Since verse 18 provides the reason for the conditions described in verse 17, some translators place a colon after the final word in 17. On the other hand, some express both halves of 17 as “if” clauses; for example, Bible en français courant says “If our hearts … if our eyes…,” and then begins verse 18 with “it is because….” Good News Translation places a comma after “tears” in verse 17 and begins verse 18 “because Mount Zion….” If the reason must be placed before the consequence, the order of verses 17 and 18 will be reversed, and in that case their numbers must also be adjusted.

Mount Zion is the hill on which the Temple stood. Here it refers only to the Temple location and not to Jerusalem as a whole. Lies desolate may be translated “abandoned, deserted.” The desolation of the former site of the Temple is emphasized by the mention of the defiling presence of unclean animals there, as in Isaiah 13.19-22; 34.11-17; Zephaniah 2.13-15.

With the exception of AB, which has “fox,” modern translations prefer to translate the Hebrew term here as jackals. This is not the same Hebrew word used in 4.3; there are three terms used in the Old Testament in reference to the fox and the jackal, and apparently these words were used interchangeably. For translation suggestions see 4.3.

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 .