The Meaning of Nahum 3:3 Explained

Nahum 3:3

KJV: 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:

YLT: And the flame of a sword, and the lightning of a spear, And the abundance of the wounded, And the weight of carcases, Yea, there is no end to the bodies, They stumble over their bodies.

Darby: The horseman springing up, and the glitter of the sword, and the flash of the spear, and a multitude of slain, and a mass of carcases, and no end of corpses: they stumble over their corpses.

ASV: the horseman mounting, and the flashing sword, and the glittering spear, and a multitude of slain, and a great heap of corpses, and there is no end of the bodies; they stumble upon their bodies;-

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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  {08675;03782:08735} upon their corpses: 

What does Nahum 3:3 Mean?

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 3:3 mean?

Horsemen charge with and bright sword and glittering spear and [There is] a multitude of slain and a great number of bodies and Countless corpses - they stumble over the corpses
פָּרָ֣שׁ מַעֲלֶ֗ה וְלַ֤הַב חֶ֙רֶב֙ וּבְרַ֣ק חֲנִ֔ית וְרֹ֥ב חָלָ֖ל וְכֹ֣בֶד פָּ֑גֶר וְאֵ֥ין קֵ֙צֶה֙ לַגְּוִיָּ֔ה [יכשלו] (וְכָשְׁל֖וּ) בִּגְוִיָּתָֽם

פָּרָ֣שׁ  Horsemen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.
מַעֲלֶ֗ה  charge  with 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
וְלַ֤הַב  and  bright 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לַהַב  
Sense: flame, blade.
חֶ֙רֶב֙  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וּבְרַ֣ק  and  glittering 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בָּרָק  
Sense: lightning.
חֲנִ֔ית  spear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲנִית  
Sense: spear.
וְרֹ֥ב  and  [There  is]  a  multitude 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹב  
Sense: multitude, abundance, greatness.
חָלָ֖ל  of  slain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָלָל 
Sense: slain, fatally wounded, pierced.
וְכֹ֣בֶד  and  a  great  number 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּבֶד  
Sense: weight, heaviness, mass, great.
פָּ֑גֶר  of  bodies 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּגֶר  
Sense: corpse, carcass, monument, stela.
קֵ֙צֶה֙  Countless 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָצֶה 
Sense: end, extremity.
לַגְּוִיָּ֔ה  corpses 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גְּוִיָּה  
Sense: a body (of living creatures).
[יכשלו]  - 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
(וְכָשְׁל֖וּ)  they  stumble 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּשַׁל  
Sense: to stumble, stagger, totter.
בִּגְוִיָּתָֽם  over  the  corpses 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גְּוִיָּה  
Sense: a body (of living creatures).