en_tn_lite_do_not_use/psa/078/064.md

Their priests fell by the sword

Here the word "sword" represents soldiers who fought with swords. The phrase "fell by the sword" is an idiom that means to die in battle. Alternate translation: "Their priests died in battle" or "Enemies killed their priests with swords" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)

their widows could not weep

Possible meanings are 1) someone forced the widows not to weep or 2) so many priests died that there was no time for proper funerals.

widows

women whose husbands have died