Nahum 3

Nahum · Chapter 3

Nahum 3:16

1Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;2The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.3The 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:4Because 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.5Behold, 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.6And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.7And 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?8Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?9Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.10Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.11Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.12All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.13Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.14Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.15There 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.16Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away.17Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.18Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.19There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
16Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away.You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away.Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the canker-worm ravageth, and fleeth away.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
you have increasedהִרְבֵּית֙hir-BEITH7235A
to multiply

רָבָה (ra.vah) 1) be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things) 1a2) to be or grow great 1b) (Piel) to make large, enlarge, increase, become many 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to make much, make many, have many 1c1a) to multiply, increase 1c1b) to make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly 1c1c) to increase greatly or exceedingly 1c2) to make great, enlarge, do much Aramaic equivalent: re.vah (רְבָה "to grow great" H7236)

traders yourרֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְro-khe-LA-yikhH7402
to trade

רָכַל (ra.khal) 1) to go about (meaning uncertain) 1a) (Qal) trafficker, trader (participle) (subst)

more than [the] stars ofמִכּוֹכְבֵ֖יmi-kokh-VEIH3556
star

כּוֹכָב (ko.khav) 1) star 1a) of Messiah, brothers, youth, numerous progeny, personification, God's omniscience (fig.)

the heavensהַשָּׁמָ֑יִםha-sha-MA-yimH8064
heaven

שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) 1) heaven, heavens, sky 1a) visible heavens, sky 1a1) as abode of the stars 1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc 1b) Heaven (as the abode of God) Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)

a locustיֶ֥לֶקYE-lekH3218
locust

יֶ֫לֶק (ye.leq) 1) young locust (early stage of development) 1a) caterpillar (as devouring)

it strips offפָּשַׁ֖טpa-SHATH6584
to strip

פָּשַׁט (pa.shat) 1) to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to strip off, put off 1a2) to put off (one's shelter), make a dash 1b) (Piel) to strip 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to strip of 1c2) to strip off 1c3) to flay 1d) (Hithpael) to strip oneself of

and it flew awayוַיָּעֹֽף׃vai-ya-'OFH5774A
to fly

עוּף (uph) v 1) to fly, fly about, fly away 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to fly, hover 1a2) to fly away 1b) (Hiphil) to cause to fly, light upon 1c) (Polel) 1c1) to fly about or to and fro 1c2) to cause to fly to and fro, brandish 1d) (Hithpolel) to fly away 2) (Qal) to cover, be dark

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.