Here the word "nations" represents the people in the nations. Yahweh asks this question to scold the people of Judah. AT: "Ask the nations if any of them have ever heard of such a thing as this." or "Nowhere on earth has anyone ever heard of such a thing like this." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
It was common to refer to nations as if they were women. Yahweh speaks of Israel being pure and faithful towards him as if she were a virgin and of Israel being unfaithful to him as if she had "committed a horrible act." AT: "Israel, who is like a virgin, has done something horrible" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
Yahweh asks this rhetorical question to emphasize that the snow on the mountains never melts. AT: "The snow in Lebanon never leaves the rocky hills on its sides." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
Yahweh asks this rhetorical question to emphasize that the mountain streams never cease to flow. He speaks of the streams drying up as if they were destroyed. AT: "Those cold mountain streams that come from far away never cease to flow." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
See in Reader
