Lamentations 5:18

5:18 For wild animals ¹  are prowling over Mount Zion,

which lies desolate.

Lamentations 4:19

ק (Qof)

4:19 Those who pursued us were swifter

than eagles ²  in the sky. ³ 

They chased us over the mountains;

they ambushed us in the wilderness.

[5:18]  ¹ tn Heb “jackals.” The term “jackals” is a synecdoche of species (= jackals) for general (= wild animals).

[4:19]  ² tn The bird referred to here could be one of several species of eagles, but more likely is the griffin-vulture (cf. NEB “vultures”). However, because eagles are more commonly associated with swiftness than vultures in contemporary English, “eagles” was used in the translation.

[4:19]  ³ tn Or “in the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.