Nahum 3:8-19

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nahum 3:8-19

Nineveh has been told that God is against her, and then none can be for her, to stand her in any stead; yet she sets God himself at defiance, and his power and justice, and says, I shall have peace. Threatened folks live long; therefore here the prophet largely shows how vain her confidences would prove and insufficient to ward off the judgment of God. To convince them of this, I. He shows them that other places, which had been as strong and as secure as they, could not keep their ground... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nahum 3:8

Art thou better than populous No ,.... Or No Amon, a city in Egypt so called, not because the kings of Egypt were nursed and brought up there, as Jarchi and Abarbinel; see Proverbs 8:30 but from Ham the son of Noah, whose land Egypt was; or from Jupiter Ammon, worshipped there. No Amon signifies the mansion or palace of Ham, or Hamon; the Egyptians, as Herodotus says F8 Vid. Schultens in Job xiv. 11. , call Jupiter by the name of Ammon. The Targum interprets it of Alexandria the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nahum 3:9

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength ,.... That is, the strength, support, protection, and defence of No, whether Alexandria, or Thebes, or Memphis: Egypt was, for these cities were in it, and subject to it; or, if this was a free city, as some think, yet in alliance with Egypt, and under its protection; and in like connection it was with Ethiopia, that is, Arabia, a country that lay near to it; and yet, though it was strengthened by such powerful neighbours and allies, it was not secure... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nahum 3:10

Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity ,.... Not by Nebuchadnezzar; though this city was afterwards taken, and its inhabitants carried captive, by that monarch, as was foretold, Jeremiah 46:25 but the prophet here does not predict an event to be accomplished, and instance in that, and argue from it, which could have no effect on Nineveh and its inhabitants, or be an example or terror to them; but refers to what had been done, a recent fact, and which they were well acquainted... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nahum 3:11

Thou also shalt be drunken ,.... This is said to Nineveh, whose turn would be next to drink of the cup of the wrath of God, and be inebriated with it, so that they should not know where they were, or what they did; and be as unable to guide and help themselves as a drunken man. So the Targum, "thou also shalt be like to a drunken man;' this was literally true of Nineveh when taken; see Nahum 1:10 , thou shalt be hid ; or, "thou shall be", as if thou wast not; as Nineveh is at this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nahum 3:12

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nahum 3:13

Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women ,.... Or like women, weak and feeble, fearful and timorous; frightened at the first approach of the enemy; run away, and run up and down in the utmost consternation and distress, having neither skill nor courage to oppose them; some regard may be had to the effeminacy of their king; see Nahum 2:7 . The sense is, they should be at once dispirited, and lose all strength of mind and body, and have neither heads nor hearts to form schemes,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nahum 3:14

Draw thee waters for the siege ,.... Before the siege is begun, fetch water from the river, wells, or fountains without the city, and fill cisterns, and such like receptacles of water, with them; that there may be sufficiency of it to hold out, which is often wanting in long sieges; the want of which gives great distress to the besieged: this is put for all necessary provisions, which should be made when a city is in danger of being blocked up: this, and what follows, are said ironically;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nahum 3:15

There shall the fire devour thee ,.... In the strong holds, made ever so firm and secure; either the fire of divine wrath; or the fire of the enemy they should put into them; or the enemy himself, as Kimchi; and so the Targum, "thither shall come upon thee people who are as strong as fire:' the sword shall cut thee off; it shall eat thee up as the cankerworm : that is, the sword of the Medes and Chaldeans shall utterly destroy thee, as the cankerworm is destroyed by rain or fire; or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nahum 3:16

Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven ,.... A hyperbolical expression, setting forth the great number of merchants that were in Nineveh, and in the land of Assyria; who either were the natives of the place, or came thither for the sake of merchandise, which serve to enrich a nation, and therefore are encouraged to settle; and from whom, in a time of war, much benefit might be expected; being able to furnish with money, which is the sinews of war, as well as to give... read more

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