"My afflictions are the cords of death. What are my afflictions? The troubles have reached my nose. Another thing, do not read it as 'my afflictions' (efponai) but as 'my wings' (afafonai).
Troubles fly and come upon me like a bird, as it is said (Genesis 1:20), 'and birds that fly above the earth.' Another thing, they roll and come upon me like a wheel. Another thing, 'I am banished from my land.' And Rabbi Acha said, 'I have been turned this way and that, and there is no redeemer but You.'
Another thing, when a woman weaves with two doubled threads, they are called 'wings' (afafin). So David said, 'My afflictions are like doubled wings, they speak in four kingdoms. My afflictions, the cords of death in Babylon, and the rivers of Belial inundate me in Media. The cords of Sheol surround me in Yawn, and the snares of death in Edom.
My afflictions inundate me, the snares of death surround me, the cords of Belial, the cords of Sheol, the snares of death. The Rabbis said, 'Why did he write "death" in the first and fourth stanzas?' Because it was the destruction of the First Temple and the destruction of the Second Temple. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, 'This refers to the decree of pestilence in both instances.
When I am in distress, I call upon the Lord in Babylon, and I cry out to my God in Media. Let my voice come before Him; let my supplication reach His ears in Yawn, and before Him, let my cry come in Edom.' Rabbi Pinchas said in the name of Rabbi Chama bar Chanina, 'Why was the Temple mentioned in the third stanza?'" All the days of the Temple of Yonah existed.
It says "I am in distress" and not "in distresses." This is because all the prophets join together the distress of Israel and minimize it, as it says, "When you are in distress, and all these things have overtaken you" (Deuteronomy 4:30) and "See, O Lord, for I am in distress" (Lamentations 1:20). Rabbi Yehuda says another reason: since there was no destruction of the Temple during their time, as it says, "Like one who runs from a lion" (Amos 5:19).
This refers to Babylon. "And the bear met him," refers to Media. "And he leaned his hand on the wall, and the serpent bit him," refers to Edom, as it says, "Her voice shall go like a serpent" (Jeremiah 46:22). Rabbi Yehuda brings another explanation from the verse, "Open to me, my sister, my friend" (Song of Songs 5:2).
"My sister" refers to Babylon, and "my friend" refers to Media in Yonah. And why is she called Yonah? Because they used to offer sacrifices of doves and young pigeons during her time. "Tammuz" (my perfect one) died in Edom.
And why is she called "my perfect one"? Because the Israelites were killed with her, and they gave their lives for the sanctification of God's name, as many decrees were imposed on us during her time.