Nahum 3:4-14

4 All because of the 1many harlotries of the harlot, The charming one, the 2mistress of sorceries, Who 3sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries.
5 "Behold, 4I am against you," declares the LORD of hosts; "And I will 5lift up your skirts over your face, And 6show to the nations your nakedness And to the kingdoms your disgrace.
6 "I will 7throw filth on you And 8make you vile, And set you up as a 9spectacle.
7 "And it will come about that all who see you Will shrink from you and say, 'Nineveh is devastated! 10Who will grieve for her?' Where will I seek comforters for you?"
8 Are you better than 11No-amon *, Which was situated by the 12waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea?
9 13Ethiopia was her might, And Egypt too, without limits. 14Put and 15Lubim were among her helpers.
10 Yet she 16became an exile, She went into captivity; Also her 17small children were dashed to pieces 18At the head of every street; They 19cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with fetters.
11 You too will become 20drunk, You will be 21hidden. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.
12 All your fortifications are 22fig trees with 23ripe fruit - When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth.
13 Behold, your people are 24women in your midst! The gates of your land are 25opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars.
14 26Draw for yourself water for the siege! 27Strengthen your fortifications! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold of the brick mold!

Nahum 3:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

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, Na 3:1 for which it should be swiftly and cruelly destroyed, Na 3:2,3 as also its whoredoms and witchcrafts, or idolatry, by which nations and families were seduced, Na 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, Na 3:5-7 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, Na 3:8-12 nor the number of her inhabitants, which were weak as women; nor even her merchants, captains, nobles, and king himself, Na 3:13-18 nor the people she was in alliance with, who would now mock at her, her case being irrecoverable and incurable, Na 3:19.

Cross References 27

  • 1. Isaiah 23:17; Ezekiel 16:25-29; Revelation 17:1, 2
  • 2. Is 47:9, 12, 13
  • 3. Revelation 18:3
  • 4. Jeremiah 50:31; Ezekiel 26:3; Nahum 2:13
  • 5. Isaiah 47:2, 3; Jeremiah 13:26
  • 6. Ezekiel 16:37
  • 7. Job 9:31
  • 8. Job 30:8; Malachi 2:9
  • 9. Isaiah 14:16; Jeremiah 51:37
  • 10. Isaiah 51:19; Jeremiah 15:5
  • 11. Jeremiah 46:25; Ezekiel 30:14-16
  • 12. Isaiah 19:6-8
  • 13. Isaiah 20:5
  • 14. Jeremiah 46:9; Ezekiel 27:10; Ezekiel 30:5; Ezekiel 38:5
  • 15. 2 Chronicles 12:3; 2 Chronicles 16:8
  • 16. Isaiah 19:4; Isaiah 20:4
  • 17. Psalms 137:9; Isaiah 13:16; Hosea 13:16
  • 18. Lamentations 2:19
  • 19. Joel 3:3; Obadiah 11
  • 20. Isaiah 49:26; Jeremiah 25:27; Nahum 1:10
  • 21. Isaiah 2:10, 19; Hosea 10:8
  • 22. Revelation 6:13
  • 23. Isaiah 28:4
  • 24. Isaiah 19:16; Jeremiah 50:37; Jeremiah 51:30
  • 25. Isaiah 45:1, 2; Nahum 2:6
  • 26. 2 Chronicles 32:3, 4
  • 27. Nahum 2:1

Footnotes 8

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.