Nahum 3

King James Version

Full text for Nahum Chapter 3

1¶ Woe to the bloody city! it [is] all full of lies [and] robbery; the prey departeth not;

2The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

3The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and [there is] a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and [there is] none end of [their] corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:

4Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

5Behold, I [am] against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

6And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.

7And it shall come to pass, [that] all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?

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?

9Ethiopia and Egypt [were] her strength, and [it was] infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

10Yet [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.

11Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.

12All 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.

13Behold, 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.

14Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.

15There 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.

16Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.

17Thy 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].

18Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell [in the dust]: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth [them].

19[There is] no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Woe is pronounced upon Nineveh, the 'bloody city,' full of lies and robbery, whose destruction is depicted with vivid imagery of battle and slaughter. The LORD declares Himself against Nineveh for its spiritual harlotry and witchcraft, promising to expose its shame to the nations. Its downfall will be complete, with no one to mourn its desolation, a fate worse than that of No-amon.

Medium Summary

Nahum pronounces a severe woe upon Nineveh, condemning it as a 'bloody city' steeped in deceit, robbery, and relentless violence. The prophet vividly describes the sounds of war—whips, chariots, and the clash of weapons—leading to an immense slaughter and countless corpses. This judgment is directly attributed to Nineveh's spiritual 'whoredoms' and 'witchcrafts,' through which it enslaved nations and families. The LORD declares His opposition, promising to strip Nineveh bare, expose its shame, and make it a public spectacle. The city's fate is contrasted with that of No-amon (Thebes), a once-mighty city that, despite its formidable defenses and allies, fell into captivity and suffered brutal destruction. Nineveh is warned that it too will suffer a similar, inescapable fate, its strongholds easily overcome, its leaders ineffective, and its people scattered. The chapter concludes with the pronouncement of Nineveh's incurable wound, its wickedness having spread universally, leading to universal rejoicing at its downfall.

Long Summary

The third chapter of Nahum begins with a powerful declaration of 'Woe' upon Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, denouncing it as a 'bloody city' utterly consumed by lies, robbery, and incessant violence. The prophet paints a vivid and terrifying picture of impending warfare, describing the cacophony of whips, rattling wheels, prancing horses, and jumping chariots, culminating in the sight of bright swords and glittering spears. This leads to an overwhelming multitude of slain and countless corpses, so numerous that men stumble upon them. The primary reason for this divine judgment is explicitly stated: Nineveh's extensive 'whoredoms' and 'witchcrafts,' through which it ensnared and sold nations and families, acting as a 'wellfavoured harlot.' The LORD of hosts unequivocally declares His opposition, promising to publicly expose Nineveh's nakedness and shame to all nations and kingdoms, casting 'abominable filth' upon it and making it a 'gazingstock.' Consequently, all who witness its desolation will flee and lament its utter waste, questioning where comfort might be found. The prophet then challenges Nineveh, asking if it is superior to 'populous No' (Thebes), a city renowned for its strategic location among rivers, its formidable watery defenses, and its powerful allies like Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Lubim. Despite its immense strength and alliances, No-amon was carried into captivity, its children dashed to pieces, its honorable men cast lots for, and its great men bound in chains. Nineveh is warned that it will suffer a similar, inescapable fate, becoming 'drunken' with calamity and seeking strength in vain against its enemies. Its strongholds are likened to fig trees with ripe figs, easily shaken and consumed. Its people are depicted as women, its gates opened wide to enemies, and its defenses consumed by fire. Even attempts to prepare for a siege—drawing water, fortifying strongholds, making bricks—are futile, as fire and sword will devour it like the cankerworm. The chapter further illustrates Nineveh's vulnerability by comparing its numerous merchants to cankerworms that spoil and flee, and its crowned leaders and captains to locusts and grasshoppers that vanish when the sun rises. The King of Assyria's shepherds (leaders) slumber, his nobles dwell in the dust, and his people are scattered without a gatherer. The prophecy concludes with a stark statement of Nineveh's incurable and grievous wound, affirming that its pervasive wickedness has touched all, leading to universal rejoicing and hand-clapping at its downfall.

Core Concepts

  • Nineveh's WickednessThe chapter opens by condemning Nineveh as a 'bloody city' full of lies, robbery, and spiritual 'whoredoms' and 'witchcrafts,' through which it exploited nations and families.
  • Divine JudgmentThe LORD declares Himself against Nineveh, promising to expose its shame and cast 'abominable filth' upon it, making it a public spectacle for its transgressions.
  • Military DestructionVivid imagery describes the sounds and sights of battle, including whips, chariots, swords, and spears, leading to an immense slaughter and countless corpses.
  • Comparison to No-amonNineveh's impending doom is underscored by comparing its fate to that of No-amon (Thebes), a once-mighty city that, despite its strength and allies, fell into brutal captivity.
  • Futility of DefensesNineveh's strongholds are depicted as easily overcome, its leaders as ineffective, and its people as scattered, highlighting the utter futility of its military and economic might against divine judgment.
  • Universal RejoicingThe prophecy concludes by stating that Nineveh's wound is incurable, and all who hear of its destruction will clap their hands, acknowledging its pervasive wickedness.