1:8 Daughter Zion 1 is left isolated,
like a hut in a vineyard,
or a shelter in a cucumber field;
she is a besieged city. 2
30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; 3
at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, 4
until the remaining few are as isolated 5
as a flagpole on a mountaintop
or a signal flag on a hill.”
1 tn Heb “daughter of Zion” (so KJV, NASB, NIV). The genitive is appositional, identifying precisely which daughter is in view. By picturing Zion as a daughter, the prophet emphasizes her helplessness and vulnerability before the enemy.
2 tn Heb “like a city besieged.” Unlike the preceding two comparisons, which are purely metaphorical, this third one identifies the reality of Israel’s condition. In this case the comparative preposition, as in v. 7b, has the force, “in every way like,” indicating that all the earmarks of a siege are visible because that is indeed what is taking place. The verb form in MT is Qal passive participle of נָצַר (natsar, “guard”), but since this verb is not often used of a siege (see BDB 666 s.v. I נָצַר), some prefer to repoint the form as a Niphal participle from II צוּר (tsur, “besiege”). However, the latter is not attested elsewhere in the Niphal (see BDB 848 s.v. II צוּר).
3 tn Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה (gÿ’arah) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6.
4 tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.
5 tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).