"The virgin daughter Zion despises thee, the daughter Jerusalem shakes the head behind thee." By daughter Zion, daughter Jerusalem, we are not to understand the inhabitants of Zion, or of Jerusalem, as though בּת stood for בּנים or בּני (Ges., Hitzig, and others); but the city itself with its inhabitants is pictorially personified as a daughter and virgin, and the construct state בּת־ציּון is to be taken, like פּרת נהר, as in apposition: "daughter Zion," not daughter of Zion (vid., Ges. 116, 5; Ewald, 287, e.). Even in the case of בּתוּלת the construct state expresses simply the relation of apposition. Zion is called a "virgin" as being an inviolable city to the Assyrians, i.e., one which they cannot conquer. Shaking the head is a gesture denoting derision and pleasure at another's misfortune (cf. Psalm 22:8; Psalm 109:25, etc.). "Behind thee," i.e., after thee as thou goest away, is placed first as a pictorial feature for the sake of emphasis.

2 Kings 19:27 Parallel Commentaries

I know.

Psalm 139:1-11 O lord, you have searched me, and known me...

Jeremiah 23:23,24 Am I a God at hand, said the LORD, and not a God afar off...

abode. or, sitting. thy going out.

Deuteronomy 28:6,19 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out...

Psalm 121:8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even for ever more.

Isaiah 37:28,29 But I know your stayed, and your going out, and your coming in, and your rage against me...