Woe to the bloody city! it [is] all full of lies [and] robbery; the prey departeth not; Ver. 1. _Woe to the bloody city_] Nineveh, that delighteth in war, which one well calleth the slaughter house of mankind and hell of this present world, Isaiah 9:5 : the Greek word πολεβμος, war, signifieth much... [ Continue Reading ]
The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots. Ver. 2. _The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels_] A most elegant and lively hypotyposis, or description, of the Chaldeans coming to take Nineveh; _Tam... [ Continue Reading ]
The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and [there is] a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and [there is] none end of [their] corpses; they stumble upon their corpses: Ver. 3. _The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword_] Heb. The flame of the sw... [ Continue Reading ]
Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts. Ver. 4. _Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot_] Specious, and therefore gracious with... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, I [am] against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame._ Ver. 5. _Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord_] And I need say no more, wert thou but sensible of thy misery herein. Be n... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock. Ver. 6. _And I will cast abominable filth upon thee_] As they do chamber pots and worse upon harlots that are carted. I have read of a heathen people that put the adulterers' and adulteresses' heads... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass, [that] all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee? Ver. 7. _And it shall come to pass that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee_] Thou shalt be a very _Magorm... [ Continue Reading ]
Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, [that had] the waters round about it, whose rampart [was] the sea, [and] her wall [was] from the sea? Ver. 8. _Art thou better than populous No_] Heb. No Amon, a great grain country, and therefore populous; for where victual and g... [ Continue Reading ]
Ethiopia and Egypt [were] her strength, and [it was] infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers. Ver. 9. _Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength_] No was the metropolis of Egypt, and knew no end of her power, as bearing rule over Ethiopia the strong and Egypt the infinite, _Chus valida et Egyptii infin... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet [was] she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains. Ver. 10. _Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity_] Whereof though there... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy._ Ver. 11. _Thou also shalt be drunken_] _sc._ with the cup of the wine of God's wrath; Jer 25:27 thou shalt "drink, and be drunken, and spue and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I w... [ Continue Reading ]
All thy strong holds [shall be like] fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater. Ver. 12. _All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees_] _i.e._ _Tam infirma ac si ficulnea essent._ Look how the fig tree casteth her untimely (or green) fig... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, thy people in the midst of thee [are] women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars. Ver. 13. _Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women_] _i.e._ Fearful and faint hearted; ‘ Aχηιδες ουκετ Aχαιοι. See Isa 3:12 Jeremiah 51:30;... [ Continue Reading ]
Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln. Ver. 14. _Draw thee waters for the siege, &c._] A most bitter and biting taunt, or mock (_sarcasmus_), whereby the prophet laugheth to scorn the fortifications of the Ninevites a... [ Continue Reading ]
There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts. Ver. 15. _There shall the fire devour thee_] There, that is, in thy strongholds, where thou thinkest thyself most safe. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away. Ver. 16. _Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven_] And so thinkest to have a stake in store howsoever the dice chance to turn. For these merchants were very rich, and could... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy crowned [are] as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, [but] when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they [are]. Ver. 17. _Thy crowned are as the locusts_] _i.e._ Thy barons (saith Diodati) and great lo... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell [in the dust]: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth [them]. Ver. 18. _Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria_] This apostrophe to the king is emphatic. He is given to know that his nobles and officers, Mi... [ Continue Reading ]
Nahum 3:19 [There is] no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually? Ver. 19. _There is no healing of thy bruise_] _Clades et strages tua irreparabilis est._ Thy disease is de... [ Continue Reading ]