Nahum Chapter 3 – Commentary and Explanation
Alright, here we are—Nahum chapter 3. The final chapter in the book of Nahum. And man, it's heavy. It’s like a thunderstorm that just won’t let up until every drop has been poured out. If you’ve read the previous two chapters, you already know this prophecy ain't some light bedtime story. It’s fierce. It’s raw. It's God letting loose His judgment on Nineveh, the capital of Assyria—a city that was once strong, proud, and terrifying to everyone around. But now? Now it's headed straight for destruction.
So let's buckle up and walk through this chapter. There's a lot to take in. The imagery? Intense. The message? Unmistakable. The God behind it all? Righteous and holy, and He ain't turning a blind eye to evil.
Verse 1 – “Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery; the prey does not depart.”
Boom. First verse hits like a sledgehammer.
Nahum doesn’t ease into this chapter. He comes out swinging—Woe to the bloody city. That word "woe" in the Bible? It’s not just like saying “oh no.” It’s more like a warning siren. A deep, sorrowful cry. Like the pronouncement of doom that can't be reversed.
And what’s the charge? Bloodshed. Lies. Robbery.
Nineveh didn’t just get rich. They got rich by crushing others—through deception, through violence, through war. They devoured other nations and just moved on to the next one. The prey does not depart means they never stopped hunting. Never stopped taking. This wasn't just a bad moment. It was who they were.
You think God’s not keeping receipts? Oh, He is.
Verses 2-3 – “The noise of a whip and the noise of the rattling of wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots! Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies, countless corpses—they stumble over the corpses—”
What a picture. You can almost hear it.
The whip cracking. The wheels rattling. Horses galloping, chariots roaring. It’s like a battle scene unfolding right in your ears. God paints it all in motion.
And then—dead bodies. Everywhere. Multitude of slain. Countless corpses. It’s not poetic—it’s terrifying. So many bodies you’re literally stumbling over them.
This is what’s coming to Nineveh. The hunter becomes the hunted. The mighty city, once feared, will be a pile of broken bones and blood-soaked rubble.
And get this—this ain’t random violence. This is divine justice. God’s hand behind it. You reap what you sow.
Verse 4 – “Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through her harlotries, and families through her sorceries.”
Here’s why. This verse lays it out plain.
God isn't just venting. He's got reasons.
Nineveh is pictured like a seductive harlot. Not just sexually—but spiritually, economically, politically. She lured nations in. Promised alliances. Promised trade. But it was all manipulation. A trap.
They didn’t care about truth or righteousness. It was all about power. Control. Image. Like a sorceress casting spells—Nineveh worked through deception and illusion, and got people bound to them.
And when you're dealing with God? That kinda thing doesn’t go unchecked forever.
Verses 5-7 – “Behold, I am against you,” says the Lord of hosts; “I will lift your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame. I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle. It shall come to pass that all who look upon you will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”
These verses… whew. Harsh. Intense. And absolutely packed.
God says “I am against you.” Let that settle for a moment. When God’s for you, who can be against you? But when God Himself is against you—there’s no shelter. No escape.
He describes a public humiliation. A stripping away of all Nineveh’s masks. Their shame laid bare for all the world to see.
The filth being cast? That’s symbolic of disgrace. Dishonor. They who once strutted proudly through the earth will now be mocked and avoided.
And then the kicker—"Who will bemoan her?" In other words, “Ain’t nobody gonna cry for you.”
No one’s coming to her funeral. No one’s lighting candles or bringing flowers. No comforters. No mourners. Just ruins and silence.
Verses 8–10 – “Are you better than No Amon, that was situated by the River, that had the waters around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the sea? Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was boundless; Put and Lubim were your helpers. Yet she was carried away, she went into captivity; her young children also were dashed to pieces at the head of every street; they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.”
Now Nahum pulls history into the mix.
He brings up No Amon (or Thebes in Egypt), a once-powerful city with massive water defenses, rich allies, and military strength. Sound familiar? Yep—just like Nineveh.
But guess what? Thebes fell. Despite all her strength. Despite her pride. She got conquered. Her children killed. Her leaders enslaved.
So Nahum is asking: You think you’re better than her?
That’s the danger of pride. You look at others who fell and think, “That won’t happen to me.” But sin always catches up. Always.
Verses 11–13 – “You also will be drunk; you will be hidden; you also will seek refuge from the enemy. All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. Surely, your people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; fire shall devour the bars of your gates.”
Now it gets a little mocking. Not in a petty way, but in a way that cuts through the illusion of Nineveh’s strength.
God says Nineveh will be like a drunk person—staggering, vulnerable, confused. All that pride? Gone. Now it’s panic time.
And the “strongholds”? Like ripe figs. Shake the tree, and they drop. That’s how weak her defenses will become.
The phrase “your people... are women”—back then, that was a way of saying “you’ve lost your fighting strength.” In war times, women weren’t the warriors. So it’s saying Nineveh’s warriors have lost all courage. All backbone.
And the gates? Wide open. Burned. Broken. The city that once locked everyone out now has no protection left.
Verse 14–15 – “Draw your water for the siege! Fortify your strongholds! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Make strong the brick kiln! There the fire will devour you, the sword will cut you off; it will eat you up like a locust.”
This is sarcasm now. Dark sarcasm.
It’s like God’s saying, “Go ahead, prepare for battle. Get your water ready. Strengthen your walls. Patch up your defenses. See if it’ll help.”
And then He answers His own challenge—It won’t.
Fire. Sword. Locusts. Total destruction. Whatever effort they try to save themselves is too little, too late.
Ever been in that moment where the consequences finally hit, and you try to backpedal? Try to fix it? But it’s too far gone? That’s Nineveh right now.
Verses 15b–17 – “Make yourself many—like the locust! Make yourself many—like the swarming locusts! You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven. The locust plunders and flies away. Your commanders are like swarming locusts, and your generals like great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges on a cold day; when the sun rises they flee away, and the place where they are is not known.”
This part’s got layers.
Nineveh had multiplied everything—merchants, soldiers, generals—like a swarm of locusts. That image of a locust swarm was common in the Bible. It meant devastation. Consumption. Things that come in great numbers and leave nothing behind.
But here’s the twist.
These locusts don’t stick around. The minute heat comes—poof—they’re gone. The generals? The merchants? The army? All disappear when things get tough.
So in Nineveh’s hour of greatest need, her strength will scatter. No one stays to fight. Everyone flees.
Verse 18 – “Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them.”
Now we’re looking at leadership.
The shepherds—those who were supposed to guide, protect, and lead—are asleep. Checked out. Gone.
And the people? Scattered. Lost. Like sheep without a shepherd. And there’s no one to gather them back in. No comfort. No rescue. It’s over.
That image of a broken kingdom where no one’s in charge anymore? That’s Nineveh’s future. Actually, it’s her destiny.
Verse 19 – “Your injury has no healing, your wound is severe. All who hear news of you will clap their hands over you, for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?”
The final verse. And it’s… well, final.
God says this wound? It's terminal. No healing coming. No restoration.
And the kicker? The nations who hear of Nineveh’s fall—they’re not weeping. They're clapping. Rejoicing.
Why? Because Nineveh had been a terror to everyone. Her wickedness spread far and wide. No one was untouched. And now? Justice.
You ever seen someone so corrupt finally fall, and the people sigh in relief? That’s this. But way bigger.
What Can We Learn From This?
Okay, so maybe you’re thinking, “This is all ancient history. What’s it gotta do with me?”
A whole lot, actually.
-
God takes justice seriously. Evil doesn’t get a pass. Not from God. Not forever. You may think you’re getting away with it—but nope. He sees. And He acts—in His time.
-
Pride precedes the fall. Nineveh thought she was invincible. Untouchable. But her pride blinded her. That’s a warning to us. Stay humble. Stay repentant.
-
God defends the oppressed. The nations that Nineveh crushed? God didn’t forget about them. Even when it seemed like no one cared—God cared.
-
Repentance matters. It’s interesting—Nineveh once repented in Jonah’s day, remember? And God spared her. But that generation passed, and they went back to their evil ways. And now… there’s no repentance. No turning. And judgment falls.
-
Leaders are accountable. The shepherds slept. The generals fled. The people suffered. Leadership isn’t just a title—it’s a calling. And God expects accountability.
Final Thoughts
Nahum chapter 3 is not an easy read. But it’s an important one.
It reminds us that our God is both merciful and just. He gives time. He sends warnings. He even relents when people turn back. But if people harden their hearts long enough—He will act.
Nineveh had her moment. She ignored it. And the consequences came.
Let that be a reminder for us—not to live in fear, but in awareness. To stay close to God. To check our hearts. To care about justice. To walk humbly.
Because in the end, no empire is too big to fall. And no person is too small to be seen by God.
Amen.
Comments