Here the women are represented by their "hands." Because they were so hungry, women who had been compassionate in the past were no longer compassionate toward their children; instead they boiled them for food. Alternate translation: "Compassionate women" or "Women who had been compassionate in the past" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]])
This is a poetic name for Jerusalem, which is spoken of here as if it were a woman. See how you translated this in [Lamentations 2:11](../02/11.md). Alternate translation: "my people were" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]])