At the noise … rumbling of their wheels: It would seem best to connect this with the calling out for help and the bitter crying of verse 2; for example, “People cry and scream, 3 when they hear the hoofbeats of the horses, the rattle of the war chariots, the noise of the wheels” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). His is used with stallions and chariots. The reference is to the attacker, that is, the king of Egypt. Good News Translation and several other versions believe this is clear enough without these possessives being reproduced in translation. But translators can also say “when they hear the hoofbeats of the Egyptian horses, the noise of their war chariots, and the rumbling of their wheels.” Since it is somewhat confusing about whether it is Egypt or Babylonia who is attacking, translators can say “the enemies’ horses.” Note that Good News Translation uses the more generic term “horses” for stallions, which are male horses (see 5.8). For chariots see 4.13.

Fathers is an inclusive reference for “parents” (Good News Translation).

Look not back to: Good News Translation renders “will not turn back for” and New Jerusalem Bible “forget about.”

So feeble are their hands is more literally “from the slackness of their hands.” The word feeble is used only here in the Old Testament, and the figure gives a sense of discouragement or fear. Some translators have rendered this “so weak are they from fear” or “they are helpless in their fear.” Bassa in Liberia has “their hearts beat within them.”

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 .