Translations
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
Sharp arrows of a warrior with burning coals of the broom-shrub!
The sharp arrows of a warrior and scorching coals of broom wood that burn for hours!
Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree!
Footnotes
The retamim is the white broom shrub (Retama raetam) of the Negev and Sinai wilderness was renowned for producing coals that burned intensely and held heat far longer than any other wood. Under Elijah's broom tree (1 Kgs. 19:4) this plant signals the harshness of the wilderness; here it signals judgment that is both swift (arrows) and sustained (slow-burning coals). The punishment fits the crime: a tongue that inflicts lasting damage will be met with lasting fire. F.O.G. uses "broom-shrub" to honor the specific botanical referent; F.O.G.M. adds the explanatory phrase "that burn for hours" to make the image vivid for readers unfamiliar with the plant.

