Nahum 3

Nahum 3 concludes the prophetic message against Nineveh, portraying the inevitable downfall of the city due to its violence, idolatry, and oppression. In vivid language, Nahum condemns Nineveh’s practices and foresees its ruin as a just consequence of its sins. This chapter portrays Nineveh’s judgment as both inevitable and deserved, emphasizing themes of divine justice and retribution.

Nahum 3:1 (NKJV)
1 Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs.

Nahum begins by condemning Nineveh as a "bloody city," highlighting its history of violence and oppression. Known for its brutality in war and conquest, Nineveh stands accused of lies and theft. The phrase “its victim never departs” suggests that the city’s violence leaves a lasting impact, with its cruelty lingering even after battles end. The judgment announced here is rooted in Nineveh’s disregard for human life and justice.

Nahum 3:2-3 (NKJV)
2 The noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots!
3 Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies, countless corpses—they stumble over the corpses—

These verses paint a graphic scene of war and destruction as judgment falls on Nineveh. The sounds of battle—the whip, wheels, and galloping horses—emphasize the chaos of the city under attack. The countless corpses and bodies piled up illustrate the total devastation and loss of life. This imagery reinforces the prophecy that Nineveh, once a mighty power, will itself face slaughter and ruin, a fitting consequence for its own brutal warfare.

Nahum 3:4 (NKJV)
4 Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through her harlotries, and families through her sorceries.

Nahum compares Nineveh to a seductive harlot, suggesting that it has lured other nations into corruption and idolatry. Through deceitful alliances and “sorceries,” Nineveh has exploited and enslaved other peoples. This imagery of harlotry and sorcery highlights Nineveh’s moral corruption and manipulation of weaker nations, which has provoked divine judgment.

Nahum 3:5-6 (NKJV)
5 “Behold, I am against you,” says the Lord of hosts; “I will lift your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame.
6 I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle.

God declares His opposition to Nineveh, promising to expose its sins publicly. The imagery of lifting skirts and revealing nakedness is symbolic of shame and disgrace. By “casting filth” on Nineveh, God ensures it becomes a spectacle of humiliation, no longer a city of grandeur and power. This punishment is intended to display Nineveh’s true, sinful nature for all nations to see.

Nahum 3:7 (NKJV)
7 It shall come to pass that all who look upon you will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”

The prophecy foretells that Nineveh’s downfall will cause others to flee in horror. The rhetorical question “Who will bemoan her?” indicates that no one will mourn the city’s destruction, highlighting its lack of allies or compassion due to its oppressive rule. Nineveh’s utter desolation is a fitting end for a city that showed no mercy to others.

Nahum 3:8-10 (NKJV)
8 Are you better than No Amon that was situated by the River, that had the waters around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the sea?
9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was boundless; Put and Lubim were your helpers.
10 Yet she was carried away, she went into captivity; her young children also were dashed to pieces at the head of every street; they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

Nahum draws a comparison between Nineveh and No Amon (Thebes), a once-mighty city with formidable defenses. Despite its strong alliances and natural barriers, Thebes fell to invaders, suffering great devastation. By recalling this historical example, Nahum warns Nineveh that it, too, is vulnerable to destruction despite its military strength. The horrors faced by Thebes foreshadow the impending fate of Nineveh.

Nahum 3:11 (NKJV)
11 You also will be drunk; you will be hidden; you also will seek refuge from the enemy.

Nahum proclaims that Nineveh, like Thebes, will be overwhelmed. The image of drunkenness here symbolizes disorientation and helplessness in the face of impending judgment. The city, once proud and powerful, will find itself hiding and desperately seeking refuge, further emphasizing its loss of control and impending downfall.

Nahum 3:12-13 (NKJV)
12 All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: If they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Surely, your people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; fire shall devour the bars of your gates.

Nahum describes Nineveh’s defenses as weak, like ripe figs easily shaken from a tree. This simile implies that Nineveh’s strongholds will fall with little resistance. The portrayal of its warriors as “women” suggests vulnerability, indicating that the city’s defenses will crumble before its enemies. The open gates and impending fire symbolize the city’s imminent capture and destruction.

Nahum 3:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Draw your water for the siege! Fortify your strongholds! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Make strong the brick kiln!
15 There the fire will devour you, the sword will cut you off; it will eat you up like a locust. Make yourself many—like the locust! Make yourself many—like the swarming locusts!

Nahum sarcastically advises Nineveh to prepare for the siege, but ultimately declares that such efforts will be in vain. Despite any attempt to strengthen its defenses, Nineveh will be consumed by fire and the sword. The reference to locusts symbolizes the overwhelming number of enemies that will swarm the city, signifying an unavoidable and complete destruction.

Nahum 3:16-17 (NKJV)
16 You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven. The locust plunders and flies away.
17 Your commanders are like swarming locusts, and your generals like great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges on a cold day; when the sun rises they flee away, and the place where they are is not known.

Nineveh’s prosperity, seen in its many merchants, will not save it from ruin. Like locusts that consume and then disappear, Nineveh’s wealth will vanish. Its leaders, compared to grasshoppers that flee at sunrise, will abandon the city when faced with real danger. This imagery emphasizes Nineveh’s vulnerability despite its commercial success and supposed strength.

Nahum 3:18-19 (NKJV)
18 Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them.
19 Your injury has no healing, your wound is severe. All who hear news of you will clap their hands over you, for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?

Nahum concludes with a pronouncement of finality over Nineveh. The shepherds (leaders) are inactive, and the people are scattered, symbolizing the end of Assyria’s power. With no one to heal its wound, Nineveh is beyond recovery. The rejoicing of other nations at Nineveh’s fall reflects its history of oppression and cruelty. This final verse highlights the justice of Nineveh’s fate, as it receives the same treatment it inflicted on others.