# For we have sunk down into the dust; our bodies cling to the earth

These parallel phrases share similar meanings. The writer describes his people as lying on the ground in a posture of defeat and humiliation. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism]])

# For we have sunk down into the dust

The writer speaks of their humiliation as if their bodies were objects, such as ice, that melt and soak into the dirt. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])

# our bodies cling to the earth

The writer speaks of their humiliation as if their bodies were stuck to the ground and they could not raise themselves up. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])