Nahum 3:16 — Word Study
WLCהִרְבֵּית֙ רֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְ מִכּוֹכְבֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם יֶ֥לֶק פָּשַׁ֖ט וַיָּעֹֽף׃
BSAto multiplyrâbâh■ to traderâkal starkôwkâb heavenshâmayim ◂locustyeleq [cankerworm, devouring insect] to strippâshaṭ■ to flyʻûwph▸
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הִרְבֵּית֙ | you have increased | Verb, Hiphil, perfect second person feminine singular |
| רֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְ | traders your | Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common, suffix |
| מִכּוֹכְבֵ֖י | more than [the] stars of | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם | the heavens | Particle, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| יֶ֥לֶק | a locust | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| פָּשַׁ֖ט | it strips off | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| וַיָּעֹֽף׃ | and it flew away | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away. |
| KJV | Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away. |
| ASV | Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the canker-worm ravageth, and fleeth away. |
| YLT | Multiply thy merchants above the stars of the heavens, The cankerworm hath stripped off, and doth flee away. |
| WEB | You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the skies. The grasshopper strips and flees away. |
| BBE | Let your traders be increased more than the stars of heaven: |
Where they part company is הִרְבֵּית֙ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of two main clauses, each with a clear subject and action, connected by a conjunction.
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Nahum 3:16
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Judgment Against Ninevehgenerated
Nahum 3:16 highlights the excessive number of merchants in Nineveh, suggesting a thriving trade environment. However, this abundance is juxtaposed with the imagery of the young locust, which strips the land bare and swiftly departs, indicating the transient nature of prosperity and the impending doom facing the city.
The Key Word — הִרְבֵּית֙, hir.Beitgenerated
The verb רָבָה (rabah) means to increase or multiply, suggesting a significant growth in the number of traders. This Hiphil form indicates that Nineveh has actively caused this increase, emphasizing the city's bustling commerce.
The context implies that while the merchants have multiplied, their fate is precarious, much like the fleeting nature of the locust. The word captures both the abundance and the eventual emptiness that follows.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb הִרְבֵּית֙ governs the main clause, indicating the action of increasing. The structure follows with a noun phrase describing the subject, followed by a prepositional phrase that specifies the comparison to the stars.
The clause then transitions to another subject, יֶ֥לֶק, which introduces a new action, פָּשַׁ֖ט, further connected by וַיָּעֹֽף, indicating sequential actions. This layered structure emphasizes the contrast between abundance and destruction.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הִרְבֵּית֙ as ἐπλήθυνας, meaning 'you have increased.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning of multiplication and abundance.
The use of βροῦξος for יֶ֥לֶק highlights the destructive nature of the locust, reinforcing the theme of devastation following abundance.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nahum 3:16 tells us that Nineveh has many merchants, more than the stars in the sky. However, like the young locust that strips the land and flies away, this abundance is fleeting, foreshadowing the city's downfall.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It suggests that the city was thriving in trade and commerce, indicating a bustling economy.
The comparison emphasizes the vast number of merchants, highlighting both abundance and the insignificance of their fate.
The young locust symbolizes destruction and the fleeting nature of prosperity, indicating that despite the abundance, Nineveh's fate is dire.
It portrays Nineveh as a city of excess and impending judgment, where its prosperity will soon be stripped away.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some ways that we can see abundance in our own lives, and how might it be fleeting?
- How can we ensure that our successes do not lead to complacency, as seen in Nineveh?
- In what areas of our lives do we need to be mindful of the locusts that strip away our blessings?
- How can we prepare for the inevitable changes that come with prosperity?
The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away.
You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the skies. The grasshopper strips and flees away.
You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away.
Increase your merchants more than the stars of heaven! They are like the young locust which sheds its skin and flies away.
Tyndale line
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the canker-worm ravageth, and fleeth away.
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the canker-worm spoileth, and flieth away.
Thou hast multiplied thy marchantes aboue the starres of heauen: the locust spoileth and flyeth away.
Strictly literal
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants more than the stars of the heavens; the cankerworm spreadeth himself out and flieth away.
Multiply thy merchants above the stars of the heavens, The cankerworm hath stripped off, and doth flee away.
Multiply your merchants above the stars of the heavens, || The cankerworm has stripped off, and flees away.
[Though] thou hadst multiplied thy merchants more than the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spreadeth itself out, and flieth away.
You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars in the heavens; but they are like young locusts: they plunder the land and then fly away.
From the Latin
Thou hast multiplied thy merchandises above the stars of heaven: the bruchus hath spread himself and flown away.
Simplified
You increased your merchants so that there are more of them than the stars of heaven. But like locusts they strip everything and then fly away.
Let your traders be increased more than the stars of heaven:
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in their wording, with all seven words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show one word on the leather and six supplied by an editor, indicating some level of textual restoration.
הִרְבֵּית֙ רֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְ מִכּוֹכְבֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם יֶ֥לֶק פָּשַׁ֖ט וַיָּעֹֽף׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[הרבית] [רכלי׳ך] [מכוכבי] השמים [ילק] [פשט] [ויעף]
1 word on the leather — 6 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Nahum 3:16
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רָבָה (rabah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to increase or multiply, encompassing ideas of becoming great, numerous, or abundant. It has various forms, including Qal (to become many), Piel (to make large), and Hiphil (to make much). The word also appears in a context related to shooting in Genesis 21:20. There is a noted Aramaic equivalent, רְבָה.
[רָבָה] 225 vb. be, or become, much, many, great
Qal 59
become many, numerous
be great
grow great (Aramaism)
Pi. 4 make large, increase
Hiph. 162
H7235a רָבָה be, or become, much, many, great .. become many, numerous
. . be great
. grow great (Aramaism)
. make large, increase
. . make much or many
. make great, obj. pers.
H7235b רָבָה shoot
7235 rabah raw-baw'
a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect):--(bring
in) abundance (X -antly), + archer (by mistake for 7232), be
in authority, bring up, X continue, enlarge, excel,
exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly,
X -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have,
make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more
(in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much
(greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), X
process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.
see HEBREW for 07232
רָבָה (ra.vah) — to multiply.
1) be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things)
1a2) to be or grow great
1b) (Piel) to make large, enlarge, increase, become many
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make much, make many, have many
1c1a) to multiply, increase
1c1b) to make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly
1c1c) to increase greatly or exceedingly
1c2) to make great, enlarge, do much
Aramaic equivalent: re.vah (רְבָה "to grow great" H7236)
רָבָה (ra.vah) — to shoot.
(Qal) to shoot
V-Hiphil-Perf-2fs — Verb · Hiphil · perfect second person feminine singularHVhp2fs
רָכַל (rakal) is a primitive root meaning to travel for trading. It primarily refers to a trafficker or trader, indicating movement from one place to another for the purpose of commerce. The exact nuances of the term are uncertain, but it is consistently linked to the concept of trading.
[רָכַל] vb. prob. go about, from one to another
base
H7402 רָכַל
7402 rakal raw-kal'
a primitive root; to travel for trading:--(spice) merchant.
רָכַל (ra.khal) — to trade.
1) to go about (meaning uncertain)
1a) (Qal) trafficker, trader (participle) (subst)
V-Qal | Suff — Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffixHVqrmpc/Sp2fs
כּוֹכָב (kowkab) means 'star' and is likely derived from a root related to rolling or blazing. It can refer to a literal star or figuratively to a prince or significant figure, including associations with the Messiah and God's omniscience.
כּוֹכָב n.m. star
base
H3556 כּוֹכָב star
3556 kowkab ko-kawb'
probably from the same as 3522 (in the sense of rolling) or
3554 (in the sense of blazing); a star (as round or as
shining); figuratively, a prince:--star((-gazer)).
see HEBREW for 03522
see HEBREW for 03554
כּוֹכָב (ko.khav) — star.
1) star
1a) of Messiah, brothers, youth, numerous progeny, personification, God's omniscience (fig.)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural constructHR/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.
[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky
visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
phrases
as abode of God
Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
base
H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
. phrases
. . as abode of God
. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim
dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused
root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps
alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well
as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies
revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).
שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.
1) heaven, heavens, sky
1a) visible heavens, sky
1a1) as abode of the stars
1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc
1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)
Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absoluteHTd/Ncmpa
hev'-'nz (shamayim; ouranoi): On the physical heavens see ASTRONOMY; WORLD. Above these, in popular conception, were the celestial heavens, the abode of God and of the hosts of angels (Ps 11:4; 103:19-21; Isa 66:1; Re 4:2; 5:11; compare Da 7:10), though it was recognized that Yahweh's presence was not confined to any region (1Ki 8:27). Later Judaism reckoned seven heavens. The apostle Paul speaks of himself as caught up into "the third heaven," which he evidently identifies with Paradise (2Co 12:2).
See HEAVENLY.
יֶ֫לֶק (yekeq) refers to a young locust or caterpillar, derived from a root meaning to lick up or devour. The term specifically denotes the early developmental stage of locusts, emphasizing their consuming nature. It is mentioned in the context of devourers, particularly in agricultural settings.
יֶ֫לֶק n.m. a kind of locust
base
H3218 יֶ֫לֶק
3218 yekeq yeh'-lek
from an unused root meaning to lick up; a devourer;
specifically, the young locust:--cankerworm, caterpillar.
יֶ֫לֶק (ye.leq) — locust.
1) young locust (early stage of development)
1a) caterpillar (as devouring)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
lo'-kust: The translation of a large number of Hebrew and Greek words:
1. Names:
(1) 'arbeh from the root rabhah, "to increase" (compare Arabic raba', "to increase").
(2) sal`am, from obsolete [?] cal`am, "to swallow down," "to consume."
(3) chargol (compare Arabic charjal, "to run to the right or left," charjalat, "a company of horses" or "a swarm of locusts," charjawan, a kind of locust).
(4) chaghabh (compare Arabic chajab, "to hide," "to cover").
(5) gazam (compare Arabic jazum, " to cut off")
(6) yeleq, from the root laqaq "to lick" (compare Arabic laqlaq, "to dart out the tongue" (used of a serpent)).
(7) chacil, from the root chacal, "to devour" (compare Arabic chaucal, "crop" (of a bird)).
(8) gobh, from the obsolete root gabhah (compare Arabic jabi, "locust," from the root jaba', "to come out of a hole").
(9) gebh, from same root.
Locust
There are ten Hebrew words used in Scripture to signify locust. In the New Testament locusts are mentioned as forming part of the food of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6). By the Mosaic law they were reckoned “clean,” so that he could lawfully eat them. The name also occurs in Rev. 9:3, 7, in allusion to this Oriental devastating insect.
Locusts belong to the class of Orthoptera, i.e., straight-winged. They are of many species. The ordinary Syrian locust resembles the grasshopper, but is larger and more destructive. “The legs and thighs of these insects are so powerful that they can leap to a height of two hundred times the length of their bodies. When so raised they spread their wings and fly so close together as…
a well-known insect, of the grasshopper family, which commits terrible ravages on vegetation in the countries which it visits. "The common brown locust is about three inches in length, and the general form is that of a grasshopper." The most destructive of the locust tribe that occur in the Bible lands are the (Edipoda migratoria and the Acridium peregrinum ; and as both these species occur in Syria and Arabia, etc., it is most probable that one or other is denoted in those passages which speak of the dreadful devastations committed by these insects. Locusts occur in great numbers, and sometimes obscure the sun. (Exodus 10:15; Judges 6:5; Jeremiah 46:23) Their voracity is alluded to in (
A voracious winged insect, belonging to the genus known among naturalists as the Grylli, closely resembling the grasshopper, and a great scourge in oriental countries in both ancient and modern times. There are ten different names in the Hebrew Bible for insects of this kind; but some of these probably designate different forms or stages in life of the same species. The Bible represents their countless swarms as directed in their flight and march by God, and used in the chastisement of guilty nations, De 28:38-42 1Ki 8:37 2Ch 6:28. A swarm of locusts was among the plagues of Egypt; they covered the whole land, so that the earth was darkened, and devoured every green herb of the earth, and the fruit of every tree which the hail…
פָּשַׁט (pashat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strip off or to invade. It encompasses actions like unclothing, plundering, and making a dash, with various forms indicating different nuances such as flaying or putting off garments. The term appears in different contexts, including military actions and personal disrobing.
פָּשַׁט vb. strip off, make a dash, raid
Qal
strip off, put off, one’s garment
put off (one’s shelter), i.e. make a dash (from a sheltered place)
Pi. to strip the slain
Hiph.
strip one of garment
strip off
flay
Hithp. he stripped himself of his garment
base
H6584 פָּשַׁט strip off, make a dash, raid
6584 pashat paw-shat'
a primitive root; to spread out (i.e. deploy in hostile
array); by analogy, to strip (i.e. unclothe, plunder, flay,
etc.):--fall upon, flay, invade, make an invasion, pull off,
put off, make a road, run upon, rush, set, spoil, spread
selves (abroad), strip (off, self).
פָּשַׁט (pa.shat) — to strip.
1) to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to strip off, put off
1a2) to put off (one's shelter), make a dash
1b) (Piel) to strip
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to strip of
1c2) to strip off
1c3) to flay
1d) (Hithpael) to strip oneself of
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
עוּף (uwph) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning 'to fly,' with various nuances including hovering and fleeing. It can also imply covering or dimness, as seen in the related noun תְּעֻפָה (teʾuphah), which refers to gloom. The word appears in different forms, such as Qal and Hiphil, indicating various actions related to flight.
עוּף vb. fly
Qal
fly, of birds
hover (protectingly)
fly away
Hiph. dost thou cause thine eyes to fly
Pō‛l.
fly about, to and fro
cause to fly to and fro, brandish
Hithpō‛l. like a bird their glory shall fly away
H5774a עוּף fly H5774b תְּעֻפָה n. f. id. [מוּעָף]
5774 `uwph oof
a primitive root; to cover (with wings or obscurity); hence
(as denominative from 5775) to fly; also (by implication of
dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning):--brandish,
be (wax) faint, flee away, fly (away), X set, shine forth,
weary.
see HEBREW for 05775
עוּף (uph) — to fly.
v
1) to fly, fly about, fly away
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to fly, hover
1a2) to fly away
1b) (Hiphil) to cause to fly, light upon
1c) (Polel)
1c1) to fly about or to and fro
1c2) to cause to fly to and fro, brandish
1d) (Hithpolel) to fly away
2) (Qal) to cover, be dark
תְּעֻפָה (te.u.phah) — gloom.
gloom
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms