TEXT [Commentary]

  B.   First Description of Nineveh’s Demise (2:3-10)

3 Shields flash red in the sunlight!

See the scarlet uniforms of the valiant troops!

Watch as their glittering chariots move into position,

with a forest of spears waving above them.[*]

4 The chariots race recklessly along the streets

and rush wildly through the squares.

They flash like firelight

and move as swiftly as lightning.

5 The king shouts to his officers;

they stumble in their haste,

rushing to the walls to set up their defenses.

6 The river gates have been torn open!

The palace is about to collapse!

7 Nineveh’s exile has been decreed,

and all the servant girls mourn its capture.

They moan like doves

and beat their breasts in sorrow.

8 Nineveh is like a leaking water reservoir!

The people are slipping away.

“Stop, stop!” someone shouts,

but no one even looks back.

9 Loot the silver!

Plunder the gold!

There’s no end to Nineveh’s treasures—

its vast, uncounted wealth.

10 Soon the city is plundered, empty, and ruined.

Hearts melt and knees shake.

The people stand aghast,

their faces pale and trembling.

NOTES

2:3 [4] Shields flash red. The reddened shields refer perhaps to highly polished metal fittings that gleamed in the sunlight or to the dyeing of the shields with red color so as to strike terror into the hearts of the enemy. Some have suggested that it might be a veiled reference to the Assyrians’ blood that would yet be spattered on them.

scarlet uniforms. Some evidence exists for the wearing of reddish or purple dress into combat, perhaps to intimidate the enemy (see Xenophon Cyropaedia 6.4.1; cf. Ezek 23:5-6) or to minimize the attackers’ panic in the event of a wound, the blood creating a less noticeable effect on a scarlet uniform. It is possible, of course, that this term may have simply been selected as a suitable parallel for me’addam [TH119, ZH131], both words being used metonymically for the enemy’s spattered blood on the warriors’ shields and garments.

glittering chariots. The meaning of the word translated “glittering” is much in dispute. Among the ancient versions, the LXX and Vulgate take it to refer to the chariot reins, while the Syriac understands it in relation to the word “firelight” (or “torches”) in the next verse. Several modern versions trace it to an Arabic or Syriac root designating a type of metal, while some commentators (e.g., Cathcart 1973a; Longman 1993; Roberts 1990) suggest some type of chariot covering or adornment. Thus construed, the thought is that the reflected gleam of the bedecked horses and chariots would further daunt the hearts of those who beheld the chariots moving into position for battle.

spears. The noun habberoshim [TH1265, ZH1360] indicates a type of tree such as the cypress or juniper. Since the spear shaft came from such wood, by metonymy it came to stand for the spear itself. Roberts (1991:58), however, calls attention to a suggestion by C.-L. Seow to take it as a reference to the wooden framework of the chariots. Thus understood, the lines would read, “The chariot attachments are like fire in the day of his preparation, and the chariot frames quiver.” Still others follow a different approach by proposing that there was scribal confusion in the initial bet of the word with the letter pe (a well-attested interchange in the ancient Semitic languages). In that case, the noun would refer to the horses (NRSV, NEB) or horsemen (NJB, LXX).

2:4 [5] streets . . . squares. Interpreters have disagreed as to whether the nouns refer to streets and squares inside the city walls or outside. The latter noun is used most often for wide places within a city or village (cf. Deut 13:16; Ezra 10:9; Neh 8:1; Esth 4:6) but may possibly designate open places outside the city as well. One must decide whether the flow of thought best fits the point of view of the defenders or the attackers. The NLT takes the former alternative here and in the succeeding verses; Roberts (1991:65), the latter (see my remarks in Patterson 1991:66). The two words are used in parallel in such texts as Prov 5:16; 7:12; 22:13; Jer 5:1; 9:21 [20]; and Amos 5:16.

flash like firelight . . . swiftly as lightning. The description here depicts the swift movement of the chariots with their polished metal gleaming in the sunlight. If the reference is to the attackers, the whole effect is designed to produce further awe and fright in the defenders beholding the activity.

2:5 [6] king shouts. Lit., “he remembers” (cf. LXX, Vulgate, NASB, NKJV). The usual meaning of the verb zakar [TH2142, ZH2349] seems to make little sense in the context unless, as some suggest, Yahweh is the subject, not the attacking enemy. The difficulty has occasioned numerous alternative suggestions for understanding the verb, such as “summon” (NIV, RSV, cf. NJB) or “recount” (KJV) or “calls” (NRSV), as well as several conjectural emendations, none of which seems convincing (Maier 1959:92-93; J. M. P. Smith 1911:330). The NLT rendering suits the military operations of the context well and has the advantage of reflecting a nuance found in its Akkadian cognate zakaru (give orders to).

they stumble. The Hebrew verb here, when used in military contexts, customarily indicates weakness and lack of progress (Cathcart 1973a:94), a thought that does not suit this context well. The basic meaning of the root, “stumble,” however, does fit nicely here—the sense being a stumbling caused by a sudden rapid movement of hastening to the wall.

their defenses. The hapax legomenon hassokek [TH1886.1/5526B, ZH2021/6116] must refer to some type of covering, as a glance at its cognates shows (see my comments in TWOT 2.623-624). The consistent attention directed to the activities of the scatterer suggests a mantelet, or large protective shield, used by the attackers to shield them from the arrows and missiles of the defenders on the wall. Roberts (1991:59) decides for “the various roofed and mobile siege towers that were used by besieging armies to protect their sappers and their troops manning the battering rams.”

2:6 [7] river gates. With the Hebrew she‘arim [TH8179, ZH9133] (sluice/dam gates) compare the Old South Arabic t‘rt (sluices), and note the Akkadian bab nari (door of the river) to indicate sluice gates for controlling water flow.

2:7 [8] decreed. The form wehutsab [TH5324, ZH5893] has proven to be a time-honored crux interpretum. Maier (1959) provides a list of more than a dozen suggestions that have been put forward as a sample of the many ideas that have been proposed. The ancient versions are likewise in disagreement. Basically three positions have been taken. (1) The form is a noun (hutsab) meaning something like “beauty,” “lady,” or “mistress” and refers either to Nineveh itself or to the statue of Ishtar that was housed there (Cathcart 1973a; Longman 1993). (2) The form is a verb that is to be translated “it is decreed” (NIV, NKJV). (3) The form should be emended entirely. The problem is heightened by the two feminine verbs that follow. J. M. P. Smith (1911:320-321) declares the form “insoluble” and the meaning of the whole line “hopelessly obscured.”

Perhaps the solution lies along literary lines in (1) understanding hutsab in the sense of “dissolved” (cf. Akkadian nasabu [suck out] and Arabic dabba [to hew to the ground]) and (2) placing the word in 2:6, a procedure that would yield a poetic 3/3 structure for this verse and a resultant double set of 2/2 in the following verse. This placement would also provide a second consecutive verse that is closed by a passive suffix-conjugation verb. Thus construed, the verse yields good sense: “The palace collapses and crumbles” (due to the rising waters that inundate the city; cf. Saggs 1969b:221-222).

its capture. This word, gulletah [TH1540, ZH1655] (she was stripped), is taken by some to refer to the Assyrian queen carried away into captivity. It could also refer to Nineveh, here personified as a captive warrior (Roberts 1991:66). Others have suggested the carrying away of the statue of Ishtar. By reading galutah [TH1546, ZH1661], one could also argue for “her exiles/captives,” a meaning anticipating the same figure in 3:10. Still another possibility is to view the consonantal text as a passive or intransitive verb, a reading reflected in the NIV’s “the city be exiled”—see the Vulgate’s captivus abductus est (“is carried away captive”) and the NEB’s “the train of captives goes into exile.”

beat their breasts in sorrow. A similar sentiment occurs in the Curse of Agade (cf. J. S. Cooper, The Curse of Agade. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press [1983]). Such actions were typically carried out by women who were pleading for mercy in situations like these. The figure of the weeping woman is abundantly attested in the literature and artistry of the ancient Near East and the OT, as is the action of beating the breast in contrition (cf. Jer 31:15; Luke 18:13; 23:27). About women weeping and pleading for mercy and subsequently lamenting their captured state, see Layard 1849:286-287.

2:8 [9] The people are slipping away. The Hebrew line is notoriously difficult and has occasioned numerous comments. The NLT plays on the metaphor of the previous line to form an implied simile: Nineveh is like a leaky reservoir; just as its waters drain away, so the city’s populace is slipping away from it.

no one even looks back. Lit., “no one turns around.” The words are reminiscent of Jer 46:5, 21. Cathcart (1973a:101) calls attention to the heaping up of the letter mem in this verse (nine times), an assonance that enhances dramatic effect.

2:9 [10] Loot . . . . Plunder. The double imperatives answer the two calls to stop in the previous line.

silver. . . . gold! Silver and gold often appear as a set pair to indicate wealth or booty (Gen 24:35; Josh 6:19).

There’s no end. This phrase occurs in the OT outside Nahum only in the remarkable parallel Isa 2:7.

2:10 [11] plundered, empty, and ruined. The Hebrew text is full of alliteration and assonance: buqah umebuqah umebullaqah. If one were to attempt a similar effect in English, one might render the phrase, “destroyed and despoiled and denuded.” Cathcart (1973a:103) calls attention to a stylistic resemblance with Isa 22:5. Isa 24:1 employs the same two roots, balaq [TH1110, ZH1191] and baqaq [TH1238, ZH1327], followed by the use of baqaq with bazaz [TH962, ZH1024] two verses later. Although this type of paronomasia is common enough in the OT (e.g., Joel 2:2), the parallels with Isaiah are striking and may point to a further literary relationship between the writings of the two prophets.

Hearts melt. Cathcart (1973a:104) demonstrates the close connection of the last three lines of v. 10 with the thought of Isa 13:7-8: Both texts mention the melting of hearts. In Nahum, there is mention of the trembling of the knees; in the Isaiah text, weakness of the arms. Anguish in the loins and the change of the color of the face are found in both passages. Once again a connection between Isaiah and Nahum seems certain.

COMMENTARY [Text]

Nahum’s description of the attack on Nineveh follows a clear pattern: the enemy’s assembling of his forces (2:3), the initial advance (2:4), the all-out attack (2:5-6), and its aftermath (2:7-10). The attack is rendered in vivid detail. The invading army’s attire and equipment are described first (2:3). They are clad in scarlet and carry reddened shields; these would not only give a distinctive color to the army in the hand-to-hand combat that was sure to come but would also provide a grim forecast of the shedding of the defenders’ blood—soon to be mingled with the clothing and equipment of the striking force. Adding to the awesome appearance of this “scatterer” was the terrifying sight of its chariots. With horse and chariot bedecked with highly polished metal that gleamed like fire in the brilliant sunlight and with soldiers equipped with polished cypress spears (which would give a reddish appearance), the effect of the whole spectacle was designed to strike terror into the stoutest of hearts.

After the initial preparations, the enemy commander gives the order to charge the wall (2:5). The seasoned warriors respond instantly. Rushing forward, they reach Nineveh’s massive city wall where they put in place the mantelet that will give them protection from Nineveh’s defenders during the siege operations (2:5; cf. Jer 52:4; Ezek 4:2). Thus protected from the flying arrows, falling stones, and lighted torches that would come down from the city’s protectors atop the wall, the process of breaching the city could begin. Typically, such an attack would include the use of siege mounds and towers, scaling ladders and tunneling operations, battering rams and axes, and the torching of the city gate. For Nineveh, the means of defeat, however, came from an unexpected source. Nineveh trusted not only in her massive walls, which Sennacherib had begun and named “The Wall That Terrifies the Enemy” (outer wall) and “The Wall Whose Splendor Overwhelms the Foe” (inner wall), but also in her surrounding moat and the proximity of the Tigris River. Yet ironically these defenses would work against the proud city. Diodorus reports that a series of torrential downpours swelled the “Euphrates” (i.e., the city’s river systems: the Khosr, which flowed through the city, and the Tigris) and flooded Nineveh, thereby undermining its wall and causing the collapse of a significant part of it.

Sennacherib had also built a double dam for the Khosr River to form a reservoir for Nineveh’s populace (cf. 2:6). This reservoir was augmented by a series of dam gates or sluices to regulate the supply of water to the city. The primary intent of Nahum’s prediction is that the advancing enemy would shut the sluices, thereby cutting off the city’s drinking supply. With the reservoir full, the gates would again be opened, causing the already flooded Khosr to destroy the surrounding walls where it entered the Ninlil Gate. Maier (1959:253) remarks, “The Quay Gate, at which the Khosr left the city, might also be devastated and in the intervening city much serious damage done. After the flow subsided, the entrance to Nineveh would have been made much easier for the besiegers.”

Nahum next envisioned the subsequent collapse of Nineveh’s magnificent palace. As the account unfolds, the attackers would gain entrance to the city, for the Assyrians are seen as being captured and led away into exile, while the women, pleading for mercy and bewailing their fate, are being led away moaning plaintively. The inevitable consequences that follow a city’s capture are then given in detail. Conquered Nineveh is said to be “like a pool of water.” The simile is both effective and apropos. Mighty Nineveh was situated in a favorable location that blessed her with an adequate water supply, one made more abundant by wise administrative leadership. But the blessing turned to a curse at the hands of the enemy, whose siege operations left Nineveh a veritable “pool of water.”

From the floodwaters and the crumbling city the masses fled in sheer panic (2:8). In the midst of the clamor of the departing throng, an impassioned voice rings out: “Stop, stop!” No one turns around, much less halts, in his desperate flight. Another cry is heard (the entire scene is depicted with the author’s characteristic picturesque brevity): “Loot the silver! Plunder the gold!” (2:9) Are they the words of the invaders, the prophet, or God himself? Regardless, it is ultimately the certain judgment of God. Nineveh, who had heaped up hordes of captured treasure, would face despoliation. The precious possessions of many nations that poured into the Neo-Assyrian capital as a result of trade, tribute, and booty were almost beyond counting. Now Nineveh would have her riches taken away.

All that wealth—gone in an instant! The graphic description of Nineveh’s fall stands as a grim reminder of the fate of misspent greed, power, and opportunity. The proverbial dictum is ever true: “Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov 14:34). Nineveh had played the rich fool (cf. Luke 12:16-20). Unlike rich fools who live only to aggrandize themselves, believers must learn the lessons of true wealth: “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own. . . . Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:15, 21). Several further theological lessons emerge from this passage. (1) God is sovereign over the disposition of nations and uses them to do his bidding. (2) Behind the fall of Nineveh stands the heavenly specter of the Divine Warrior. (3) While wickedness may seem to bring victory, it ultimately reaps its just reward. The proud city, whose forces had so often treated others contemptuously and violently, would meet a similar end. The principle of equal justice is fully operative here: “As you have done . . . it will be done to you” (Obad 1:15).