The Pulpit Commentary — Nahum — Section 28

EXPOSIT.ION. OHAJ;'TER Il. the high privileges of the spiritual Isre.el, the chosen people of God (comp. Obad. 18). Vere. 1-13.-Part II. THE EXECUTION l!'or. AsehDl' is visited because Judah hns OF THE DECREE; THE DESTRUCTION OF NI• had its full measure of punishment. The NEVER DESCRIBED. emptiere have emptied them out. The plunderers (the enemy) have plundered the Vera. 1-8.-§ 1. Nineveh shall be be- Jews. And marred their vine branches. The sieged, becaUBe God is about to ezalt hui people heathen have cut off the members of Israel, by taking vengeance on the enemy, whose de- the Lord's vineyard. (For the metaphor / ence, howsoever formidal:Jk, .is of no avail. "vine," comp. Ps. lxxx. 8, etc.; Isa. v. ; J er. xii. 10.) Not only from what is read in the Ver. 1.-'-Na.hum addresses Nineveh, and Bible (e.g. 2 Kings xv. 19; xvi. 7, eto.; forewarns 'her of the siege she was a.bout to xvii. 3; :xviii. 14), bot from the details in undergo (see Introduction, § I.). He that the cuneiform inscriptions, we learn that the dasheth in pieoes ; the disperswr; qui dis- .Assyria.us were a constant danger and an- pergat (V ulgate) ; ,,_,_,pu.,-wv, " panting" noyance. to Israel, and harassed continually (Septuagint). The mixed army that in> both the southern and northern provinces. vested Nineveh ie so called from its effect Ver. 3.-The prophet describes, as though on the inhabitants of the neighbouring himself an eye-witness, the army advancing lands. Others translate it, "the maul," or against Nineveh. The shield of bis mighty "hammer"-n· appella.tioil of Oyaxares, men is ma.de red. "His heroes'' may be which reminds one of Charles Martel and either God's heroes, as sent by him to war Judas Maccabmus. Is oome up before thy against the evil city, or those of the " dasher fa.oe. Placing his forces in thy eight, that in pieces" of ver. 1. The shields of the thou mayest see his power and thine own early Aeeyrians were usually circular or danger. Keep the m'liniti.on. The prophet oval in shape, formed of wicker-work, with a urges the Ninevites to guard their fortress central boss of wood or metal. In the latest well. Some connect this clause with the period they were made straight at bottom preceding: "the disperser is come. to main- ilnd rounded only at top (Rawlinson's 'Anc. tain the siege;" as the Vulge.te, qui custodiat Mon.,' i. 440). Some bronze shields have obsidionem. But the other interpretation is been brought to England from . Nineveh ; more forcible, and suite the ·rest of the verse. these are circular, a.boot two feet and a. The LXX., reading differently, gives, •~a,- ha.If in diameter, the rim bending in- poo,_,_,,,os [ + .,.,, Alex.] ,,, 81..C,j,•ws, "one de- wards, and forming a deep groove round livered from affliction."• Watoh the way, by the edge. The handles are of iro,i, and which the enemy, approaches. Make thy fastened, by six bosses or nails, the heads loins strong. Gather up thy strength, the of which form an ornament on the outer loins being regarded as the seat of strength face of the shield (Layard, 'Discoveries,' (2 Chron. x. 10; Job xl. 7: Ezek. :xxi:x. 7; p. 194). There were used also in sieges t:i.11 1 Pet. i. 13). So weak, effeminate people oblong shields, sufficient to protect the were called in La.tin elumbes, "loinless.'' entire body, constructed of wicker-work or l1'ortify thy power mightily ; • Av5p,.,.a, Tj the hides of animals (Bonomi, 'Nineveh and 1.,-xoi· .,-,pd5pa (Septuagint). Me.ke yourselves its Discoveries,' p. 320, etc.). The shielJs e.s strong as possible (comp. Amos ii. 14). a.re said to be "ma.de red," either because Ver. 2.-This ruin shall fall on Nineveh they were really so coloured (though the beoa.uee God is mindful of his chosen people, monuments have not confirmed this opinion), whom Assyria. has oppressed. Ha.th turned or else because of the polished copper with away. It should be rendered, returneth to, which they were sometimes covered (Jo;;e- or restoret11, bri11gct11 baok; reddidit (Vul- phus, •Ant.,' xiii. 12. 5). Septuagint, point- gate); Isa. lii. 8; Hos. vi. 11. The exoel- ing differently, 81r.\cz 5uvaO"nlas a:JTiiiv •~ lency of J'aoob, a.a the exoellenoy of Isra.el. il.v8pdi1r..,v, "the arms of their power from The Lord restores the glory and honour of among men." Are in scarlet. The word Jacob, tho nation in its politic11l aspect, and rendered "scarlet" is [ound nowhere else,  28 TRE BOOK OF NAHUM. [clt; n. 1-13.