Nahum 2
DortA further prophecie of the Ninevites destruction, by the Babylonians, because of their Tyrannie against the people of God and the other Nations.
1. The destroyer [to wit, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babel, that subdued and destroyed many Kingdoms] marcheth up against thy face, [O Nineve] guard thy fotresse, [this and that which followes, the prophet speaks ironically, or in a deriding manner, intimating thereby, that the Assyrians with all their means of defence and resistance, should not be able to do any thing] view the way, [take good heed, which way the enemy may come] strengthen the loins: fortifie the power much. [I.e. get ready, use and employ all thy power and might. See Job 40:11.]
2. For the Lord hath turned away the pride of Jacob as the pride of Israel: [as if he said: O Assur, it is time the judgement of the lord should come also upon thee now, it having layn a good while already upon the people of God, whereby the lord humbled the pride of Jacob, as formerly he had done that of Israel: Oth. For the Lord is returned with the excellence or glory of Jacob i.e. with Christ Jesus, as Amos 8:9 to wit, that henceforth he may assist his people and suffer them no longer to be destroyed by thee, but rather cause thee to be destroyed for their sakes. See 2 Sam. 1 on verse 19 of the ornament or glory of Israel] for the emptiers [i.e. the Babylonians, with their great armies, which did plunder and amptie all the places they came to] have emptied them [to wit Juda and Israel, that is, they plundered their cities and laid the land waste.] and they have spoiled their vine-branches. [This may well be understood according to the letter, yet some by the vine-branches here, do understand the cities and villages of the land of Juda: as the people of the Jews is frequently resembled to a vine. See Mich. 7.1. oth. Understand by it, their sons and daughters; and some, the fruit of the land]
3. The shields [in this verse and the sequel the prophet describes, the condition and armature of those, which were to come with their great and puistant armies against Nineve and Assyrians the enemies of the Israelites, for to subdue and suppress them] of his [viz. the enemies that was to lay siege against Nineve] Champions are made to red; [viz with the blood of the slain; or, it may be understood of the red-died garments, which many, especially among the souldiery of the Medes and Persians and Babylonians &c used to wear. See Ezekiel 23:14] the valiant men [or the word valiant see Gen. 27 on verse 6. Exod. 18 on verse 21] are of a scarlet colour: [or crimson-hue] the charets are in the fire of torches, [that is, they run so fast, and violently forward, that as they passé the stones, they strike fire all along, whereof more verse 4 understand here the fighting charets which were used in battail, men sitting in, and fighting forth out of them; see Joshua 17:16 and 2 Sam. 10.18] in the day, when he prepares himself. [viz. for the battail] and the spears [Heb. The firre-trees: that is the spears made of that wood] are shaken. [oth. Understand it; that the charets run so swiftly and fiercely that the wood, axel-trees and beams thereof did shake and tremble. See 2 Sam. 10 on verse 18.]
4. The charets [understand the charets with them that sit thereon] rage through the passages, and run to and fro upon the streets: [that is, the warlike charets shall so run and rumble throughout all the parts and passages of the street, as if the guide of, or men in them, were all rageing mad] their hies are as the torches, [i.e. it shall seem as if fire were flashing forth out of their eyes for anger and fierceness] they run promiscuously along like lightning. [oth. They shall break thorow like lightning.]
5. He [viz. the king of Assyria] shall remember his excellent ones [i.e. he shall put his confidence in them; otherwise, he shall muster his mighty (men)] (yet) they shall stumble in their marches: [or in their goings, i.e. in all their wayes and passages; meaning they shall so precipitately run they shall make one another to stumble and fall every where] they shall make hast [viz. the Assyrians] towards their wall, [the wall of the city of Nineve] when the protection shall be ready. [Or the cover understands such a warlike structure. Sense or gallery under which or wherein the souldier was safe from the shot of stones, or arrows. Heb. And the protection shall be made ready.]
6. The gates of the rivers shall be opened, [that is, the water gates here are meant the river Tygris and other lesser ones, falling into, or running out of Tygris, close by Nineve. The sense is, the enemy shall fall upon the city, from that part where it seems to be strongest to wit, where the Tygris and other streams run along. Diodorus Siculus saith, lib.3 Biblioth.cap.7 that when the Chaldeans besieged Nineve, it came to passé, that through the overflowing of the Tygris, the wall of this city was overthrown, for twenty furlongs together, by which breach the enemy entered the city] and the palace [or the temple; the Hebrew word signifies, both palace ad temple and here may be understood the temple of the Assyrians idol] shall melt away [to wit, through the heat of fire, either the material one or that of the consuming wrath of God. Otherwise, shall flow away: and this agrees very well with the great overflowing of the waters before mentioned.]
7. And Hazub [drivers understand this to be the Queens anem. Oth. That Huzab doth signifies a Queen from Jatsab, to assist; she being dayly with, or about the king; or standing before him as the phrase is. See Psalms 45:9. oth. She that is settled: that is, the city, which conceives, she stands firm and safe enough] shall be carried away captive: [or shall be and bare, or uncovered, viz. of all her Jewels and precious ornaments] they shall bid her passé on, [or get up, on the wagon, or chariot, whereon she is to be carried away captive, out of her own land into another] and her maide shall lead her as with the voice of doves, [that is, wailing, weeping, fighting within themselves not daring to cry out and complain in the hearing of their enemies for fear of them] drumming on their heart. [As if he had said, they shall not play upon Tabres and Timbrels as they were wont to do in their Jolities; but they shall beat with their feasts upon their own breasts in token of their ditresse thereof.]
8. Nineve indeed is like a water pond, from the dayes since she was, [Hebr. From the dayes she: and no more, i.e. Nineve hath ever been populous, since its beginning. Thus amny waters is taken for abundance of people, Isaiah 8:7 and Revelation 17:15. compare Jonah 4:11] yet they shall flee, [i.e the inhabitants of Nineve shall do all they can to get away and save themselves by flight, when their city shall be taken] stand, stand, (one shall cry) but none shall look about.
9. Rob silver, rob gold, [thus the enemies are spoken to which were to take Nineve; either by the prophet’s words or by another, the souldiers encouraging their fellow-souldiers] for there is no end of the provision, [understand here by provision all manner of store and treasure, money, plate, jewels, garments,] of the glory of all kind desired vessels, [i.e. of all sorts of curious and costly household-stuff, one could wish or desire. Compare 2 Chro. 32.27.]
10. She is enticed [namely, Nineve] yea emptied out, exhausted, and her heart melteth, [see Deuteronomy 1:28. and chapter 20.8. Joshua 2:11 and 5.1 and 7.5. Isaiah 13:7. Ezekiel 21:7.] and the knees shake, [or strike or push, once against the other, compare Psalms 13.7. and Daniel 5:6] and in all the loins there is pain, [see Isa.13.8 and 21.3] and all their faces [see the annotate. On Joel 2 verse 7] attract [or draw on them] (as) a pot: [to wit, as a pot, kettle, wherein meat is rest, and that hangs over the fire and comes to be all be smoked and blackened over]
11. Where is now [these are the words of the prophet, speaking in the name of God, and deriding the subdued Ninevites] the inhabitants of the lions and the pasture of the young lions, where the lions, the old lions and lion-whelp walked, and there was none that made them afraid [the prophet calls the Ninevites lion, they having been given to prey and bloodshed, especially their kings, princes and commanders. See Ezek. 19 with the annotations on verse 2, 3, c so the Apostle calleth the Emperour Ner a lion. 2 Timothy 4:17.]
12. The lion that preyed enough for his whelps and worried for his lionesses; [it is the nature of the lion, to worrie and stifle the beasts wom they have taken] that filled his holes with prey, and his habitation with the rapine.
13. Behold, I will come upon thee, saith the Lord of hosts, [see the annotate on Jeremiah 21:13. others (come) to, or upon thee, to wit, for to punish thee: turnes his speech to the Ninevites and I will burn her [the city of Nineve, their, c the second person changed into the third] Charets in smoke, [i.e. I will so consume them with fire, that they shall vanish away in smoke: compare Job 20.40] and the sword shall devour thy young lions, [o Nineve] and I will destroy [or cut off] thy prey [i.e. the prey which the Ninevites made] from the earth and the voice of thy Messengers [or Ambassadours, by whom ye were wont to denounce war to the king round about. See 2 kings 18.17, c] shall be heard no more.