The Meaning of Nahum 2:5 Explained

Nahum 2:5

KJV: 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.

YLT: He doth remember his honourable ones, They stumble in their goings, They hasten to its wall, and prepared is the covering.

Darby: He bethinketh him of his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the shelter is prepared.

ASV: He remembereth his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Nahum 2:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Assyrian king would call on his nobles to defend the city, but they would stumble in their haste to do so. They would hurry to Nineveh"s walls to set up some type of protective shield to deflect the attacker"s arrows, spears, and stones. [1]

Context Summary

Nahum 2:1-13 - A Cruel City To Be Overthrown
This is a prophetic foreview of the overthrow of Nineveh by the Medo-Babylonians. God had used her for the chastisement of His people; now, in turn, she must be cast away for her sins. The attacking soldiers wore crimson tunics, and the chariot wheels were armed with scythes, that flashed as they revolved. The streets might be filled with chariots mustering for defence, but all must be in vain since the scaling-ladders were already against the walls, and the gates of the rivers would soon be opened. Huzzab was Nineveh's queen, and represents the condition of the city, going into captivity as a slave, with bare face and legs. Note the comparison of Nineveh to a den of lions filled with bones. Fire and sword completed her ruin. This is the lot of the enemies of God's people. See Isaiah 54:16-17. But if God is true to His threatenings, how much more is He true to His promises! [source]

Chapter Summary: Nahum 2

1  The fearful and victorious armies of God against Nineveh

What do the individual words in Nahum 2:5 mean?

He remembers his nobles they stumble - in their walk they make haste to her walls and is prepared the defense
יִזְכֹּר֙ אַדִּירָ֔יו יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ [בהלכותם] (בַּהֲלִֽיכָתָ֑ם) יְמַֽהֲרוּ֙ חֽוֹמָתָ֔הּ וְהֻכַ֖ן הַסֹּכֵֽךְ

יִזְכֹּר֙  He  remembers 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
אַדִּירָ֔יו  his  nobles 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אַדִּיר  
Sense: great, majestic.
יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ  they  stumble 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּשַׁל  
Sense: to stumble, stagger, totter.
[בהלכותם]  - 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
(בַּהֲלִֽיכָתָ֑ם)  in  their  walk 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: הֲלִיכָה  
Sense: going, doing, travelling company, way.
יְמַֽהֲרוּ֙  they  make  haste 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָהַר  
Sense: (Qal) to hasten.
חֽוֹמָתָ֔הּ  to  her  walls 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
וְהֻכַ֖ן  and  is  prepared 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hofal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כּוּן 
Sense: to be firm, be stable, be established.
הַסֹּכֵֽךְ  the  defense 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּךְ 
Sense: (Qal) to hedge, fence about, shut in.