The Pulpit Commentary — Nahum — Section 29

~eptnl\gint. mistRking the word, lµ'lr«l(av'l"o.r intoitioated. "Sensus 11tiq110 non sper- ,,, =pl, "sporting in fire;" Vulgate, in neudus," says e. Boman Catholic commen- oo~dnei1, It is derived from the term tator, "at Unum deeidero, ut scil. ox verbo AppliPd to thP eor-cm, or worm whfoh was ipso fluat "-which ie certainly not the case. used in dyeing to give to ofoth a deep The text is possibly corrupt, and might be B<'Ul<>t. oolonr (Hendenon). Some have oorreoted from the Septuagint. Certainly seen in the oolour of the soldiers' garments there seems to be no other passage in the an emblem of the Divine wrath of which Hebrew Scriptures where the metaphor of t.ho_v were the l\ppointed ministers, This "cypress" is used for "a spear." After the <'olour was much affected by combatants in mention of the chariots, it is not unnatural old times as in modem days. Professor that the writer should proceed, "and the Edwards quotes 2Elian, • Var. Hist.,' vi. 6, riders are in aotive motion," urging their " It was necelll!ll,ry to enter into battle horses with hand and whip and gesture (see clothed in purple, that the colour might Knabenbauer, in loo..). • denote a oerta.in dignity, and if drops of Ver. 4.-The ohariota shall rage in the blood from wounds were sprinkled on it, it streets. The chariots rave, dash madly he<'ame terrible to the enemy " ( comp. Xen., (Jer. xlvi. 9) about the open ways in the • Cyrop.,' i. S. 2). Red or purple seems to suburbs, or in the plains of the country. have been the favourite colour of the Medas The description still appertains to the and Babylonians (Ezek. xxiii. J 4), blue or besiegers, who are so numerous that to the violet that of the Assyrians (Ezek. udii. 6; Ninevites, looking from their walls, their xxviii. 23, ek) (Orelli). The chariots shall chariots seem to dash 'age.inst one ai\Other. be with flaming torches; literally, are tDith They shall seem-their appearance is-,.],ike fire of Bluh ; i.e. :flash with steel, and so torohea. Thus is described the gleaming of the cl1Wse should be translated, as in the the chariots and the armour (see on ver. 3; Revised Version. Commentators generally I Mace. vi. 39, "Now when the snQ: shone refer the description to the steel bosses of upon the shields of gold and, brass, the the wheels; but the Assyrian chariots (and mountains glistered therewith, and shined those of the Medes and Chaldeans were not like lamps of fire"). : . · dissimilar) were oonspicuous for shining Ver. 5.-The prophet turns to the Nine, metal, hung round with gleaming weapons vites and their preparations for defence. :,;lle and figures of th" heavenly bodies, carrying lhall recount his worthies;. he ·,,.e.member11 bright-armed warriors, the horses covered his nob'lea. The King of Nineveh calls to with trappings, which :fl.e.shed under the sun- mind the mighty captains who have often shine, and fastened to poles of glittering led his armies to victory, and sends thel)l to steel. There is no trace in the monuments defend the we.Us (comp ..eh .. iii. 18).. Tho of chariots 8.l:llled with scythes, which seem LXX., anticipating the next,claus!l, adds to have been unknown before the time of here, «al tf>•6!ovn, 11µ.lpas; "and they shall Cyrus. They are first mentioned in 2 Mace. 11.ee by day." They shall stumble in iheir xiii 2 (see Livy, xxxvii. 41). The word walk. In their fear and haste, or half- pel,adoth, translated "torches," is e.n /1,ra.( drnnken, they totter and stumble as they >..ry~,,_,,,,011. The LXX. renders it, al -i,11uu, hasten to the walls of.the city. The defeno11 "the reins," whenoe Jerome obtained his llhall be prepared; literally,. tl;e covering is version, i ~ lUUJe'TIIE cu~um; but it means, prepared. If-this refers to the operations .of "things made of iron or steel." and by crities the Ninevites, it means some kind of breast- uninstrncted in monumental discoveries was work or fascine erected between the towers; naturally referred to the scythes with which but it most probably depicts the sight that chariots were ermed in later times, instead meets their eyes from the walls. They see of to the gleaming metal with which they the besiegers bringing np. their mantelets were adorned. In the day of his preparation. and towers. As used by the Assyrians, the Wilen the Lord marshals the host for battle, machine called "the cover\ng" is ,either a as Isa. xiii. 4. The fir trees llhaJ.l be terribly wooden tower or a wicker mantelet in which shaken; i.e. the Spel!J'S with their fir or was suspended a battering-ram. It stood cypress shafts are brandished.. So Homer on four or six wheels, and the larger sort had often calls the spear " the ash," from the arch11rs posted in the various stories, both to material of which the handle was made annoy the enemy and to defend the engine. (comp.' Ii,' xvi. 143; xxii. 225, et.c.). The The rams were provided with le.nee-head.ad Septuagint rendering is very far from the extremities, and must have rather pickcd,at preseu t text, 0/ iww,is Bopv/3116-f,uovra.,, " The and loosened the courses of bricks of which horsemen shall be thrown into confusion." the walls were compo~ed than battered them Nor is the Vulgate any better, .Agitatore, down (see Bonomi, 'Nineveh and its COflllopi,ti Btll1't, which is explained to mean Palaces,' pp. 160, 234, 21;3, etc.; Le.yard, that the invaders are so carried away by 'Nineveh,' ob. v.. p. 376, etc., fig~. 57, 58). their courage and fury, that they act B.IJ if Tb" Septuagint rendering applies rather to  Olt. U. 1-18.] THE BOOK OF NAHUM. 27