The Attack on Nineveh Begins
Study note
Nahum now describes the coming siege of Nineveh in dramatic, almost cinematic detail. He speaks with sarcasm, telling Nineveh to prepare its defenses because the attackers are coming. In 612 BC, a coalition of Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians marched against Nineveh. Verse 2 explains God's reason: the Assyrians had destroyed and humiliated Israel and Judah, and now God was restoring his people's honor. The scarlet-clad warriors with red shields likely describe the Babylonian and Median armies.
1 The attacking army is charging straight at you, Nineveh! Man the walls! Watch the roads! Brace yourselves! Pull together every ounce of strength you have! He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.
2 The LORD is restoring the pride and honor of Jacob and Israel. Their enemies stripped them bare and tore them apart like ruined grapevines, but that is about to change. For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.
3 The attacking soldiers carry blood-red shields and wear scarlet uniforms. Their chariots gleam like fire as they line up for battle, and their spears of cypress wood flash back and forth. The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.
4 Chariots roar wildly through the streets, careening through the open squares. They blaze like torches and streak past like bolts of lightning. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.
5 Nineveh's king calls for his best officers, but they stumble all over each other in their panic. They scramble to the city wall to set up defenses. He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared.
The River Gates Break Open
Study note
Ancient historians recorded that the Tigris River flooded during the siege of Nineveh in 612 BC, destroying part of the city walls. Nahum seems to predict this exact event when he says 'the gates of the rivers shall be opened.' The flooding allowed the enemy armies to pour through the broken walls. 'Huzzab' in verse 7 likely refers to the queen of Nineveh or is a symbolic name for the city itself. The city that had once been like a calm pool of water now watched its people scatter in every direction.
6 The gates along the river burst open, and the royal palace falls apart. The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.
7 The queen is seized and carried away. Her servant women cry out like mourning doves, beating their chests in grief. And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.
8 Nineveh once held people like a pool holds water — for ages and ages. But now those people are draining away. "Stop! Come back!" the leaders shout, but nobody turns around. But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.
9 Grab the silver! Grab the gold! The treasure is endless — grab everything valuable from Nineveh's beautiful collections. Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.
10 The city is gutted — emptied, stripped, and wrecked. Hearts melt with terror, knees buckle, bodies tremble from head to toe, and every face goes ashen. She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.
The Lion's Den Is Empty
Study note
The Assyrians often used the lion as a symbol of their empire and its kings. Assyrian palace walls were decorated with carvings of lion hunts. Nahum uses this image to mock them: where is the mighty lion now? The lion once tore apart its prey and filled its den with stolen goods, just as Assyria had plundered nation after nation. But God declares, 'I am against you,' and promises to burn Nineveh's chariots and silence its threatening messengers forever.
11 What happened to the lions' den? Where is the place those young lions called home — where the great lion and lioness prowled, where the cubs played without a care in the world? Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?
12 The lion used to tear apart more than enough prey for his cubs and killed fresh meat for his mates. He packed his caves full of torn flesh and his dens with the catch. The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.
13 "I am coming after you," declares the LORD of Armies. "I will set your chariots ablaze. Your young warriors will be cut down by the sword. I will put an end to your looting, and nobody will ever hear from your threatening messengers again." Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.