New Living Translation
Nahum 2:11
11Where now is that great Nineveh, that den filled with young lions? It was a place where people—like lions and their cubs— walked freely and without fear.
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
9Loot the silver! Plunder the gold! There’s no end to Nineveh’s treasures— its vast, uncounted wealth. 10Soon the city is plundered, empty, and ruined. Hearts melt and knees shake. The people stand aghast, their faces pale and trembling. Where now is that great Nineveh, that den filled with young lions? It was a place where people—like lions and their cubs— walked freely and without fear. 12The lion tore up meat for his cubs and strangled prey for his mate. He filled his den with prey, his caverns with his plunder. 13“I am your enemy!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Your chariots will soon go up in smoke. Your young men will be killed in battle. Never again will you plunder conquered nations. The voices of your proud messengers will be heard no more.”
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 3:1What sorrow awaits Nineveh, the city of murder and lies! She is crammed with wealth and is never without victims.
- Job 4:10The lion roars and the wildcat snarls, but the teeth of strong lions will be broken.
- Isaiah 5:29They will roar like lions, like the strongest of lions. Growling, they will pounce on their victims and carry them off, and no one will be there to rescue them.
- Jeremiah 2:15Strong lions have roared against him, and the land has been destroyed. The towns are now in ruins, and no one lives in them anymore.
- Jeremiah 4:7A lion stalks from its den, a destroyer of nations. It has left its lair and is headed your way. It’s going to devastate your land! Your towns will lie in ruins, with no one living in them anymore.
- Jeremiah 50:17“The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones.”
- Ezekiel 19:2“What is your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among the young lions and reared her cubs.
- Zephaniah 3:3Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.
- Genesis 49:9Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
- Isaiah 31:4But this is what the Lord has told me: “When a strong young lion stands growling over a sheep it has killed, it is not frightened by the shouts and noise of a whole crowd of shepherds. In the same way, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will come down and fight on Mount Zion.
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries