The city of Jerusalem is spoken of as if it were a woman. In Lamentations, Zion and Jerusalem are names used to refer to the same city. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]])
This speaks of Jerusalem being scorned in the same way that a woman is scorned when she is unclean. According to the Law of Moses, a woman was considered unclean during her monthly bleeding. AT: "Jerusalem's sins have made her filthy and unclean, and therefore she was unacceptable before God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])
This describes Jerusalem as a woman who sinned, while it also stands for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. AT: "The people of Jerusalem sinned greatly" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])
"her naked." Jerusalem is described as a woman whose private parts have been exposed to everyone to shame her. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]])
According to the Law of Moses, a woman was considered unclean during her monthly bleeding. This speaks of Jerusalem being unclean, as if it were a menstruating woman. AT: "Jerusalem has become unclean, as when a woman is unclean beneath her skirts" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
# unclean
A person who God considers to be spiritually unacceptable or defiled is spoken of as if the person were physically unclean. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
# Her fall was terrible
The phrase "her fall" is an idiom. AT: "Her downfall was astonishing" or "Those who saw her destruction were surprised" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
Possible meanings are that 1) the author of Lamentations now talks directly to Yahweh or 2) Jerusalem is described as talking to Yahweh like a person. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]])
This means that they enemy army has become too large and powerful and has defeated Jerusalem. AT: "the enemy army has defeated me" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])
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