# For three sins of ... even for four

This is a poetic device. It does not mean that a specific number of sins had been committed, but it indicates that many sins had led to God's judgment.

# Damascus

Here "Damascus" represents the people of the city of Damascus. Alternate translation: "the people of Damascus" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# I will not turn away punishment

Yahweh uses two negatives here to emphasize that he would punish them. Alternate translation: "I will certainly punish those people" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-litotes]])

# they threshed Gilead with instruments of iron

Yahweh speaks of how Damascus treated Gilead as if they had threshed grain with iron tools or weapons. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])

# Gilead

Here "Gilead" represents the people of the region of Gilead. Alternate translation: "the people of Gilead" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])