@Na 3:1-19. REPETITION OF NINEVEH'S DOOM, WITH NEW FEATURES; THE CAUSE IS HER TYRANNY, RAPINE, AND CRUELTY: NO-AMMON'S FORTIFICATIONS DID NOT SAVE HER; IT IS VAIN, THEREFORE, FOR NINEVEH TO THINK HER DEFENSES WILL SECURE HER AGAINST GOD'S SENTENCE.
1. the bloody city!--literally, "city of blood,"
namely, shed by Nineveh; just so now her own blood is to be shed.
robbery--violence [MAURER]. Extortion
[GROTIUS].
the prey departeth not--Nineveh never ceases to live by
rapine. Or, the Hebrew verb is transitive, "she (Nineveh) does not make the
prey depart"; she ceases not to plunder.
2. The reader is transported into the midst of the fight (compare @Jer 47:3). The "noise of the whips" urging on the horses (in the chariots) is heard, and of "the rattling of the wheels" of war chariots, and the "horses" are seen "prancing," and the "chariots jumping," &c.
3. horseman--distinct from "the horses" (in the
chariots, @Na 3:2).
lifteth up--denoting readiness for fight [EWALD].
GESENIUS translates, "lifteth up (literally, 'makes to
ascend') his horse." Similarly MAURER, "makes his horse
to rise up on his hind feet." Vulgate translates, "ascending," that
is, making his horse to advance up to the assault. This last is perhaps better than English
Version.
the bright sword and the glittering spear--literally,
"the glitter of the sword and the flash of the spear!" This, as well as the
translation, "the horseman advancing up," more graphically presents the battle
scene to the eye.
they stumble upon their corpses--The Medo-Babylonian
enemy stumble upon the Assyrian corpses.
4. Because of the multitude of the whoredoms--This assigns
the reason for Nineveh's destruction.
of the well-favoured harlot--As Assyria was not a worshipper
of the true God, "whoredoms" cannot mean, as in the case of Israel, apostasy to
the worship of false gods; but, her harlot-like artifices whereby she allured
neighboring states so as to subject them to herself. As the unwary are allured by the
"well-favored harlot's" looks, so Israel, Judah (for example, under Ahaz, who,
calling to his aid Tiglath-pileser, was made tributary by him, @2Ki 16:7-10), and other
nations, were tempted by the plausible professions of Assyria, and by the lure of commerce
(@Re 18:2,3), to trust
her.
witchcrafts--(@Isa 47:9,12). Alluding to
the love incantations whereby harlots tried to dement and ensnare youths; answering to the
subtle machinations whereby Assyria attracted nations to her.
selleth--deprives of their liberty; as slaves used to be sold:
and in other property also sale was a usual mode of transfer. MAURER
understands it of depriving nations of their freedom, and literally selling them as
slaves to distant peoples (@Joe 3:2,3,6-8). But
elsewhere there is no evidence that the Assyrians did this.
families--peoples.
5. I will discover thy skirts upon thy face--that is, discover thy nakedness by throwing up thy skirts upon thy face (the greatest possible insult), pulling them up as as high as thy head (@Jer 13:22 Eze 16:37-41). I will treat thee not as a matron, but as a harlot whose shame is exposed; her gaudy finery being lifted up off her (@Isa 47:2,3). So Nineveh shall be stripped of all her glory and defenses on which she prides herself.
6. cast abominable filth upon thee--as infamous harlots
used to be treated.
gazing stock--exposed to public ignominy as a warning to
others (@Eze 28:17).
7. all . . . that look upon thee--when thou hast
been made "a gazing stock" (@Na 3:6).
shall flee from thee--as a thing horrible to look upon.
Compare "standing afar off," @Re 18:10.
whence shall I seek comforters for thee?--Compare @Isa 51:19, which Nahum had
before his mind.
8. populous No--rather, as Hebrew,
"No-ammon," the Egyptian name for Thebes in Upper Egypt; meaning the portion
or possession of Ammon, the Egyptian Jupiter (whence the Greeks called the city
Diospolis), who was especially worshipped there. The Egyptian inscriptions call the god Amon-re,
that is, Amon the Sun; he is represented as a human figure with a ram's head,
seated on a chair (@Jer 46:25 Eze
30:14-16). The blow inflicted on No-ammon, described in @Na 3:10, was probably by the
Assyrian Sargon (see on Isa 18:1; Isa 20:1). As Thebes, with all her
resources, was overcome by Assyria, so Assyrian Nineveh, notwithstanding all her might, in
her turn, shall be overcome by Babylon. English Version, "populous," if
correct, implies that No's large population did not save her from destruction.
situate among the rivers--probably the channels into
which the Nile here divides (compare @Isa 19:6-8). Thebes lay on
both sides of the river. It was famed in HOMER'S time for its
hundred gates [Iliad, 9.381]. Its ruins still describe a circumference of
twenty-seven miles. Of them the temples of Luxor and Karnak, east of the river, are most
famous. The colonnade of the former, and the grand hall of the latter, are of stupendous
dimensions. One wall still represents the expedition of Shishak against Jerusalem under
Rehoboam (@1Ki
14:25 2Ch 12:2-9).
whose . . . wall was from the sea--that is, rose
up "from the sea." MAURER translates, "whose
wall consisted of the sea." But this would be a mere repetition of the former
clause. The Nile is called a sea, from its appearance in the annual flood (@Isa 19:5).
9. Ethiopia--Hebrew, Cush. Ethiopia is thought at
this time to have been mistress of Upper Egypt.
Egypt--Lower Egypt.
her strength--her safeguard as an ally.
it was infinite--The resources of these, her allies, were
endless.
Put--or Phut (@Ge 10:6); descended from Ham
(@Eze 27:10). From a root
meaning a bow; as they were famed as archers [GESENIUS].
Probably west of Lower Egypt. JOSEPHUS [Antiquities, 1:6.2]
identifies it with Mauritania (compare @Jer 46:9, Margin; @Eze 38:5).
Lubim--the Libyans, whose capital was Cyrene; extending along
the Mediterranean west of Egypt (@2Ch 12:3 16:8 Ac
2:10). As, however, the Lubim are always connected with the Egyptians and
Ethiopians, they are perhaps distinct from the Libyans. The Lubim were probably at
first wandering tribes, who afterwards were settled under Carthage in the region of
Cyrene, under the name Libyans.
thy--No's.
helpers--literally, "in thy help," that is, among
thy auxiliaries.
10. Notwithstanding all her might, she was overcome.
cast lots for her honourable men--They divided them among
themselves by lot, as slaves (@Joe
3:3).
11. drunken--made to drink of the cup of Jehovah's wrath (@Isa 51:17,21 Jer
25:15).
hid--covered out of sight: a prediction remarkably verified in
the state in which the ruins of Nineveh have been found [G. V. SMITH].
But as "hid" precedes "seek strength," &c., it rather refers to
Nineveh's state when attacked by her foe: "Thou who now so vauntest thyself, shalt be
compelled to seek a hiding-place from the foe" [CALVIN]; or,
shalt be neglected and slighted by all [MAURER].
seek strength because of the enemy--Thou too, like Thebes (@Na 3:9), shalt have recourse to
other nations for help against thy Medo-Babylonian enemy.
12. thy strongholds--on the borders of Assyria, protecting
the approaches to Nineveh: "the gates of thy land" (@Na 3:13).
fig trees with the first ripe figs--expressing the rapidity
and ease of the capture of Nineveh (compare @Isa 28:4 Re 6:13).
13. thy people--thy soldiers.
women--unable to fight for thee (@Isa 19:16 Jer
50:37 51:30).
gates on thy land--the fortified passes or entrances to the
region of Nineveh (compare @Jer
15:7). Northeast of Nineveh there were hills affording a natural barrier against an
invader; the guarded passes through these are probably "the gates of the land"
meant.
fire shall devour thy bars--the "bars" of the
fortresses at the passes into Assyria. So in Assyrian remains the Assyrians themselves are
represented as setting fire to the gates of a city [BONOMI, Nineveh,
pp. 194, 197].
14. Ironical exhortation to Nineveh to defend herself.
Draw . . . waters--so as not to be without water for
drinking, in the event of being cut off by the besiegers from the fountains.
make strong the brick-kiln--or "repair" so as to
have a supply of bricks formed of kiln-burnt clay, to repair breaches in the ramparts, or
to build new fortifications inside when the outer ones are taken by the foe.
15. There--in the very scene of thy great preparations for
defense; and where thou now art so secure.
fire--even as at the former destruction; Sardanapalus (Pul?)
perished with all his household in the conflagration of his palace, having in despair set
it on fire, the traces of which are still remaining.
cankerworm--"the licking locust" [HENDERSON].
make thyself many as the locusts--"the swarming
locusts" [HENDERSON]; that is, however "many" be thy
forces, like those of "the swarming locusts," or the "licking
locusts," yet the foe shall consume thee as the "licking locust" licks up
all before it.
16. multiplied thy merchants--(@Eze 27:23,24). Nineveh,
by large canals, had easy access to Babylon; and it was one of the great routes for the
people of the west and northwest to that city; lying on the Tigris it had access to the
sea. The Phoenicians carried its wares everywhere. Hence its merchandise is so much spoken
of.
the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away--that is, spoiled thy
merchants. The "cankerworm," or licking locust, answers to the
Medo-Babylonian invaders of Nineveh [G. V. SMITH]. CALVIN
explains less probably, "Thy merchants spoiled many regions; but the same shall
befall them as befalls locusts, they in a moment shall be scattered and flee away." MAURER, somewhat similarly, "The licking locust puts off (the
envelope in which his wings had been folded), and teeth away" (@Na 2:9; compare @Joe 1:4). The Hebrew
has ten different names for the locust, so destructive was it.
17. Thy crowned--Thy princes (@Re 9:7). The king's nobles and
officers wore the tiara, as well as the king; hence they are called here "thy crowned
ones."
as the locusts--as many as the swarming locusts.
thy captains--Tiphsar, an Assyrian word; found
also in @Jer 51:27,
meaning satraps [MICHAELIS]; or rather, "military
leaders" [MAURER]. The last syllable, sar means a
"prince," and is found in Belshaz-zar, Nabopolas-sar, Nebuchadnez-zar.
as the great grasshoppers--literally, "as the locust of
locusts," that is, the largest locust. MAURER translates,
"as many as locusts upon locusts," that is, swarms of locusts. Hebrew
idiom favors English Version.
in the hedges in the cold--Cold deprives the locust of the
power of flight; so they alight in cold weather and at night, but when warmed by the sun
soon "flee away." So shall the Assyrian multitudes suddenly disappear, not
leaving a trace behind (compare PLINY, Natural History,
11.29).
18. Thy shepherds--that is, Thy leaders.
slumber--are carelessly secure [MAURER].
Rather, "lie in death's sleep, having been slain" [JEROME]
(@Ex 15:16 Ps 76:6).
shall dwell in the dust--(@Ps 7:5 94:17).
thy people is scattered--the necessary consequence of their
leaders being laid low (@1Ki
22:17).
19. bruit--the report.
clap the hands--with joy at thy fall. The sole descendants of
the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians in the whole country are the Nestorian Christians,
who speak a Chaldean language [LAYARD].
upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?--implying
God's long forbearance, and the consequent enormity of Assyria's guilt, rendering her case
one that admitted no hope of restoration.