Berean Standard Bible
Nahum 3:17
17Your guards1 are like the swarming locust, and your scribes2 like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where.
Nahum 3:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thy 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day— but when the sun appears they fly away, and no one knows where.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold— when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Your commanders are like swarming locusts, And your generals like great grasshoppers, Which camp in the hedges on a cold day; When the sun rises they flee away, And the place where they are is not known.
Context of Nahum 3:17
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. Your guards are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where. 18O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your officers sleep. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them. 19There is no healing for your injury; your wound is severe. All who hear the news of you applaud your downfall, for who has not experienced your constant cruelty?
Read all of Nahum 3Nahum 3:17 word by word
מִנְּזָרַ֙יִךְ֙ כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְטַפְסְרַ֖יִךְ כְּג֣וֹב גֹּבָ֑י הַֽחוֹנִ֤ים בַּגְּדֵרוֹת֙ בְּי֣וֹם קָרָ֔ה שֶׁ֤מֶשׁ זָֽרְחָה֙ וְנוֹדַ֔ד וְלֹֽא־נוֹדַ֥ע מְקוֹמ֖וֹ אַיָּֽם׃Read the interlinear
- Your guardsמִנְזָרminnezâr · princeH4502
- are like the swarming locustאַרְבֶּה'arbeh · locustH697
- and your scribesטִפְסָרţiphsar · officialH2951
- like clouds of locustsגּוֹבgôb · locustH1462
- that settleחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
- on the wallsגְּדֵרָהgedêrâh · wallH1448
- on a coldקָרָהqârâh · coldH7135
- dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- When the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
- risesזָרַחzârach · to riseH2224
- they fly awayנָדַדnâdad · to wanderH5074
- and noלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- one knowsיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- one knowsמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
- whereאַי'ay · where?H335
Cross-references for Nahum 3:17
Commentaries on Nahum 3:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Thy crowned are as the locusts - Thou hast numerous princes and numerous commanders. Which camp in the hedges in the cold day - The locusts are said to lie in shelter about the hedges of fertile spots when the weather is cold or during the night; but as soon as the sun shines out and is hot, they come out to their forage, or take to their wings.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Thy crowned are as the locust, and thy captains as the great locusts - What he had said summarily under metaphor, the prophet expands in a likeness. “The crowned” are probably the subordinate princes, of whom Sennacherib said, “Are not my princes altogether kings?” Isaiah 10:8. It has been observed that the headdress of the Assyrian Vizier has the ornament which “throughout the whole series of sculptures is the distinctive mark of royal or quasi-royal…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
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Thy crowned--Thy princes (Re 9:7). The king's nobles and officers wore the tiara, as well as the king; hence they are called here "thy crowned ones." as the locusts--as many as the swarming locusts. thy captains--Tiphsar, an Assyrian word; found also in Jr 51:27, meaning satraps [Michaelis]; or rather, "military leaders" [Maurer]. The last syllable, sar means a "prince," and is found in Belshaz-zar, Nabopolas-sar, Nebuchadnez-zar. as the great…Read the comment
Topics related to Nahum 3:17
In the dictionaries
Notes
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
Berean Standard Bible — © Berean Bible — CC0 / Public Domain
Commentaries