Another paragraph begins here. In verses 16-17 God describes the fate of the people of Jerusalem after their city has been destroyed. At the end verse 17 his words are addressed again to the city itself. But unfortunately it is not clear in most translations who God is addressing. In Hebrew the pronouns are inconsistent and difficult to follow, and the translations harmonize the pronouns for the sake of the flow of the language. We will make clear what the Hebrew pronouns refer to. As long as it is clear who is in view, it is acceptable for translators to harmonize the pronouns for the sake of the natural flow of the language.

When I loose against you my deadly arrows of famine: God threatens to cause famine in Jerusalem so that the people will be hungry and starve to death. This is described metaphorically as shooting arrows at them to kill them. This is a vivid metaphor that some languages may not be able to retain. If so, it is acceptable to omit the metaphor entirely (so New Century Version), as in “When I starve the people to death,” or to replace the metaphor with a simile (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant (1982)), for example, “When I cause the people of Jerusalem to die of hunger as if I were shooting arrows at them” or “When I attack the people of Jerusalem with famine, like an archer shooting arrows.” In some cultures it might also be wise to change the metaphor from arrows to spears, fighting sticks, or stones. Instead of against you, the Hebrew text has “against them” (New King James Version , New American Standard Bible; similarly King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The pronoun “them” makes it clear that this verse is talking about the people of Jerusalem, and not about the city itself. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends that the pronoun “them” should be retained.

Arrows for destruction, which I will loose to destroy you (literally “which will be for destruction, which I will shoot to destroy you”) renders two balanced relative clauses in Hebrew that describe the arrows of famine. These arrows will cause destruction, and God will shoot them to kill the people. Translators may say “deadly arrows, which I will use to kill you.” But an alternative interpretation is possible. The first relative clause may refer, not to the arrows, but to the people at whom God will shoot the arrows. In that case it means “those [people] who are destined to be destroyed” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Following this interpretation, translators may render these two clauses as “when I attack and kill you who are meant to die.” Either interpretation is possible. The pronoun you is plural in Hebrew, so it refers to the people of Jerusalem. The remaining second person pronouns in this verse are also plural.

And when I bring more and more famine upon you: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered and when is better translated “then” or “at that time,” since it introduces the conclusion of the first half of the verse. When God begins to destroy the people by causing them to starve, then he will make them become more and more hungry.

And will break your staff of bread, that is, “will cut off your supply of food” (Good News Translation). For this whole expression see the comments on 4.16. This clause and the previous one may be rendered “then I will make you more and more hungry as I cut off your food supply.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .