American Standard Version
Nahum 3:14
14Draw thee water for the siege; strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar; make strong the brickkiln.
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 thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. 13Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women; the gates of thy land are set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire hath devoured thy bars. Draw thee water for the siege; strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar; make strong the brickkiln. 15There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off; it shall devour thee like the canker-worm: make thyself many as the canker-worm; make thyself many as the locust. 16Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the canker-worm ravageth, and fleeth away.
Read all of Nahum 3Nahum 3:14 word by word
מֵ֤י מָצוֹר֙ שַֽׁאֲבִי־לָ֔ךְ חַזְּקִ֖י מִבְצָרָ֑יִךְ בֹּ֧אִי בַטִּ֛יט וְרִמְסִ֥י בַחֹ֖מֶר הַחֲזִ֥יקִי מַלְבֵּֽן׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Nahum 3:14
- 2 Chronicles 32:3he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city; and they helped him.
- Isaiah 22:9And ye saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many; and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool;
- Isaiah 37:25I have digged and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet will I dry up all the rivers of Egypt.
- Nahum 2:1He that dasheth in pieces is come up against thee: keep the fortress, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.
- Isaiah 8:9Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces.
- Jeremiah 46:3Prepare ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
- Joel 3:9Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw 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
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries