concerning the droughts that He would bring famine upon them, and Menahem (Machbereth p. 47) classified it as an expression of fortification (מִבְצָר) like (Isaiah 25:12) “And the fortress of (וּמִבְצַר) the strength of your walls.”

and her cities Heb. וּשְעָרֶיהָ, lit., her gates.

and the cry of Jerusalem Heb. צִוְחַת, the cry of Jerusalem. Comp. (Isaiah 42:11) “from the mountain peaks they shall shout (יִִִִִצְוָחוּ).

upon pits Pits in which the water is usually gathered.

their vessels have returned empty for no rain has fallen.

and have covered an expression of covering.

farmers bubirs [?] in O.F.

has borne and abandoned her offspring, to hunt for pastureland for herself.

by the rivulets rivulets of water (riveyres in O. F.).

have testified against us Heb. עָנוּ.

do for Your name’s sake Do what You will do with us for the sake of the great name that has spread about You that You rule over all and that we are Your people and the flock of Your pasture, and it is not fitting that You give Your victorious name to the idols. And the Midrash Aggadah explains: for the sake of Your name that is inherent in our name.

hope מִקְוֵה

overcome (d’cru in O.F.) diminished, waned, who withdraws his hand from the battle, and some say (recroyant in O.F.), tiring out, resigned.

and Your name is called upon us Therefore, by doing this, it is no longer honor for you.

forsake us Its explanation is like תַעַזְבֵנוּ, forsake us.

So have they loved to wander So, just as I have decreed upon them exile (to Egypt and Babylon - Warsaw edition), they loved it there to go into exile to worship distant idols.

a thing of naught an expression of אַל, not, a thing which is not.

very grievous an expression of illness (חֹלִי).

have gone around They have gone around to seek rescue.

to a land [which] they had not known To another land about which they did not know until then.

or has Your soul despised Zion with the intention of never returning, for, if You have in mind to return, why have You smitten us without a cure?

for Your name’s sake that you are called merciful.

the throne of Your glory The Temple. And according to Midrash Aggadah, Israel who is engraved on the throne of Your glory.

Does the heaven give raindrops? by itself, except by Your command? This is the interrogative form. In every double question, the first question is preceded by a ‘heh’ and the second one with אִם, like (Num. 13:19) “Are they in open cities (הַבְּמַחֲנִים) or in fortresses (אִם בְּמִבְצָרִים)?”(Ibid. 13:19) “It is good (הֲטוֹבָה) or bad (אִם רָעָה)?” (verse 19) “Have You indeed rejected (הֲמָאֹס) Judah, or has Your soul despised (אִם...גָּעֲלָה) Zion?” Here, too, “are there among the vanities of the nations those who give rain? Does the heaven...?”