3.5 KiB

Raw Blame History

General Information:

A new poem begins. The writer of Lamentations uses many different ways to express that the people of Israel have lost God's favor. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-poetry and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)

The Lord has covered the daughter of Zion under the cloud of his anger

This speaks of the Lord's anger against Jerusalem (Zion) as if it were a dark cloud. Possible meanings are 1) God is threatening to harm the people of Jerusalem or 2) God has already harmed the people. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)

the daughter of Zion ... the daughter of Judah

These are poetic names for Jerusalem, which is spoken of here as if it were a woman. Translate "the daughter of Zion" as you did in Lamentations 1:6.(See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification)

He has thrown the splendor of Israel down from heaven to earth

The phrase "the splendor of Israel" refers to Jerusalem. This passage speaks of the people of Jerusalem losing favor with the Lord as if he threw them out of his presence. The phrase "from heaven to earth" is a great distance used to represent how much they lost favor with the Lord. AT: "Jerusalem, the splendor of Israel, has lost all favor with the Lord" or "Jerusalem has lost all favor with the Lord" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit)

He has not remembered his footstool

This is a reference to the Lord having considered Jerusalem his "footstool" in the past, which symbolized that he had authority over them and that they were submissive to him. This speaks of the Lord disregarding Jerusalem as his footstool as if he did not remember them. AT: "He disregarded Jerusalem as his footstool" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)

not remembered

This speaks of the Lord not paying attention to Jerusalem as if he did not remember them. AT: "disregarded" or "paid no attention to" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)

on the day of his anger ... the days of his anger

Here "day" is used as an idiom that refers to a general period of time. AT: "at the time when he displays his anger ... the time of his anger" or "at the time he acts in his anger ... the time of his anger" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom)

swallowed up

This speaks of the Lord completely destroying the towns as if he were an animal who ate them. AT: "completely destroyed" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)

all the towns of Jacob

Here "the towns of Jacob" refers to the towns where his descendants lived. AT: "all the towns of Israel" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)

the fortified cities of the daughter of Judah

Possible meanings are 1) the fortified cities throughout Judah or 2) the fortified walls of Jerusalem.

3.5 KiB Raw Blame History