Nahum 2 is the second chapter of the Book of Nahum in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies spoken by the prophet Nahum, and is a part of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets.
The original text is written in Hebrew.
This chapter is divided into 13 verses.
Some most ancient manuscripts containing this chapter in Hebrew language:
Masoretic Text (10th century)
Dead Sea Scrolls: (2nd century BC)4QpNah, known as the "Nahum Commentary" (1st century BC)
4Q82 (4QXIIg): extant: verses 9-11
Wadi Murabba'at (MurXII): extant: verses 1‑13 (verses 2-14 in Masoretic text)
Ancient translations in Koine Greek:
Septuagint (3rd century BC)
Dead Sea Scrolls: (2nd century BC)Naḥal Ḥever (8ḤevXIIgr): extant: verses 5‑10, 13‑14
Theodotion version (~AD 180)
This chapter can be grouped (with cross references to other parts of the Bible):
Nahum 2:1-12 = The Destruction of Nineveh
Nahum 2:13 = I Am Against You
New Revised Standard Version
A shatterer has come up against you.
Guard the ramparts; watch the road;
gird your loins; collect all your strength
"Shatterer" (or "scatterer") is translated from the Hebrew word: מֵפִ֛יץ mê-p̄îts referring to the Medians and Babylonians who attacked Nineveh. Thus, this verse is addressed to Nineveh. The King James Version renders the word: "He that dasheth in pieces."
The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.
"The gates of the rivers" (Hebrew: שערי הנהרות, sha-‘ă-rê han-nə-hā-rō-wṯ). Nineveh was situated on the east bank of the Tigris River, whose tributary, the Khosr, flowed through the city. The fall of Nineveh predicted by Nahum took place in only a few years after this prophecy - in 612 B.C, followed by the final destruction of the Assyrian Empire in 609 B.C. Archelogical research unearthed evidence that the destruction of city is related to the flood, giving support to the belief that the attackers sneaked into Niniveh by opening the river gates and marching through the "flooded waterways", in fulfillment of Nahum's prophecy.
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?
Fragments 3-4 Column 1 of Nahum Commentary (1st century BC) cites Nahum 2:11b, "Where the lion goes to enter, there also goes the whelp..." and provides the commentary,
"[This refers to Deme]trius, king of Greece, who sought to enter Jerusalem through the counsel of the Flattery-Seekers; [but it never fell into the] power of the kings of Greece from Antiochus until the appearance of the rulers of the kittim...."
According to Larry R. Helyer (as well as to many other scholars), Demetrius in this text is Demetrius III Eucaerus (95-88 BCE), the Seleucid king who defeated Alexander Jannaeus in battle, but was forced to withdraw back to Syria. Accordingly, by "the Flattery-Seekers", the Pharisees were probably meant. Furthermore, “Antiochus” is conventionally identified as Antiochus IV, and the “Kittim” as the Romans.
Dwelling of the lions: "Lion" is a natural symbol of Assyria, and is used as the chief national emblem. Nergal, the war god, has a winged lion with a man's face as his emblem. See the figure in Rawlinson, 'Anc. Mon.,' 1:173, who adds (p. 308) that the lion is accepted as a true type of the people, blood, ravin, and robbery being their characteristics in the mind of the prophet; thus, the "dwelling of the lions" refers to the great city of Nineveh.
Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions:
and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.
"Lord of hosts" (Hebrew: יהוה צבאות, Yah-weh tsə-ḇā-’ō-wṯ). Although the Babylonians conquered the city of Nineveh, they were only God's instruments. Nineveh's greatest foe was the Lord of hosts Himself.
