Ratapan 3:7

ג (Gimel)

3:7 He has walled me in ¹  so that I cannot get out;

he has weighted me down with heavy prison chains. ² 

Hosea 2:5

2:5 For their mother has committed adultery;

she who conceived them has acted shamefully.

For she said, “I will seek out ³  my lovers; ⁴ 

they are the ones who give me my bread and my water,

my wool, my flax, my olive oil, and my wine. ⁵ 

[3:7]  ¹ tn The verb גָּדַר (garad) has a two-fold range of meanings: (1) “to build up a wall” with stones, and (2) “to block a road” with a wall of stones. The imagery depicts the Lord building a wall to seal off personified Jerusalem with no way of escape out of the city, or the Lord blocking the road of escape. Siege imagery prevails in 3:4-6, but 3:7-9 pictures an unsuccessful escape that is thwarted due to blocked roads in 3:7 and 3:9.

[3:7]  ² tn Heb “he has made heavy my chains.”

[2:5]  ³ tn Heb “I will go after” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:5]  ⁴ sn This statement alludes to the practice of sexual rites in the Canaanite fertility cult which attempted to secure agricultural fertility from the Canaanite gods (note the following reference to wool, flax, olive oil, and wine).

[2:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “my drinks.” Many English versions use the singular “drink” here, but cf. NCV, TEV, CEV “wine.”