Lamentations 3:24

3:24 “My portion is the Lord,” I have said to myself, ¹ 

so I will put my hope in him.

Lamentations 3:26

3:26 It is good to wait patiently ² 

for deliverance from the Lord. ³ 

Lamentations 3:32

3:32 Though he causes us ⁴  grief, he then has compassion on us ⁵ 

according to the abundance of his loyal kindness. ⁶ 

Lamentations 5:6

5:6 We have submitted ⁷  to Egypt and Assyria

in order to buy food to eat. ⁸ 

Lamentations 5:21

5:21 Bring us back to yourself, O Lord, so that we may return ⁹  to you;

renew our life ¹⁰  as in days before, ¹¹ 

[3:24]  ¹ tn Heb “My soul said…” The term נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) is a synecdoche of part (= my soul) for the whole person (= I ).

[3:26]  ² tn Heb “waiting and silently.” The two adjectives וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם (vÿyakhil vÿdumam, “waiting and silently”) form a hendiadys: The first functions verbally and the second functions adverbially: “to wait silently.” The adjective דוּמָם (dumam, “silently”) also functions as a metonymy of association, standing for patience or rest (HALOT 217 s.v.). This metonymical nuance is captured well in less literal English versions: “wait in patience” (TEV) and “wait patiently” (CEV, NJPS). The more literal English versions do not express the metonymy as well: “quietly wait” (KJV, NKJV, ASV), “waits silently” (NASB), “wait quietly” (RSV, NRSV, NIV).

[3:26]  ³ tn Heb “deliverance of the Lord.” In the genitive-construct, the genitive יהוה (YHWH, “the Lord”) denotes source, that is, he is the source of the deliverance: “deliverance from the Lord.”

[3:32]  ³ tn Heb “Although he has caused grief.” The word “us” is added in the translation.

[3:32]  ⁴ tn Heb “He will have compassion.” The words “on us” are added in the translation.

[3:32]  ⁵ tc The Kethib preserves the singular form חַסְדּוֹ (khasdo, “his kindness”), also reflected in the LXX and Aramaic Targum. The Qere reads the plural form חֲסָדָיו (khasadayv, “his kindnesses”) which is reflected in the Latin Vulgate.

[5:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “we have given the hand”; cf. NRSV “We have made a pact.” This is a Semitic idiom meaning “to make a treaty with” someone, placing oneself in a subservient position as vassal. The prophets criticized these treaties.

[5:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “bread.” The term “bread” is a synecdoche of specific (= bread) for the general (= food).

[5:21]  ⁵ tc The Kethib is וְנָשׁוּב (vÿnashuv, “and we will return,” ו [vav] conjunction + Qal imperfect 1st person common plural from שׁוּב [shuv, “to return”]). The Qere is וְנָשׁוּבָה (vÿnashuvah, “and let us return,” ו [vav] conjunction + Qal cohortative 1st person common plural from שׁוּב [shuv, “to return”]).

[5:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “our days.” The term “days” is a synecdoche of time (= days) for what is experienced within that time span (= life) (e.g., Gen 5:4, 8, 11; 6:3; 9:29; 11:32; 25:7; 47:8, 9; Deut 22:19, 29; 23:7; Josh 24:31; Judg 2:7, 18; 2 Sam 19:35; Job 7:1, 16, 18; Pss 8:9; 39:5, 6; 90:9, 10, 12, 14; 103:15; Prov 31:12; Eccl 2:3; 5:17, 19; 6:3).

[5:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “as of old.”