Bible Commentaries
Nahum 2

Verse 1

Nah 2:1. The prophet is still making predictions against Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. He that dasheth in pieces means the military force that was to come against the city and country. Before thy face denotes that the hostile army was to come into the immediate presence of the city. Keep the munition (military equipment) and the other phrases of the verse are said by way of warning that the city would need all of its reserves in the conflict coming upon it.

Verse 2

Nah 2:2. A natural question would be, why did the Lord have such a severe lot in store for the city ? The answer is that it was to be in return tor her cruelty against His people. It is true that God decreed the downfall of the nation of Israel, which is meant by the statement the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, and it was to be done through the agency of Assyria. But He never did approve of the motives of these heathen servants nor of the unnecessary cruelties which they used. The last clause is still a statement of the harsh treatment the Assyrians imposed upon Israel. This verse is Inserted by the prophet to explain why the Lord is predicting such a complete overthrow of the capital city of Nineveh.

Verse 3

Nah 2:3. His mighty men refers to the great men in the Babylonian army that will be invading Assyria. The red and scarlet has reference to the appearance of the equipment, caused either by the artificial coloring or by the reflection of the sun. It would make it Imposing in the sight of the intended victims and thus would tend to weaken their morale. Chariots with flaming torches has about the same meaning as the coloring appearance of the red above. The rapidity with which the wheels would revolve would cause them to reflect a glittering appearance as they sparkled in the sun. Fir trees comes from BEROWSH and Strong defines it, "A cypress (?) tree; hence a lance or a musical instrument (as made of that wood)." Terribly shaken are both from the one word RAAL and defined, "To reel, i.e. (figuratively) to brandish." The whole clause means that in the operation against Nineveh the lances of the Babylonians will be brandished in a threatening manner.

Verse 4

Nah 2:4. The chariots in ancient times were used either tor purposes of transportation or as a war implement, more generally the latter. This verse is a prediction of the great numbers of the vehicles to be used in the attack upon Nineveh's streets and the broad ways or open country. They were to be so numerous they would justle (jostle) one against another. Seem like torches and run like the lightnings is to be understood in about the same sense as the conditions for the sake of appearance in the preceding verse. Most of the war chariots had swords or large scythes attached to them in order to mow down the men of the enemy. These were made of bright metal and would give off the appearance of torches as they revolved on the wheels in the sunlight.

Verse 5

Nah 2:5. When the watchmen of Nineveh see the enemy approaching they will announce it to the king (or queen as the case may be). then he shall make preparations to defend the city. Recount his worthies. The king at Nineveh will investigate the conditions of his forces and will count up to learn the milttary strength he has in the way of good soldiers. But they will stumble (or falter) in the excitement at the hour as they prepare to defend the wall of the city. Defence is rendered "covering" or "coverer" in the margin, and the definition in the lexicon agrees with it. The context also justifies the rendering, for the inside attempts at defence are already dealt with in the beginning of the verse and the defenders have had their failure. After this is when they find that the defence shall be prepared. It means that after the citizens of Nineveh have made their excited attempt to protect the city and march out to the wall, they will find that the invadIng forces maintaining the Siege will have provided themselves with this protecting "covering."

Verse 6

Nah 2:6. As a result of the conditions described in the preceding paragraph, the gates of the city were forced open by the besiegers and the soldiers entered the place. With a reversal of the expectations or the citizens, we are not surprIsed that the palace was dissolved.

Verse 7

Nah 2:7. Huzzab is capitallzed as if it were a proper name, but Strong says it is not. His definition of the original is, "A primitive root; to station, In various applications (literal or figurative)." It means that the station or spot where the palace stood will be taken and the chief inhabitant of it will be led away captive. Also, the attendants of the palace will accompany said person in a procession of mourning, tabering or drumming, beating upon their breasts in their despair.

Verse 8

Nah 2:8. The lexicon definition for pool uses a stronger word and calls it a reservoir which denotes a larger body. It represents Nineveh as a piace containing many people which the history and geography of the city will bear out. Yet they, etc., means they of this reservoir of people will flee when they see the invading army coming. Stand, stand. is the cry of the more resolute inhabitants trying to stop the fleeing citizens, but they will not be able to stop the fleeing which will have become what is vlrtually a panic of fear and desperation.

Verse 9

Nah 2:9. Take ye the spoil is a form of prediction that the invader will take the valuables ot the city as a spoil of war. None end of the store denotes that there was much wealth in the ctty of Nineveh. Pleasant furniture means the vessels in which these precious metals were kept, including the gold or silver contained therein.

Verse 10

Nah 2:10. Empty and void and waste is a prediction of the utter ruin that was to come upon the city. The rest at the verse is a description of the agitated state of mind that the citizens in the city will experience at the destruction of their city. Faces gather blackness is a somewhat unusual rendering with regard to the last word. Moffatt renders it "black fear," while the American Standard Version gives us "waxed pale." Strong defines the original "Inuminated, I.e. a glow ; as noun, a flush (at anxiety)." Whatever particular translation we adopt, it is clear that the terrible disturbance within the city was to have its effect upon the facial expression of the citizens. It will be helpful to quote a paragraph from history that shows the fulfillment of this eventrul revolution as follows: "Saracus, who came to the throne towards the end of the 7th century B.C., was the last of the long line of Assyrian kings. For nearly or quite six centuries the Ninevite kings had now lorded it over the East. There was scarcely a state in all western Asia that during this time had not, in the language of the royal inscriptions, 'borne the heavy yoke of their lordship,' scarcely a peopIe that had not suffered their cruel punishments. or tasted the bitterness at entorced exile. But now swift misfortunes were bearing down upon the oppressor from every quarter. Egypt revolted and tore Syria away tram the empire; from the mountain defiles on the east issued the armies of the recent·grown empire of the Aryan Medes, led by the renowned Cyaxres; from the southern lowlands, anxious to aid In the overthrow or the hated oppressor, the Babylonians joined the Medes as allies, and together they laid close siege to Nineveh. The city was finally taken and sacked [plundered], and dominion passed away forever from the proud capital. Two hundred years later, when Xenophon with his Ten Thousand Greeks, in his memorable retreat passed the spot, the once great City was a crumbling mass of ruins at which he could not even learn the name."-Myers, Ancient History, page 66.

Verse 11

Nah 2:11·13. These verses are grouped into one paragraph because they all are on the same subject. The terms are generally all used figuratively, especially the lions and their breed. The heroes and leaders of the Assyrian nation are likened to the lions because of their savage treatment of men and women wbo fell into their hands. They showed no mercy toward others and now the Lord will bring a nation against them that wlll burn their chariots and slay their strong men. (See historical quotation.)