NAHUM 2


Yahweh's anger against Assyria

1 He [Nabopolassarthat dasheth in pieces is come up before thy [Sennacheribface: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.

Dashes in pieces


‭ ‬The Babylonians scattered‭ ‬prisoners of war to all parts of their empire and transplanted foreigners into conquered territories. This effectively ended any potential uprising among conquered peoples. Assyria's end was total.

Nabopolassar ascended the throne of Babylonin 626‭ ‬BC. He invaded Assyria and took the city of Asshur in‭ ‬614‭ ‬BC.‭ ‬He then made an alliance with the Medes and Scythians and surrounded Nineveh in‭ ‬612‭ BC.

In‭ ‬609‭ ‬BC the Babylonians under the command of Nebuchadnezzar defeated the combined Assyrian and Egyptian armies at Haran.‭ ‬The final battle between these same groups took place at Carchemish in‭ ‬605‭ ‬BC.‭ ‬

The Assyrian Empire was effectively destroyed and the Egyptians were forced to return to Egypt.



2 For Yahweh hath turned away [bringeth again -RV] the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.

"Be not afraid of the Assyrian...his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder"

- Isa 10: 24-27.


3 The shield of his mighty men is made red [with blood], 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.

4 The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.



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.

Sennacherib‭ ‬built massive walls to protect Nineveh. In his pride and presumption he named the outer wall‭ "‬The Wall That Terrifies the Enemy‭", ‬and the inner wall‭ "‬The Wall Whose Splendor Overwhelms the Foe".



6 The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.

When ancients built city walls over rivers, they included gates allowing water (and fish) to continue to flow through the city.

How often we detect the hand of the Elohim at work in determining the overthrow of kings and empires! Whether by storm, fog, snow, rain or wind, climatic conditions frequently favour and play a decisive role on behalf of the side destined by Yahweh to usurp the kingdom whose judgement and appointed end has come.

During the siege of Nineveh, a series of torrential downpours swelled the Tigris River and its channels. The city flooded, and the water caused portions of the walls to collapse. These breaches granted the Babylonians access into the city.



7 And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.



8 But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.

Nineveh flooded v6.

"Stand, stand", the plea is ignored as the people of Nineveh flee in terror. The city becomes empty of people - just like a reservoir that has been drained.



9 Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.

Nineveh contained an immense amount of wealth amassed from cities it had previously looted



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.



11 Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?

The once mighty predator of the ancient Near East is now the prey



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 Behold, I am against thee, saith Yahweh Tz'vaoth, 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 shall no more be heard.