Lay hold on must be understood in the sense of “fight with,” although a good translation is “They are armed with bows and swords [or, spears].”

The Hebrew noun translated spear (so also New Jerusalem Bible) is now believed by many scholars to refer to either a short sword used for thrusting or a crescent shaped sword. Thus Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “Their soldiers fight with bows and curved swords….” New English Bible has “sabre” (a heavy sword with a slightly curved blade), and Bright has “blade” (with a note indicating that it was a sword 68.7 centimeters long).

The verb rendered have mercy here and elsewhere is sometimes translated “have compassion” by Revised Standard Version (12.15; 13.14; 21.7; 30.18). In this verse translators can say “are without compassion” or “show mercy to no one.”

The sound of them … upon horses may be more naturally expressed as in Good News Translation, “They sound like the roaring sea, as they ride their horses.” Revised English Bible is dramatic, though high-level: “bestriding their horses, they sound like the thunder of the sea….”

Daughter of Zion (see 4.31) refers to Jerusalem. Set in array … O daughter of Zion is translated by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch as “They are ready to attack—to attack you, Jerusalem!” Good News Translation has “They are ready for battle against Jerusalem.”

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 .