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 Living Translation (NLT)Get ready for the siege! Store up water! Strengthen the defenses! Go into the pits to trample clay, and pack it into molds, making bricks to repair the walls.

Context of Nahum 3:14

12All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: If they are shaken, They fall into the mouth of the eater. 13Surely, your people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; Fire shall devour the bars of your gates. Draw your water for the siege! Fortify your strongholds! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Make strong the brick kiln! 15There the fire will devour you, The sword will cut you off; It will eat you up like a locust. Make yourself many—like the locust! Make yourself many— like the swarming locusts! 16You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven. The locust plunders and flies away.

Nahum 3:14 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Drawשָׁאַבshâ'ab · to drawH7579
• thee watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• for the siegeמָצוֹרmâtsôr mâtsûr · siegeH4692
• fortifyחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• thy strong holdsמִבְצָרmibtsâr mibtsârâh · fortificationH4013
• goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into clayטִיטţîyţ · mudH2916
• and treadרָמַסrâmas · to trampleH7429
• the morterחֹ֫מֶרchômer · clayH2563
• make strongחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• the brickkilnמַלְבֵּןmalbên · brickH4404

Cross-references for Nahum 3:14

• 2 Chronicles 32:3he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him.
• Isaiah 22:9You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
• Isaiah 37:25I have dug and drunk water, And with the soles of my feet I have dried up All the brooks of defense.’
• Nahum 2:1He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily.
• Isaiah 8:9“Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
• Jeremiah 46:3“Order the buckler and shield, And draw near to battle!
• Joel 3:9Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake 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

• 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