The Hebrew that is translated as “the ship threatened to break up” or similar in English is translated in Low German idiomatically with Dar fehlt nich veel, wenn der dat Schipp mit Mann und Muus versackt or “not much was missing (i.e. almost) and the ship would have sunk with man and mouse (i.e. completely).” (Translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1937, republ. 2006).

See also shipwreck.