Lam 1:17 | NET2full | STEP | Zion spread out her hands , but there is no one to comfort her. The Lord has issued a decree against Jacob ; his neighbors have become his enemies . Jerusalem has become like filthy garbage in their midst .

‏ Lamentations 1:17

פ (Pe)

The Prophet Speaks

17 Zion spread out her hands,
but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has issued a decree against Jacob;
his neighbors ^{▼▼tn Heb “his neighbors,” which refers to the surrounding nations.} have become his enemies.
Jerusalem has become
like filthy garbage ^{▼▼tn The noun II נִדָּה (niddah, “unclean thing”) has three basic categories of meaning: (1) biological uncleanness: menstruation of a woman (Lev 12:2, 5; 15:19-33 [9x]; Num 19:9, 13, 20; 31:23; Ezek 18:6; 22:10; 36:17); (2) ceremonial uncleanness: moral impurity and idolatry (Lev 20:21; 2 Chr 29:5; Ezra 9:11; Zech 13:1); and (3) physical uncleanness: filthy garbage (Lam 1:17; Ezek 7:19, 20).} in their midst. ^{▼▼tc The MT reads בֵּינֵיהֶם (benehem, “in them” = “in their midst”). The BHS editors suggest that this is a textual variation from an original text of בְּעֵינֵיהֶם (beʿenehem, “in their eyes” = “in their view”). The ע (ʿayin) might have dropped out due to orthographic confusion.} ^{▼▼tn Or “in their eyes.” See the preceding tc note.}