Nahum 3:11
What does Nahum 3:11 mean?
A plain-English look at Nahum 3:11 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nahum 3:11 means
The verdict arrives: Nineveh too will be made drunk—not with wine, but with the cup of God’s wrath—staggering, disoriented, and ashamed. She will hide from exposure and frantically seek a fortress to escape the enemy. The imagery of drunkenness captures the stupefaction and helplessness that overtake a people under judgment. Once assertive, she will grope for refuge and find none sufficient. This is poetic justice. The terror that once sobered nations now intoxicates Nineveh with confusion. When the Lord withdraws wisdom and strength, even the most disciplined empire reels like a drunkard and seeks cover in vain.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Thou also shalt be drunken; thou shalt be hid; thou also shalt seek a stronghold because of the enemy.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Thou also shalt be drunken; thou shalt be hid; thou also shalt seek a stronghold because of the enemy.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And you will be overcome with wine, you will become feeble; you will be looking for a safe place from those who are fighting against you.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Even thou art drunken, thou art hidden, Even thou dost seek a strong place, because of an enemy.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Therefore thou also shalt be made drunk, and shalt be despised: and thou shalt seek help from the enemies.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid; thou also shalt seek a refuge from the enemy.
Context
Having laid out No-amon’s fate (verses 8–10), verse 11 applies the pattern to Nineveh: the same cup will be drunk. The next verses (12–13) will specify the ease with which her defenses collapse, while verses 14–15 will mock frantic preparations as futile. This movement from analogy to direct prediction moves the prophecy from the general to the particular, tightening the net around Nineveh’s pride and showing that no practical response can avert what God has decreed.
v.10Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity; her young children also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; and they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
v.11This passage
v.12All thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Jeremiah 4:5
Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.
- Isaiah 49:26
And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
- Revelation 6:15
And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains;
- Isaiah 2:10
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty.
- Isaiah 2:19
And men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.
- Nahum 2:1
He that dasheth in pieces is come up against thee: keep the fortress, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.
Related questions readers ask
Keep reading
Want to dig deeper? Explore Nahum 3
Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on Nahum 3.
Topics that quote it
Topic
Bible Verses About God as Refuge
The Bible uses the powerful imagery of refuge to describe God as our ultimate protector and safe haven in times of trouble.
Topic
Bible Verses About the Goodness of God
God’s goodness is a foundational truth of faith, revealing His benevolent nature and faithful provision for all creation.
Topic
Bible Verses About the Wrath of God
God's wrath is a profound aspect of His holiness and justice, revealed against sin and rebellion throughout scripture.