Ratapan 4:20

ר (Resh)

4:20 Our very life breath – the Lord’s anointed king ¹  –

was caught in their traps, ² 

of whom we thought, ³ 

“Under his protection ⁴  we will survive among the nations.”

Ratapan 5:12

5:12 Princes were hung by their hands;

elders were mistreated. ⁵ 

[4:20]  ¹ tn Heb “the anointed one of the Lord.” The term “king” is added in the translation to clarify the referent of the phrase “the Lord’s anointed.”

[4:20]  ² tn Heb “was captured in their pits.”

[4:20]  ³ tn Heb “of whom we had said.”

[4:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “under his shadow.” The term צֵל (tsel, “shadow”) is used figuratively here to refer the source of protection from military enemies. In the same way that the shade of a tree gives physical relief and protection from the heat of the sun (e.g., Judg 9:15; Job 40:22; Ps 80:11; Song 2:3; Ezek 17:23; 31:6, 12, 17; Hos 4:13; 14:8; Jon 4:5, 6), a faithful and powerful king can provide “shade” (= protection) from enemies and military attack (Num 14:19; Ps 91:1; Isa 30:2, 3; 49:2; 51:16; Jer 48:45; Lam 4:20).

[5:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “elders were shown no respect.” The phrase “shown no respect” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression of understatement: to show no respect to elders = to terribly mistreat elders.