Lamentations 3:34

ל (Lamed)

3:34 To crush underfoot

all the earth’s prisoners, ¹ 

Lamentations 3:46

פ (Pe)

3:46 All our enemies have gloated over us; ² 

Lamentations 3:61-62

ש (Sin/Shin)

3:61 You have heard ³  their taunts, O Lord,

all their plots against me.

3:62 My assailants revile and conspire ⁴ 

against me all day long.

[3:34]  ¹ tn Heb “prisoners of earth/land.” The term ארצ may refer to (1) the earth or (2) a country or (3) the promised land in particular (as well as other referents). “Earth” is chosen here since the context presents God’s general principles in dealing with humanity. Given the historical circumstances, however, prisoners from the land of Israel are certainly in the background.

[3:46]  ² tn Heb “open wide their mouths.”

[3:61]  ³ tn The verb could be understood as a precative (“Hear”).

[3:62]  ⁴ tn Heb “the lips of my assailants and their thoughts.”