This verse picks up the theme of the last unit of verse 11, so it may have to be made clear to the reader that those who cry to their mothers are the infants and babies already mentioned. Bread and wine is literally “grain and wine.” These two items are not to be taken in their literal sense, but as an idiom for “food and drink.” They are used this way in Hosea. A more natural expression is “something to eat.” In the Hebrew text the words spoken by the children are expressed in a form which is the equivalent of direct speech. The unit may be translated, for example, “Those children cry to their mothers and say, ‘Give us something to eat.’ ”

Faint like wounded men: the verb translated faint is used of children three times in this chapter: here, in verse 11, and in verse 19. The word translated wounded most often refers to those who are wounded in battle. In the streets of the city is the same expression used in verse 11.

As their life is poured out: life translates the Hebrew nefesh. Here the nefesh, which can mean “soul, life, existence,” is said to be poured out. This is an idiom which means “they slowly die” (Good News Translation), “they expire” (Bible en français courant), “exhaling their last breath” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy).

On their mothers’ bosom: bosom refers to the area of the mothers’ breasts. The picture is that of the mothers cradling or holding their dying children against their breasts.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on Lamentations. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .