The Prophet, as I have said, more clearly expresses here the reason why the vengeance of God would be so severe on the Ninevites, — because they had wholly given themselves up to barbarous cruelty; and hence he calls it the bloody city. _Bloody city! _he says. The exclamation is emphatical. Though ה... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet represents here as in a lively picture, what was nigh the Assyrians; for he sets forth the Chaldeans their enemies, with all their preparations and in their quick movements. (239) _The sound of the whip, _he says; the whips, made a noise in exciting the horses: _the sound of the rattling... [ Continue Reading ]
As to the words, some interpreters connect what we have rendered, _the horseman makes to ascend, _with what follows, that is, he makes to _ascend the flame of the sword and the lightning of the spear _But as a copulative comes between, it seems rather to be an imperfect sentence, meaning, that the h... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet mentions again the cause why God would execute so dreadful a vengeance on that city, which yet procured by its splendor so much glory and respect among all people: and God seems in a manner to have but little regard for the order of the world when he thus overturns great cities. For sinc... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet confirms here what he has said of the fall of Nineveh; but, as it was stated yesterday, he introduces God as the speaker, that his address might be more powerful. God then testifies here to the Assyrians, that they should have no strife or contention with any mortal being, but with their... [ Continue Reading ]
He afterwards adds, _I will besprinkle thee with filth, _or defilements. The Prophet still alludes to the similitude of a harlot, who is well and sumptuously adorned, and by her charms captivates the eyes of all: but when any one takes mire and filth from the middle of the road, and bespatters her w... [ Continue Reading ]
When he says, כל-ראיך, _cal-raik_, ‘whosoever sees thee,’ we hence learn again that רואי, _ruai, _at the end of the last verse, is to be taken for example or spectacle; for the Prophet proceeds with the same subject: _I will make thee, _he says,_an example, _or a spectacle. — For what purpose? _that... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet, in order to gain credit to his prophecy, produces here the ensample of Alexandria. It is indeed certain, from many testimonies of Scripture, that Alexandria is called No, which was a very ancient city, situated on the confines of Africa, and yet in Egypt. It might, at the same time, be,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yet, _he says, _she departed into captivity a captive; _that is, the inhabitants of Alexandria have been banished, and the city become as it were captive, for its inhabitants were driven here and there. _Dashed, _he says, _have been their little ones at the head of every street _The Prophet means,... [ Continue Reading ]
Nahum, after having adduced the example of Alexandria, now shows that nothing would be able to resist God, so that he should not deal with Nineveh in the same manner; and he declares that this would be the case, _Thou also, _he says, _shalt be inebriated_. Well known is this metaphor, which often oc... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet here declares that the strongholds of the Assyrians would avail them nothing; whether they trusted in the number of their men, or in their walls, or in other defenses, they would be disappointed; for all things, he says, will of themselves fall, even without being much assailed. And he e... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet declares here, that the hearts of them all would become soft and effeminate when God would proceed to destroy Nineveh. We have said before that the hearts of men are so in the hand of God, that he melts whatever courage there may be in them, whenever he pleases: and God prepares men for... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet goes on with the same subject, — that the Ninevites would labor in vain, while striving anxiously and with every effort to defend themselves against their enemies. The meaning then is, “That though thou remittest no diligence, yet thou shalt lose all thy labor; for thou wilt not be able... [ Continue Reading ]
But he adds, _There shall the fire consume thee _There is much importance in the adverb of place, _there, _which he uses: there also, he says_, shall the fire eat thee up: _for he expresses more than before, when he said, that the Assyrians would weary themselves in vain in fortifying their city and... [ Continue Reading ]
From these words we may learn what the Prophet before meant, when he said that the Assyrians were like locusts or chafers; as though he said, — “I know that you trust in your great number; for ye are like a swarm of chafers or locusts; ye excel greatly in number; inasmuch as you have assembled your... [ Continue Reading ]
_And thy princes are as locusts: _this refers to the wicked doings, by which they laid waste almost the whole earth. As then the locusts and chafers, wherever they come, consume every kind of food, devour all the fields, leave nothing, and the whole land becomes a waste; so also have been thy prince... [ Continue Reading ]
He confirms the preceding verse, and says that there would be no counsel nor wisdom in the leading men: for the_shepherds _of the king of Assyria were his counselors, in whose wisdom he trusted, as we know that kings usually depend on their counselors: for they think that there is in them prudence e... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet shows here more clearly, that when the empire of Nineveh should be scattered, it would be an incurable evil, that every hope of a remedy would be taken away. Though the wicked cannot escape calamity, yet they harbor false expectations, and think that they can in a short time gather new s... [ Continue Reading ]