Nahum 3:1-7

Nahum 3:1-7

[1] Woe  to the bloody  city!  of lies  and robbery;  the prey  departeth  [2] The noise  of a whip,  and the noise  of the rattling  of the wheels,  and of the pransing  horses,  and of the jumping  chariots.  [3] The horseman  lifteth up  both the bright  sword  and the glittering  spear:  and there is a multitude  of slain,  and a great  number of carcases;  and there is none end  of their corpses;  they stumble  upon their corpses:  [4] Because of the multitude  of the whoredoms  of the wellfavoured  harlot,  the mistress  of witchcrafts,  that selleth  nations  through her whoredoms,  and families  through her witchcrafts.  [5] Behold, I am against thee, saith  the LORD  of hosts;  and I will discover  thy skirts  upon thy face,  and I will shew  the nations  thy nakedness,  and the kingdoms  thy shame.  [6] And I will cast  abominable filth  upon thee, and make thee vile,  and will set  thee as a gazingstock.  [7] And it shall come to pass, that all they that look  upon thee shall flee  from thee, and say,  Nineveh  is laid waste:  who will bemoan  her? whence  shall I seek  comforters  for thee?

What does Nahum 3:1-7 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This description explains further the "why" for Nineveh"s fall whereas the first two descriptions in the previous chapter gave more of the actual events, the "what" of it. There is much similarity between the descriptions of the siege in Nahum 2:3-4 and Nahum 3:2-3, however. This section has been called a woe oracle because it pronounces doom on Nineveh in typical woe oracle fashion (cf. Isaiah 5:18-19; Amos 5:18-20; Amos 6:1-7; Micah 2:1-4). [1]