The scatterer is come up before your face: the shield of his mighty men is made red, the chariots rush madly in the broadways, the gates of the rivers are opened and the palace is dissolved; Nineveh has been like a pool of water — and its waters run away.
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Behold upon the mountains the feet of him That brings good tidings, that announces peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah, Perform your vows; For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.
verse value 4603
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 83 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּי֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·mountains" (עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: Judah, for. 13 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "foot" (רַגְלֵ֤י), "flesh" (מְבַשֵּׂר֙), "announcing" (מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ). The root עבר appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root הן ("they") in Nahum. First appearance of the root שמע ("announcing") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·vows', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 9 words.
Rashi
The peace-offerings of your vows. Which you vowed to the Holy One, blessed be He, that if He would save you from the hand of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, behold, now you have been saved.
For He will no longer add to cross over in you. That wicked one:
"Wholly cut off." Him and his seed.
Ibn Ezra
Behold, celebrate, Judah—these are those who escaped from the hand of Sennacherib.
Radak
"Behold, upon the mountains." At the death of Sennacherib, [messengers] proclaimed [good news] throughout the Land of Judah, that they should dwell in their cities as before, and go to celebrate in Jerusalem, to offer their sacrifices, and to fulfill their vows, for Sennacherib would no longer pass through their land, for he had already died.
"He is entirely cut off." For even his sons fled, and he will not come [against you] again.
Metzudat David
"Behold, upon the mountains." Behold, it has already become visible upon the mountains, the coming of the feet of the messenger who proclaims peace, for he will announce and say that Assyria has fallen, and it will no longer come to wage war against the Land of Israel.
"Celebrate, Judah, your festivals." That is to say: rejoice in the festival with joy of heart.
"Fulfill your vows." What you vowed to the Lord, if He will save you from the hand of the king of Assyria: behold, you have been saved from him, for he will no longer add to pass over you. "Wicked one" refers to the seed of Sennacherib, for all that seed has been cut off and they have no remnant.
Malbim
Behold, upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger, for this king desired to subjugate Judah, and they were afraid of him, and the tidings of his defeat came to them. And behold, according to the commentators who say that this event occurred in the days of Manasseh, it is explained in Divrei HaYamim [Chronicles] that the officers of the army of the king of Assyria took Manasseh and brought him to Babylon in chains, and Manasseh entreated before the Lord, and He restored him to his kingdom. It is explained that he was taken by Belesys, the commander of the army of Babylon, who was then under the command of the king of Assyria. And afterwards, when the commander of the army of Babylon rebelled against Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, he restored Manasseh to his kingdom. And it is explained in Divrei HaYamim there that Manasseh then made vows to serve the Name. And according to the commentators, this is the basis of Psalm 66 in Psalms, where it says there, "I will pay You my vows which my lips uttered," etc. And then messengers went out upon the mountains of Judah, proclaiming peace, that there is no fear from the enemy. And he said to them to celebrate their festivals, for the altar was built and they began to serve the Lord and to fulfill their vows which they had vowed when they were in distress, for there is no fear from the king of Assyria, whom he called above "a counselor of Belial," for Belial will no longer pass through you, meaning he and his house are cut off entirely. (And also according to what I wrote [above], which indicates that this event occurred earlier, his intention was to fight against Judah, and he had already begun to do harm to the Ten Tribes, but it is not mentioned in Scripture because his evil did not come to fruition.)
A maul is come up before your face; Guard the defences, Watch the way, make your loins strong, Fortify your power mightily!—
verse value 2530
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "strength" (כֹּ֖חַ, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·your·face" (עַל־פָּנַ֖יִךְ, 6 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "went·up" (עָלָ֥ה), "scatterer" (מֵפִ֛יץ), "guard" (נָצ֣וֹר). 10 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root עלה ("went·up") in Nahum. First appearance of the root חזק ("strengthen!") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'siege-works', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: עָלָ֥ה [went·up] (105) + מֵפִ֛יץ [scatterer] (220) + עַל־פָּנַ֖יִךְ [upon·your·face] (260) + נָצ֣וֹר [guard] (346) + מְצוּרָ֑ה [siege-works] (341) + צַפֵּֽה־דֶ֙רֶךְ֙ [watch·the·way] (399) + חַזֵּ֣ק [strengthen!] (115) + מׇתְנַ֔יִם [loins] (540) + אַמֵּ֥ץ [strong] (131) + כֹּ֖חַ [strength] (28) + מְאֹֽד [very] (45) = 2530.
Rashi
"A scatterer has come up against your face, guard the ramparts!" The one who came up to scatter against your face, into the land of Judah, in the days of Hezekiah—now he is besieged in a siege: Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who is besieging him.
"Look out from the road." Behold, you, man of Judah, at the crossroads, and you will see those who are going to besiege it, and your loins will be strengthened, and your strength will be greatly emboldened.
Ibn Ezra
"He has come up" – now he returns to speak to Nineveh.
"And the scatterer" – this is Nebuchadnezzar.
"Natzor mitzura" [Guard the rampart] – he speaks to the king of Nineveh; and likewise "tzapheh derekh" [watch the road] – place watchmen on the roads. And the Nagid said: for "natzor" is an infinitive, like "ve-yakholta amod" [and you will be able to stand]; and likewise "tzapheh derekh" [means] to restrain the transgression — and know [this].
Radak
"Alah mofitz." The scatterer who came up against you will be cut off, and he is Sennacherib, who scattered your children into exile.
“Guard a fortress.” The fortresses and fortified cities that the king of Assyria captured and destroyed—guard and keep them; do not leave them as ownerless property. Return and dwell within them, and you will no longer fear the king of Assyria. “Fortress” denotes strength, as in: “And he built fortified cities in Judah.”
"Watch the road." Watch the road by which he used to come, for you will not see him again. "Natzor" [guard] and "tzapeh" [watch] are infinitive forms [used as imperatives], and so too "chazek" [be strong], "ametz" [be courageous].
“Strengthen your loins, strengthen your might greatly.” “Strengthen your loins and strengthen your might, for you shall no longer fear him.” And the meaning of “strengthen your might” is: strengthen your might with a good heart and with confidence, that you will place your trust in the Lord, blessed be He. And likewise, it is said: “A man of understanding strengthens his might.”
Metzudat David
"A scatterer has gone up." Assyria, which exiled you and scattered you among the lands, has now been removed from the world.
"Upon your face." This means: before you, as if you were seeing his departure.
"Guard the fortification." The fortified cities that you abandoned out of fear of the king of Assyria—behold, now guard them.
“Look out the way.” Gaze upon the path of the one coming from Assyria, and you will no longer see anyone else coming from among them.
"Strengthen your loins." "Be strong and courageous, for you shall no longer fear Assyria."
Metzudat Zion
"Ascend." The meaning is "removal," as in "Take me not away" (Psalms 102):
Mefitz. From the root meaning "to scatter" and "to disperse."
"Guard." The meaning is "watching," as in "He who tends a fig tree [shall eat its fruit]" (Proverbs 27:18).
Mitzorah. Cities of fortress, like “and he built cities of fortress” (II Chronicles 14:6):
Tzafah. The meaning is “to gaze,” as in “Stand and look” (Jeremiah 48).
Emetz. The matter of strength:
Malbim
"Alah" – already has he ascended, the one who scattered you over your face, namely the king of Assyria, who scattered (or whose intention was to scatter) Israel into exile. However, now he is besieged, for the generals of his army have laid siege against him, and he is under siege (as stated above, 1:1). Therefore, watch the road to hear good tidings of his downfall, and strengthen your loins and greatly fortify your strength, for you will hear good tidings.
For Hashem restores the pride of Jacob, As the pride of Israel; For the emptiers have emptied them out, And marred their vine-branches.—
verse value 3174
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·their·branches" (וּזְמֹרֵיהֶ֖ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: for, for. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "returned" (שָׁ֤ב), "exaltation" (אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן), "Jacob" (יַעֲקֹ֔ב). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: כִּ֣י [for] (30) + שָׁ֤ב [returned] (302) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן [exaltation] (461) + יַעֲקֹ֔ב [Jacob] (182) + כִּגְא֖וֹן [as·pride·of] (80) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + כִּ֤י [for] (30) + בְקָקוּם֙ [they·emptied·them] (248) + בֹּֽקְקִ֔ים [emptying] (252) + וּזְמֹרֵיהֶ֖ם [and·their·branches] (308) + שִׁחֵֽתוּ [have·marred] (714) = 3174.
Rashi
"Like the pride of Israel": Just as it was already [before].
"Bakkum." They plundered and emptied them. The term "bekikah" is used in reference to a vine.
Ibn Ezra
"For – now the Lord will restore the captivity of the glory of Jacob, as the glory of Israel, when he is in his land. The meaning is that He will restore them to their glory, as the Israelites were in ancient days in their glory."
And the word "bekakum" [they laid them waste] teaches that the verb is transitive; for behold, "a vine laid bare" [Hosea 10:1] uses [the same root] as a verb, and the verb['s object] is the fruit that corresponds to it — or it may be like the word "shav" [he returned], which you find used both intransitively and transitively. And the meaning of "ki bekakum" is: [the plunderers] made them like a vine that is stripped bare; therefore [it is so stated].
"And their branches" – like [the phrase] "and they cut from there a branch" [Numbers 13:23]; and he [now] returns to explain "the scatterer who has come up" [i.e., resumes explaining the mafitz mentioned in 2:2].
Radak
"For the LORD will restore the pride of Jacob." According to the words of Rabbi Jonah, of blessed memory, [the verb] will be transitive, like "and the LORD will restore your captivity," and others like it. And according to the words of Rabbi Judah, it will be a matter of rest and quiet. And he said that with the death of Sennacherib, the pride of Jacob will return as it had been; this is [the meaning of] "like the pride of Israel," for Israel is Jacob. And this was in the days of Hezekiah. "The pride of Jacob" is Jerusalem and the land of Judah, as in "the pride of Jacob whom He loves, Selah," which he says about Jerusalem, as it says, "The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob."
"Bekakum bokekim" (emptiers have emptied them). The enemies have emptied it of all good, and behold, here it is a transitive verb (po'el yotzei); [whereas] "gefen bokek" [a luxuriant vine, Hosea 10:1] is an intransitive verb (po'el omed).
"And their branches they destroyed." Their plantings and their branches they destroyed, year after year, when they came into their land, as it is said, "And they destroyed the produce of the land." And the Targum renders "their branches" like [it renders] "the pruning of the land," which it translates: "and the cities of their glory were destroyed."
Metzudat David
"For He restored," etc. For now the Lord will settle and quiet the pride of Jacob, to be like the pride of Israel, meaning: as it was of old and in former times.
"Though marauders have laid them waste." For the emptiers are the Chaldeans; they emptied Assyria and ravaged its branches, meaning: they took its wealth and killed its mighty men. Therefore you shall dwell in rest and quiet, for you need not fear Assyria any longer.
Metzudat Zion
Shav. The matter of tranquility and repose, as in "return and rest" (Isaiah 30:15):
Ga'on. The matter of exaltation and dominion:
"They have emptied them out, emptiers." The meaning is emptiness, as in "a vine that is emptied out" (Hosea 10:1).
“And their branches.” Thus, the shoots of the vine are called “branches,” as it is said: “And they cut from there a branch” (Numbers 13:23).
Malbim
For the Lord has restored the majesty of Jacob, meaning that even the Ten Tribes, who were in exile under his [Assyria's] hand, He granted them permission to return to their land, and their majesty will be similar to the majesty of Israel, which is the tribe of Judah, who were not under his [Assyria's] hand. For until now, wasters had laid them waste; they were like a vine that has been stripped of its fruit, and also their branches were destroyed, for they destroyed the very branches of the vine itself. That is to say, besides the fact that they plundered their wealth embedded in their land, to the point that they could no longer bear branches and produce fruit. (And even if we say that this event occurred in ancient times, it must be said that the King of Assyria had already begun to send his army against the Ten Tribes from long ago, even though it is not mentioned in the verse.)
The shield of his mighty men is made red, The valiant men are in scarlet; The chariots are fire of steel in the day of his preparation, And the cypress spears are made to quiver.
verse value 3470
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "shield" (מָגֵ֨ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "men·of·ability" (אַנְשֵֽׁי־חַ֙יִל֙, 7 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "shield" (מָגֵ֨ן), "his·mighty·men" (גִּבֹּרֵ֜יהוּ), "man" (מְאׇדָּ֗ם). 11 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root רכב ("the·chariots") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·preparing', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 2 words. Full calculation: מָגֵ֨ן [shield] (93) + גִּבֹּרֵ֜יהוּ [his·mighty·men] (226) + מְאׇדָּ֗ם [man] (85) + אַנְשֵֽׁי־חַ֙יִל֙ [men·of·ability] (409) + מְתֻלָּעִ֔ים [cladded·in·scarlet] (590) + בְּאֵשׁ־פְּלָדֹ֥ת [fire] (817) + הָרֶ֖כֶב [the·chariots] (227) + בְּי֣וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + הֲכִינ֑וֹ [his·preparing] (91) + וְהַבְּרֹשִׁ֖ים [and·the·cypresses] (563) + הׇרְעָֽלוּ [they·were·quivered] (311) = 3470.
Rashi
"The shield of his warriors." [This refers to the warriors] of Nebuchadnezzar, who besieged Assyria.
"Painted red." They are reddened. And their men of valor are clothed in crimson. [Meaning:] garments of scarlet.
"With the fire of peladot, the chariot, on the day it is made ready." On the day that he is ready to go out with the army, he polishes his iron chariot. And I do not know what "peladot" is, and I say that it is a kind of [substance] that polishes iron well. And there are those who explain "peladot" as a term related to "lapid" (torch) of fire, by transposition [of the letters].
"And the cypresses are veiled." Targum Yonatan [renders]: "And the officers of their camps are clothed in [garments of] many colors."
"They are veiled." [Meaning] they are wrapped, and similar to this is (Isaiah 3:19): "the pendants, and the bracelets, and the veils." And in the language of the Mishnah we learned: "Median women [are] veiled" (Tractate Shabbat, 65a, see there).
Ibn Ezra
"Shield" – Rabbi Moshe HaKohen said: that "giborehu" [his mighty ones], with the addition of the letter heh, is a plural form; and so too in "when he prayed for his friend [re'ehu]" [Job 42:10]. But he did not speak correctly, for "piv" [his mouth] is like "pihu" [his mouth], "achiv" [his brother] is like "achihu" [his brother], "sayv" is like "sayhu" [his lamb] — [these pairs are equivalent, not plural forms] — and the meaning of "re'ehu" is that he prayed on behalf of each one.
And "ve-gvurohu" – this is a generic term that encompasses the might of the mighty.
"Matla'im" – those who wear the crimson worm.
"On the day of preparation" – [this refers to] the chariot, as if a fire of peladot issues forth in its running. And the word "peladot" is foreign; perhaps it is reversed [from] "lapidot" (torches).
"And the cypresses trembled" – like "the cypresses of the forest trembled." And Yefet said: For they are spears.
Radak
"The shield of his mighty men." He said this concerning the army of Nebuchadnezzar who came against Nineveh; "giborayhu" is like "giborav" (his mighty men).
"Reddened." He says this for two reasons - and likewise "men of valor clothed in crimson," which is explained as clothed in garments dyed with crimson (the scarlet worm). One reason is on account of their greatness and abundance of honor, and the other is because it is a dazzling color that instills fear in people.
“With chariots of polished steel.” The chariot is as if it goes in polished steel, because the wheels of the chariot are iron, and in their running along the roads upon the stones, fire issues from them by force of the running, and it appears as though the chariot is in polished steel. And “polished steel” is like the reverse of “brands of fire.”
"On the day he prepares it." On the day that Nebuchadnezzar prepares the army to come against Nineveh, so shall its array be.
"And the cypresses were poisoned." Some explain: The spears, which are made of cypress wood, are said to be tipped with poison, so that whoever was pierced by them would die quickly, for spears are made from cypress and are pointed at their tips, and they are thrust into a person's body, as it is stated regarding Joab: "And he took three darts and thrust them into the heart of Absalom."
"They trembled." From [the word] tar'elah, which is interpreted [by commentators] as "the poison of death." And my master, my father, of blessed memory, explained that tar'elah means trembling, and explained "they trembled" as "they shook." And he explained "cypresses" as the officers of the city of Nineveh and its nobles, for the great ones are likened to cedars and cypresses. He said: when the nobles of Nineveh see the army, trembling will seize them.
Metzudat David
"The shield of his mighty men is made red." The shields of the mighty men of the plunderers, the Chaldeans, shall be red with the blood of the slain.
"The soldiers are clothed in crimson." They shall be clothed in garments of scarlet wool, which is a red color, meaning: their garments shall be dyed with the blood of the slain.
"With fire, the steel of the chariots," etc. This means that on the day they prepared the chariots for battle, it appeared as though they were moving amidst torches of fire, because the iron on the chariot wheels would emit sparks of fire as they sped over the rocks.
"And the cypress-wood [spears] were poisoned." This means that the poles made of cypress wood, fashioned like javelins with sharpened heads, had already been coated with deadly poison, for they had prepared such poles for the war.
Metzudat Zion
"His mighty men" [same as] "his mighty ones":
"מְאָדָּם" [reddened]. From the term "אודם" (odem, red/crimson).
"מתלעים" – the verbal form of "תולעת שני" ("crimson dye"), which is a red dye.
"Peladot" [פְּלָדֹת]. The word is derived from "lapid eish" (torch of fire) in reverse letter order, and it refers to the wood to which the flame clings.
“And the cypress trees.” This means: poles from cypress trees.
"They were poisoned" [הרעלו]. Its meaning is a deadly poison, and its analogue is "wine of staggering" (Psalms 60:5), which dulls the heart due to its evil nature. It is from the root of "uncircumcised" [ערל], in reverse letter order, which is a term for blocking, like "their ear is blocked [uncircumcised]" (Jeremiah 6:10).
Malbim
"Shield." Now he returns to recount in detail the first destruction of Nineveh. Initially, King Sardanapalus relied on his multitude of mighty men, who had won the war, until their shield was dyed red — a sign that they would shed much blood and show no mercy. His men of war are clothed in crimson: they wore garments dyed with crimson [worm-]dye as a sign of murder and bloodshed. "With fire of steel is the chariot." The chariots, which had now been newly prepared for war, were given [the look of] fire of steel, meaning torches of fire, so that they would be new, as if they had been prepared that very day. "And the cypresses were poisoned." The spears, which were made of cypress wood, were anointed with poison and the venom of death.
The chariots rush madly in the streets, They jostle one against another in the broad places; The appearance of them is like torches, They run to and fro like the lightnings.
verse value 4384
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "the·chariots" (הָרֶ֔כֶב, 4 letters) and the longest is "jostle" (יִֽשְׁתַּקְשְׁק֖וּן, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "in·the·streets" (בַּחוּצוֹת֙), "rush·madly" (יִתְהוֹלְל֣וּ), "jostle" (יִֽשְׁתַּקְשְׁק֖וּן). 9 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·broad·places', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: בַּחוּצוֹת֙ [in·the·streets] (512) + יִתְהוֹלְל֣וּ [rush·madly] (487) + הָרֶ֔כֶב [the·chariots] (227) + יִֽשְׁתַּקְשְׁק֖וּן [jostle] (1266) + בָּרְחֹב֑וֹת [in·the·broad·places] (618) + מַרְאֵיהֶן֙ [their·sight] (306) + כַּלַּפִּידִ֔ים [like·torches] (194) + כַּבְּרָקִ֖ים [as·the·lightnings] (372) + יְרוֹצֵֽצוּ [run·to·and·fro] (402) = 4384.
Rashi
"They act madly." They conduct themselves with madness.
"Yishtakshekun." Targum Yonatan renders: "the sound of the clashing of their weapons is heard," and this is from the same expression as "and the vats will overflow" (Joel 2:24), like "the rushing of locusts" (Isaiah 33:4) — an expression of a sound being made.
“Yirutztsu.” “Yirue’u” – they will terrify the hearers. Just as these lightnings disturb living creatures, so too does the Targum [render it].
Ibn Ezra
In the streets – Rabbi Yonah said: "Yishtakshekun" means they strike leg against leg.
"Yerotzetzu" – the last letter is doubled, and the verb is a doubled form: [as in] "they shall crush their soul," from the root r-tz (to run); and likewise: "And the children struggled [within her]."
Radak
"In the streets, the chariots dash about madly." For they will not be able to go out of the city to fight the army, because they [the enemy] are more numerous than them and mightier than them, and so they go about within the city, in the streets, like madmen and lunatics.
The chariots. This means the riders of the chariots, who are the horsemen.
“They shall stumble in the streets.” They will go in haste through the streets of the city, and the explanation of “they shall stumble” is that they will strike their shins as they walk in haste.
From their appearance, like torches. For they have shame, for their end has come, and they do not have the strength to fight against their enemies; the appearance of their faces turns red like torches. And so it is said regarding the people of Babylonia at the time of their downfall: “Faces of flames, their faces,” for whoever has shame, his face turns red.
"Like lightning they shall dash." Due to the great panic, they shall dash through the streets of the city from one end to the other, for they shall not know what to do.
Metzudat David
"The chariots dash about madly." The men of the chariots shall dash about madly in the streets, running hither and thither.
"They clatter in the streets." They shall cause the sound of weapons to be heard in the streets of the city.
"Their appearance." The appearance of their faces was like torches of fire, and their running was as swift as lightning, so that one could scarcely catch sight of them due to their great speed.
Metzudat Zion
"Let them be in a frenzy." This refers to foolishness and madness, as in "and he acted like a madman in their hands" (1 Samuel 23), for due to the intensity of their running, they appear as though they have gone mad.
"The chariot(s)" [הרכב]. This means: the men of the chariots.
"ישתקשקון" – the matter of making a sound, as it is said: "והשיקו היקבים" ("and the wine vats will overflow," Joel 2:24).
"They shall race." From the language of running and pursuing:
Malbim
"In the streets" – the "streets" are the rear areas of the houses, where the chariots will make a great clamor and go mad like frenzied persons; and "in the broadways," which are the open spaces in front of the houses, they will gather together, congregating as many people congregate in the marketplace, and their appearance will be like torches, and they will run like lightning with great speed. Thus concludes the account of how He prepared all His mighty men, His chariots, and His multitude for battle.
He bethinks himself of his worthies; They stumble in their march; They make haste to the wall thereof, And the mantelet is prepared.
verse value 2750
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. Verse gematria: 2750 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "will·remember" (יִזְכֹּר֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·their·march" (בַּהֲלִיכָתָ֑ם, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "will·remember" (יִזְכֹּר֙), "nobles·of" (אַדִּירָ֔יו), "in·their·march" (בַּהֲלִיכָתָ֑ם). The root הליכה appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root כשל ("they·will·be·stumbled") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·their·march', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words.
Rashi
He will remember. The king of Assyria, his nobles and his mighty men, and he will imagine in his heart to go out and fight, and they will stumble in their walking.
"They will hasten to her wall." To flee, to run to the wall of the city. Every word that requires a lamed at its beginning, he placed a heh at its end instead.
"And the covering was made ready." Targum Yonatan renders: "They will build the towers." And some explain: "And the covering was made ready" [to mean] the king armed himself with his weapons of war, similar to [the phrase] "the anointed covering [cherub]" (Ezekiel 28:14), where the word "soceich" (covering) is an expression for "ruler."
Ibn Ezra
"Yizkor" – when the enemy, who is the king of the Chaldeans, remembers [his mighty men], because of their haste they will stumble in their walking.
"ימהרו" – "they hasten" – to the walls of Nineveh.
"And it shall be prepared" – [referring to] the great wooden towers. And Yefet said: For the king of Nineveh will remember his mighty men; they will stumble, flee to the wall, and prepare the shields to cover themselves, but this will not help them, for...
Radak
"He will remember his mighty ones." We can interpret this as referring to the king of Nineveh: when he will remember his mighty ones, that they should go to the wall, they will stumble in their walking due to excessive panic, as they rush to go to the wall; and behold, the shelter is readied against the wall from the outside, to breach the wall. And it is also possible to interpret it as referring to the king of Babylon: when he will remember his mighty ones, that they should go to the wall to conquer it, and behold, due to their great running, as they rush to go to the wall, they will stumble in their walking; and when they are at the wall, the shelter is positioned to stand beneath it and breach the wall.
"Her wall." The he has a mappiq [indicating it is pronounced as a consonant], meaning: the wall of Nineveh.
"The shelter." It is a covering of planks and hides, under which the attackers come to the city and enter, going in beneath it until they reach the wall, and they dig beneath the wall. It protects them from the stones that are thrown down from the wall. It is written with a vav, in the plural form, but is read in the singular form: "in their walking."
Metzudat David
“He shall remember his mighty men.” The king of Assyria will remember his warriors to go forth to meet the battle, but they will stumble in their march and not succeed.
"They hasten to her wall." This means that they will again hasten to ascend the city wall, to prevent the Chaldeans from entering the city.
"And the covering was prepared." They were to prepare something that would serve as a covering over them from above, to protect them from arrows and sling-stones.
Metzudat Zion
His mighty ones. His heroes:
"and it was prepared." From the language of preparation:
"The covering." The word is from the roots "sekhakh" (covering material) and "mikhseh" (covering):
Malbim
"He will remember His mighty ones" – besides this, He remembers the mighty ones, namely the army that went to assist Him from the "Baktriyan" (Bactrians), upon whom He relied to defeat the enemy. But they stumbled in their journey; at the time of their going, they stumbled on the way. This means that another spirit was with them, and they joined the rebels and stood against Him, as if they had stumbled due to those who caused them to stumble and enticed them from going to His aid. And according to this, all the mighty men of His army stumbled and fell in battle, as explained in the narrative which I brought at the beginning of the book. Then "they hasten to her wall" – then they closed within the city walls to protect themselves from the besiegers. And "the sheltering one was prepared" – they prepared the fortress that would shelter them from the enemy.
The gates of the rivers are opened, And the palace is dissolved.
verse value 1965
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "gates·of" (שַׁעֲרֵ֥י, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·rivers" (הַנְּהָר֖וֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "the·rivers" (הַנְּהָר֖וֹת), "and·the·temple" (וְהַהֵיכָ֖ל), "was·melted" (נָמֽוֹג). 5 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root פתח ("were·opened") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'were·opened', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: שַׁעֲרֵ֥י [gates·of] (580) + הַנְּהָר֖וֹת [the·rivers] (666) + נִפְתָּ֑חוּ [were·opened] (544) + וְהַהֵיכָ֖ל [and·the·temple] (76) + נָמֽוֹג [was·melted] (99) = 1965.
Rashi
“Gates of the rivers.” The gates of the city that are on the side of the rivers.
"And the palace melted away." It trembles and shakes from the force of the stones of the ballista that are hurled at its walls, which is called "buma" [in the vernacular].
Ibn Ezra
"The gates [of the rivers]" – this indicates that because of the rivers the king's palace was captured, and this is [what is meant by]: "And the palace melted."
Radak
"The gates of the rivers were opened." The gates of the city that lead out to the rivers were opened, because the soldiers broke down the doors. And since these gates were opened, the king's palace, which was adjacent to them, collapsed from the force of the blows struck against the gates. And the Targum [renders]: "the bridges of the rivers," etc.
Metzudat David
"The gates of the rivers." This means that nevertheless they will not be able to stop the enemy, because the gates of the city facing the rivers were opened, for the army of the Chaldeans broke them.
"And the palace melted." The king's palace melted and dissolved, meaning: they will tear down and crush it.
Metzudat Zion
"Namog" [dissolved/melted]. The word is from the terms "hamagah" and "hamasah" (dissolving, melting), and he states it by way of metaphor:
Malbim
The gates of the rivers were opened; afterwards, the River Tigris (Hiddekel) passed its boundary and its gates were opened, and it flooded the city; then the palace melted away, meaning that the king and all the inhabitants of his palace melted away from fear, for his sorcerers had told him that when the river would flood the city, he would be delivered into the hands of the enemy.
And the queen is uncovered, she is carried away, And her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, Tabering upon their breasts.
verse value 3483
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "and·the·queen" (וְהֻצַּ֖ב, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·her·maidservants" (וְאַמְהֹתֶ֗יהָ, 7 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "and·the·queen" (וְהֻצַּ֖ב), "was·uncovered" (גֻּלְּתָ֣ה), "was·gone·up" (הֹֽעֲלָ֑תָה). 9 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root קול ("like·voice·of") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'was·gone·up', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְהֻצַּ֖ב [and·the·queen] (103) + גֻּלְּתָ֣ה [was·uncovered] (438) + הֹֽעֲלָ֑תָה [was·gone·up] (510) + וְאַמְהֹתֶ֗יהָ [and·her·maidservants] (467) + מְנַֽהֲגוֹת֙ [moaning] (504) + כְּק֣וֹל [like·voice·of] (156) + יוֹנִ֔ים [doves] (116) + מְתֹפְפֹ֖ת [tabering] (1000) + עַל־לִבְבֵהֶֽן [upon·their·heart] (189) = 3483.
Rashi
"And she is stationed." This is the queen who stands at the right hand of the king, as it is said (Psalms 45:10): "The queen stands at your right hand."
"Gultah, ho'alatah." She went into exile openly, and was brought up from the city.
"[Her handmaidens] lead themselves like the voice of doves." They conduct themselves in lamentation, like the voice of doves that coo mournfully. "Menahagot" is [rendered] "sherimiyetzant" in Old French.
“Beating upon their hearts.” The Targum: “They strike their hands upon their hearts, like the striking of drums.”
Ibn Ezra
"Vehutzav" – I have not found for this word an interpretation more distinguished than the words of Rav Shmuel HaNagid, that "hatzav" is the name of the queen; therefore she, exiled, was brought up onto the chariot to lead her into captivity, and her handmaidens, who were leading her, were like the sound of doves in their moaning.
"matofefot" – the manner of the drum is to strike it with the hand.
Radak
"And it was stationed, it was revealed, it was carried away." The palace, which had stood in tranquility for many days in Nineveh, has now melted away. And Nineveh, which had been hidden until now, such that no stranger had passed through it, was revealed [exposed]. And "it was carried away" is like "it was cut off" — from the phrase "as a stack of grain is gathered in its season" [cf. Job 5:26].
"And her handmaidens." The handmaidens of Nineveh — who were the great princesses — it calls "handmaidens," for they would go into exile as maidservants.
"Leading [her]." [I.e.,] one after another [lit. "a woman to her sister"].
"Beating [upon their hearts]." And they strike upon their hearts because of the honor that has departed from them, and they will go into exile as maidservants. This is how my master and father, of blessed memory, interpreted this verse. And the Targum [renders]: "and the queen" — meaning, because she was stationed beside the king, as it is said, "the queen stood at your right hand" [Psalm 45:10]. And the Nagid, Rav Shmuel [HaNagid], interpreted that "Hatzav" is the name of the queen.
"She was revealed." For she had been concealed in a chamber, as is the custom of queens and noblewomen, as it is stated, "All the honor of the king's daughter is within" [Psalm 45:14]. And now she was revealed and emerged from her chamber, and was placed upon the chariot to take her into exile. And her handmaidens led her, moaning with a voice of lamentation like the cooing of a dove, beating [upon their breasts] as one strikes a drum; just as a person strikes a drum, so too they struck upon their hearts, in the manner of women who mourn and wail.
Metzudat David
"And she was set up, her exile was taken up." This means that the queen, who was stationed inside to the right of the king, as it is stated, "The queen stands at your right hand" (Psalms 45:10), was exposed to the sight of all and was lifted onto the chariot to take her into exile.
"And her handmaidens." [These were] her maidservants, who were leading her away with a voice of lamentation, like the moaning of the voice of doves.
"Beating." Just as a person strikes a drum, so too they strike upon their hearts, in the manner of women who lament.
Metzudat Zion
And it was stationed. This means something that is stationed in one place without the usual movement and walking.
Galtah. From the language of galui, meaning "uncovered":
It was brought up. The word is derived from the root "aliyah" (ascent).
And her handmaidens: her maidservants.
Menahagot. From the root of "leading" and "bringing":
"matofefot." The word is derived from "tof," which is the name of a musical instrument.
Malbim
"And she is exiled, and she was taken up." Then a pyre of fire was prepared to burn the queen and all her concubines. "She is exiled" refers to the queen being taken up onto the pyre, covered with a *tzav*, which is a seat covered with a cloth upon which nobles are carried. Her handmaids too were cast upon the fire, and they were wailing and lamenting like the sound of doves, and beating upon their hearts, striking their chests out of great sorrow.
But Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water; Yet they flee away; ‘Stand, stand’; But none looks back.
verse value 1673
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "she" (הִ֑יא, 3 letters) and the longest is "as·pool·of·water" (כִבְרֵכַת־מַ֖יִם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 120: stand·by!, stand. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "and·Nineveh" (וְנִֽינְוֵ֥ה), "as·pool·of·water" (כִבְרֵכַת־מַ֖יִם), "from·days·of" (מִ֣ימֵי). The root עמד appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root אין ("and·nothing") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'she', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְנִֽינְוֵ֥ה [and·Nineveh] (127) + כִבְרֵכַת־מַ֖יִם [as·pool·of·water] (732) + מִ֣ימֵי [from·days·of] (100) + הִ֑יא [she] (16) + וְהֵ֣מָּה [and·they] (56) + נָסִ֔ים [fleeing] (160) + עִמְד֥וּ [stand·by!] (120) + עֲמֹ֖דוּ [stand] (120) + וְאֵ֥ין [and·nothing] (67) + מַפְנֶֽה [turns·back] (175) = 1673.
Rashi
And Nineveh is like a pool of water. From the day it was built, it has sat in tranquility, and nothing stirs it, like a pool of gathered waters that do not move from their place.
And they. Now, out of their great distress, they have learned to flee, and are fleeing.
"Stand! Stand!" They say to them, but no one turns his heart to listen and to stand.
Ibn Ezra
"And Nineveh was like a pool of water" – It was filled from ancient times with wealth, and its people are fleeing and say to one another: "Stand, do not flee."
"And none turns" – meaning, he [could] turn his face back; therefore [the words] "Plunder silver" are the prophet's words [addressed] to the Chaldeans.
Radak
And Nineveh was like a pool of water from ancient times. Nineveh, from ancient times, was built and filled with all good things, just as a pool is filled with water; and a pool is one in which water is collected, whether rainwater or from a spring. And the Targum [renders it]: “Like a house of assembly of water, from ancient days it was.”
"And they are fugitives." And now, her inhabitants are fugitives from the city, fleeing from it at the time of its capture. And when the enemies say to them, "Stand still," there is no one who turns his face toward the sound of their call; rather, they flee with strength.
Metzudat David
"And Nineveh." And behold, Nineveh from ancient times was full of all good, like a pool of water that is full for it.
"And they flee." And now they are fleeing, and they abandon all the wealth.
“Stand firm, stand firm.” Even though the king and the princes cry out, “Why do you flee? Stand firm and fight against the enemy,” there is no one who responds to the callers, and they refuse to fight.
Metzudat Zion
As the "pool." It is a place built with stones and plaster, and there the waters gather, like [in the phrase] "the conduit of the pool" (2 Kings 18).
"From days." This means: from long ago.
"Nasim" [fleeing]. Meaning: fleeing, escaping.
"turning aside." The word is derived from "he turned aside and circled about."
Malbim
And Nineveh was like a pool of water, for by means of the River Hiddikel, which flooded it, it became like a pool full of water. However, is it not from waters? Is it not so that its way from ancient times was that the river flooded it every time? And Abarbanel already wrote that Nineveh was always full of water, and they were forced to build their houses on upper stories. If so, is this not a common thing there? And despite all this, "and they fled" — fear came upon them by means of the sign they had from their diviners regarding the flooding of the river, and they all fled. "Stand" — we have already explained what is recounted in the ancient chronicles: the army that conquered Nineveh at that time assured the inhabitants of the city that they would not do them harm, for they did not come to war against the city, but only to humble the arrogance of the wicked Sardanapalus. And they cried out to them not to flee. And this is what it says: "Stand, stand" — thus they cried out to them not to flee. But none turned back, for trembling seized them, and they fled, and there was no pursuer.
Take you the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; For there is no end of the store, Rich with all precious vessels.
verse value 1210
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 38 letters. Notable word values: "glory" (כָּבֹ֕ד) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "spoil" (בֹּ֥זּוּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·store" (לַתְּכוּנָ֔ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 15: spoil, spoil. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "silver" (כֶ֖סֶף), "gold" (זָהָ֑ב), "to·the·store" (לַתְּכוּנָ֔ה). The root בזז appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root קצה ("end") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'gold', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: בֹּ֥זּוּ [spoil] (15) + כֶ֖סֶף [silver] (160) + בֹּ֣זּוּ [spoil] (15) + זָהָ֑ב [gold] (14) + וְאֵ֥ין [and·nothing] (67) + קֵ֙צֶה֙ [end] (195) + לַתְּכוּנָ֔ה [to·the·store] (511) + כָּבֹ֕ד [glory] (26) + מִכֹּ֖ל [from·all] (90) + כְּלִ֥י [vessel·of] (60) + חֶמְדָּֽה [desire] (57) = 1210.
Rashi
"Plunder silver." You who come against Nineveh.
And there is no end. There is no reckoning:
To the treasury. To their treasuries, [so called] because the silver and gold placed in the treasury are counted [entered in an account], as it is said: "The counted money" (2 Kings 12:12).
"To sweep out [Nineveh] of all precious vessels." [The word] Kavod is an expression of sweeping, as in (below, ch. 3) "You shall be swept out like the nibbling locust" — an expression of "the broom (mekhabed) of the house"; "eskovant" in Old French — [meaning] to sweep them out of all their precious vessels. And so did Targum Yonatan render it: "All precious vessels have ended." "Kavod" is like [the words] "remember" and "keep."
Ibn Ezra
"L'tkhunah" – to the wealth that he had prepared.
Radak
"Plunder silver, plunder gold." The prophet said this in reference to the Chaldeans, or they say to one another:
And there is no end to the wealth. There is no limit to the abundance of money that you will find from what the king of Nineveh and his nobles prepared; so plunder the silver, for you will find great wealth. And the Targum: "And there is no end to the treasuries."
"[More] honor than all precious vessels." You will find vessels of honor greater than all the precious vessels in the world. And the Targum translates: "Sweep up from all the precious utensils." It appears that his intention was to explain [the word] from [the same root as] "increase yourself like the locust," and from the words of our Sages of blessed memory: "[One] sweeps between the beds" — that is to say: sweep the city clean of all its precious vessels. The word "vessel" is with a chirik, in the singular form.
Metzudat David
"Plunder silver." You are the men of Chaldea; you plundered the silver and the gold, and there is no end to the wealth that you shall take, from what the men of Nineveh had prepared for themselves.
"Honor." This means: there you will find honor, which is more precious than all vessels of delight, and it is the honor of the victory in battle. Or this means: scoop it out from all vessels of delight and take it for yourselves.
Metzudat Zion
"Bozu" [Plunder!]. The word is derived from [the language of] "bizah" [plunder] and "shalal" [spoil].
"Ketzah" [end/limit]. Meaning: end.
"Latechunah" [store/provision]. The word is derived from [the language of] "hachanah" [preparation]:
"Kaved." The word is related to [the language of] kavod (honor/glory); or it refers to the matter of sweeping and raking, as in [the phrase] "hitkabed ka-yelek" [be swept away like the locust] (below, ch. 3).
Malbim
"Plunder!" It is further recorded in Chronicles that the victors did not wish to touch the spoils of Nineveh, nor did they extend their hands to the plunder, for they were satisfied with the honor of victory alone; they had conquered the city and did not come for plunder and spoils. Based on this, [the prophet] speaks rhetorically, saying to the victors: "Plunder silver! Plunder gold!"—implying that abundant spoil was found, for there is no end to its quantity, and there are countless treasures there. Yet the victors reply: "Glory, more than all desirable vessels," meaning that the honor of victory is more precious and significant to us than all desirable vessels; we came for the honor, not for the spoil.
She is empty, and void, and waste; And the heart melts, and the knees smite together, And convulsion is in all loins, And the faces of them all have gathered blackness.
verse value 2701
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "and·heart" (וְלֵ֨ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·all·loins" (בְּכׇל־מׇתְנַ֔יִם, 8 letters). 13 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "emptiness" (בּוּקָ֥ה), "and·emptiness" (וּמְבוּקָ֖ה), "and·wasted" (וּמְבֻלָּקָ֑ה). 10 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·wasted', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 10 words. Full calculation: בּוּקָ֥ה [emptiness] (113) + וּמְבוּקָ֖ה [and·emptiness] (159) + וּמְבֻלָּקָ֑ה [and·wasted] (183) + וְלֵ֨ב [and·heart] (38) + נָמֵ֜ס [is·melted] (150) + וּפִ֣ק [and·tottering] (186) + בִּרְכַּ֗יִם [knees] (272) + וְחַלְחָלָה֙ [and·pain] (87) + בְּכׇל־מׇתְנַ֔יִם [in·all·loins] (592) + וּפְנֵ֥י [and·face·of] (146) + כֻלָּ֖ם [all·of·them] (90) + קִבְּצ֥וּ [have·gathered] (198) + פָארֽוּר [glow] (487) = 2701.
Rashi
"Bukah." Empty.
"Umevukah." And [it is] emptied out by emptiers.
And "mevulakah." That is, breached in its walls; in the vernacular, it is called "ishebertira."
And "pik b'rachayim" means a stumbling of the knees, like (1 Samuel 25:31) "lefukah u-lemikhshol" (a stumbling block and a hindrance).
"They have gathered blackness." A blackness, like [the soot of] a cooking pot.
Ibn Ezra
Boqah and mevoqah – they share a single root, just as: ga’ah and ga’on, Adonai, my strength and my fortress.
"U-mevulakah" – like "Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste and makes it empty" [Isaiah 24:1]. And the meaning of "bukah" and also "mevulakah" is like "desolate" – Nineveh shall become [desolate].
And the heart—everyone who hears it is overcome with fear.
"U-fik birkayim" [knees knock] – in the manner of "and obtains favor" [Proverbs 8:35], yet this is somewhat far-fetched. And the correct [explanation] is: that it is like "a stumbling and a snare" [1 Samuel 25:31].
"Vechalchalah" – chail and chilah, a double expression.
Parur – I have already explained it.
Radak
"Bokah and mevokah." The matter is one of emptiness, and the doubling serves to strengthen the meaning, for "mevokah" is like "bokah," except that the additional mem has been added to it, as [the mem] is added onto nouns, and similarly, "Hashem, my strength and my stronghold."
And "mevulakah." It is cut off, and he said concerning Nineveh that it shall be empty of all good and shall be cut off.
And a heart that melts. And similarly, it is stated: “And the inhabitants thereof shall have a heart that melts.”
"And his knees knocked together." This denotes a stumbling, like "a stumbling" and "a snare." The meaning of "his knees knocked together" is that when a person is extremely frightened and terrified, his knees knock against one another from trembling and quaking. And so Targum [renders]: "and knees knock." Similarly, it is said regarding Belshazzar: "and his knees knocked one against the other."
"They gathered blackness." The meaning is blackness; we have explained it in the prophecy of Joel.
Metzudat David
"Desolation, etc." This means that Nineveh will remain desolate and cut off from wealth.
And a melting heart. Their hearts will be melting from the great fear, and their knees will fail from lack of strength, and all their loins will be trembling and quaking, so that they will not be able to stand on their loins.
"They have gathered blackness." Their faces shall darken, as if they had gathered all the blackness that is in the pot, which has been blackened by the smoke of the fire.
Metzudat Zion
"Bukah and mevukah." The meaning is emptiness, as in "the vine is empty" (Hosea 10:1); the doubling of the word serves to intensify the meaning.
"Umvulakah." The meaning of *keritah* (cutting off) is like [the verse] "and lays it waste" (*uvolkah*) and distorts its face (Isaiah 24:1).
And "pik." The meaning of failure (*kishalon*) is like [the verse] "and it shall not totter" (*lo yafik*) (Jeremiah 10).
"Parur." [Meaning] a pot, as in [the verse] "and they boiled it in a pot" (Numbers 11).
Malbim
"Bukah" [Emptiness] depicts the state of the city's inhabitants: everything was emptied out, and this is "bukah and mevukah" [utterly emptied]; and everything was ruined, and this is "mevulakah" [laid waste]; and the hearts of the city's inhabitants melted from excessive fear; their knees knocked together at the time of flight and escape; and trembling seized all their loins from great ruin and grief.
Where is the den of the lions, Which was the feeding-place of the young lions, Where the lion and the lioness walked, and the lion’s whelp, And none made them afraid?
verse value 3421
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֛ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·the·young·lions" (לַכְּפִרִ֑ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 216: lion, lion. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "where?" (אַיֵּה֙), "dwelling·of" (מְע֣וֹן), "lions" (אֲרָי֔וֹת). The root ארי appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root ארי ("lions") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·young·lions', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 9 words.
Rashi
"Where is the dwelling of the lions?" This is a lament over Nineveh, which was the abode of kings who were mighty and strong like lions.
"Where the lion went, the lioness went there." The Targum: "The place where kings would go and leave their sons there, like a lion that dwells securely."
Ibn Ezra
"Where?" [is the lions' den] – because of this the listeners will be astonished and say [this]. And all of this is a parable about Nineveh, which used to go forth to seize prey, to destroy the entire world. And the meaning of "went" is [that the lion] went to the den of lions.
Radak
“Where is the lair of the lions?” Thus the nations will say concerning the destruction of Nineveh, for it was the lair of the lions, for from it would emerge men like lions, devouring the inhabitants of the world and bringing the prey to Nineveh, for it was a lair for lions and a feeding ground for young lions.
"Where a lion and a lavi [another word for lion] went there." "Lion" and "lavi" are like "sun" and "moon."
"Gur aryeh" [lion's cub]. They all went there with their prey, and none disturbs them. And the Targum: "that kings used to go there, leaving their sons behind."
Metzudat David
“Where is the lair of the lions?” He said this in the manner of a lament: “Where is Nineveh, which was the dwelling place of lions and the feeding ground of young lions?” That is to say, it was the abode of mighty kings and powerful princes.
"Which went forth." This means that he used to go out from there, the lion and the lioness, to all the corners of the world to seize prey, and the lion cubs remained there; they were the small children, and they sat in safety, and there was no one to terrify them. This means that the king and the mighty men went out to plunder spoils, and their children remained in their place in great security.
Metzudat Zion
Ma'on. A dwelling place:
"Lakfirim" (to the young lions). [The word] "Lavi" is one of the names for the lion.
Gur. Thus is the young lion called, and thus it says, “Judah is a lion’s whelp” (Genesis 49:9).
Malbim
Where now will the poet direct his face toward the king's house, which has been destroyed and laid waste? And he will marvel at the cruelty of Sardanapalus, who burned his wives and killed his children, acting with cruelty and showing no mercy. And he says, "Where is the den of the lions?"—this is the royal palace, where the kings sat, who are the old lions; and it is a feeding ground for the lion cubs, for around the king's palace the lion cubs fed, who are the young lions, meaning the king's sons. There went the lion and the lioness, for there the lion and the lioness, which is the female lion, always went—meaning the king and the queen. And also there went the lion's cub, namely the small children, the sons of kings. And there was no terror, for they were secure there.
The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, And strangled for his lionesses, And filled his caves with prey, And his dens with ravin.
verse value 3305
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "tearing" (טֹרֵף֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·filled·with·prey" (וַיְמַלֵּא־טֶ֣רֶף, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "in·sufficiency·of" (בְּדֵ֣י), "his·whelps" (גֹרוֹתָ֔יו), "and·strangled" (וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק). 9 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root טרף ("tearing") in Nahum. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·his·lionesses', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַרְיֵ֤ה [lion] (216) + טֹרֵף֙ [tearing] (289) + בְּדֵ֣י [in·sufficiency·of] (16) + גֹרוֹתָ֔יו [his·whelps] (625) + וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק [and·strangled] (204) + לְלִבְאֹתָ֑יו [for·his·lionesses] (479) + וַיְמַלֵּא־טֶ֣רֶף [and·filled·with·prey] (376) + חֹרָ֔יו [his·caves] (224) + וּמְעֹנֹתָ֖יו [and·his·dens] (582) + טְרֵפָֽה [torn·animal] (294) = 3305.
Rashi
A lion tears prey for its cubs. As its Targum [translates]: The kings would bring much spoil until there was enough for their household.
"And strangled." Animals for the need of his lionesses; that is, he increases his stores for his children.
"And he filled his dens with prey." The Targum: "And they filled their storehouses with plunder."
Ibn Ezra
"A lion tears [its prey]—to provide for its cubs."
"Bedei" – from the language of "enough" [dai]; the answer to this is [the phrase] "enough of a lamb" [dei seh, cf. Leviticus 12:8, "she cannot afford enough for a lamb"].
And as for "strangled" – [strangling] the beasts, to be prey for its lionesses; and its dens are full of their prey.
Radak
"A lion tears prey sufficient for its cubs." In order to provide enough for its cubs, like [the phrase] "he gave him back enough." "Its cubs" is a metaphor for his sons.
"And for his lionesses." A metaphor for noblewomen.
"And strangled for his lionesses." He strangles the animals for the sake of his lionesses. And so the matter is a parable for the king of Nineveh, and his ministers and his great ones, who used to bring the spoils of the nations to Nineveh.
Metzudat David
The lion is a predator. That lion which went forth was a predator, on account of the great need to provide for his cubs, his small sons; and he would strangle and kill beasts of the field to bring to his mates, the lionesses.
"And it was filled." And it was filling the holes in which it sat from the prey, and the verse repeats itself, saying, "And its dens are full of prey." And this is an allegory for the kings of Nineveh and their officials, who were bringing in much spoil, sufficient for their sons and their wives, and they filled their land with the wealth they had plundered.
Metzudat Zion
BDI. In the sense of "abundance," as in "the abundance of the horn" (Job 39):
And strangling. From the term "chaneq" (strangling).
His holes. From the language of a hole and a perforation; it is the cave in which the lion hides.
"and its dwelling places." From the language of "dwelling" and "abode":
Malbim
“Lion,” and how is it that there is now such cruelty there, that the lion devours its cubs? This means that the king killed his young children. And the lion strangles its lionesses, for he commanded that his wives, who are the lionesses, be strangled. For they were choked by the smoke. “And he filled his dens and his dwellings with prey.” What he devoured of his wives he calls “prey” in the feminine form, and what he devoured of his cubs he calls “prey” in the masculine form. And he depicts that the women dwelled in the dwellings, and the cubs lodged in small chambers. (Like the parable of the lion), meaning that the children were in small rooms, and he filled them with prey (masculine), and his wives were in his palaces, and he filled them with prey (feminine). Is this what is heard?
Behold, I am against you, says Hashem of hosts, And I will burn her chariots in the smoke, And the sword shall devour your young lions; And I will cut off your prey from the earth, And the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard.
verse value 5211
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 82 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "utterance" (נְאֻם֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·burn" (וְהִבְעַרְתִּ֤י, 7 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Nahum. Unique to this verse in Nahum (hapax): "and·I·will·burn" (וְהִבְעַרְתִּ֤י), "in·the·smoke" (בֶעָשָׁן֙), "her·chariots" (רִכְבָּ֔הּ). 18 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sword', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Rashi
Rekevah. The majority of chariots in it are called "kartedin" in the vernacular. The extra heh reverses the term to indicate a multitude of chariots. And similarly, (Ezekiel 24:6): "a pot whose filth is in it"—much filth.
"And the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more." "The voice of your messengers"—just as Rabshakeh and his companions, the envoys of Assyria, already did (Isaiah 37), who "cried with a loud voice in Judean."
Ibn Ezra
"Behold, I am against you" – Nineveh.
“With smoke” – due to the intense heat of the fire, and the meaning is [that it refers] to the anger of the Lord.
"Your prey." The prey that you used to seize. And the heh of "mal'akhekhah" stands in place of a yod, as a marker of the feminine form, like "your affliction" (עוניכי) and "your sicknesses" (תחלואיכי); and the meaning is "Rabshakeh," and it is written: "by the hand of your messengers" (II Kings 19:23).
Radak
"Behold, I am against you." He said to Nineveh: Behold, I will set My face against you to destroy you.
"And I will burn her chariot in smoke." The meaning is: with a great fire, whose smoke is visible from afar. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: "And I will kindle your chariot with fire." [The word] "her chariot" refers to [Nineveh], which used to boast in the multitude of chariots and horsemen.
And your lions. A parable for the mighty men of valor:
"Your prey" – You were devouring the inhabitants of the land.
"And the sound of your messengers shall no longer be heard." Your messengers, who used to raise their voice against the lands of the nations to frighten and terrify them, as Rabshakeh did against Jerusalem, when he spoke arrogantly against them and terrified them, and even spoke against God, blessed be He, saying that He would not be able to save Jerusalem from the hand of the king of Assyria. And the grammatical analysis of the word "malakhecheh": the final kaf has a tzere, in place of [what would be] a kamatz and a heh, like "asher tsivti otkhem" and its like. And even though the verse mentions [prior forms in] the feminine, while "malakhecheh" is masculine — the feminine refers to the city, and the masculine refers to the king, who is Sennacherib. And Rabbi Yonah wrote that the tzere is in place of a hirik, and it is like "malakhechi," on the pattern of "ne'urayikhi," "tachalu'ayikhi."
Metzudat David
Behold, I am against you. Behold, I will fight against you:
"And I will burn." I will burn most of the chariots in it, sending up smoke to the heavens due to the greatness of the fire.
"And your young lions." This means: Your children and their offspring shall be consumed by the sword.
"And I will cut off, etc." means: You shall no longer prey upon the land to plunder the nations.
"The voice of your messengers." [This refers to the fact] that they would raise their voice against the lands of the nations to frighten and terrify them, just as Rabshakeh did against Jerusalem, as it is stated (in II Kings and in Isaiah).
Metzudat Zion
"And I will burn." The sense of burning:
Rekevah. A group of chariots:
Malachecha. From the words "mal'akh" (messenger) and "shaliach" (emissary).
Malbim
"Behold, I am against you," says the LORD; meaning, this was by the decree of the LORD. And "I will burn her chariots in smoke"—referring to the chariot of the queen, who was brought up to the pyre together with her chariot and her covered wagon, as it is stated (Nahum 2:8): "and Huzzab is stripped, she is carried away"—and she was choked by the smoke of the pyre. And "the sword shall devour your whelps"—also the rest of his [the king's] sons who remained shall be devoured by the sword of the enemy (and it has already been cited in the words of the commentators that the way of lion hunters is to kindle smoke in the lion's den, and then the whelps come out of their holes and the hunters kill them with the sword). And thereby, "I will cut off your prey from the land," so that you shall no longer prey upon many nations. And also, "the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more"—who, by the hand of your messengers, [uttered] the reproach of the LORD.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Malbim