Nahum 2:10

"She is empty, and void, and waste; and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and anguish is in all loins, and the faces of them all are waxed pale."

In the next chapter, Nahum added the thought that, "there is no assuaging of thy hurt," (Nahum 3:19), concluding his prophecy with that word. Those commentators who try to make Nahum merely a poetic celebration of a past event neglect to tell us how "the poet" knew that Assyrian Nineveh would lay desolate for 25 centuries!

"Empty ... void ... waste ... no healing of thy bruise ..." No more powerful or impressive prophecy was ever uttered; and it came at the very zenith of Assyria's power and glory. It would have been impossible for even the Babylonian allies to take it, unless they had been providentially aided at exactly the right time. The city was stripped naked of all defenses; its gates were opened to a mighty army still present (although thrice defeated) and ready to take advantage of their opportunity, an Opportunity that was totally unexpected, either by the besieged or the besiegers.