Lam 3:54-56 | NET2full | STEP | The waters closed over my head ; I thought I was about to die .

Lamentations 3:54-56

54 The waters closed over my head;
I thought ^{▼▼tn Heb “I said,” meaning “I said to myself” = “I thought.”} I was about to die. ^{▼▼tn Heb “I was about to be cut off.” The verb נִגְזָרְתִּי (nigzarti), Niphal perfect first person common singular from גָּזַר (gazar, “to be cut off”), functions in an ingressive sense: “about to be cut off.” It is used in reference to the threat of death (e.g., Ezek 37:11; Ps 88:5). To be “cut off” from the land of the living means to experience death (Isa 53:8).}

ק (Qof)

55 I have called on your name, O Lord,
from the deepest pit. ^{▼▼tn Heb “from a pit of lowest places.”}
56 You heard ^{▼▼tn The verb could be understood as a precative (“Hear my plea”) parallel to the following volitive verb, “do not close.”} my plea: ^{▼▼tn Heb “my voice.”}
“Do not close your ears to my cry for relief!” ^{▼▼tn The preposition ל (lamed) continues syntactically from “my plea” in the previous line (e.g. Ex 5:2; Josh 22:2; 1 Sam 8:7; 12:1; Jer 43:4).}