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54 The waters closed over my head;
I thought[a] I was about to die.[b]

ק (Qof)

55 I have called on your name, O Lord,
from the deepest pit.[c]
56 You heard[d] my plea:[e]
“Do not close your ears to my cry for relief!”[f]

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:54 tn Heb “I said,” meaning “I said to myself” = “I thought.”
  2. Lamentations 3:54 tn Heb “I was about to be cut off.” The verb נִגְזָרְתִּי (nigzarti), Niphal perfect first person common singular from גָּזַר (gazar, “to be cut off”), functions in an ingressive sense: “about to be cut off.” It is used in reference to the threat of death (e.g., Ezek 37:11; Ps 88:5). To be “cut off” from the land of the living means to experience death (Isa 53:8).
  3. Lamentations 3:55 tn Heb “from a pit of lowest places.”
  4. Lamentations 3:56 tn The verb could be understood as a precative (“Hear my plea”) parallel to the following volitive verb, “do not close.”
  5. Lamentations 3:56 tn Heb “my voice.”
  6. Lamentations 3:56 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).

54 the waters closed over my head,(A)
    and I thought I was about to perish.(B)

55 I called on your name, Lord,
    from the depths(C) of the pit.(D)
56 You heard my plea:(E) “Do not close your ears
    to my cry for relief.”

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