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Nahum 2
Nahum 2:1
General Information:
Nahum often wrote prophecy in the form of poetry. Hebrew poetry uses different kinds of parallelism. Here he begins to describe the destruction of Nineveh. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/writing-poetry and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)
The one who scatters
Nahum speaks of an army or military leader destroying Nineveh as if he were to break Nineveh apart as one would shatter a clay pot and scatter the pieces around. Alternate translation: "The one who will destroy you" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
is coming up against you
The idiom to "come against" means to attack. Alternate translation: "is preparing to attack you" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
Guard the city wall, watch the road, strengthen your loins, pull together all your strength
Nahum speaks to the people of Nineveh. He tells them to prepare for battle although he knows that the enemy will destroy the city. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-irony)
watch the road
This refers to having soldiers watch the roads leading to the city so that they can keep track of the enemy's approach.
strengthen your loins
The loins are a synecdoche for the whole body. Alternate translation: "make yourselves strong" or "prepare for battle" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)
pull together all your strength
This is an idiom that means to prepare oneself for action. Here it applies to military action. Alternate translation: "prepare yourselves for battle" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
Nahum 2:2
For Yahweh is restoring the majesty of Jacob, like the majesty of Israel
The words "Jacob" and "Israel" are metonyms for the people who are descended from Jacob. Possible meanings are 1) the word "Jacob" refers to the southern kingdom and the word "Israel" refers to the northern kingdom. Alternate translation: "For Yahweh is restoring the majesty of Judah, as he promised to restore the majesty of Israel" or 2) both "Jacob" and "Israel" refer to the nation as a whole, included both northern and southern kingdoms and the two lines are parallel. Alternate translation: "For Yahweh is restoring the majesty of all Israel" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)
the plunderers
people who steal things by force, usually in war
destroyed their vine branches
Possible meanings are 1) this is a metaphor in which the Assyrians taking away Israel's possessions by force is spoken of as if Israel were a vine whose branches the Assyrians had stripped bare. Alternate translation: "robbed them of all of their possession, like one would strip bare vine branches" or 2) the words "vine branches" are a synecdoche for the agricultural fields throughout the nation. Alternate translation: "destroyed their fields of crops" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)
Nahum 2:3
The shields of his mighty men are red
Possible meanings are 1) the shields appear red as the light from the sun reflects upon their metal surfaces or 2) the shields are covered with leather that has been dyed red.
his mighty men
the soldiers of the one "who will dash" Nineveh "to pieces" (Nahum 2:1).
the chariots flash with their metal
This likely refers to the light from the sun reflecting upon the metal chariots.
on the day that they are made ready
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "when the soldiers have made them ready" or "when the soldiers have prepared them to attack" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
the cypress spears are waved in the air
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "the soldiers wave their cypress spears in the air" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
cypress
a type of tree whose wood is good for weapons (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-unknown)
Nahum 2:4
The chariots speed through the streets
"The soldiers drive the chariots wildly through the streets"
They look like torches
Nahum compares the way that the light from the sun reflects upon the chariots with torches whose fire gives light. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile)
they run like lightning
Nahum compares the way that the light from the sun reflects upon the chariots, and the quickness with which the chariots move, with lightning that flashes quickly in the sky. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile)
Nahum 2:5
The one who will dash you to pieces
The word "you" refers to Nineveh. Nahum speaks of an army or military leader destroying Nineveh as if he were to shatter Nineveh like one would shatter a clay pot. See how you translated this in Nahum 2:1. Alternate translation: "The one who will destroy you" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
in their march
The word "march" can be translated as a verb. Alternate translation: "as they march" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns)
The large shield is made ready to protect these attackers
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "The attackers make ready the large shield to protect themselves" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
The large shield
This refers to a large cover that those who besieged a city would set up over themselves and their battering rams to protect themselves against the arrows and other projectiles with which the people in the city would attack them.
Nahum 2:6
The gates at the rivers are forced open
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "The enemy forces open the gates at the rivers" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
The gates at the rivers
This refers to the gates that controlled the flow and direction of the river.
Nahum 2:7
Huzzab is stripped and is taken away
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "The enemy strips Huzzab and takes her away" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
Huzzab is stripped and is taken away
The exact meaning of the word "Huzzab" is uncertain. Two possible meanings are 1) it is the name of a queen in Nineveh and the sentence means that the attacking soldiers have stripped her of her clothes in order to humiliate her and then have carried her off into captivity or 2) it is the name of an idol and the sentence means that the attackers have stripped the gold and silver off the idol and have carried it away. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-unknown and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
is stripped
If your language has a word for forcibly taking a person's clothes off of that person and leaving him embarrassed and with nothing to keep him warm, you should use it here.
her female servants moan like doves
The moaning sounds that the female servants make sound like the sounds that doves make.
her female servants
If the word "Huzzab" refers to a queen, then this phrase refers to the young women who attended her. If the word "Huzzab" refers to an idol, then this phrase refers to the young women who worked as temple prostitutes.
beating on their breasts
Beating one's breast was a gesture used to express great mourning. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-symaction)
Nahum 2:8
Nineveh is like a leaking pool of water, with its people fleeing away like rushing water
Nahum compares the way that the people flee from the city of Nineveh with the way that water gushes from a reservoir of water when the dam has been broken. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile)
Nahum 2:9
Take the silver plunder ... Nineveh's beautiful things
It is not clear who is speaking here. This may be an apostrophe in which Nahum gives directions to the attackers, or the attackers may be speaking and giving directions to one another. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-apostrophe)
Take the silver plunder, take the gold plunder
The word "plunder" means things stolen by force, usually in war. Alternate translation: "Take the silver as plunder, take the gold as plunder" or "Take the silver, take the gold"
there is no end to the treasure, to the splendor
The words "no end" are an exaggeration to express that there is a great amount of something. Alternate translation: "there is a very great amount of treasure, of the splendor" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hyperbole)
to the splendor of all Nineveh's beautiful things
This phrase refers to the silver, gold, and other treasures in Nineveh. The verb may be supplied from the previous phrase. Alternate translation: "there is no end to the splendor of all Nineveh's beautiful treasures" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
Nahum 2:10
Everyone's heart melts
Nahum speaks of the people losing courage as if their hearts melt like wax. Alternate translation: "Everyone loses courage" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
everyone's knees strike together
This describes a physical response to great fear. The people's legs shake so badly that their knees knock together and they are unable to walk or run.
anguish is in all loins
The loins are either 1) a synecdoche for the whole person. Alternate translation: "everyone is in anguish" Or 2) a metonym for the internal organs, and you should describe them using your language's words for how a person's stomach feels when he is very frightened. Alternate translation: "everyone's stomachs are churning" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)
Nahum 2:11
General Information:
In these verses, Nahum speaks of the people of Nineveh as if they were a group of lions, and of the city Nineveh as if it were their den. The metaphor speaks of the way in which the Assyrians would conquer other people and take their possessions as their own as if they were lions hunting prey and bringing the dead animals back to their den. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Where now is the lions' den ... afraid of nothing?
Nahum uses this rhetorical question to mock Nineveh, which has been destroyed. Alternate translation: "The lions' den is nowhere to be found ... afraid of nothing." or "Look at what has become of the lions' den ... afraid of nothing!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Nahum 2:12
he strangled victims
"he choked victims." This is probably a reference to the way that lions usually kill their prey, by biting its throat. Alternate translation: "he killed his victims" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
filled his cave with victims, his dens with torn carcasses
These two phrases are saying the same thing in different ways. The verb may be supplied for the second phrase. Alternate translation: "filled his cave with victims, and filled his dens with torn carcasses" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-ellipsis)
Nahum 2:13
See
"Look" or "Listen" or "Pay attention to what I am about to tell you."
the sword will devour your young lions
Here the word "sword" is a metonym for soldiers who attack with swords and is spoken of as if it were a person who eats its victims. Nahum also continues to speak to the people of Nineveh as if they were lions. Alternate translation: "attackers will kill your people with swords" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
I will cut off your prey from your land
Yahweh speaks of the people of Nineveh as if they were lions who preyed upon the nations. Possible meanings are 1) the word "prey" is a metonym for the things that they have taken from those upon whom they preyed, and Yahweh speaks of taking those things away from them as if it were cutting off their prey. Alternate translation: "I will take away from your land all the things that you took from others" or 2) Yahweh speaks of the nations whom the people of Nineveh had plundered as if they were Nineveh's prey, and preventing Nineveh from plundering any more nations as if he were cutting off their prey. Alternate translation: "I will stop you from preying upon any other nation" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
the voices of your messengers will be heard no more
This likely refers to the messengers that the Assyrians sent out to other nations to demand surrender or payment of tribute. This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "no one will ever hear the voices of your messengers again" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)