God’s Word Translation
Nahum 2:11
11Where is the lions’ den, that feeding place for young lions? Where are the lion, the lioness, and the lion cub who moved about with no one to terrify them?
Nahum 2:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion’s whelp, and none made them afraid?
- New International Version (NIV)Where now is the lions’ den, the place where they fed their young, where the lion and lioness went, and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Where is the lions' den, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and lioness went, where his cubs were, with none to disturb?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Where is the dwelling of the lions, And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion walked, the lioness and lion’s cub, And no one made them afraid?
Context of Nahum 2:11
9Steal the silver! Steal the gold! There is no end to what is stored here— everything a person could ever want. 10Nineveh is destroyed, deserted, demolished. Hearts are melting. Knees are knocking. Every stomach becomes upset. Every face turns pale. Where is the lions’ den, that feeding place for young lions? Where are the lion, the lioness, and the lion cub who moved about with no one to terrify them? 12The lion tore its prey to pieces to feed its cubs. It strangled ⌞the prey⌟ for its mates. It used to fill its caves with torn carcasses and its dens with torn flesh. 13“I am against you, Nineveh,” declares the Lord of Armies. “I will send your chariots up in smoke, and a sword will kill your young lions. I will remove your prey from the earth, and no one will ever hear the voice of your messengers again.”
Read all of Nahum 2Nahum 2:11 word by word
אַיֵּה֙ מְע֣וֹן אֲרָי֔וֹת וּמִרְעֶ֥ה ה֖וּא לַכְּפִרִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָלַךְ֩ אַרְיֵ֨ה לָבִ֥יא שָׁ֛ם גּ֥וּר אַרְיֵ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- the dwellingמָעוֹןmâ‛ôn mâ‛îyn · habitationH4583
- of the lionsאֲרִי'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
- and the feedingplaceמִרְעֶהmir‛eh · pastureH4829
- of the young lionsכְּפִירkephîyr · lionH3715
- where the lionאַרְיֵה'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
- the old lionלָבִיאlâbîy' lebîyâ' lebâ'îym lebâ'ôth · lionH3833
- walkedהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
- whelpגּוּרgûr gûr · whelpH1482
- afraidחָרַדchârad · to trembleH2729
Cross-references for Nahum 2:11
- Nahum 3:1How horrible it will be for that city of bloody violence! It is completely full of lies and stolen goods—never without victims.
- Job 4:10Though the roar of the lion and the growl of the ferocious lion ⌞is loud⌟, the young lions have had their teeth knocked out.
- Isaiah 5:29They roar like a lioness. They growl like a young lion. They growl as they snatch their prey and carry it off to where no one can rescue it.
- Jeremiah 2:15Young lions have roared very loudly at them. Young lions have turned the land into a wasteland. The cities have been burned down, and everyone has left.
- Jeremiah 4:7A lion has come out of its lair. A destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to destroy your land. Your cities will be ruined, and no one will live in them.
- Jeremiah 50:17“The people of Israel are like scattered sheep that lions have chased. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria. The last to gnaw at their bones was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
- Ezekiel 19:2Say: Your mother was like a lioness. She lay down among the lions. She fed many cubs.
- Zephaniah 3:3Its officials are ⌞like⌟ roaring lions. Its judges are ⌞like⌟ wolves in the evening. They leave nothing to gnaw on for the morning.
- Genesis 49:9Judah, you are a lion cub. You have come back from the kill, my son. He lies down and rests like a lion. He is like a lioness. Who dares to disturb him?
- Isaiah 31:4This is what the Lord said to me: A lion, even a young lion, growls over its prey when a crowd of shepherds is called to fight it. It isn’t frightened by their voices or disturbed by the noise they make. So the Lord of Armies will come to fight for Mount Zion and its hill.
Commentaries on Nahum 2:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Where is the dwelling of the lions - Nineveh, the habitation of bold, strong, and ferocious men. The feeding place of the young lions - Whither her victorious and rapacious generals frequently returned to consume the produce of their success. Here they walked at large, and none made them afraid. Wheresoever they turned their arms they were victors; and all nations were afraid of them.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions? - Great indeed must be the desolation, which should call forth the wonder of the prophet of God. He asks “where is it?” For so utterly was Nineveh to be effaced, that its place should scarcely be known, and now is known by the ruins which have been buried, and are dug up. The messengers of her king had asked, “Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? of Sepharvaim, Hena, and…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-13Verses 11-13 The kings of Assyria had long been terrible and cruel to their neighbours, but the Lord would destroy their power. Many plead as an excuse for rapine and fraud, that they have families to provide for; but what is thus obtained will never do them any good. Those that fear the Lord, and get honestly what they have, shall not want for themselves and theirs. It is just with God to deprive those of children, or of comfort in them, who take sinful…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-13After describing Nineveh’s fall (Nahum 2:1–10), Nahum includes the first of three taunt songs (see also 3:8–13, 14–19). Taunt songs were a common form of poetry in the ancient Near East. In this song, Nahum uses sharp humor to compare Nineveh to a lion’s den. Sennacherib and other Assyrian kings often compared themselves to lions. They even decorated their palaces with images of lions and scenes of royal lion hunts. However, because God had become…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. dwelling of ... lions--Nineveh, the seat of empire of the rapacious and destructive warriors of various ranks, typified by the "lions," "young lions," "old lion" (or lioness [Maurer]), "the lion's whelp." The image is peculiarly appropriate, as lions of every form, winged, and sometimes with the head of a man, are frequent in the Assyrian sepulchres. It was as full of spoils of all nations as a lion's den is of remains of its prey. The question…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Nahum 2
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries