1.8 KiB
General Information:
God is often spoken of as if he were a warrior.
He bent his bow
A soldier has to bend his bow in order to shoot an arrow from it. The author speaks of God deciding to cause him trouble as if God were a warrior ready to shoot him with an arrow. See how you translated this in Lamentations 2:4. AT: "It was as if God made his bow ready to shoot"
He pierced my kidneys with the arrows of his quiver
The author speaks of the deep grief he feels as if God had shot his kidneys with an arrow. AT: "My grief is great. It is as if he pierced my kidneys with the arrows of his quiver" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
my kidneys
The kidneys are abdominal organs that move urine into the bladder. They are a metaphor for a person's emotions. AT: "deep into my body" or 2) "my heart" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
quiver
a bag worn on the back in which to store arrows
a laughingstock to all my people
The word "all" is a generalization, meaning "most." AT: "a laughingstock to most of my people" or "someone whom all my people mock" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole)
laughingstock
someone whom many people mock
He filled me with bitterness
Here "bitterness" represents suffering. It is referred to as if it were something that could fill the speaker. AT: "He has caused me to suffer very much" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
forced me to drink wormwood
Wormwood is the bitter juice from the leaves and flowers of a certain plant. Drinking that bitter juice represents suffering. AT: "it is as though he forced me to drink something very bitter" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)