Ratapan 3:10-12

ד (Dalet)

3:10 To me he is like a bear lying in ambush, ¹ 

like a hidden lion ²  stalking its prey. ³ 

3:11 He has obstructed my paths ⁴  and torn me to pieces; ⁵ 

he has made me desolate.

3:12 He drew ⁶  his bow and made me ⁷ 

the target for his arrow.

[3:10]  ¹ tn Heb “he is to me [like] a bear lying in wait.”

[3:10]  ² tc The Kethib is written אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”), while the Qere is אֲרִי (’ari, “lion”), simply a short spelling of the same term (BDB 71 s.v. אַרְיֵה).

[3:10]  ³ tn Heb “a lion in hiding places.”

[3:11]  ⁴ tn Or “he made my paths deviate.”

[3:11]  ⁵ tn “Since the Heb. וַיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי (vaypashÿkheni) 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).

[3:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “bent.”

[3:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “and set me as the target.”