Among the Hebrews seven was the perfect number; a woman who had seven children would have felt prosperous and secure. Bible en français courant brings this out with “She who was honored to have had seven children.”
Languished is used elsewhere in Jeremiah only in 14.2. The meaning is “waste away,” which is often translated “grow faint.” Good News Translation expresses the idea that she has grown faint because she has lost her children, which fits well in this context. She is not able to bear the loss she has sustained. But it is also possible to understand here that she is no longer able to bear children, as in 1Sam 2.5b where women with many children are said to languish (“forlorn” in Revised Standard Version). The resulting translation would be “The woman who bore seven children can no longer conceive.”
She has swooned away: Swooned away translates a verb that literally means “blow” (as of wind or of a person’s breath). It is translated “boiling” in the construction “boiling pot” by Revised Standard Version in 1.13 (more literally “a pot being blown upon”). In this context the meaning is “gasped [for breath].” Since she in Hebrew literally means either “her soul” or “her throat,” and it may be either subject or object, at least two possible translations result: (1) if it is the subject, “her throat gasps”; or (2) if it is the object, “gasping out her life” (New American Bible). Good News Translation follows the first of these options with “gasping for breath.” The structure of the verse gives support to this solution. It is doubtful if the text supports the meaning “breathe her last” (New International Version).
Her sun went down while it was yet day is a figure indicating disappointment. Good News Translation renders “Her daylight has turned to darkness” and New Jerusalem Bible has “It is still day, but already her sun has set.” Another way to express this is “For her hope turned to disappointment, as if the sun had set in the middle of the day.”
It is doubtful if there is any difference in meaning between shamed and disgraced. The verb shamed is used first in 2.26 and occurs more than twenty times in the book of Jeremiah; disgraced occurs only here and in 50.12, where it appears in combination with shamed once again. Good News Translation keeps two terms with “disgraced and sick at heart,” and other translations use terms such as “humiliated and ashamed.”
Them I will give to the sword before their enemies means simply “I will let their enemies kill them” (compare Good News Translation). Note, however, the text has the rest of them (not just “them”), so that New International Version has “the survivors,” Revised English Bible has “The remnant,” and Good News Translation has “those … who are still alive.” Translators can therefore say “And I will let their enemies kill the rest of them.”
Says the LORD: See the comment at 1.8.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .