Nahum 3:17

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

15The fire will burn you. The sword will cut you and it will kill you like grasshoppers. Grow in number like the grasshoppers and locusts. 16You welcomed traders into your city until there were more than all the stars in the sky. But they are like locusts. They take everything from the land and then they fly away. Your army and officers are so many that they are like locusts. Locusts stay on the walls on a cold day. But when the sun comes out, they fly away. And then nobody knows where they go. 18King of Assyria, the people who keep your people safe are asleep. Also, your powerful men are lying down to rest. Your people have run away to the mountains with nobody to get them together. 19You have received a bad wound and nobody can make it better. People have heard about what happened to you. All of them are very happy and they clap their hands. That is because you have done cruel things to all of them.

Nahum 3:17 word by word

מִנְּזָרַ֙יִךְ֙ כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְטַפְסְרַ֖יִךְ כְּג֣וֹב גֹּבָ֑י הַֽחוֹנִ֤ים בַּגְּדֵרוֹת֙ בְּי֣וֹם קָרָ֔ה שֶׁ֤מֶשׁ זָֽרְחָה֙ וְנוֹדַ֔ד וְלֹֽא־נוֹדַ֥ע מְקוֹמ֖וֹ אַיָּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thy crownedמִנְזָרminnezâr · princeH4502
• as the locustsאַרְבֶּה'arbeh · locustH697
• and thy captainsטִפְסָרţiphsar · officialH2951
• as the great grasshoppersגּוֹבgôb · locustH1462
• which campחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
• in the hedgesגְּדֵרָהgedêrâh · wallH1448
• in the coldקָרָהqârâh · coldH7135
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• when the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
• arisethזָרַחzârach · to riseH2224
• they flee awayנָדַדnâdad · to wanderH5074
• and their placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• is not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• whereאַי'ay · where?H335

Cross-references for Nahum 3:17

• Revelation 9:7The locusts were like horses that were ready to fight in a war. They wore something on their heads that seemed to be gold crowns. Their faces looked like human faces.

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

• Fence
• Grasshopper

In the dictionaries

• Depart
• Grasshopper
• Prophecy
• Rattling
• Captain
• Locust
• Marshal
• Nahum; the Book of
• Writing
• Nahum

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