Ratapan 3:21-25
Konteks3:21 But this I call 1 to mind; 2
therefore I have hope:
ח (Khet)
3:22 The Lord’s loyal kindness 3 never ceases; 4
his compassions 5 never end.
3:23 They are fresh 6 every morning;
your faithfulness is abundant! 7
3:24 “My portion is the Lord,” I have said to myself, 8
so I will put my hope in him.
ט (Tet)
3:25 The Lord is good to those who trust 9 in him,
to the one 10 who seeks him.
Ratapan 3:55-58
Konteksק (Qof)
3:55 I have called on your name, O Lord,
from the deepest pit. 11
“Do not close your ears to my cry for relief!” 14
3:57 You came near 15 on the day I called to you;
you said, 16 “Do not fear!”
ר (Resh)
3:58 O Lord, 17 you championed 18 my cause, 19
you redeemed my life.
[3:21] 1 tn Heb “I cause to return.”
[3:21] 2 tn Heb “to my heart.” The noun לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) has a broad range of meanings, including its use as a metonymy of association, standing for thoughts and thinking = “mind” (e.g., Deut 32:46; 1 Chr 29:18; Job 17:11; Ps 73:7; Isa 10:7; Hag 1:5, 7; 2:15, 18; Zech 7:10; 8:17).
[3:22] 3 tn It is difficult to capture the nuances of the Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed). When used of the Lord it is often connected to his covenant loyalty. This is the only occasion when the plural form of חֶסֶד (khesed) precedes the plural form of רַחֲמִים (rakhamim, “mercy, compassion”). The plural forms, as with this one, tend to be in late texts. The plural may indicate several concrete expressions of God’s kindnesses or may indicate the abstract concept of his kindness.
[3:22] 4 tc The MT reads תָמְנוּ (tamnu) “indeed we are [not] cut off,” Qal perfect 1st person common plural from תָּמַם (tamam, “be finished”): “[Because of] the kindnesses of the
[3:22] 5 tn The plural form of רַחֲמִים (rakhamim) may denote the abstract concept of mercy, several concrete expressions of mercy, or the plural of intensity: “great compassion.” See IBHS 122 §7.4.3a.
[3:23] 6 tn Heb “they are new.”
[3:23] 7 tn The adjective רַב (rav) has a broad range of meanings: (1) quantitative: “much, numerous, many (with plurals), abundant, enough, exceedingly” and (2) less often in a qualitative sense: “great” (a) of space and location, (b) “strong” as opposed to “weak” and (c) “major.” The traditional translation, “great is thy faithfulness,” is less likely than the quantitative sense: “your faithfulness is abundant” [or, “plentiful”]. NJPS is on target in its translation: “Ample is your grace!”
[3:24] 8 tn Heb “My soul said…” The term נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) is a synecdoche of part (= my soul) for the whole person (= I ).
[3:25] 9 tn Heb “wait for him”
[3:25] 10 tn Heb “to the soul…” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) is a synecdoche of part (= “the soul who seeks him”) for the whole person (= “the person who seeks him”).
[3:55] 11 tn Heb “from a pit of lowest places.”
[3:56] 12 tn The verb could be understood as a precative, “hear my plea,” parallel to the following volitive verb, “do not close.”
[3:56] 14 tn The preposition ל (lamed) continues syntactically from “my plea” in the previous line (e.g. Ex 5:2; Josh 22:2; 1 Sam 8:7; 12:1; Jer 43:4).
[3:57] 15 tn The verb could be understood as a precative (“Draw near”). The perspective of the poem seems to be that of prayer during distress rather than a testimony that God has delivered.
[3:57] 16 tn The verb could be understood as a precative (“Say”).
[3:58] 17 tc The MT reads אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “the Lord”) here rather than יהוה (YHWH, “the
[3:58] 18 tn This verb, like others in this stanza, could be understood as a precative (“Plead”).
[3:58] 19 tn Heb “the causes of my soul.” The term נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) is a synecdoche of part (= my soul) for the whole person (= me).