OET interlinear ZEC 11:17

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

ה֣וֹי

woe

Yahweh is using a phrase that expresses a strong feeling of distress and warning of coming judgment. There may be an equivalent word or phrase in your language that you can use in your translation to convey this feeling. Alternate translation: [Alas]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

עַל זְרוֹע֖⁠וֹ וְ⁠עַל עֵ֣ין יְמִינ֑⁠וֹ

on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in arm_of,his and,on eye_of his_right_side_of,his

Here, his arm represents the shepherd’s strength and his right eye represents his ability to see. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [against his strong arm and against his seeing right eye]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

חֶ֥רֶב עַל זְרוֹע֖⁠וֹ וְ⁠עַל עֵ֣ין יְמִינ֑⁠וֹ

sword on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in arm_of,his and,on eye_of his_right_side_of,his

Yahweh is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [May a sword strike his arm and his right eye]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

חֶ֥רֶב

sword

Here, A sword represents “a violent attack.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [A violent attack]

Note 5 topic: writing-poetry

זְרֹע⁠וֹ֙ יָב֣וֹשׁ תִּיבָ֔שׁ וְ⁠עֵ֥ין יְמִינ֖⁠וֹ כָּהֹ֥ה תִכְהֶֽה

arm_of,his to_be_withered wither_away and,the_eye_of his_right_side_of,his to_be_blind be_blind

Yahweh is using a construction in which a verb and its object come from the same root. You may be able to use the same construction in your language to express the meaning here. Alternatively, your language may have another way of saying this. Alternate translation: [his arm will surely wither, and his right eye will surely grow dim]