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Read the Bible

King James Version

Nahum 3:12

All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fig-Tree, the;   Nineveh;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Fig;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nahum (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Nahum;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Fig, Fig-Tree;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Assyria;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fig (tree);   Mouth;   Ripe;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Fig Tree;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Food;   Fortification;   Nahum, the Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
All your fortresses are fig treeswith figs that ripened first;when shaken, they fall—right into the mouth of the eater!
Hebrew Names Version
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the first-ripe figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
King James Version (1611)
All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs: if they bee shaken, they shall euen fall into the mouth of the eater.
English Standard Version
All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
New American Standard Bible
All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit— When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth.
New Century Version
All your defenses are like fig trees with ripe fruit. When the tree is shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
Amplified Bible
All your fortresses are [nothing but] fig trees with ripe figs— When shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Geneva Bible (1587)
All thy strong cities shall be like figtrees with the first ripe figs: for if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit— When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth.
Legacy Standard Bible
All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit—When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth.
Berean Standard Bible
All your fortresses are fig trees with the first ripe figs; when shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater!
Contemporary English Version
Your fortresses are fig trees with ripe figs. Merely shake the trees, and fruit will fall into every open mouth.
Complete Jewish Bible
All your fortifications will be like fig trees with early ripening figs; the moment they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Darby Translation
All thy strongholds are [like] fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they even fall into the mouth of the eater.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Nineveh, all your strong places will be like fig trees. When new figs become ripe, people come and shake the tree. The figs fall into their mouths. They eat them, and the figs are gone.
George Lamsa Translation
All your strongholds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs; when they are ripe, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Good News Translation
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with ripe figs: shake the trees, and the fruit falls right into your mouth!
Lexham English Bible
All of your fortifications are like fig trees with ripe firstfruits— if they are shaken, they will fall into the mouth of the eater.
Literal Translation
All your fortresses are fig trees with the firstfruits; if they are shaken, then they shall fall on the mouth of the eater.
American Standard Version
All thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Bible in Basic English
All your walled places will be like fig-trees and your people like the first figs, falling at a shake into the mouth which is open for them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
All thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
All thy strong aydes [are as] figge trees with the first ripe figges: if they be stirred, they fal into the mouth of the eater.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
All thy strong-holds are as fig-trees having watchers: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.
English Revised Version
All thy fortresses shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
World English Bible
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the first-ripe figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Al thi strengthis as a fige tree, with hise figis vnripe; if thei schulen be schakun, thei schulen falle in to the mouth of the etere.
Update Bible Version
All your fortresses shall be [like] fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Webster's Bible Translation
All thy strong holds [shall be like] fig-trees with the first ripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.
New English Translation
All your fortifications will be like fig trees with first-ripe fruit: If they are shaken, their figs will fall into the mouth of the eater!
New King James Version
All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: If they are shaken, They fall into the mouth of the eater.
New Living Translation
All your fortresses will fall. They will be devoured like the ripe figs that fall into the mouths of those who shake the trees.
New Life Bible
All your strong towers are like fig trees with first-fruits. When they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the one who eats them.
New Revised Standard
All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
All thy fortresses, shall be fig-trees with first-ripe figs: if thy be shaken, then shall the fruit fall on the mouth of the eater.
Douay-Rheims Bible
All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with their green figs: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.
Revised Standard Version
All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs--if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Young's Literal Translation
All thy fortresses [are] fig-trees with first-fruits, If they are shaken, They have fallen into the mouth of the eater.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
All thy stronge cities shal be like fyge trees wt rype fyges: which whe a ma shaketh, they fall in to the mouth of the eater.

Contextual Overview

8 Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? 9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers. 10 Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains. 11 Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy. 12 All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater. 13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars. 14 Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln. 15 There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts. 16 Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away. 17 Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Habakkuk 1:10, Revelation 6:13

Reciprocal: Isaiah 25:2 - For Isaiah 28:4 - the hasty Isaiah 30:25 - when Hosea 10:14 - and all Nahum 2:13 - I will cut

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:20
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:22
And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Genesis 3:13
And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 3:20
And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:21
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Genesis 3:24
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Job 31:33
If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
Proverbs 19:3
The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

All thy strong-holds shall be like fig trees, with the first ripe figs - Hanging from them; eagerly sought after , to be consumed. Being ripe, they are ready to fall at once; “if they be shaken;” it needs but the tremulous motion, as when trees wave in the wind, “they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater,” not costing even the slight pains of picking them from the ground . So easy is their destruction on the part of God, though it cost more pains to the Babylonians. At the end of the world it shall be yet more fulfilled Revelation 6:13, for then God will use no human instrument, but put forth only His own Almightiness; and all strong-holds of man’s pride, moral or spiritual, shall, of themselves, melt away.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nahum 3:12. Thy strong holds — The effects of the consternation into which the Ninevites were cast by the assault on their city are here pointed out by a very expressive metaphor; the first-ripe figs, when at full maturity, fell from the tree with the least shake; and so, at the first shake or consternation, all the fortresses of Nineveh were abandoned; and the king, in despair, burnt himself and household in his own palace.


 
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