14 The Hebrew text reads literally, “the coming ones, let Jacob take root.” הַבָּאִים (habba’im, “the coming ones”) should probably be emended to יָמִים בָאִים (yamim va’im, “days [are] coming”) or בְּיָמִים הַבָּאִים (biyamim habba’im, “in the coming days”).
15 Heb “fruit” (so , , , , , ).
16 This apparently refers to a future population explosion. See 26:18.
17 The Hebrew text reads literally, “Like the striking down of the one striking him down does he strike him down?” The meaning of the text is unclear, but this may be a rhetorical question, suggesting that Israel has not experienced divine judgment to the same degree as her oppressors. In this case “the one striking down” refers to Israel’s oppressors, while the pronoun “him” refers to Israel. The subject of the final verb (“does he strike down”) would then be God, while the pronoun “him” would again refer to Israel.
18 The Hebrew text reads literally, “Or like the killing of his killed ones is he killed?” If one accepts the interpretation of the parallel line outlined in the previous note, then this line too would contain a rhetorical question suggesting that Israel has not experienced destruction to the same degree as its enemies. In this case “his killed ones” refers to the one who struck Israel down, and Israel would be the subject of the final verb (“is he killed”).

In other versions

In days to come Jacob shall take root,

Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots

and fill the whole world with fruit.

Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them?

Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain?

In days to come Jacob will take root,

Israel will bud and blossom

and fill all the world with fruit.

Has the Lord struck her

as he struck down those who struck her?

Has she been killed

as those were killed who killed her?

In days to come, Jacob will take root.

Israel will blossom and bloom

and fill the whole world with fruit.

Did the Lord strike Israel

as he struck the one who struck Israel?

Was Israel killed like those killed by the Lord?

The time is coming when Jacob’s descendants will take root.

Israel will bud and blossom

and fill the whole earth with fruit!

Has the Lord struck Israel

as he struck her enemies?

Has he punished her

as he punished them?

Days are coming, let Jacob take root;

Israel will blossom and send out shoots,

and they will fill the face of the world with fruit.

Does he strike him as he struck down those who struck him?

Or is he killed as those who killed him were killed?

He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root:

Israel shall blossom and bud,

And fill the face of the world with fruit.

Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him?

Or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?

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