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Nahum Chapter
Three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO NAHUM 3
In
this chapter is contained the prophecy of the destruction of Nineveh
and with
it the whole Assyrian empire; the causes of which
besides those before
mentioned
were the murders
lies
and robberies it was full of
Nahum 3:1 for which
it should be swiftly and cruelly destroyed
Nahum 3:2 as also
its whoredoms and witchcrafts
or idolatry
by which nations and families were
seduced
Nahum 3:4 and hence
she should be treated as a harlot
her nakedness exposed
and she cast out with
contempt
and mocked at by all
Nahum 3:5 and all
those things she placed her confidence in are shown to be of no avail; as her
situation and fortresses
as she might learn from the case of No Amon
Nahum 3:8 nor the
number of her inhabitants
which were weak as women; nor even her merchants
captains
nobles
and king himself
Nahum 3:13 nor the
people she was in alliance with
who would now mock at her
her case being
irrecoverable and incurable
Nahum 3:19.
Nahum 3:1 Woe to the bloody
city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never
departs.
YLT
1Wo [to] the city of blood
She is all with lies -- burglary -- full
Prey doth not depart.
Woe to the bloody city
.... Nineveh
in which
many murders were daily committed; innocent blood shed; the lives of men taken
away
under the colour of justice
by false witnesses
and other unlawful
methods; and which was continually making war with neighbouring nations
and shedding
their blood
which it stuck not at
to enlarge its wealth and dominions; and
therefore "woe" is denounced against it; and it is threatened with
the righteous judgments of God
with all sorts of calamity and distress: or
"O bloody city"
as the Septuagint; for the word used is vocative
and expressive of calling
as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe:
it is all full of lies and robbery; the palace
and court; the houses of noblemen and common persons were full of flattery and
deceit; men of high degree were a lie
and men of low degree vanity; no man
could trust another
or believe what he said; there were no truth
honesty
and
faithfulness
in conversation or commerce; their warehouses were full of goods
got by rapine and violence; and their streets full of robbers and robberies:
the prey departeth not; they go on in making a
prey of their neighbours
in pillaging and plundering their substance; they
repent not of such evil practices
nor desist from them; or because of the
above sins they shall fall a prey to the enemy
who will not cease plundering
them till he has utterly stripped them of all they have; and who is represented
in the next verse Nahum 3:2 as just
at hand.
Nahum 3:2 2 The
noise of a whip And the noise of rattling wheels
Of galloping horses
Of
clattering chariots!
YLT
2The sound of a whip
And
the sound of the rattling of a wheel
And of a prancing horse
and of a
bounding chariot
Of a horseman mounting.
The noise of a whip
.... Of a horseman or
chariot driver whipping his horses to make speed to Nineveh
and enter into it
so near as to be heard by the inhabitants of it; and is thus represented in
order to strike terror into them:
and the noise of the rattling of the wheels; that is
of
the chariots upon the stones
whose drivers drove Jehu like
making the utmost
haste they could to get in first
and seize the prey:
and of the pransing horses; or bounding steeds
upon
a full gallop; either with horsemen on them riding full speed to partake of the
booty; or in chariots
in which they caper and prance
and shake the ground as
they go; hence it follows:
and of the jumping chariots; which
through the
swiftness of the motion
seem to leap and dance as they run along.
Nahum 3:3 3 Horsemen
charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of
slain
A great number of bodies
Countless corpses— They stumble over the
corpses—
YLT
3And the flame of a sword
and the lightning of a spear
And the abundance of the wounded
And the weight
of carcases
Yea
there is no end to the bodies
They stumble over their
bodies.
The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering
spear
.... Or
"the flame of the sword and the glittering
spear"F23להב חרב
וברק חנית "flammam
gladii et fulgorem hastae"
Piscator; "flammam gladii et fulgur
hastae"
Cocceius; "flamma gladii et fulgur lanceae"
Burkius. ;
he rides with a drawn sword
which
being brandished to and fro
looks like a
flame of fire; or with a spear made of polished iron
or steel
which
when
vibrated and moved to and fro
glitters like lightning; a large number of which
entering the city must be terrible to the inhabitants of it:
and there is a multitude of slain
and a great number of
carcasses; of dead men lying in the streets
pierced and slain with the
bright sword and glittering spear of the Medes and Chaldeans:
and there is none end of their corpses; the number of
them could not be told; they lay so thick in all parts of the city
that there
was no telling them:
they stumble upon their corpses; the Ninevites in
fleeing
and endeavouring to make their escape
and the Medes and Chaldeans
pursuing them.
Nahum 3:4 4 Because
of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot
The mistress of
sorceries
Who sells nations through her harlotries
And families through her
sorceries.
YLT
4Because of the abundance of
the fornications of an harlot
The goodness of the grace of the lady of
witchcrafts
Who is selling nations by her fornications
And families by her
witchcrafts.
Because of the multitudes of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured
harlot
.... Meaning Nineveh; which
as it was an ancient city
was a
well built one; full of stately and beautiful buildings
the seat of the kings
of Assyria
and the metropolis of the nation
and abounded with wealth and
riches; perhaps here may be an allusion to the name of the city
and to the
signification of it; for Nineveh may have its name from the beauty of it
and
be read
in Hebrew
נאי נוה
or נוי
and may signify a beautiful or pleasant
habitation; so HillerusF24Onomastic. Sacr. p. 304
431
898. and
CocceiusF25Comment. in Jonam
c. 1. 2. give the etymology of it;
which agrees with its delightful situation on the banks of the river Tigris
and the stately edifices in it
as the king's palace
and others; just as Zion
is said to be "beautiful for situation
the joy of the whole earth"
Psalm 48:2 and the
epithet of "well favoured" well agrees with a harlot
whose beauty is
engaging and ensnaring
as Lais
and others; particularly Semiramis
the wife
of Ninus
from whom it is generally thought Nineveh had its name
was first a
harlot
and one of exceeding beauty
who surpassed all others in it; on account
of which she was beloved by the king of Assyria
and after a short time made
his wife
and then he delivered the government of the kingdom to herF26Diodor.
Sicul. l. 2. p. 93. 107. Ed. Rhodoman. ; yea
Sardanapalus the Last
and at
this time the present king of the Assyrians
was very effeminate
used to dress
himself in women's clothes
imitate a woman's voice
and paint his face
and
even his whole body; and
by other tricks and enticements of harlots
made
himself more lascivious
and behaved more lewdly
than any harlotF1Ibid.
p. 109
110. ; in short
all the Assyrian women must be harlots
since they
were obliged once in their lifetime to lie with a stranger in the temple of
Venus
whom the Assyrians call Mylitta
as HerodotusF2Clio
sive. l.
1. c. 199. and StraboF3Geograph. l. 16. p. 513. relate; to all which
here may be an allusion: and particularly the inhabitants of this city had all
the arts of address and insinuation to deceive others as harlots have; and both
men and women very probably were given to whoredom and adultery in a literal
sense as is generally the case where luxury and intemperance abound; and
especially were grossly guilty of idolatry
which in Scripture is frequently
expressed by whoredom and adultery; worshipping Bel
Nisroch and other deities
and which was highly provoking to God; and therefore for these things
his
judgements came upon them
before and after described:
the mistress of witchcrafts: thoroughly versed in
such wicked and devilish practices
literally understood; see Isaiah 47:9 for the
Assyrians
as well as the Babylonians and Chaldeans
were addicted to such
diabolical arts
as appears from a passage in TheocritusF4Pharmaceutria
sive Idyll. 2. prope finem.
which Grotius has also quoted; where one is
represented saying that she kept in her box or chest very pernicious poisons
which she had learned from an Assyrian guest. The allusion seems to be to
philtres
and other tricks used by harlots to besot young men
and bewitch and
captivate them: likewise this city and its inhabitants were well versed in all
the arts of flattery
deceit
and carnal policy; and in all the charms of
wealth
riches
luxury
and sensuality
the pomp of superstition and idolatry
to draw in kingdoms and nations into subjection to them:
that selleth nations through her whoredoms
and families through
her witchcrafts; enslaved whole kingdoms
and brought them under her power and
dominion
to be her vassals; and was the instrument
not only of corporeal
servitude
but of their selling themselves to work wickedness
by committing
spiritual fornication or idolatry; into which multitudes were led by her
influence and example
and particularly the kingdoms and families of Israel and
Judah; see 2 Kings 16:10. In
these whoredoms and witchcrafts
as well as in her bloodthirstiness
lies
and
oppression
Nineveh was a type of the whore of Rome; see Revelation 17:1.
Nahum 3:5 5 “Behold
I am against you
” says the Lord of hosts; “I
will lift your skirts over your face
I will show the nations your nakedness
And
the kingdoms your shame.
YLT
5Lo
I [am] against thee
An
affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts
And have removed thy skirts before thy face
And have shewed nations thy nakedness
And kingdoms thy shame
Behold
I am against thee
saith the Lord of hosts
.... Because
her doings were against him; See Gill on Nahum 2:13
and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face; turn up the
skirts of her garments over her head
and thereby discover what should be
concealed
than which nothing is more disagreeable and abominable to modest
persons; it is here threatened she should be used in character as a harlot
or
as women oftentimes are by rude soldiers
when a city is taken by them:
and I will show the nations thy nakedness
and the kingdoms thy
shame; all her charms shall be taken away
and she become odious as a
harlot to her former lovers; all her impostures
arts
and tricks
and shameful
actions
will be discovered; and her aims and views at universal monarchy will
be seen and her weakness to effect it made to appear; and
upon the whole
will
become the object of the scorn and derision of kingdoms and nations.
Nahum 3:6 6 I
will cast abominable filth upon you
Make you vile
And make you a spectacle.
YLT
6And I have cast upon thee
abominations
And dishonoured thee
and made thee as a sight.
And I will cast abominable filth upon thee
.... As dirt
and dung
or any or everything that is abominable and filthy; and which is
thrown at harlots publicly disgraced
and as used to be at persons when carted.
The meaning is
that this city and its inhabitants should be stripped of
everything that was great and glorious in them
and should be reduced to the
utmost shame and ignominy:
and make thee vile: mean
abject
contemptible
the offscouring
of all things; rejected and disesteemed of all; had in no manner of repute or
account
but in the utmost abhorrence:
and I will set thee as a gazingstock; to be looked
and laughed at: or
"for an example"F5כרואי
εις παραδειγμα
Sept.;
"in exemplum"
Drusius
Tarnovius; "sicut spectacalum"
Burkius. ; to others
that they may shun the evils and abominations Nineveh had
been guilty of
or expect the same disgrace and punishment. Kimchi interprets
it "as dung"F6"Tanquam stercus"
Munster
Montanus
Vatablus
Calvin
Cocceius. ; to be no more reckoned of than that
or
to be made a dunghill of; and so many others interpret it; or
"for a
looking glass"F7"Ut speculum"
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator
Quistorpius. ; that others may look into
and take
warning
and avoid the sins that have brought on such calamities.
Nahum 3:7 7 It
shall come to pass that all who look upon you Will flee from you
and
say
‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her?’ Where shall I seek
comforters for you?”
YLT
7And it hath come to pass
Each of thy beholders fleeth from thee
And hath said: `Spoiled is Nineveh
Who
doth bemoan for her?' Whence do I seek comforters for thee?
And it shall come to pass
that all they that look upon thee
shall flee from thee
.... As something loathsome and abominable
not fit to be come
near unto
or touched; and as astonished and amazed at an object so forlorn and
miserable
and lest they should partake of the same punishment:
and say
Nineveh is laid waste; utterly destroyed; its
walls broke down
its houses demolished
its substance plundered
and its
inhabitants killed
or carried captive; who could have thought it
when it was
once so stately
rich
and powerful? but so it is indeed!
who will bemoan her? there are none left in
her to do it; and as for others
her neighbours
whom she has oppressed and
cruelly used
these will laugh and rejoice
instead of lamenting her case:
whence shall I seek comforters for thee? none from
among her inhabitants
being destroyed
or carried into a foreign land; and
none from among the nations round about
who will rather deride and insult than
pity and comfort; so wretched and miserable would her case be!
Nahum 3:8 8 Are
you better than No Amon[a] That
was situated by the River
[b] That had
the waters around her
Whose rampart was the sea
Whose wall was
the sea?
YLT
8Art thou better than
No-Ammon
That is dwelling among brooks? Waters she hath round about her
Whose
bulwark [is] the sea
waters her wall.
Art thou better than populous No
.... Or No Amon
a city
in Egypt so called
not because the kings of Egypt were nursed and brought up
there
as Jarchi and Abarbinel; see Proverbs 8:30 but
from Ham the son of Noah
whose land Egypt was; or from Jupiter Ammon
worshipped there. No Amon signifies the mansion or palace of Ham
or Hamon; the
Egyptians
as Herodotus saysF8Vid. Schultens in Job xiv. 11.
call
Jupiter by the name of Ammon. The Targum interprets it of Alexandria the great
a city so called long after this
when it was rebuilt by Alexander the great;
so Jarchi
Kimchi
and Ben Melech
understand it: others take Diospolis or
Thebes to be meant
famous in HomerF9Geograph. l. 17. p. 551. for
its hundred gates; though some think this was not the number of the gates of
the city
but of the temples in it; and others are of opinion that these were
so many palaces of princesF11Dictionary
in the word
"Diospolis". . The city was built by Osiris; or
according to others
by Busiris
and seems more likely to be the place here meant; since here was a
temple dedicated to Jupiter
called by the Egyptians Ammon
as Diodorus SiculusF12Ut
supra. (Diodor. Sicul. Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 46.) relates
and was a very large
and populous city. Indeed
according to the above historian
it was in compass
but a seventeen and a half milesF13Euterpe
sive l. 2. c. 99. ;
which is to be understood of the city when first built
and before it was
enlarged; for it must have been a great deal larger in later times
if we may
judge of it by its ruins. StraboF14Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 2.
& l. 2. c. 10. sect. 1.
who was an eyewitness of them quickly after its
last destruction by Cornelius Gallus
says
the footsteps of its largeness were
seen fourscore furlongs in length
or ten miles; and even this was but small
in comparison of what it was before it was destroyed by Cambyses
when it is
said to reach four hundred and twenty furlongs
or fifty two miles and a halfF15See
the Universal History
vol. 1. p. 396. . It was the metropolis of all Egypt;
and formerly the whole country was called after its name
as HerodotusF16Euterpe
sive l. 2. c. 15. observes. The accounts given of its inhabitants are
incredible
and particularly of the soldiers it sent out; according to the
epitaph of Rhampses
seven hundred thousand soldiers dwelt in it; which number
Diodorus SiculusF17Ut supra
(Bibliothec. l. 1.) p. 27. gives to all
the people in Egypt; but
though it may seem too large for Thebes
must be too
little for all Egypt; especially if what Agrippa in JosephusF18De
Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 4. says is right
that Egypt
from Ethiopia and
the borders of India to Alexandria
had no less than 7
500
000 inhabitants: however
if Pomponius MelaF19De Situ Orbis
l. 1. c. 9. may be credited
when
it was necessary
the hundred palaces in Thebes could each of them send out ten
thousand armed men
or
as some say
twenty thousand; and if what Diodorus
SiculusF20Ut supra
(Bibliothec. l. 1.) p. 43. Vid. Homer
ut supra.
(Iliad. 9. ver. 381.) affirms is true
that twenty thousand chariots used to go
out from thence to war
this shows it to have been a very populous city indeed
and might well be called "populous" No; but now it is utterly
destroyed
first by the Assyrians and Babylonians
then by the Persians
and
last of all by the Romans; the first destruction must be here referred to
if
this city is designed. StraboF21Ut supra. (Geograph. l. 16. p. 561
Ed. Casaubon.) says in his time it was only inhabited in villages; and JuvenalF23"Vetus
Theba centum jacet obruta portis"
Satyr. 15. l. 6. speaks of it as wholly
lying in ruins; and PausaniasF24Arcadica
sive l. 8. p. 509. Ed.
Hanau.
making mention of it with other cities which abounded with riches
says they were reduced to the fortune of a middling private man
yea
were
brought to nothing. It is now
or what is built on the spot
or near it
called
Luxxor
or LukorcenF25Norden's Travels in Egypt and Nubia
vol. 2.
p. 61
62. . SomeF26So Hillerus
Onomast. Sacr. p. 571
572. &
Burkius in loc. think the city Memphis is meant
so Vitringa on Isaiah 19:5. See
Gill on Ezekiel 30:14
Ezekiel 30:15
this
was for many ages the metropolis of all Egypt. StraboF1Geograph. l.
17. p. 555. calls it a large and "populous" city
and full of men
and second to Alexandria in his time. The compass of it
when first built
was
eighteen and three quarter milesF2Diodor. Sicul. Bibliothec. l. 1.
p. 46. ; but now there is no more remaining of it than if there had never been
such a city; nay
it is not easy to say where it once stood: now Nineveh is
asked
or its inhabitants
if it could be thought that their city was in a
better and safer condition than this city; it might indeed
according to the
account of it by historians
and as in the prophecy of Jonah
be larger
and
its inhabitants more numerous; but not better fortified
which seems to be the
thing chiefly respected
as follows:
that was situate among the rivers; the canals of the river
Nile:
that had the waters
round about it: a moat on every side
either naturally or artificially:
whose rampart was the sea
and her wall was
from the sea? which agrees with Alexandria
according to the description of it
by StraboF3Geograph. l. 17. p. 545.
SolinusF4Polyhistor.
c. 45.
and JosephusF5De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 4.
which
had two seas on each side of it; the Egyptian sea on the north
and the lake
Mareotis on the south
as well as had the canals of the Nile running into it
from various parts; and is represented as very difficult of access
through the
sea
rivers
and marshy places about it; and
besides
might have a wall
towards the sea
as by this account it should seem
as well as the sea itself
was a wall and rampart to it: and this description may also agree with
Diospolis or Thebes
which
though more inland
yet
as BochartF6Phaleg.
l. 1. c. 1. col. 6
7. observes
it had
as all Egypt had
the two seas
the
Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea
and the canals of the Nile
which might be
said to be as a rampart to it. So IsocratesF7Busiris
p. 437. says
of all Egypt
that it is fortified with an immortal wall
the Nile
which not
only affords a defence
but sufficient food
and is insuperable and inexpugnable;
nor is it unusual
as to call rivers and lakes seas
so particularly the Nile
and its canals; see Isaiah 11:15
and
in the Alcoran the Nile is often called a seaF8Vid. Schultens in Job
xiv. 11. . There is another Diospolis in Egypt
near Mendes
which
as StraboF9Geograph.
l. 17. p. 551. says
had lakes about it; but this
being a more obscure place
is not likely to be intended here; though Father CalmetF11Dictionary
in the word "Diospolis". is of opinion that it is here meant; it
being situated in the Delta
on one of the arms of the Nile
between Busiris to
the south
and Mendes to the north. The description seems to agree better with
Memphis
whose builder Uchoreus
as Diodorus SiculusF12Ut supra.
(Diodor. Sicul. Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 46.) says
chose a very convenient place
for it
where the Nile divided itself into many parts
and made the Delta
so
called from its figure; and which he made wonderfully strong
after this
manner: whereas the Nile flowed round the city
being built within the ancient
bed of it
and at its increase would overflow it; he cast up a very great mound
or rampart to the south
which was a defence against the swell of the river
and
was of the use of a fortress against enemies by land; and on the other parts
all about he dug a large and deep lake
which received a very great deal of the
river
and filled every place about the city but where the mound (or rampart)
was built
and so made it amazingly strong; whence the kings after him left
Thebes
and had their palace and court here; and so Herodotus
who makes Menes
to be the builder of it
saysF13Euterpe
sive l. 2. c. 99.
that
without the city he caused lakes to be dug from the river to the north
and to
the west
for to the east the Nile itself bounded it; and JosephusF14Antiqu.
l. 8. c. 6. sect. 2. & l. 2. c. 10. sect. 1.
who also makes Minaeus
or
Menes
the first Pharaoh
to be the builder of it
speaks of that and the sea
together
as if not far off each other: now
if a city so populous
and so well
fortified by art and nature
as each of these were
was taken
and its
inhabitants carried captive
Nineveh could not depend on her numbers or
situation for safety
which were not more or better than this.
Nahum 3:9 9 Ethiopia
and Egypt were her strength
And it was boundless; Put and Lubim
were your[c] helpers.
YLT
9Cush her might
and Egypt
and there is no end. Put and Lubim have been for thy help.
Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength
.... That is
the strength
support
protection
and defence of No
whether Alexandria
or
Thebes
or Memphis: Egypt was
for these cities were in it
and subject to it;
or
if this was a free city
as some think
yet in alliance with Egypt
and
under its protection; and in like connection it was with Ethiopia
that is
Arabia
a country that lay near to it; and yet
though it was strengthened by
such powerful neighbours and allies
it was not secure from the devastation of
the enemy:
and it was infinite; or there was "no
end"F15ואין קצה
"non est finis"
Pagninus
Montanus
Munster
Cocceius. ; of its
strength
or of the number of its allies
or the forces they were able to bring
in its defence. The Ethiopians were very numerous
as may be learnt from 2 Chronicles 14:9
and so were the Egyptians
to whom some interpreters strictly connect this
sentence. In the times of Amasis
as MelaF16De Orbis Situ. l. 1. c.
9. relates
there were twenty thousand cities inhabited in it; and JosephusF17De
Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 4. says there were in it seven hundred and fifty
myriads of men; as Sethon
king of Egypt
and Tirhakah
king of Ethiopia
were
about this time the allies of the Jews
in whom they trusted
no doubt they
were confederate together
and so both the strength of this city; see Isaiah 36:6
Put and Lubim
were thy helpers; Put
or the Putim
were
the people of the Moors
that dwelt in Mauritania; and Lubim were the Lybians
that bordered on Egypt
and whose country is sometimes reckoned a part of it.
The JewsF18T. Hieros. Celaim
c. 8. fol. 31. 3. say Lybia is Egypt;
see Acts 2:10 these
several people were the confederates of No; and helped them
not only by their
commerce with them
but in time of war assisted them against their enemies; and
yet
though so strengthened by alliances
were not safe and secure; and
therefore Nineveh could not depend upon such helps and helpers.
Nahum 3:10 10 Yet
she was carried away
She went into captivity; Her young children also
were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her
honorable men
And all her great men were bound in chains.
YLT
10Even she doth become an
exile
She hath gone into captivity
Even her sucklings are dashed to pieces At
the top of all out-places
And for her honoured ones they cast a lot
And all
her great ones have been bound in fetters.
Yet was she carried away
she went into captivity
.... Not by
Nebuchadnezzar; though this city was afterwards taken
and its inhabitants
carried captive
by that monarch
as was foretold
Jeremiah 46:25 but
the prophet here does not predict an event to be accomplished
and instance in
that
and argue from it
which could have no effect on Nineveh and its
inhabitants
or be an example or terror to them; but refers to what had been
done
a recent fact
and which they were well acquainted with. Aben Ezra says
this city No was a city of the land of Egypt
which the king of the Chaldeans
took as he went to Nineveh; but when
and by whom it was taken
is nowhere
said. According to Bishop UsherF19Annales Vet. Test. A. M. 3292. and
Dean PrideauxF20Connexion
par. 1. B. 1. p. 22
23.
the
destruction of the city of Thebes was by Sennacherib
in his expedition against
Egypt
which he harassed for three years together
from one end to the other;
at which time Sevechus
the son of Sabacon
or So
the Ethiopian
was king of
Egypt; and Egypt and Ethiopia were as one country
and helped each other; but
could not secure this city from falling into the hands of Sennacherib
about
three years before he besieged Jerusalem; and so
according to Mr. WhistonF21Chronological
Tables
cent. 8.
it was destroyed three years before the army of Sennacherib
was destroyed at Jerusalem:
her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all
the streets: against the walls of the houses
or upon the stones and
pavements of the streets; which cruelties were often used by conquerors upon
innocent babes at the sacking of cities
Psalm 137:9
and they cast lots for her honourable men; the soldiers
did
who should have them
and sell them for slaves; which was done without any
regard to their birth and breeding
Joel 3:3
and all her great men were bound in chains; as nobles may
be meant by "honourable men"
by "great men" may be
designed the gentry
merchants
and others; these were taken
and bound in iron
chains
handcuffed
and pinioned
and so led captive into a foreign land; and
Nineveh might expect the same treatment.
Nahum 3:11 11 You
also will be drunk; You will be hidden; You also will seek refuge from the
enemy.
YLT
11Even thou art drunken
thou
art hidden
Even thou dost seek a strong place
because of an enemy.
Thou also shalt be drunken
.... This is said to
Nineveh
whose turn would be next to drink of the cup of the wrath of God
and
be inebriated with it
so that they should not know where they were
or what
they did; and be as unable to guide and help themselves as a drunken man. So
the Targum
"thou
also shalt be like to a drunken man;'
this
was literally true of Nineveh when taken; see Nahum 1:10
thou shalt be hid; or
"thou shall be"
as if thou
wast not; as Nineveh is at this day
"hid" from the sight of men
not
to be seen any more. So the Targum
"thou
shall be swallowed up or destroyed.'
The
Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
and Arabic versions
render it "despised";
or the meaning is
she should "hide herself"F23נעלמה "latitans"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "abscondes te"
Vatablus; "eris abscondita"
Burkius. ; or be lurking about through shame
as drunken
or through fear of
her enemies:
thou also shall seek strength because of the enemy; seek to
others to help them against the enemy
not being able with their own strength
to face them: or
seek strength "of the enemy"F24מאויב εξ εχθρων
Sept.; "ab hoste"
Montanus
Calvin
Drusius
Grotius
Cocceius. ;
beg their lives of him
and their bread; pray for quarter
and desire to be
taken under his protection; to so low and mean a state and condition should
Nineveh and its inhabitants be reduced
who had given laws to all about them
and had been a terror to them.
Nahum 3:12 12 All
your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: If they are shaken
They
fall into the mouth of the eater.
YLT
12All thy fortresses [are]
fig-trees with first-fruits
If they are shaken
They have fallen into the
mouth of the eater.
All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the first
ripe figs
.... Upon them
or like them: "and the first ripe
figs"; which are easily shook and gathered; and so easily should the
fortresses and towers of Nineveh
in which they trusted for safety
be taken by
the enemy
not only one
but all of them:
if they be shaken
they shall even fall into the mouth of the
eater; as such ripe fruit is very desirable
and the mouth of a man is
open and ready for them; so if he gives the tree but the least shake
they will
fall into his mouth
or about him in great plenty: in like manner
as the
fortresses of Nineveh
being of importance
were desirable by the Chaldeans and
Medes
and for which they were gaping; so upon the least assault they would
fall into their hands; see Revelation 6:13.
Nahum 3:13 13 Surely
your people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are wide
open for your enemies; Fire shall devour the bars of your gates.
YLT
13Lo
thy people [are] women
in thy midst
To thine enemies thoroughly opened Have been the gates of thy
land
Consumed hath fire thy bars.
Behold
thy people in the midst of thee are women
.... Or like
women
weak and feeble
fearful and timorous; frightened at the first approach
of the enemy; run away
and run up and down in the utmost consternation and
distress
having neither skill nor courage to oppose them; some regard may be
had to the effeminacy of their king; see Nahum 2:7. The
sense is
they should be at once dispirited
and lose all strength of mind and
body
and have neither heads nor hearts to form schemes
and execute them in
their own defence; and thus should they be
even in the midst of the city
upon
their own ground
where
any where
it might be thought they would exert themselves
and play the man
since their all lay at stake: this was another thing they
trusted in
the multitude of their people
even of their soldiers; but these
would be of no avail
since they would lose all their military skill and
bravery:
the gates of thy land shall be set wide open to thine enemies: instead of
guarding the passes and avenues
they would abandon them to the enemy; and
instead of securing the gates and passages
they would run away from them; and
the enemy would find as easy access as if they were thrown open on purpose for
them; perhaps this may respect the gates of the rivers being opened by the
inundation
which threw down the wall
and made a way into the city; see Nahum 2:6
the fire shall devour thy bars; with which their gates
had been shut
but now opened
and in the enemies' hands; who would set fire to
them
that the way to go in and out might be open and free.
Nahum 3:14 14 Draw
your water for the siege! Fortify your strongholds! Go into the clay and tread
the mortar! Make strong the brick kiln!
YLT
14Waters of a siege draw for
thyself
Strengthen thy fortresses
Enter into mire
and tread on clay
Make
strong a brick-kiln.
Draw thee waters for the siege
.... Before the siege is
begun
fetch water from the river
wells
or fountains without the city
and
fill cisterns
and such like receptacles of water
with them; that there may be
sufficiency of it to hold out
which is often wanting in long sieges; the want
of which gives great distress to the besieged: this is put for all necessary
provisions
which should be made when a city is in danger of being blocked up:
this
and what follows
are said ironically; signifying
let them do what they
would or could for their support and security
it would be all in vain:
fortify thy strong holds; repair the old
fortifications
and add new ones to them; fill them with soldiers
arms
and
ammunition:
go into clay
and tread the mortar; make strong the brick kiln; repair the
brick kilns
keep them in good order; employ men in digging clay
and treading
it
and making it into bricks
and burning them in the kiln
that there be no
want of bricks to repair the fortifications
or such breaches as might be made
by the enemy. Bricks were much used instead of stone in those countries; but
when they had done their utmost
they would not be able to secure themselves
and keep out the enemy.
Nahum 3:15 15 There
the fire will devour you
The sword will cut you off; It will eat you up like a
locust. Make yourself many—like the locust! Make yourself many— like the swarming
locusts!
YLT
15There consume thee doth a
fire
Cut thee off doth a sword
It doth consume thee as a cankerworm! Make
thyself heavy as the cankerworm
Make thyself heavy as the locust.
There shall the fire devour thee
.... In the strong holds
made ever so firm and secure; either the fire of divine wrath; or the fire of
the enemy they should put into them; or the enemy himself
as Kimchi; and so
the Targum
"thither
shall come upon thee people who are as strong as fire:'
the sword shall cut thee off; it shall eat thee up as the
cankerworm: that is
the sword of the Medes and Chaldeans shall utterly
destroy thee
as the cankerworm is destroyed by rain or fire; or rather
as
that creature destroys all herbs
plants
and trees it falls upon
and makes
clear riddance of them
so should it be with Nineveh:
make thyself many as the cankerworm; make thyself many as the
locust; which go in swarms
innumerable
and make the air
"heavy" in which they fly
and the earth on which they fall
as the
wordF25התכבד "aggravate"
Montanus; "onerate"
Tigurine version; "gravem effice te"
Burkius. signifies. The locust has one of its names
"arbah"
in
Hebrew
from the large numbers of them; so a multitude of men
and large armies
are often signified in Scripture to be like grasshoppers or locusts
for their
numbers; see Judges 6:5. So
Sithalces king of Thrace is representedF26Aristophan. in Acharnens.
Act. 1. Scen. 1. as swearing
while he was sacrificing
that he would assist
the Athenians
having an army that would come like locusts
that is
in such
numbers; for so the Greek scholiast on the place says the word used signifies a
sort of locusts: the sense is
gather together as many soldiers
and as large
an army
as can be obtained to meet the enemy
or cause him to break up the
siege: and so we findF1Diodor. Sicul. l. 2. p. 113. the king of
Assyria did; for
perceiving his kingdom in great danger
he sent into all his
provinces to raise soldiers
and prepare everything for the siege; but all to
no purpose
which is here ironically suggested. The word in the Misnic
language
as Kimchi observes
has the signification of sweeping; and some
render it
"sweep as the locust"F2So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel
Moed
fol. 39. 1. ; which sweeps away and consumes the fruits of the earth; so
sweep with the besom of destruction
as Jarchi
either their enemies
sarcastically spoken
or be thou swept by them.
Nahum 3:16 16 You
have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven. The locust
plunders and flies away.
YLT
16Multiply thy merchants
above the stars of the heavens
The cankerworm hath stripped off
and doth flee
away.
Thou hast multiplied thy
merchants above the stars of heaven
.... A hyperbolical
expression
setting forth the great number of merchants that were in Nineveh
and in the land of Assyria; who either were the natives of the place
or came
thither for the sake of merchandise
which serve to enrich a nation
and therefore
are encouraged to settle; and from whom
in a time of war
much benefit might
be expected; being able to furnish with money
which is the sinews of war
as
well as to give intelligence of the designs of foreign princes
they trading
abroad:
the cankerworm spoileth
and flieth away; or "puts
off"F3פשט "exspoliavit"
De
Dieu; "proprie est
exuere
vestem detrahere et exspoliare"
De Dieu.
its clothes
disrobes and changes its form; or breaks out with force
as the
Septuagint
out of its former worm state
and appears a beautiful butterfly
and then flies away. The word is rendered a caterpillar
Psalm 105:34 and
what we translate "spoileth" is used of stripping
or putting off of
clothes
1 Samuel 19:24 and
the sense may be
that though their merchants were multiplied above the stars
of heaven
in which there may be an allusion to the increase of caterpillars
Nahum 3:15 yet
as
the caterpillar drops its clothes
and flies away
so their merchants
through
fear of the enemy
would depart in haste
or be suddenly stripped of their
riches
which make themselves wings
and fly away
Proverbs 23:5.
These merchants
at their beginning
might be low and mean
but
increasing
adorning
and enriching themselves in a time of peace
fled away in a time of
war: or
"spreads itself"F4"Diffundit se"
Munster
so the Targum; "effunditur"
Cocceius.
and "flies
away"; so these creatures spread themselves on the earth
and devour all
they can
and then spread their wings
and are gone; suggesting that in like
manner the merchants of Nineveh would serve them; get all they could by
merchandise among them
and then betake themselves elsewhere and especially in
a time of war
which is prejudicial to merchandise; and hence nothing was to be
expected from them
or any dependence had upon them.
Nahum 3:17 17 Your
commanders are like swarming locusts
And your generals like
great grasshoppers
Which camp in the hedges on a cold day; When the sun rises
they flee away
And the place where they are is not known.
YLT
17Thy crowned ones [are] as a
locust
And thy princes as great grasshoppers
That encamp in hedges in a day
of cold
The sun hath risen
and it doth flee away
And not known is its place
where they are.
Thy crowned men are
as the locusts
.... Tributary kings
and hired officers
as some think
who
might be distinguished by what they wore on their heads; or their own princes
and nobles
who wore coronets or diadems; unless their religious persons are
meant
their Nazarites and devotees
their priests; these were like locusts for
their number
fear
and flight in time of danger
and for their spoil of the
poor; and some locusts have been seen with little crowns on their heads
as
those in Revelation 9:7
"which had on their heads as it were crowns like gold". In the year
1542 came locusts out of Turkish Satmatia into Austria
Silesia
Lusatia
and
Misnia
which had on their heads little crownsF5Vid. Frantzii Hist.
Animal. Sacr. par. 5. c. 4. p. 799. . In the year 1572 a vehement wind brought
large troops of locusts out of Turkey into Poland
which did great mischief
and were of a golden colourF6Ibid. p. 798. ; and AelianusF7Hist.
Animal. l. 10. c. 13. speaks of locusts in Arabia
marked with golden coloured
figures; and mention is made in the Targum on Jeremiah 51:27
of
the shining locust
shining like gold:
and thy captains as the great grasshoppers; or
"locusts of locusts"F8כגוב גובי "ut locustae locustarum"
Vatablus
Pagninus
Montanus; "sicut locusta locustarum"
Burkius. ; those of
the largest size. The Vulgate Latin renders the word for captains "thy
little ones"
junior princes
or officers of less dignity and authority;
these were
as the Targum paraphrases it
as the worms of locusts; but rather
as the locusts themselves
many and harmful:
which camp in the hedges in the cold day; in the cold
part of the day
the night; when they get into the hedges of fields
gardens
and vineyards
in great numbers
like an army
and therefore said to encamp
like one:
but when the sun ariseth they
flee away
and their place is not known where they are; whither they
are fled
as the Targum; so these captains
or half pay officers
swarmed in
great numbers about the city
and in the provinces
while it was a time of
peace
and they were indulged in sloth
and enjoyed much ease and prosperity;
but when war broke out
and the heat of it began to be felt
these disappeared
and went into their own countries
from whence they came
with the auxiliaries
and hired troops; nor could they be found where they were
or be called upon to
do their duty: this is true of locusts in a literal sense
who flee away when
the sun rises; hence the Arabs
as Bochart saysF9Hierozoic. par. 2.
c. 2. col. 458. elegantly express this by the word "ascaara";
signifying
that when the sun comes to the locust it goes away
According to
MacrobiusF11Saturnal l. 1. c. 17. p. 335. & c. 20. p. 362.
both Apollo and Hercules are names for the sun; and both these are surnamed
from their power in driving away locusts: Hercules was called Cornopion by the
Oeteans
because he delivered them from the locustsF12Strabo.
Geograph. l. 13. p. 422. : and Apollo was called Parnopius by the Grecians
because
when the country was hurt by locusts
he drove them out of it
at
PausaniasF13Attica
sive l. 1. p. 44. relates; who observes
that
they were drove out they knew
but in what manner they say not; for his own
part
he says
he knew them thrice destroyed at Mount Sipylus
but not in the
same way; one time a violent wind drove them out; another time a prodigious
heat killed them; and a third time they perished by sudden cold; and so
according to the text here
the cold sends them to the hedges
and the heat of
the sun obliges them to abandon their station.
Nahum 3:18 18 Your
shepherds slumber
O king of Assyria; Your nobles rest in the dust. Your
people are scattered on the mountains
And no one gathers them.
YLT
18Slumbered have thy friends
king of Asshur
Rest do thine honourable ones
Scattered have been thy people
on the mountains
And there is none gathering.
Thy shepherds slumber
O
king of Assyria
.... Who this king of Assyria was is not easy to say; some think
Esarhaddon
who is the last of the kings of Assyria the Scriptures speak of;
according to Diodorus SiculusF14Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 109
115.
Sardanapalus was the last of these kings
and in him the Assyrian monarchy
ended; though
according to Alexander PolyhistorF15Apud Syncell. p.
210.
Saracus
perhaps the Chyniladanus of Ptolemy
was king when Nineveh was
destroyed: it is very likely that Sardanapalus and Saracus design the same
person
though set at a great distance by historians; since the same things are
said of the one as of the other; particularly that
when they saw their danger
they burnt themselves and theirs in the royal palace at Nineveh; nor is it
probable that the same city with the empire should be destroyed and subverted
twice by the same people
the Medes and Babylonians
uniting together; and it
is remarkable that the double destruction of this city and empire is related by
different historians; and those that speak of the one say nothing of the other:
but this king
be he who he will
his case was very bad
his "shepherds
slumbered"; his ministers of state
his counsellors
subordinate
magistrates in provinces and cities
and particularly in Nineveh; his generals
and officers in his army were careless and negligent of their duty
and gave
themselves up to sloth and ease; and which also was his own character
as
historians agree in; or they were dead
slumbering in their graves
and so
could be of no service to him:
thy nobles shall dwell in the dust; be brought
very low
into a very mean and abject condition; their honour shall be laid in
the dust
and they be trampled upon by everyone: or
"they shall
sleep"F16ישכבו "dormiunt"
Piscator; so Ben Melech interprets it
"the rest of death." ; that
is
die
and be buried
as the Vulgate Latin renders it: or
"shall dwell
in silence"
as othersF17"Habitarunt in silentio"
Buxtorf
Drusius. ; have their habitation in the silent grave
being cut off by
the enemy; so that this prince would have none of his mighty men to trust in
but see himself stripped of all his vain confidences:
thy people is scattered upon the mountains
and no man gathereth them; like sheep
without a shepherd
which being frightened by beasts of prey
run here and
there
and there is none to get them together
and bring them back again; so
the subjects of this king
being terrified at the approach of the Medes and
Babylonians
forsook their cities
and fled to the mountains; where they were
scattered about
having no leader and commander to gather them together
and
put them in regular order to face and oppose the enemy. So the Targum
interprets it
"the
people of thine armies.'
Nahum 3:19 19 Your
injury has no healing
Your wound is severe. All who hear news of you Will
clap their hands over you
For upon whom has not your wickedness passed
continually?
YLT
19There is no weakening of
thy destruction
Grievous [is] thy smiting
All hearing thy fame have clapped
the hand at thee
For over whom did not thy wickedness pass continually?
There is no healing of thy bruise
.... Made by the fatal
blow given to the empire by the taking of Nineveh; the ruin of it was
irreparable and irrecoverable; the city of Nineveh was no more
and the
Assyrian empire sunk
and never rose again: or
"there is no contraction
of thy bruise"F18אין כהה "nulla est contractio"
Junius &
Tremellius
Burkius. ; as when a wound is healed
or near it
the skin round
about is wrinkled and contracted. The Targum is
"there
is none that grieves at thy breach;'
so
the Syriac version; so far from it
that they rejoiced at it
as in a following
clause:
thy wound is grievous; to be borne; the pain of
it intolerable; an old obstinate one
inveterate and incurable: or
is
"weak"
or "sickly"F19נחלה
"infirmata"
Pagninus
Montanus; "aegritudine plena"
Vatablus; "aegra"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius
Burkius. ; which had brought a sickness and weakness on the state
out of which
it would never be recovered:
all that hear the bruit of thee; the fame
the report of
the destruction of Nineveh
and of the ruin of the Assyrian empire
and the
king of it:
shall clap the hands over thee; for joy; so far were
they from lending a helping hand in the time of distress
that they clapped
both hands together
to express the gladness of their hearts at hearing such
news:
for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually? to which of
thy neighbours hast thou not been troublesome and injurious? which of them hast
thou not oppressed
and used with violence and cruelty? what province or city
but have felt the weight of thine hand
have been harassed with wars
and
distressed with tributes and exactions? and therefore it is no wonder they
rejoice at thy fall. The destruction of this city
and so of the whole empire
is placed by Dr. Prideaux in the twenty ninth year of Josiah's reign
and in
the year 612 B.C.; and by what Josephus saysF20Antiqu. l. 10. c. 5.
sect. 1. it appears to have been but a little while before Josiah was slain by
Pharaohnecho
who came out with an army to Euphrates
to make war upon the Medes
and Babylonians; who
he says
had overturned the Assyrian empire; being
jealous
as it seems
of their growing power. Learned men justly regret the
loss of the Assyriaca of Abydenus
and of the history of the Assyrians by
Herodotus
who promisedF21L. 1. sive Clio
c. 184. it; but whether
he finished it or no is not certain; however
it is not extant; and in one
place
speaking of the Medes attacking Nineveh
and taking it
he saysF23Ibid.
c. 106.
but how they took it I shall show in another history; all which
had
they come to light
and been continued
might have been of singular use in
explaining this prophecy.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)