Nahum 2

HE Some by mistake refer this to Sennacher ib; 'tis more rightly refer'd to the Medes or Scythians, or to the Chaldeans all which did somewhat against the Assyrians. that dasheth in pieces That as a heavy and strong hammer breaks into pieces, and then with his arm scattereth the broken pieces, so shall the destroyer of Nineveh do, as a Maul (so the word Prov. 25.18.) or as the wind scatters smoke, so the word Psal. 68.2. is come up before thy face Against thee, and is within sight, from thy Watch-Towers on thy Frontiers thou mayest descry his Avant Guards.: keep the munition The Prophet derides Nineveh, and foretels all will be to no purpose; she shall never be able to withstand, so as to conquer, re-enforce thy Garrisons, yet they shall fall., watch the way Know which way he comes, that thou may'st barricado the way, or set Ambushes., make thy loins strong Encourage thy Souldiers, and make them valiant as thou canst, choose out the ablest and most undaunted., fortifie thy power Gather up all thou canst for the War, increase thy Armies, fill up thy Companies, engage assistance from abroad, nothing shall avail thee. mightily.

For the LORD has turned Laid low, or captivated, as no doubt Sennacherib did when he took so many fenced Cities, he did not slay all, he sent many into Captivity, and threatned Ierusalem, her Citizens with the like, I a. 36.17. away the excellency The Wealth, the Valiant Men, the Wise Men, all that Iacob could (with any colour of reason,) and had (with sin more than enough) gloried in. of Jacob The two Tribes., as the This confirms the Prophets Threat, either declaring that now, since God had sufficiently punisht Iacob and Israel he would next punish the proud Assyrian, as Isa. 10.12. or else, 'tis a confirmation by argument from the greater to the less; Israel and Iacob were more to God, yet he did punish them, much more will he punish Nineveh. excellency of Israel The ten Tribes spoiled, conquered, and captivated by Salmaniser.: for the emptiers Assyria who invaded, plundred, and robbed them, both Israel, and Iacob. have emptied them out Quite exhausted them:, and marred Either corrupted them in Religion and manners, as 2 Kings. 17.24, &c. or destroy'd, and cut up, the race of Israel to destroy them utterly. their vine-branches It may literally be meant that the Assyrians did cut up the Vines to impoverish the Vine-dressers, or else figuratively for the Nation which is often compared to a Vine, so the branches are Men and Women..

The shield One part or the whole of the Armour, and Furniture, or Harness. of his Medes or Chaldea s. mighty men Souldiers more particularly the brave, and stout ones, who were the choice men of the Army. is made red Either coloured red by the Dyer, or else dyed red with the blood of the slain., the valiant men are in scarlet This x lains the former, they used this colour much, either to terrific the Enemy, o to conceal their own wounds when the Blood on other colour would have disclosed them.: the chariots Much used in the Wars of those Countreys, and the great men usually fought in them n those days. shall be with flaming torches Either because they did force fire out of the stones, by their swift motion over them, or rather because there were Torches always carryed in them, to light them that rode in them by night, and to be in readiness to fire the houses of Cities, or Tents in the Camp they did break into. in the day of his preparation When he shall muster his Armies, and bring together his Magazines, and prepare his Engines., and the, sha be terribly shaken By Axes cutting them down for several uses in the War, for Torches, for Lances, for Building Forts, and many other uses. This parallel with Isa. 14.8. whole Forests sometimes destroyed by great Armies, which cut them down for their service..

The chariots Of the Chaldean Army, or the Riders in the Chariots by their fierceness, and carriage, by their cryes and calls heartning one another, and threatning the Assyrians. shall rage Shall seem to be more like mad-men, than well order'd Souldiers, and act as if they were possessed with furies, do more than man can do. in the streets Either of the Towns they pass through, or rather of Nineveh when taken., they shall justle By reason of their multitude, haste, and fury, they shall hit one against another. one against another in the broad wayes Where is most room, shall be most of these Chariots, and yet scarce room for them to move in., they shall seem like torches What with sparkling fire caused by their Horses and Chariots shod with Iron; and what with the glittering of the polish d I ns about the Chariots, and what with the light of flaming Torches carryed in them, the Chariots shall look like so many great Flambeaus, very dangerous, and terrible., they shall run like the lightnings Both for speed, irresistibleness, and terrour against which no defence, from which no flight, or hiding..

He This verse may indifferently refer either to Nineveh and its King making their defence, or to the Chaldeans and their King, maintaining the siege, both act with vigour and diligence. shall recount Muster, and give orders. his worthies Approved Officers and Commanders.; they shall stumble Show such forwardness, make such haste, that they shall not stand to pick their way, and there shall be so many, that they shall stumble for want of room. in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall The Assyrians to defend, the Chaldeans to assault the Walls of Nineveh. thereof, and the defence What might defend the besieged, and what might defend the be iegers; all-shall be ready on both sides, and what men can do, both will do. shall be prepared.

The gates Of the City toward the River. of the rivers For River, or because of the greatness of Tigris, upon which Nineveh stood. shall be opened It is reported by Diodorus Siculus Biblioth: l. 3. c. 7. that when the Chaldeans besieged Nineveh, a mighty Deluge of Waters overthrew the Walls of Niniveh, by the space of twenty Furlongs, or two miles and half, through which breach the besiegers made their entrance; so chap. 1. ver. 8. Vsher Anual ad An. M. 3257. the overrunning flood may be literally understood; here the Prophet expre ly declares how Nineveh shall be ruin'd., and the palace Either the Royal stately Palace of the Assyrian Monarch, or the more stately Temple of Nisroch, or Iupiter Belus, or some mighty Bulwark raised there for defence. shall be dissolved As if melted, it shall drop to pieces, and they that were in, whether Servants of the Court, or Votaries to the Idol, or Souldiers for defence of the Fort, shall in haste, with fear of the danger fly away..

And Huzzab This is variously taken, but the most probable guess is, that, it is meant of the Queen, who kept close in the Palace, or Temple, as where she might be most safe in the strength, and supposed sacredness of the place. shall be led away captive Without due respect to her Royal Dignity shall be hurried into a strange Land with other Captives, and (as they) be exposed to danger and insolence., she shall be brought up, and her maids Ladies that waited on her in her Royal State, now shall be her Companions in Captivity. shall lead Support their sorrowful, weary, and fainting Queen, spent with such travel as she had not been used unto. her, as with the voice of doves Sighing out the complaints they durst not speak out., tabering upon their breasts These maids of honour should now in Captivity strike on their breasts, but with such caution and fear of being discovered in their lamenting their state; as should be but like the noise of a Taber lightly strucken, or else instead of Musical Instruments on which they were used to play, and to which they were used to sing, now they strike their own breasts, and sigh out their sorrows..

But Nineveh is of old A very antient City, of great renown and strength, like a pool of water, Very populous, like a Pool of Water which has been long breeding of fish, and is full of them., yet they Yet these multitudes shall not be a safety, or protection to Nineveh, they shall flee away discomfited and terrified; shall flee away, Stand, stand As Officers call to flying Souldiers, and 'tis doubled to show the earnestness of the Commanders desiring the Souldier to stand and fight., shall they The Chieftains, and most valiant among the Ninevites: cry; but none shall look back h. A Panick fear shall so possess them, that non of them shall dare to turn again, nor to look back upon the Enemy.

Take God speaks by his Prophet, commanding that it be done, and foretelling that it certainly shall be done, and Scythians, Medes and Chaldeans, or who ever else did associate in the War, and sacking of Nineveh, may be supposed to encourage one another in the plundering of the City, ye conquering Souldiers, you that come together in hope of this booty. the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for Here's enough for you all, Nineveh has been long gathering, and has gathered much treasure, it is uncountable; therefore take all you can lay hands on, possibly it may be the foretelling of the chief Commander his giving his Souldiers leave to take what they could, for so much as after all, they would leave enough, a great treasure for him. there is none end of the store Of all sorts, both for use and Luxury, both for necessity and superfluity., and glory Splendid and rich Furniture in their Temples, Palaces, publick Aedifices, and private Houses. Their rich Vessels, costly Hangings, and gaudy Apparel, in their Ward Robes, in their Closets, and in their Shops, all delightful to the eye, and rich in the real value. out of all the pleasant furniture.

She Nineveh taken, and under the proud insultings of the barbarous Souldiers. is empty Though once full of all store, yet now she is empty enough, many hands have been employed to spoil her. and void Citizens are either slipt away, or carried Captives,, and wast desolate, and shall continue so. Here is a threefold expression to ascertain the thing, and to intimate the greatness of Nineveh's desolation., and the heart melteth This Devastation has broken the hearts of the Ninevites,, and the knees smite Not able to go steddily, ready to fall through weakness, and faintness of Spirits. together, and much pain Acute pains and griefes caused by their troubles, losses, dangers, and frights is in all loins Which in those that are well, are their strength, and which to diseased, and broken bodies are the seat of pains and griefs., and the faces Which were wont to be haughty, and scornful, and as it were sparkle with briskness of Spirit. of them all gather blackness Now are clouded, sorrowful, and dejected, every one may see their desperate state in this Symptom..

Where It is the insulting, or deriding speech of all that see, and note it. is the dwelling Nineveh compared to a Lions Den. of the lions Tyrants and bloody Warriours, as P l, Tiglath-Pileser, and Salmaneser., and the feeding place Nineveh. of the young lions Princes the Children of those Tyrannical Kings.? where the lion, even the old lion The King of Assyria. walked In his pride, in safety, and his Princes with his rapines about him, which none durst disturb., and the lions whelp, and none made them afraid.

The lion The Prophet continues the Metaphor, this Lion is the King of Assyria. did tear Formerly did fall upon his Neighbour Nations, broke their strength, and rob'd their Treasuries, and store-houses, and broke them in pieces. in pieces enough for his whelps The young brood of the Assyrian Royal Family., and strangled for his lionesses Queens, Concubines, or Ladies in the Assyrian Court., and filled his holes His Treasuries, Magazines, and Royal Seats, called Dens in a decorum to the speech he had used. with prey, and his dens Ingeminating what was before spoken. with ravine Spoils which his ravenous mind and hand could lay hold on; all was prey that he could take..

Behold This calls for our attention. I The God of Israel, whom thou hast despised and blasphemed. am against thee Assyrian Kingdom, and Nineveh,, says the LORD of hosts whose command all must obey, and I will burn her Nineveh. chariots in the smoke In wrath, or suddenly, or what if when the City first plundered, then burnt these Chariots, were burnt in that smoke., and the sword Of the conquering Enemy. shall devour thy young lions Young Princes that either are found in Arms, or else are cut off in the places of their retirements for safety., and I will cut off thy prey Cause thee to cease from making a prey any more, or destroy all thou hast gotten by thy prey. from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers Either Embassadors sent forth, or Tribute Gatherers, or Muster-Masters to list Souldiers, or Heralds to proclaim Edicts. shall no more be heard None shall concern themselves with one or other of them. None obey or fear thee..