Nahum 3:14

Nahum 3:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.
• New International Version (NIV)Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses! Work the clay, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork!
• English Standard Version (ESV)Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold!
• New King James Version (NKJV)Draw your water for the siege! Fortify your strongholds! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Make strong the brick kiln!

Context of Nahum 3:14

12All your fortresses are [nothing but] fig trees with ripe figs— When shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater. 13Behold, your people are [as weak and helpless as] women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes the bars across your gates. Draw water for a [long, continued] siege! Strengthen your fortresses! Go down to the clay pits, trample the mortar! Prepare the brick kiln [to burn bricks for the rampart]! 15But there [in the very midst of these preparations] the fire will devour you; The sword will cut you down; It will devour you as the locust does. Multiply yourself like the creeping locusts; Multiply yourself like the swarming locusts. 16You have increased your traders more than the [visible] stars of heaven— The creeping locust strips and destroys and then flies away.

Nahum 3:14 word by word

מֵ֤י מָצוֹר֙ שַֽׁאֲבִי־לָ֔ךְ חַזְּקִ֖י מִבְצָרָ֑יִךְ בֹּ֧אִי בַטִּ֛יט וְרִמְסִ֥י בַחֹ֖מֶר הַחֲזִ֥יקִי מַלְבֵּֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Drawשָׁאַבshâ'ab · to drawH7579
• thee watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• for the siegeמָצוֹרmâtsôr mâtsûr · siegeH4692
• fortifyחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• thy strong holdsמִבְצָרmibtsâr mibtsârâh · fortificationH4013
• goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into clayטִיטţîyţ · mudH2916
• and treadרָמַסrâmas · to trampleH7429
• the morterחֹ֫מֶרchômer · clayH2563
• make strongחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• the brickkilnמַלְבֵּןmalbên · brickH4404

Cross-references for Nahum 3:14

• 2 Chronicles 32:3he decided, together with his officers and his soldiers, to stop up the water [supply] from the springs which were outside the city [by enclosing them with masonry and concealing them], and they helped him.
• Isaiah 22:9You saw that the breaches In the wall of the City of David [the citadel of Zion] were many; You collected [within the city’s walls] the waters of the Lower Pool (Siloam).
• Isaiah 37:25I dug wells and drank [foreign] waters, And with the sole of my feet I dried up All the canals [of the Nile] of Egypt.’
• Nahum 2:1The one who scatters has come up against you [Nineveh]. Man the fortress and ramparts, watch the road; Strengthen your back [prepare for battle], summon all your strength.
• Isaiah 8:9“Be broken [in pieces], O peoples, and be shattered! Listen, all you [our enemies from the] far countries. Prepare yourselves [for war], and be shattered; Prepare yourselves [for war], and be shattered.
• Jeremiah 46:3“Line up the buckler (small shield) and [large] shield, And advance for battle!
• Joel 3:9Proclaim this among the [pagan] nations: Prepare a war! Stir up the mighty men! Let all the men of war come near, let them come up!

Commentaries on Nahum 3:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Draw thee waters for the siege - The Tigris ran near to Nineveh, and here they are exhorted to lay in plenty of fresh water, lest the siege should last long, and lest the enemy should cut off this supply. Go into clay, and tread the mortar - This refers to the manner of forming bricks anciently in those countries; they digged up the clay, kneaded it properly by treading, mixed it with straw or coarse grass, moulded the bricks, and dried them in the sun. I…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strongholds - This is not mere mockery at man‘s weakness, when he would resist God. It foretells that they shall toil, and that, heavily. Toil is added upon toil. Nineveh did undergo a two years‘ siege. Water stands for all provisions within. He bids them, as before Nahum 2:1, strengthen what was already strong; strongholds, which seemed to “cut off” all approach. These he bids them strengthen, not repairing…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-19Verses 8-19 Strong-holds, even the strongest, are no defence against the judgments of God. They shall be unable to do any thing for themselves. The Chaldeans and Medes would devour the land like canker-worms. The Assyrians also would be eaten up by their own numerous hired troops, which seem to be meant by the word rendered "merchants." Those that have done evil to their neighbours, will find it come home to them. Nineveh, and many other cities, states…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Draw … strengthen: Nahum used sarcasm (sharp words meant to mock) to show that no amount of preparation could protect the Assyrians from God’s judgment. He also used this same sarcastic tone in Nahum 2:11–13.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. Ironical exhortation to Nineveh to defend herself. Draw ... waters--so as not to be without water for drinking, in the event of being cut off by the besiegers from the fountains. make strong the brick-kiln--or "repair" [Maurer]; so as to have a supply of bricks formed of kiln-burnt clay, to repair breaches in the ramparts, or to build new fortifications inside when the outer ones are taken by the foe.Read the comment

Topics related to Nahum 3:14

• Armies
• Brick
• Brick-Kiln
• Mortar

In the dictionaries

• Bricks
• Clay
• Depart
• Media
• Mortar
• Rattling
• Drawer of Water
• Fortification; Fort; Fortified Cities; Fortress
• Nahum; the Book of

Commentaries on Nahum 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings