14; 30:8; 32:21; Dan 11:34) and the related noun refers to military allies upon whom an attacked city calls for help (Lachish Letters 19:1).

[1:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the adversaries” (צָרִים, tsarim). The 3rd person feminine singular pronoun “her” is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and good English style.

[1:7]  ¹⁹ tn The verb רָאָה (ra’ah, “to look”) has a broad range of meanings, including “to feast the eyes upon” and “to look down on” or “to gloat over” fallen enemies with exultation and triumph (e.g., Judg 16:27; Pss 22:18; 112:8; 118:7; Ezek 28:17; Mic 7:10; Obad 12, 13). This nuance is clarified by the synonymous parallelism between רָאוּהָ (ra’uha, “they gloated over her”) in the A-line and שָׂחֲקוּ עַל־מִשְׁבַּתֶּהָ (sakhaqu ’al-mishbatteha, “they mocked at her downfall”) in the B-line.

[1:7]  ²⁰ tn Heb “laughed” or “sneered.” The verb שָׂחַק (sakhaq, “to laugh”) is often used in reference to contempt and derision (e.g., Job 30:1; Pss 37:13; 52:8; 59:9; Lam 1:7).

[1:7]  ²¹ tc The MT reads מִשְׁבַּתֶּהָ (mishbatteha, “her annihilation”) from the noun מִשְׁבָּת (mishbat, “cessation, annihilation”), which is derived from the root שָׁבַת (shavat, “to cease”). The LXX mistakenly connected this with the root יָשַׁב (yashav, “to dwell”), reading μετοικεσίᾳ αὐτῆς (metoikesia auth") which reflects שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah, “her dwelling”). The MT is favored on the basis of internal evidence: (1) The MT is the more difficult reading, being a hapax legomenon, (2) the LXX is guilty of simply misunderstanding the root and wrongly vocalizing the consonantal text, and (3) the LXX does not make good sense contextually, while the MT does.

[20:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and they will be afraid and embarrassed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their beauty.”

[30:1]  ²¹ tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”

[30:1]  ²² tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”

[30:1]  ²³ tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”

[30:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.

[30:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”

[30:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”

[30:2]  ²⁷ tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”

[30:4]  ³¹ sn This probably refers to Judah’s officials and messengers.

[30:4]  ³² sn Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta in the north; Hanes was located somewhere in southern region of lower Egypt, south of Memphis; the exact location is debated.

[30:5]  ³⁶ tn The present translation follows the marginal (Qere) reading of the Hebrew text; the consonantal text (Kethib) has “made to stink, decay.”

[30:6]  ⁴¹ tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”

[30:6]  ⁴² tc Heb “[a land of] a lioness and a lion, from them.” Some emend מֵהֶם (mehem, “from them”) to מֵהֵם (mehem), an otherwise unattested Hiphil participle from הָמַם (hamam, “move noisily”). Perhaps it would be better to take the initial mem (מ) as enclitic and emend the form to הֹמֶה (homeh), a Qal active participle from הָמָה (hamah, “to make a noise”); cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:542, n. 9.

[30:6]  ⁴³ tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.

[30:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[30:6]  ⁴⁵ sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.

[30:7]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”

[30:7]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “Rahab” (רַהַב, rahav), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4. The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9. A number of English versions use the name “Rahab” (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) while others attempt some sort of translation (cf. CEV “a helpless monster”; TEV, NLT “the Harmless Dragon”).

[30:7]  ⁴⁸ tn The MT reads “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of הֵם שָׁבֶת (hem shavet) to הַמָּשְׁבָּת (hammashbat), a Hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See HALOT 444-45 s.v. ישׁב.

[31:1]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”

[31:1]  ⁵² tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”

[31:1]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”

[31:1]  ⁵⁴ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[31:2]  ⁵⁶ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ⁵⁹ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[31:3]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”

[31:3]  ⁶² tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”

[2:18]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “What to you to the way.”

[2:18]  ⁶⁷ tn The introductory particle וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah, “and now”) carries a logical, not temporal, connotation here (cf. BDB 274 s.v. עַתָּה 2.b).

[2:18]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “to drink water from the Shihor [a branch of the Nile].” The reference is to seeking help through political alliance with Egypt as opposed to trusting in God for help. This is an extension of the figure in 2:13.

[2:18]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “What to you to the way.”

[2:18]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “to drink water from the River [a common designation in biblical Hebrew for the Euphrates River].” This refers to seeking help through political alliance. See the preceding note.

[2:36]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “changing your way.” The translation follows the identification of the Hebrew verb here as a defective writing of a form (תֵּזְלִי [tezÿli] instead of תֵּאזְלִי [te’zÿli]) from a verb meaning “go/go about” (אָזַל [’azal]; cf. BDB 23 s.v. אָזַל). Most modern English versions, commentaries, and lexicons read it from a root meaning “to treat cheaply [or lightly]” (תָּזֵלִּי [tazelli] from the root זָלַל (zalal); cf. HALOT 261 s.v. זָלַל); hence, “Why do you consider it such a small matter to…”

[2:36]  ⁷² tn Heb “You will be ashamed/disappointed by Egypt, just as you were ashamed/ disappointed by Assyria.”

[8:20]  ⁷⁶ tn The words “They say” are not in the text; they are supplied in the translation to make clear that the lament of the people begun in v. 19b is continued here after the interruption of the Lord’s words in v. 19c.

[8:20]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “Harvest time has passed, the summer is over.”

[37:7]  ⁸¹ tn Or “to ask me what will happen.” The dominant usage of the verb דָּרַשׁ (darash) is to “inquire” in the sense of gaining information about what will happen (cf., e.g., 1 Kgs 14:5; 2 Kgs 8:8; 22:7-8) but it is also used in the sense of “seeking help” from (cf., e.g., Isa 31:1; 2 Chr 16:12; 20:3). The latter nuance appears appropriate in Jer 20:2 where Zedekiah is hoping for some miraculous intervention. That nuance also appears appropriate here where Zedekiah has sent messengers to ask Jeremiah to intercede on their behalf. However, it is also possible that the intent of both verbs is to find out from God whether the Egyptian mission will succeed and more permanent relief from the siege will be had.

[37:7]  ⁸² tn Heb “will go back to its land, Egypt.”

[37:8]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for the rendering “Babylonian.” The word “forces” is supplied in the translation here for the sake of clarity.

[37:9]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for the rendering “Babylonian.” The word “forces” is supplied in the translation here for the sake of clarity.

[37:9]  ⁹² tn Heb “Thus says the Lord, ‘Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from against us” because they will not go away.’” The first person “I, the Lord,” has been used because the whole of vv. 7-8 has been a quote from the Lord and it would be confusing to go back and start a separate quote. The indirect quote has been used instead of the direct quote to avoid the proliferation of quote marks at the end and the possible confusion that creates.

[37:10]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “all the army of the Chaldeans.” For the rendering “Babylonian” in place of Chaldean see the study note on 21:4.

[37:10]  ⁹⁷ tn The length and complexity of this English sentence violates the more simple style that has been used to conform such sentences to contemporary English style. However, there does not seem to be any alternative that would enable a simpler style and still retain the causal and conditional connections that give this sentence the rhetorical force that it has in the original. The condition is, of course, purely hypothetical and the consequence a poetic exaggeration. The intent is to assure Zedekiah that there is absolutely no hope of the city being spared.

[29:6]  ¹⁰¹ sn Compare Isa 36:6.

[29:7]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The Hebrew consonantal text (Kethib) has “by your hand,” but the marginal reading (Qere) has simply “by the hand.” The LXX reads “with their hand.”

[29:7]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or perhaps “dislocated.”

[29:7]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “you caused to stand for them all their hips.” An emendation which switches two letters but is supported by the LXX yields the reading “you caused all their hips to shake.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:103. In 2 Kgs 18:21 and Isa 36:6 trusting in the Pharaoh is compared to leaning on a staff. The oracle may reflect Hophra’s attempt to aid Jerusalem (Jer 37:5-8).

[29:16]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “reminding of iniquity when they turned after them.”