The Meaning of Nahum 3:15 Explained

Nahum 3:15

KJV: There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.

YLT: There consume thee doth a fire, Cut thee off doth a sword, It doth consume thee as a cankerworm! Make thyself heavy as the cankerworm, Make thyself heavy as the locust.

Darby: There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off; it shall devour thee like the cankerworm. Make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locust.

ASV: There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off; it shall devour thee like the canker-worm: make thyself many as the canker-worm; make thyself many as the locust.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

There shall the fire  devour  thee; the sword  shall cut thee off,  it shall eat thee up  like the cankerworm:  make thyself many  as the cankerworm,  make thyself many  as the locusts. 

What does Nahum 3:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

However if the Ninevites did strengthen their defenses, fire would consume them where they went to draw water and the sword would cut them down as they built. The walls of Nineveh would become the walls of her tomb rather than her defense.
"There was no question about the clear traces of the burning of the temple (as also in the palace of Sennacherib), for a layer of ash about two inches thick lay clearly defined in places on the southeast side about the level of the Sargon pavement." [1]
The city"s destruction would be like a locust invasion. A hoard of invading soldiers would descend on Nineveh and leave nothing remaining (cf. Joel 1:2-13). Nahum ironically encouraged the Ninevites to multiply their numbers like locusts since they would have to face a swarm of invading locust-like soldiers. [2] Another interpretation is that Nahum was addressing the invading soldiers and encouraging them to increase their number so they would be successful. This seems less likely to me since the references to "yourself" are to the people of Nineveh in the context, and an ironical word to them makes sense.

Context Summary

Nahum 3:1-19 - Deserved Doom
This terrible chapter pictures the doom of Nineveh. She had used infamous methods in bringing surrounding nations under her power, and now her shame was to be discovered and exposed. It seemed incredible that so great a city should become desolate, but she is reminded of the populous Thebes especially dedicated to Ammon, the Egyptian Jupiter. As this great city had been overwhelmed by Assyria, so would Nineveh be by the Chaldeans. In spite of her Nile and her tributary nations, Thebes fell, and Nineveh would drink of the same cup. Her fall would be as easy as the plucking of ripe figs. The centuries that have passed since the prophet spoke only lend emphasis to his words. The silence of death still reigns over the desolate mounds that mark the site of the cherished capital. In Revelation 19:1-10 the saints and martyrs celebrate the fall of Babylon the Great. Let us see to it that we are heirs of that Kingdom which cannot be shaken, Hebrews 12:28 [source]

Chapter Summary: Nahum 3

1  The destruction of Nineveh

What do the individual words in Nahum 3:15 mean?

There will devour you the fire will cut you off the sword it will eat you up like a locust Make yourself many like the locust Make yourself many like the [swarming] locusts
שָׁ֚ם תֹּאכְלֵ֣ךְ אֵ֔שׁ תַּכְרִיתֵ֣ךְ חֶ֔רֶב תֹּאכְלֵ֖ךְ כַּיָּ֑לֶק הִתְכַּבֵּ֣ד כַּיֶּ֔לֶק הִֽתְכַּבְּדִ֖י כָּאַרְבֶּֽה

תֹּאכְלֵ֣ךְ  will  devour  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular, second person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֵ֔שׁ  the  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
תַּכְרִיתֵ֣ךְ  will  cut  you  off 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person feminine singular, second person feminine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
חֶ֔רֶב  the  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
תֹּאכְלֵ֖ךְ  it  will  eat  you  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular, second person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
כַּיָּ֑לֶק  like  a  locust 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶק  
Sense: young locust (early stage of development).
הִתְכַּבֵּ֣ד  Make  yourself  many 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.
כַּיֶּ֔לֶק  like  the  locust 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶק  
Sense: young locust (early stage of development).
הִֽתְכַּבְּדִ֖י  Make  yourself  many 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.
כָּאַרְבֶּֽה  like  the  [swarming]  locusts 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַרְבֶּה  
Sense: a kind of locust, locust swarm (coll).

What are the major concepts related to Nahum 3:15?

Loading Information...