This stanza (group of three verses, 13-15) begins with a continuation of the figure of God as one who shoots his arrows into the body of the sufferer so that they penetrate his kidneys (translated heart by Revised Standard Version). Job 16.13 also speaks of Job’s kidneys as the target of God’s arrows. Translators differ greatly in the handling of the Hebrew for “kidneys.” Good News Translation has “deep into my body,” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “very deep,” Bible en français courant “my kidneys,” New Jerusalem Bible “deep into me,” New Jerusalem Bible “my vitals,” Moffatt “driven his shafts home, right into me.”

Arrows of his quiver is literally “sons of his quiver.” The quiver as the container for the arrows is not central to the description of God’s attack, and translators handle this expression in various ways; for example, Good News Translation omits it as unnecessary when speaking of the action of “his arrows.” Bible en français courant has “all his arrows”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, which says “arrow after arrow,” also does not mention the quiver. However, translators who are translating into poetry may find the expression necessary and may try something like “His quiver gave (produced, bore) arrows that he shot into my heart.”

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 .