God proclaims deliverance B. C. 720. a B. C. 720. A. M. 3284. be cut down, when he shall pass || will I cut off the graven image and A. M. 3284 through. Though I have afflicted the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile. thee, I will afflict thee no more. 13 For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. 15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publish 8 9 14 And the LORD hath given a command-eth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, ment concerning thee, that no more of thy perform thy vows: for name be sown out of the house of thy gods more pass through thee: 'Heb. shorn.- a Isaiah viii. 8; Dan. xi. 10.- Jer. ii. 20; xxx. 8. 2 Kings xix. 37. anger, by Sennacherib or his forces. For now I will break his yoke from off thee-Hezekiah and his people shall no longer be tributaries to the king of Assyria, as they have been for a considerable time: see 2 Kings xviii. 14. The words may also be considered as promising relief to the Israelites of the ten tribes, who were in a state of actual captivity among them at this time. d Isaiah lii. 7; Rom. x. 15.- - the wicked shall no he is utterly cut off. Heb. feast. Heb. Belial of which that of Babylon was raised. Observe, reader, those that make themselves vile by scandalous sins, God will make vile by shameful punishments. Verse 15. Behold upon the mountains—Which surrounded Jerusalem; the feet of him-Of the messenger; that bringeth good tidings-Tidings that Nineveh is destroyed; that publisheth peace--Deliverance from the tyranny and oppression of the Assyrians, through the destruction of their capital city, and the overthrow of their empire; or safety and prosperity to the Jews, which the word peace often signifies. Compare Isa. lii. 7, where the same expressions are used with relation to the destruction of Babylon, the overthrow of the Chaldean empire, and the release of the Jews, and their restoration to their own land. These deliverances being typical of the great redemption wrought out for us by the Messiah, the words are applied by the apostle (Rom. x. 15) to the gospel, which brings us glad tidings of that redemption, and of all the spiritual and eternal blessings consequent upon it. O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts--As thou now hast liberty to do, and Verse 14. And the Lord hath given a command-|| ment-God hath determined, concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown-The meaning of this seems to be, God had decreed that Sennacherib's family should not long preserve their royal dignity. His son and successor, Esar-haddon, was now probably at man's estate, for he succeeded his father in a little time after his defeat, (2 Kings xix. 37,) and reigned with great prosperity for many years. But his next successor, or the next but one, was dispossessed of his kingdom by Nabopolassar, father to Nebuchadnezzar, whose family enjoyed the empire of Assyria, or Babylon, as it came then to be called, till the conquest of it by Cyrus. Out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image, &c.—mayest do with joy and gladness, being freed from thy All the images which thou worshippest will I destroy. The army of the enemy shall lay all waste, and not spare even the images of thy gods. I will make thy grave, &c.—The sense must be supplied from the former sentence: as if he had said, The house of thine idol shall become thy grave. There Sennacherib was dishonourably slain by his own sons, and there, some suppose, he was buried. For thou art vile-Held in no esteem, not even by thine own off spring, but disgracefully murdered by them, as having lost all interest even in their natural affection. Or the words may be interpreted of the ignominious fall of the Assyrian monarchy itself, upon the ruins fears; and to do which thou art now under peculiar obligations, having been so wonderfully delivered from the oppressive power of thy enemies; and having solemnly vowed to God, when thou wast in distress, that thou wouldest worship and serve him according to the precepts of his law, if thou shouldest be delivered from any further fear of thy oppressors. For the wicked shall no more pass through thee--The impious Assyrians, who set at naught and blasphemed Jehovah, thy God, shall no more come against thee. He is utterly cut off—The oppressor is taken away, and the Assyrian empire utterly and for ever ruined. CHAPTER II. Here is foretold, (1,) The approach of the enemy that should destroy Nineveh, and the terror of his military preparations, 1-5. (2) The taking of the city, the captivity of the queen, the flight of the inhabitants, the seizing of all the wealth of it, and the mighty consternation it should be in, 6-10. (3,) The true cause of all this, their sinning against God, and God's appearing against them, 11–13. NOTES ON CHAPTER II. of Nineveh described. B. C. 710. 4 The chariots shall rage in the A. M. 3294. streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings. 6 5 He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared. 6 The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved. 9 8 7 And Huzzab shall be 10 led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall 3 Or, died scarlet.- Or, fiery torches. 5 Heb. their show. 6 Or, gallants. Heb. covering, or, coverer. Or, molten. 9 Or, that which was established, or, there was a stand made. 10 Or, discovered. to wear scarlet." The chariots shall be with flaming torches--Rather, the chariots shall shine like the fire of torches, in the day that they prepare them|| selves-Namely, by the wheels continually striking fire against the stones and pavement by the quickness of the motion. And the fir-trees shall be terribly shaken-Namely, by the rattling of the chariot wheels, in running up and down. Or this may be interpreted of the pikes and lances used by the Chaldeans, and made of fir, and here called fir-trees on account of their length and largeness. The chariots shall rage in the streets-They shall drive furiously one against another. They shall seem like torches, &c.--See on the preceding verse. They run like the lightnings-Or, with the swiftness of lightning. Verse 1. He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face--This is addressed to the city of Nineveh, and explains more fully how the change, described in the foregoing chapter, should be brought about. It begins with telling Nineveh, that he who should break down her walls, and discomfit her in- || habitants, was coming against her, and was, as it were, already in sight. Keep the munition, watch the way--Use thy utmost industry to defend thyself, by strengthening thy garrisons, and guarding the passes. Make thy loins strong-Stir up all thy strength and courage. Fortify thy power mightily --Increase thy forces as much as thou canst. The meaning of this is, that let the Ninevites take all the precautions they could, and strengthen themselves to the utmost, yet it would be all in vain. Verses 5, 6. He--The enemy that attacks Nineveh, namely, the king of Babylon; shall recount his worthies--Shall select some of his choicest troops for the siege of it. They shall stumble in their fence, with which being covered, they might undermine and throw down the walls." The gates of the river shall be open-See note on chap. i. 8. The palace shall be dissolved--Or, molten; shall be consumed with fire. Verses 2-4. For the Lord hath turned away the|| excellency of Jacob--Jacob and Israel stood in a nearer relation to God than Nineveh; yet God hath punished them: much more will he punish Nineveh. || walk-They shall show such forwardness, and be By the excellency of Jacob, the wealth, the strength, so eager to begin the attack of the city and mount the valiant men, all that Jacob gloried in is here the walls, that they shall stumble and throw one meant. For the emptiers have emptied them out-- another down in their haste. The defence shall be This is spoken of the Assyrians having spoiled the prepared--Hebrew, 0, the covering. So the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And marred their || Vulgate, preparabitur umbraculum: "Testudo qua vine-branches-Ruined their towns and villages. || tecti subruant mœnia.”-Grotius. "The testudo, or Judah, or Israel, sometimes, is represented in the prophetic writings under the emblem of a vine, or vineyard; of consequence her towns and villages are her vine-branches. Some think, however, that the expression signifies here, their being bereaved of their children by the Assyrian conquerors. The shield of his mighty men is made red-Is stained with blood: this appears to be a description of the Chaldeans, or Medes, assaulting Nineveh. The valiant men are in scarlet-The eastern people were very fond of dressing themselves in scarlet, as we learn from Herodotus. Or, "As the preparation for battle is described, we may suppose," says Bishop Newcome, that "it was customary among those who fought against Nineveh to carry red shields and Verse 7. And Huzzab shall be led away captive By Huzzab the Chaldee understands the queen, who, without due respect to her royal dignity, should be hurried away, among other captives, into a strange land; and exposed, as they, to danger and insolence. And her maids-The ladies that waited on her in her state of royalty, shall now be her companions in her captivity; shall lead her-Shall support their sorrowful, weary, and fainting queen, spent with such travel as she had not been used to; with the The capture and NAHUM. ruin of Nineveh. A. M. 3294. lead her as with the voice of doves, || the feeding-place of the young lions, A. M. 3294. tabering upon their breasts. where the lion, even the old lion, B. C. 710. B. C. 710. 8 But Nineveh is 11of old like a pool of wa- | walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made ter: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, them afraid? shall they cry; but none shall 12 look back. 9 Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: 13 for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the 14 pleasant furniture. 10 She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness. 12 The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin. 13 m Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers 11 Where is the dwelling of the lions, and shall no more be heard. n h Dan. v. 6. Jer. xxx. 9. Joel ii. 6. Job iv. 10, 11; Ezek. xix. 2-7.- Ezek. xxix. 3; xxxviii. 3; xxxix. 1; Chap. iii. 5.- n 2 Kings xviii. 17, 19; xix. 9, 23. voice of doves, tabering, &c.—Mourning like doves, -The Vulgate reads, There is no end of the riches, and beating their breasts, instead of musical instru- from all the desirable vessels. The sense of the ments. But, as the word Huzzab signifies a strong, Hebrew, however, is, The glory (namely, of their or impregnable fortress, some understand thereby riches) is above all precious vessels; that is, beNineveh itself. If this be the meaning of the term, yond all that is generally esteemed precious, and Nineveh is here figuratively represented as a great || greatly coveted. She is empty, and void, and waste princess carried captive, with her maids of honour-She is spoiled of every thing. And the heart attending her, and bewailing hers and their own con- || melteth-The inhabitants have no heart, or courage, dition, with every sign and expression of lamenta- to defend themselves, but leave the city to be plun tion: whereby was denoted, that the lesser cities dered and laid waste by the enemy. The knees under her jurisdiction should be sharers with her in smite together-They are quite overcome with fear. her calamity. Thus Babylon is represented by Verses 11-13. Where is the dwelling of the lions Isaiah as a tender and delicate lady, undergoing the Where is the lion-like courage and strength, hardships of a captivity, chap. xlvii. 1-8. which formerly characterized the king of Nineveh Verse 8. But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water and his people? What is become of the stately pa-“Id est, supra modum populosa, nam aquæ popu- laces of the king and princes of Nineveh? who, like li." That is, above measure populous, for waters so many lions, cruel, violent, and irresistible, knew signify people.-Grotius. Yet they shall flee away no other law than their pride and ambition; prey-But they shall all flee for fear of the enemy, and ing upon their own people, and the neighbouring run away like water: compare Psa. lviii. 7. Stand, countries, and filling their houses with the spoils stand, shall they cry, but none shall look back—they took from them, as the lions fill their dens with Their commanders shall call out to them to stand, but none shall pay any regard to them, or cease to flee. The Hebrew is peculiarly animated, and highly poetical. It is literally, Nineveh is as a pool of water: waters is she, and they run away: Stand, stand, but none looketh back. As if he had said, Their commanders might as easily stop the flowing waters by bidding them stand, as cause the Ninevites to stand to their arms and resist the enemy. The words allude to what was foretold chap. i. 8, where their prey. I will burn her chariots in the smoke— Or, even unto smoke. The LXX. read, kaι EKKOVOU ev kaπvw nĥndos σov, I will burn thy multitude in the smoke. Some again render the clause, I will burn thy seat, or thy habitation, observing, that the simile taken from lions is continued; and therefore that the word chariots is quite improper here; the expres sion referring to the den or habitation of lions, which he threatens to suffocate with fire and smoke in their subterraneous caverns. The sword shall devour thy young lions-Shall destroy thy young people, and Verses 9, 10. Take ye the spoil of silver, of gold the most vigorous of thy soldiers. I will cut off thy -Here the Babylonians are addressed as if they prey from the earth-I will prevent thy spoiling any had just entered the city; and are bid to take the country any more. And the voice of thy messen spoil of it, there being none to make any resistance.gers shall no more be heard-Thou shalt no more We read in Diodorus, that Arbaces carried many send ambassadors with thy orders to distant countalents of gold and silver to Ecbatana, the royal city tries, either to encourage thine allies or to terrify of the Medes. For there is none end of the store, &c. I thine enemies. see the note. 984 3 The sins of Nineveh, and CHAPTER III. CHAPTER III. judgments pursuing them. Here we have, (1,) The sins of Nineveh, and judgments pursuing them, 1-7. (2,) Instances of similar judgments for the like sins, 8-11. (3,) The overthrow of all those things wherein they trusted, 12-19. NOTES ON CHAPTER III. Verse 1. Wo to the bloody city-Here God shows the cause of his bringing destruction on Nineveh, and overthrowing the Assyrian empire. And first, it is declared, that Nineveh was a city in which acts of cruelty abounded, and innocent blood was frequently shed; that it was also full of deceit, falsehood, and rapine; unjustly and continually increasing its riches by the plunder of the neighbouring countries, which had done them no injury. Verses 2, 3. The noise of a whip, &c.-These verses are highly poetical; the prophet tells them, that he already hears the sound of the whips driving || on the horses, and the rattling of the chariot wheels, &c., of their enemies coming against them. The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword, &c.—In || the Hebrew it is, The horseman lifteth up the flame || of the sword, and the lightning of the spear, which is more poetical than our rendering. The style of the whole passage is extremely fine; scarce any thing can be more picturesque, or strongly descriptive of | a victorious army. Verse 4. Because of the multitude, &c.-That is, this judgment is executed upon Nineveh because of the multitude of her whoredoms, by which idolatrous rites seem to be meant, for they are generally called whoredoms in the Scripture. Nineveh is called a well-favoured harlot, because, by her example and influence, she drew in other places to practise the same idolatries and other vices of which she was guilty. That selleth nations through her whoredoms-That makes whole nations a prey to their enemies, by encouraging them to worship idols, and thereby exposing themselves to the wrath of God: or by teaching them the arts of softness and effemi nacy, and so rendering them weak and defenceless. As the violence and injustice of the Ninevites had been represented under the emblem of a lion, the prophet here paints their irregularities, their idolatry, and corruption, under the idea of a prostitute enticing men to commit lewdness. Verses 5-7. Behold, I will discover thy skirts, &c., upon thy face-Nineveh, as a harlot, had been proud, and appeared beautiful and gay in the gifts of her lovers, but now God would deal with her according to her ways, would send her into captivity naked and bare, exposed to the greatest infamy, or would deal with her as inhuman soldiers deal with captive women. And I will show, &c.-I will expose thy shame to the world, a punishment often inflicted upon harlots: see note on Ezek. xvi. 37. I will cast abominable filth upon thee-I will deprive thee of all thine ornaments, and cover thee with shame and reproach. And will set thee as a gazing-stock-I will make a public example of thee. All they that look upon thee shall flee from thee-As being affrighted at the sight of thy dismal condition, and not willing to lend thee any assistance. Who will bemoan her? &c.-Thou didst so offend all people in thy prosperity, that all will rejoice at thy fall, and none will be found to lament or condole with thee. Verses 8-10. Art thou better than populous NoArt thou in a better or safer condition; or hast thou more merit than the famous populous city of No? The Hebrew reads, No-ammon, the same city which is spoken of Jer. xlvi. 25; and Ezek. xxx. 15; where see the notes; and where our version reads, the multitude of No, as here, populous No. It is thought by some, that the place took its rise from Ham, by whose posterity Egypt was peopled, (thence called The siege of Nineveh, and B. C. 710. NAHUM. t the preparations for it. B. C. 710. A. M. 3294. 9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her || wide open unto thine enemies: the A. M. 3294 strength, and it was infinite; Put fire shall devour thy bars. and Lubim were thy helpers. 5 10 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. 11 Thou also shalt be a drunken thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy. 12 All thy strong holds shall be like 'fig-trees | with the first ripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater. 13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women the gates of thy land shall be set Heb. in thy help.- n Psa. cxxxvii. 9; Isa. xiii. 16; Hosea xiii. 16.— Lam. ii. 19.—P Joel iii. 3; Obad. 11.9 Jer. xxv. 17, 27; Chap. i. 10. 14 Draw thee waters for the siege, "fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the brick-kiln. 15 There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the canker-worm: make thyself many as the canker-worm, make thyself many as the locusts. 16 Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the canker-worm spoileth, and flieth away. y 17 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 passages, by which the enemy may invade thee, shall be open to them, either through fear or treachery, or shall be easily forced. The fire shall de vour thy bars-With which the gates were shut and strengthened. Verses 14, 15. Draw thee waters for the siege-Fill all thy cisterns, and draw the waters into the ditches. Go into the clay, &c.-Set thy brickmakers on work to prepare store of materials for thy fortifications. There shall the fire devour thee-After all that thou canst do, the fire of the enemy shall reach even thy inmost works, and their darts shall drive off the de the land of Ham, Psa. cvi. 22,) and who was worshipped under the name of Jupiter-ammon. Accordingly the LXX. render it Diospolis, that is, the city of Jupiter. That was situate among the rivers-Which was defended by the river Nile on the one side, and the Red sea on the other, as by so many walls and ramparts. Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength-Their forces defended this city. And it was infinite-Houbigant renders the verse, The Ethiopians and Egyptians, who are innumerable, were her strength; the Africans and Libyans were her helpers. Yet was she carried away-It is evident that Nahum does not here foretel the destruc-fenders of them. The sword shall cut thee offtion of No-ammon as an event yet to come, but The Hebrew word, which we render here sword, speaks of it as a transaction past, although but late- properly signifies any kind of dart; and this seems ly. It therefore cannot be attributed to Nebuchad- to be spoken of the fire, and missile weapons which nezzar, for that would suppose it to have happened the enemy should throw, in order to burn their inafter the destruction of Nineveh, instead of before it. ner works, or drive them from off them. It shall eat Dr. Prideaux, with more reason, believes that it was thee up like the canker-worm-The sword of the effected by Sennacherib, about three years before he enemy shall destroy thee, as the canker-worm eats besieged Jerusalem, in the time of Hezekiah. At up the fruits of the earth. Or, as some interpret the that time Sevechus, the son of Sabaccon, or So, expression, Thou shalt be devoured as the cankermentioned 2 Kings xvii. 4, was king both of Egypt worm is eaten up; because the Assyrians were and Ethiopia; so they are mentioned here as con- wont to eat these kinds of worms, which were a spefederates, and Isaiah foretels that they should be cies of locusts, which are still eaten in the eastern vanquished by Sargon, or Sennacherib. They cast countries. Make thyself many as the canker-worm lots for her honourable men-Conquerors used to-Though thou multiply thine armies like locusts, or cast lots what captives should come to each man's share see note on Obad. 11. Verses 11-13. Thou also shalt be drunken-Thou shalt drink deep of the bitter cup of God's displeasure. Thou shalt be hid, &c.-Thou shalt not dare to appear in the open field. Thou shall seek strength because of the enemy-Thou shalt retire into thy strong holds, or fortified places, for fear of the enemy. All thy strong holds shall be like fig-treesAs figs when quite ripe drop off from the trees by the least shaking, so shall thy strong holds fall into the enemies' hands upon the first assault. The gates of thy land shall be set wide open, &c.-The several caterpillars, yet the enemy shall destroy them. Verses 16, 17. Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars-Thou hast drawn more merchants to thee than there are stars in the heavens. This is a hyperbolical expression, to signify the great number of them. The canker-worm spoileth, and fleeth away-As the locusts destroy the fruits of the earth, and then fly away to another place; so shall thy soldiers pillage all the wealth thou hast gained by traffic, and then leave thee. Thy crowned (or, thy princes) are as the locusts, &c.-For as they fly away when the heat comes on, so thy princes and captains will fly away from the heat of battle, or danger. 3 |