Footnotes

1. Lamentations 3:1 sn The nature of the acrostic changes here. Each of the three lines in each verse, not just the first, begins with the corresponding letter of the alphabet.
2. Lamentations 3:1 tn The noun גֶּבֶר (gever, “man”) refers to a strong man, distinguished from women, children, and other non-combatants whom he is to defend. According to W. F. Lanahan the speaking voice in this chapter is that of a defeated soldier (“The Speaking Voice in the Book of Lamentations” JBL 93 [1974]: 41-49.) F. W. Dobbs-Allsopp (Lamentations [IBC], 108) argues that is the voice of an “everyman,” although “one might not unreasonably suppose that some archetypal communal figure like the king does in fact stand in the distant background.”
3. Lamentations 3:1 tn The verb רָאָה (raʾah, “to see”) has a broad range of meanings, including (1) “to see” as to learn from experience and (2) “to see” as to experience (e.g., Gen 20:10; Ps 89:49; Eccl 5:17; Jer 5:12; 14:13; 20:18; 42:14; Zeph 3:15). Here it means that the speaker has experienced these things. The same Hebrew verb occurs in 2:20, where the Lord is asked to “see” (translated “Consider!”), although it is difficult to maintain this connection in an English translation.
4. Lamentations 3:1 tn The noun שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “rod”) refers to the weapon used for smiting an enemy (Exod 21:20; 2 Sam 23:21; 1 Chr 11:3; Isa 10:15; Mic 4:14 HT [5:1 ET]) and to the instrument of child-discipline (Prov 10:13; 22:15; 29:15). It is used figuratively to describe discipline of the individual (Job 9:34; 21:9; 37:13; 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 89:33) and the nation (Isa 10:5, 24; 14:29; 30:31).
5. Lamentations 3:2 tn The verb נָהַג (nahag) describes the process of directing (usually a group of) something along a route, hence commonly “to drive,” when describing flocks, caravans, or prisoners and spoils of war (1 Sam 23:5; 30:2). But with people it may also have a positive connotation “to shepherd” or “to guide” (Pss 48:14; 80:1). The line plays on this through the reversal of expectations. Rather than being safely shepherded by the Lord their king, he has driven them away into captivity.
6. Lamentations 3:2 tn The Hiphil of הָלַךְ (halakh, “to walk”) may be nuanced either as “brought” (BDB 236 s.v. 1) or “caused to walk” (BDB 237 s.v. 5.a).
7. Lamentations 3:3 tn The two verbs יָשֻׁב יַהֲפֹךְ (yashuv yahafokh, “he returns, he turns”) form a verbal hendiadys with the second verb retaining its full verbal sense while the first functions adverbially: “he repeatedly turns…” The verb שׁוּב (shuv, lit., “to return”) functions adverbially to denote repetition: “to do repeatedly, do again and again” (GKC 386-87 §120.d, g) (Gen 26:18; 30:31; Num 11:4; Judg 19:7; 1 Sam 3:5, 6; 1 Kgs 13:33; 19:6; 21:3; 2 Chr 33:3; Job 10:16; 17:10; Ps 7:13; Jer 18:4; 36:28; Lam 3:3; Dan 9:25; Zech 5:1; 6:1; Mal 1:4).
8. Lamentations 3:3 tn The idiom “to turn the hand against” someone is a figurative expression denoting hostility. The term “hand” (יָד, yad) is often used in idioms denoting hostility (Exod 9:3, 15; Deut 2:15; Judg 2:15; 1 Sam 5:3, 6, 9; 6:9; 2 Sam 24:16; 2 Chr 30:12; Ezra 7:9; Job 19:21; Ps 109:27; Jer 15:17; 16:21; Ezek 3:14). The reference to God’s “hand” is anthropomorphic.
9. Lamentations 3:3 tn Heb “all of the day.” The idiom כָּל־הַיּוֹם (kol hayom, “all day”) means “continually” or “all day long” (Gen 6:5; Deut 28:32; 33:12; Pss 25:5; 32:3; 35:28; 37:26; 38:7, 13; 42:4, 11; 44:9, 16, 23; 52:3; 56:2, 3, 6; 71:8, 15, 24; 72:15; 73:14; 74:22; 86:3; 88:18; 89:17; 102:9; 119:97; Prov 21:26; 23:17; Isa 28:24; 51:13; 52:5; 65:2, 5; Jer 20:7, 8; Lam 1:13; 3:14, 62; Hos 12:2).
10. Lamentations 3:4 tn Heb “my flesh and my skin.” The two nouns joined with ו (vav), בְשָׂרִי וְעוֹרִי (v^esari v^eʿori, “my flesh and my skin”), form a nominal hendiadys. The first functions adjectivally, and the second retains its full nominal sense: “my mortal skin.”
11. Lamentations 3:5 tn Heb “he has built against me.” The verb בָּנָה (banah, “to build”) followed by the preposition עַל (ʿal, “against”) often refers to the action of building siegeworks against a city, that is, to besiege a city (e.g., Deut 20:2; 2 Kgs 25:1; Eccl 9:14; Jer 52:4; Ezek 4:2; 17:17; 21:27). It may occur with an explicit direct object, such as דָּיֵק (dayeq, “siege wall”) or מָצוֹר (matsor, “siege”), but here the direct object is implied.
12. Lamentations 3:5 tn The verb נָקַף (naqaf, “to surround”) refers to the military action of surrounding a besieged city with army encampments to prevent anyone in it from escaping (2 Kgs 6:14; 11:8; Pss 17:9; 88:18; Job 19:6).
13. Lamentations 3:5 tn Heb “with bitterness and hardship.” The nouns רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָה (roʾsh ut^elaʾah, lit. “bitterness and hardship”) serve as adverbial accusatives of manner: “with bitterness and hardship.” These nouns רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָה form a nominal hendiadys where the second retains its full nominal sense while the first functions adverbially: “bitter hardship.” The noun II רֹאשׁ (roʾsh, “bitterness”) should not be confused with the common homonymic root I רֹאשׁ (roʾsh, “head”). The noun תְּלָאָה (t^elaʾah, “hardship”) is used elsewhere in reference to the distress of Israel in Egypt (Num 20:14), in the wilderness (Exod 18:8), and in exile (Neh 9:32).
14. Lamentations 3:6 tn The plural form of the noun מַחֲשַׁכִּים (makhashakkim, “darknesses”) is an example of the plural of intensity (see IBHS 122 §7.4.3a).
15. Lamentations 3:7 tn The verb גָּדַר (gadar) has a twofold range of meaning: (1) “to build up a wall” with stones, and (2) “to block a road” with a wall of stones. The imagery either depicts the Lord building a wall to seal off personified Jerusalem with no way to escape the city, or his blocking her road of escape. Siege imagery prevails in 3:4-6, but 3:7-9 pictures an unsuccessful escape that is thwarted due to blocked roads in 3:7 and 3:9.
16. Lamentations 3:7 tn Heb “he has made heavy my chains.”
17. Lamentations 3:8 tn Heb “I call and I cry out.” The verbs אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ (ʾezʿaq vaʾashavveaʿ, “I call and I cry out”) form a verbal hendiadys where the second retains its full verbal sense while the first functions adverbially: “I cry out desperately.”
18. Lamentations 3:8 tn The verb שׁוע (“to cry out”) usually denotes calling out to God for help or deliverance from a lamentable plight (e.g., Job 30:20; 36:13; 38:41; Pss 5:3; 18:7, 42; 22:25; 28:2; 30:3; 31:23; 88:14; 119:147; Isa 58:9; Lam 3:8; Jon 2:3; Hab 1:2).
19. Lamentations 3:8 tn The verb שָׂתַם (satam) is a hapax legomenon (term that appears in the Hebrew scriptures only once) meaning “stop up” or “shut out.” It functions as an idiom here, meaning “he has shut his ears to my prayer” (BDB 979 s.v.).
20. Lamentations 3:9 tn The verb גָּדַר (gadar) has a twofold range of meanings: (1) “to build up a wall” with stones, and (2) “to block a road” with a wall of stones. The collocated terms דְּרָכַי (d^erakhay, “my roads”) in 3:9 clearly indicate that the second category of meaning is in view.
21. Lamentations 3:9 tn Heb “my roads.”
22. Lamentations 3:9 tn Heb “he has made my paths crooked.” The implication is that the paths by which one might escape cannot be traversed.
23. Lamentations 3:10 tn Heb “he is to me [like] a bear lying in wait.”
24. Lamentations 3:10 tc The Kethib is written אַרְיֵה (ʾaryeh, “lion”), while the Qere is אֲרִי (ʾari, “lion”), simply a short spelling of the same term (BDB 71 s.v. אַרְיֵה).
25. Lamentations 3:10 tn Heb “a lion in hiding places.”
26. Lamentations 3:11 tn Or “he made my paths deviate.”
27. Lamentations 3:11 tn “Since the Hebrew וַיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי (vay^efash^ekheni) occurs only here, and the translation relies on the Syriac and the Targum, it is not certain that the image of God as a predatory animal continues into this verse especially since [the beginning of the verse] is also of uncertain meaning” (D. R. Hillers, Lamentations [AB], 54).
28. Lamentations 3:12 tn Heb “bent.”
29. Lamentations 3:12 tn Heb “and set me as the target.”
30. Lamentations 3:13 tn The Hiphil stem of בוֹא (boʾ, lit., “cause to come in”) here means “to shoot” arrows.
31. Lamentations 3:13 tn Heb “sons of his quiver.” This idiom refers to arrows (BDB 121 s.v. בֵּן 6). The term “son” (בֵּן, ben) is often used idiomatically with a following genitive, e.g., “son of flame” = sparks (Job 5:7), “son of a constellation” = stars (Job 38:22), “son of a bow” = arrows (Job 41:2), “son of a quiver” = arrows (Lam 3:13), and “son of threshing-floor” = corn (Isa 21:10).
32. Lamentations 3:13 tn Heb “my kidneys.” In Hebrew anthropology, the kidneys are often portrayed as the most sensitive and vital part of man. Poetic texts sometimes portray a person being fatally wounded by the Lord shooting arrows in his kidneys (Job 16:13; here in Lam 3:13). The equivalent English idiomatic counterpart is the heart, which is employed in the present translation.
33. Lamentations 3:14 tc The MT reads עַמִּי (ʿammi, “my people”). Many medieval Hebrew mss read עַמִּים (ʿammim, “peoples”), as reflected also in the Syriac Peshitta. The internal evidence (contextual congruence) favors the variant עַמִּים (ʿammim, “peoples”).
34. Lamentations 3:14 tn The noun נְגִינָה (n^eginah) is a musical term: (1) “music” played on strings (Isa 38:20; Lam 5:14), (2) a technical musical term (Pss 4:1; 6:1; 54:1; 55:1; 67:1; 76:1; Hab 3:19) and (3) a “mocking song” (Pss 69:13; 77:7; Job 30:9; Lam 3:14). The parallelism with שְׂחֹק (s^ekhoq, “laughingstock”) indicates that the latter category of meaning is in view.
35. Lamentations 3:14 tn Heb “all of the day.” The idiom כָּל־הַיּוֹם (kol hayyom, “all day”) means “continually” (Gen 6:5; Deut 28:32; 33:12; Pss 25:5; 32:3; 35:28; 37:26; 38:7, 13; 42:4, 11; 44:9, 16, 23; 52:3; 56:2, 3, 6; 71:8, 15, 24; 72:15; 73:14; 74:22; 86:3; 88:18; 89:17; 102:9; 119:97; Prov 21:26; 23:17; Isa 28:24; 51:13; 52:5; 65:2, 5; Jer 20:7, 8; Lam 1:13; 3:3, 62; Hos 12:2).
36. Lamentations 3:15 tn Heb “wormwood” or “bitterness” (BDB 542 s.v. לַעֲנָה; HALOT 533 s.v. לַעֲנָה).
37. Lamentations 3:16 tn Heb “crushed.”
38. Lamentations 3:16 tn The Hiphil stem of כָּפַשׁ (kafash) means “to tread down” or “make someone cower.” It is rendered variously: “trampled me in the dust” (NIV), “covered me with ashes” (KJV, NKJV), “ground me into the dust” (NJPS), “made me cower in ashes” (RSV, NRSV), “rubbed my face in the ground” (TEV), and “rubbed me in the dirt” (CEV).
39. Lamentations 3:17 tn Heb “my soul.” The term נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) is used as a synecdoche of part (= my soul) for the whole person (= I).
40. Lamentations 3:17 tc The MT reads וַתִּזְנַח (vattiznakh, “she/it rejected”), resulting in the awkward phrase “my soul rejected from peace.” The LXX καὶ ἀπώσατο (kai apōsato) reflects a text of וַיִּזְנַח (vayyiznakh, “he deprived [my soul of peace].” The Latin Vulgate repulsa est reflects a text of וַתִּזָּנַח (vattizzanakh), “she/it was excluded [from peace]”). Each is a form of זָנַח (zanakh, “to reject”). The MT and LXX read a Qal preterite but differ on whether the verb is feminine or masculine. The Vulgate read the same consonants as in the MT but as a Niphal, and so passive. The MT best explains the origin of the LXX and Vulgate readings. The מ (mem) beginning the next word may have been an enclitic on the verb rather than a preposition on the noun. This would be the only Qal occurrence of זָנַח (zanakh) used with the preposition מִן (min). Placing the מ (mem) on the noun would have created the confusion leading to the changes made by the LXX and Vulgate. HALOT 276 s.v. II זנח attempts to deal with the problem lexically by positing a meaning “to exclude from” for זָנַח (zanakh) plus מִן (min), but also allows that the Niphal may be the correct reading.
41. Lamentations 3:17 tn Heb “from peace.” H. Hummel suggests that שָׁלוֹם (shalom) is the object and the מ (mem) is not the preposition מִן (min), but an enclitic on the verb (“Enclitic Mem in Early Northwest Semitic, Especially in Hebrew” JBL 76 [1957]: 105). שָׁלוֹם (shalom) has a wide range of meaning. The connotation is that there is no peace within; the speaker is too troubled for any calm to take hold.
42. Lamentations 3:17 tn Heb “goodness.”
43. Lamentations 3:18 tn Heb “and my hope from the Lord.” The hope is for deliverance. The words “I have lost all” have been supplied in the translation in order to clarify the Hebrew idiom for the English reader.