Nahum 2:5

5 The commander of the attackers sends for his special troops. But they trip and fall on their way. They run toward the city wall. They keep their shield in front of them.

Nahum 2:5 Meaning and Commentary

Nahum 2:5

He shall recount his worthies
Either the dasher in pieces, ( Nahum 2:1 ) , the kings of Babylon and Media, shall call together their general officers, and muster the forces under then, and put them in mind of their duty, and recount the actions of their ancestors in former times, in order to animate and encourage them to the siege and attack of the city of Nineveh; or the king of Assyria shall recount and muster up his nobles, and the troops under them, to sally out against the enemy, and meet him in the field, and give him battle: they shall stumble in their walk:
being many, and in haste to obey the orders of their commander, shall stumble and fall upon one another; or else the Ninevites in their march out against the enemy shall be discomfited and flee before him, or be dispirited and flee back again: they shall make haste to the wall thereof;
of Nineveh; that is, the Medes and Chaldeans shall make haste thither, to break it down or scale it; or the Ninevites, failing in their sally out, shall betake themselves in all haste to their city walls, and defend themselves under the protection of them: and the defence shall be prepared;
or the "covering": the word ^F8 used has the signification of a booth or tent, to cover and protect; here it signifies something that was prepared, either by the besiegers, to cover them from the darts and stones of the besieged, as they made their approaches to the walls; or which the besieged covered themselves with from the assaults of the besiegers; rather the former.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 (Kkwoh) "operimentum", Pagninus, Montanus; "integumentum", Calvin; "testudo", Vatablus, Grotius, Cocceius, Burkius.

Nahum 2:5 In-Context

3 The shields of the soldiers attacking Nineveh are red. The armies are dressed in bright red uniforms. The metal on their chariots flashes when they are prepared for war. Their spears are ready to use.

4 The chariots race through the main streets. They rush back and forth through them. They look like flaming torches. They dart around like lightning.

5 The commander of the attackers sends for his special troops. But they trip and fall on their way. They run toward the city wall. They keep their shield in front of them.

6 They open the gates that hold back the waters of the river. And the palace falls down.

7 The attackers order that the city's people be taken away as prisoners. The female slaves cry like sad doves. They beat their chests.