# the people of the land

"the people who were living in the land at that time," which could include non-Jews and Jews whose families the Babylonians had not taken into exile

# weakened the hands of the people of Judah

This speaks of the people of the land discouraging the Judeans as if they made their hands physically weak. Alternate translation: "discouraged the Judeans" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])