5:14a–b
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
14a For I am like a lion to Ephraim,
14b and like a young lion to the house of Judah
These lines contain parallel similes. In these similes, the LORD compares himself to a lion that attacks and destroys his prey.
For: This word introduces the reason that the king of Assyria cannot heal Ephraim and Judah. It is because the LORD himself is the one who attacks and destroys them like a powerful animal. No one is able to rescue them from the LORD’s judgment.
I: In Hebrew, I is an emphatic pronoun. For example:
It is I who will be like a lion
Use a natural way in your language to indicate this emphasis on the LORD.
lion…young lion: In Hebrew, there is no clear difference in meaning between these parallel terms. The Berean Standard Bible translates the second word as young lion, but the word probably has nothing to do with the lion’s age.
There is no need to translate these two terms in different ways unless it is desirable for poetic style. In this context, the two terms function together to convey the idea of a dangerous and powerful animal that the Hebrew people greatly feared.
The word lion occurs figuratively in both the OT and NT, so it is recommended that you keep this figure of speech if possible. If lions are not known in your language group, you could substitute a similar animal that has the same figurative meaning and impact, such as a panther, leopard, or tiger.
General Comment on 5:14a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these parallel statements. For example:
For it is I who am like a ⌊fierce ⌋ lion to Israel and Judah.
-or-
For I am the one that ⌊attacks ⌋ Israel and Judah like a strong lion.
5:14c–d
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
14c I, even I, will tear them to pieces and then go away.
14d I will carry them off where no one can rescue them.
In these lines, the LORD continues to compare himself to a lion who kills and carries off his prey. As in 5:14a–b, he emphasizes that he is the one who will destroy them. Since he is in control, no one is able to rescue them from his judgment.
I: In Hebrew, the pronoun I is repeated, literally “I, I.” It also occurs in an emphatic position in the clause. These two factors give it very strong emphasis.
Here is another way to indicate this emphasis:
I myself will tear them to pieces and then leave them. (Good News Translation)
Translate this emphasis in a natural way in your language.
tear them to pieces…no one can rescue them: The first phrase describes what a lion does to its prey. The next phrase continues this description. No one will be able to rescue them from the lion that tears them to pieces. A lion kills and destroys. Similarly, the LORD will cause the people of Israel and of Judah to suffer and die. He will do that by giving their enemies the power to defeat them in war.
go away…carry them off: The parallel phrases go away and carry them off describe the same event. If they imply two separate events in your language, here are some translation options:
• Make it clear that the two phrases refer to the same event. For example:
14c I will tear them to pieces and go away,
14d
Yes, I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.
-or-
14c I, I will attack and stride away,
14d
Carrying the prey that no one can rescue (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
• Do not translate the phrase go away. This idea is already implied in the phrase carry them off. For example:
14c I will tear them to pieces!
14d I will carry them off, and no one will be left to rescue them. (New Living Translation (2004))
General Comment on 5:14a–d
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these four verse parts. See 5:14a–d (combined/reordered) in the Display for an example.
© 2021 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.