Nahum 2:3

The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men [are] in scarlet: the chariots [shall be] with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

Ver. 3. The shield of his mighty men is made red] Panoplia terrorem auget. All was red (a colour much affected by the Medes, Persians, and Chaldees), to show that they were a sanguinary nation, and not more gold thirsty Isa 13:17 than blood thirsty (Herodot., Dioed. Sic., Xenophon, Curtius).

The valiant men are in scarlet] A colour affected by martial men, that would seem to fear no colours. The Lacedaemonians used it much when they went to fight: that if they should be wounded their blood might not appear upon their apparel, for the discouragement of themselves and encouragement of the enemy by such a sight. The Romish cardinals are clothed in scarlet, and are created by a red hat which the Pope giveth them, in a token that they should be ready to shed their blood for the Catholic faith; which if they should do (as never any of them yet did) they would be no better than the devil's martyrs; since it is the cause, and not the punishment, that maketh a true martyr. A Tyburn tippet (as plain Mr Latimer was wont to speak) would well become those scarlet fathers; who, like bells, will be never well tuned till well hanged; for their blood guiltlness and soul murder especially. In the kingdom of Naples there were two notable thieves (the one named Pater Noster, the other Ave Maria) who at various times had murdered one hundred and sixteen men, and were therefore deservedly put to a cruel death (Rainold. de Idol. Rom. praefat.). But nothing so cruel as the Pope and his conclave deserve, for their sending of so many souls daily to that great red dragon; red with the blood of souls which he hath swallowed, as St Peter hath it, 1Pe 5:8 Revelation 12:3 .

The chariots shall be with flaming torches] Those currus falcati, chariots armed with scythes and hooks, with and in which they were wont to fight: these shall be with flaming torches carried along in them, either to light them fighting by night, or else to fire the enemies' houses, and to terrify their hearts.

And the fir trees shall be terribly shaken] With the rattling of the chariots and clattering of the armour. In a bloody fight between Amurath, the third King of Turks, and Lazarus, Despot of Servia, the noise of warlike weapons, the neighing of horses, and outcries of men were so terrible and great, that the wild beasts in the woods stood astonished therewith, the trees seemed to be shaken; and the Turkish histories, to express the terror of the day, vainly say, that the angels in heaven, amazed with that hideous noise, for that time forgot the heavenly hymns, &c. The word here rendered terribly shaken is rather Chaldee than Hebrew; as spoken of the Chaldees coming against Nineveh.