6:23 Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.
They are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea
as they ride forth on their horses.
Lined up in formation like men going into battle
to attack you, Daughter Zion.’” 1
9:3 The Lord says, 2
“These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.
Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. 3
They have become powerful in the land,
but they have not done so by honest means. 4
Indeed, they do one evil thing after another 5
and do not pay attention to me. 6
50:42 Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.
They are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea
as they ride forth on their horses.
Lined up in formation like men going into battle,
they are coming against you, fair Babylon! 7
1 sn Jerualem is personified as a young maiden helpless before enemy attackers.
2 tn The words “The
3 tn Heb “They have readied [or strung] their tongue as their bow for lies.”
4 tn Heb “but not through honesty.”
5 tn Heb “they go from evil to evil.”
6 tn Or “do not acknowledge me”; Heb “do not know me.” But “knowing” in Hebrew thought often involves more than intellectual knowledge; it involves emotional and volitional commitment as well. For יָדַע meaning “acknowledge” see 1 Chr 28:9; Isa 29:21; Hos 2:20; Prov 3:6. This word is also found in ancient Near Eastern treaty contexts where it has the idea of a vassal king acknowledging the sovereignty of a greater king (cf. H. Huffmon, “The Treaty Background of Hebrew yada,” BASOR 181 [1966]: 31-37).
7 tn Heb “daughter Babylon.” The word “daughter” is a personification of the city of Babylon and its inhabitants.