Nahum 2

1-5 6-9 10-13

1-5

1

God calls himself the scatterer as Assyria’s was known to scatter the captives they took from the nations they invaded far and wide now God will disperse those in Assyria that survive all over. In a sort of mocking and jest he tells them to prepare for battle, the ramparts were the walkways on top of the wall and provided a high vantage point to watch the roads for approaching forces.

2

For a long time Assyria and its capital city Nineveh had invaded and plunder the lands, people and possessions of Israel and God is removing them as a people and place and they will invade them and trample their crops no more.

3

Verse 3 describes the incoming Babylonian army, their shields covered in cloth or skins dyed red to hide blood shed on them. Their outer garments in a matching scarlet red. Their chariots overlaid with shining metal that reflects the sun and makes them look as if they are on fire. The combined army’s of Babylonia, Mede, and Scythia approaching Nineveh with heavy spears made of sturdy cypress, brandished and ready to lay waste to the city.

4

Conversely the chariots in Nineveh race madly around in hurried preparation for the coming army, rushing and darting around in a panic.

5

The king on Nineveh seeing his might men stumble around in a panic as they hurriedly man the walls and enter the towers set in them, which are said to number 1,500 and be around 200 feet tall.

6-9

6

Nineveh was built at the convergence of the Tigris and two other smaller rivers. The Assyrians had built dams to try and tame the rivers and the seasonal flooding but at the time of the attack from Babylon either the dams were opened or destroyed or the floods were too great for them and they overflowed washing away, melting away portions of the walls aiding in the invasion of the city.

7

Nineveh’s mistress is stripped and carried off, probably the pagan goddess Ishtar and her statues and idols were taken by the Babylonians to show their superior “gods”. The temple prostitutes, her slave girls, morning the loss of their idol.

8

Nineveh was rich in water, an oasis in the desert but its riches and fortunes like water run away and all flee from the destruction and none turn back.

9

Nineveh was rich with the plentiful spoils from its conquests but now it is her turn to be plundered and all of her valuable gold, silver, and treasures carried off to another land.

10-13

10

There will be nothing left of Nineveh, it will be desolate, destroyed and will lay in ruin. All of the people will fear and watch in horror as their once great city is destroyed by Babylon and the Holy will of God.

11

Archeologists have found carvings of an Assyrian king on a lion hunt and the prophet asks where has the lion gone? Where has the might and power of this great nation and fortified city gone? Wiped clean off of the map by the will of God.

12

As once Nineveh was like a lion, invading and tearing her pray to pieces but now she is torn apart in the same way.

13

Much like in chapter one where God pronounces doom to Nineveh saying “I will make your grave, for you are vile” Here God declares that he is against Nineveh, and what a terrifying thing to hear that the all powerful, Holy God is against you. Romans 8:31 says “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” So the opposite is also true, if God is against you who can be for you, who can hold against the will of God? God, through the Babylonians will burn Nineveh’s chariots down and kill all of their mighty lions with the sword. God will cut them out of the earth and no one will ever hear from them again.