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 fig trees with the first ripe figs; when shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater! 13Look at your troops— they are like your women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire consumes their bars. Draw your water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Work the clay and tread the mortar; repair the brick kiln! 15There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like a young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust; make yourself many like the swarming locust! 16You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away.

Nahum 3:14 word by word

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

• Drawשָׁאַבshâ'ab · to drawH7579
• waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• for the siegeמָצוֹרmâtsôr mâtsûr · siegeH4692
• strengthenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• your fortressesמִבְצָרmibtsâr mibtsârâh · fortificationH4013
• Workבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• the clayטִיטţîyţ · mudH2916
• and treadרָמַסrâmas · to trampleH7429
• the mortarחֹ֫מֶרchômer · clayH2563
• repairחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• the brickמַלְבֵּןmalbên · brickH4404

Cross-references for Nahum 3:14

• 2 Chronicles 32:3he consulted with his leaders and mighty men about stopping up the waters of the springs outside the city, and they helped him carry it out.
• Isaiah 22:9You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool.
• Isaiah 37:25I have dug wells and drunk foreign waters. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”
• Nahum 2:1One who scatters advances against you, O Nineveh. Guard the fortress! Watch the road! Brace yourselves! Summon all your strength!
• Isaiah 8:9Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
• Jeremiah 46:3“Deploy your shields, small and large; advance for battle!
• Joel 3:9Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!

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