47:1 “Fall down! Sit in the dirt,
O virgin 1 daughter Babylon!
Sit on the ground, not on a throne,
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed, 2 you will no longer be called delicate and pampered.
47:5 “Sit silently! Go to a hiding place, 3
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed, 4 you will no longer be called ‘Queen of kingdoms.’
1 tn בְּתוּלַה (bÿtulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9).
2 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
3 tn Heb “darkness,” which may indicate a place of hiding where a fugitive would seek shelter and protection.
4 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).