Nahum 2

Nahum 2:1-13 . THE ADVANCE OF THE DESTROYING FORCES AGAINST NINEVEH, AFTER IT WAS USED AS GOD'S ROD FOR A TIME TO CHASTISE HIS PEOPLE: THE CAPTURE OF THAT LION'S DWELLING, ACCORDING TO THE SURE WORD OF JEHOVAH.

1. He that dasheth in pieces--God's "battle axe," wherewith He "breaks in pieces" His enemies. Jeremiah 51:20 applies the same Hebrew term to Nebuchadnezzar (compare Proverbs 25:18 , Jeremiah 50:23 , "the hammer of the whole earth"). Here the Medo-Babylonian army under Cyaxares and Nabopolassar, that destroyed Nineveh, is prophetically meant.
before thy face--before Nineveh. Openly, so that the work of God may be manifest.
watch the way--by which the foe will attack, so as to be ready to meet him. Ironical advice; equivalent to a prophecy, Thou shalt have need to use all possible means of defense; but use what thou wilt, all will be in vain.
make thy loins strong--The loins are the seat of strength; to gird them up is to prepare all one's strength for conflict ( Job 40:7 ). Also gird on thy sword ( 2 Samuel 20:8 , 2 Kings 4:29 ).

2. For the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob--that is, the time for Nineveh's overthrow is ripe, because Jacob (Judah) and Israel (the ten tribes) have been sufficiently chastised. The Assyrian rod of chastisement, having done its work, is to be thrown into the fire. If God chastised Jacob and Israel with all their "excellency" (Jerusalem and the temple, which was their pre-eminent excellency above all nations in God's eyes, Psalms 47:4 , 87:2 , Ezekiel 24:21 ; an alien to Him, and idolatrous? MAURER, not so well, translates, "restores," or "will restore the excellency of Jacob."
emptiers--the Assyrian spoilers.
have emptied them out--have spoiled the Israelites and Jews ( Hosea 10:1 ). Compare Psalms 80:8-16 , on "vine branches," as applied to Israel.

3. his mighty men--the Medo-Babylonian generals mighty men attacking Nineveh.
made red--The ancients dyed their bull's-hide shields red, partly to strike terror into the enemy, chiefly lest the blood from wounds which they might receive should be perceived and give confidence to the foe [CALVIN]. G. V. SMITH conjectures that the reference is to the red reflection of the sun's rays from shields of bronze or copper, such as are found among the Assyrian remains.
in scarlet--or crimson military tunics (compare Matthew 27:28 ). XENOPHON mentions that the Medes were fond of this color. The Lydians and Tyrians extracted the dye from a particular worm.
chariots . . . with flaming torches--that is, the chariots shall be like flaming torches, their wheels in lightning-like rapidity of rotation flashing light and striking sparks from the stones over which they pass (compare Isaiah 5:28 ). English Version supposes a transposition of the Hebrew letters. It is better to translate the Hebrew as it is, "the chariots (shall be furnished) with fire-flashing scythes" (literally, "with the fire," or glitter, of iron weapons). Iron scythes were fixed at right angles to the axles and turned down, or parallel to it, inserted into the felly of the wheel. The Medes, perhaps, had such chariots, though no traces of them are found in Assyrian remains. On account of the latter fact, it may be better to translate, "the chariots (shall come) with the glitter of steel weapons" [MAURER and G. V. SMITH].
in the day of his preparation--JEHOVAH'S ( Isaiah 13:3 ). Or, "Medo-Babylonian commander's day of preparation for the attack" ( Nahum 2:1 ). "He" confirms this, and "his" in this verse.
the fir trees--their fir-tree lances.
terribly shaken--branded so as to strike terror. Or, "shall be tremulous with being brandished" [MAURER].