Nahum 3:9
What does Nahum 3:9 mean?
A plain-English look at Nahum 3:9 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nahum 3:9 means
No-amon’s strength was not only in location but in alliances: Ethiopia and Egypt offered immense support, and Put and Lubim stood with her. Even with such a coalition, she fell. The lesson is pointed. International backing and vast resources cannot overturn God’s purposes. Assyria often relied on vassals and tribute to project power; now she must reckon with the truth that allies cannot save when the Lord has set Himself against a nation. Human networks are fragile in the day of divine reckoning. This verse undercuts Nineveh’s hope that her web of commerce and diplomacy could provide a shield when judgment comes.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Ethiopia was her strength and Egyptians without number; Put and Lubim were her helpers.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Cush her might, and Egypt, and there is no end. Put and Lubim have been for thy help.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Ethiopia and Egypt were the strength thereof, and there is no end: Africa and the Libyans were thy helpers.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Ethiopia was her strength, and Egypt, and it was infinite; Phut and the Libyans were her helpers.
Context
Verse 9 continues the precedent from verse 8 by listing No-amon’s mighty helpers. This heightens the force of verse 10, which will show how thoroughly that city was humbled despite support. The structure primes the application in verse 11: just as No-amon drank the cup of wrath, so will Nineveh. The reader should see that the prophet is building a case—if even a better-situated, well-allied city fell, Nineveh has no basis for confidence.
v.8Art thou better than No-amon, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about her; whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?
v.9This passage
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.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Genesis 10:6
And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan.
- Ezekiel 30:5
Ethiopia, and Put, and Lud, and all the mingled people, and Cub, and the children of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.
- Ezekiel 38:5
Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
- 2 Chronicles 12:3
with twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen. And the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.
- Jeremiah 46:9
Go up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth: Cush and Put, that handle the shield; and the Ludim, that handle and bend the bow.
- Ezekiel 27:10
Persia and Lud and Put were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.
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