The Meaning of Nahum 3:17 Explained

Nahum 3:17

KJV: Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

YLT: Thy crowned ones are as a locust, And thy princes as great grasshoppers, That encamp in hedges in a day of cold, The sun hath risen, and it doth flee away, And not known is its place where they are.

Darby: Thy chosen men are as the locusts, and thy captains as swarms of grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day: when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

ASV: Thy princes are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, which encamp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thy crowned  [are] as the locusts,  and thy captains  as the great grasshoppers,  which camp  in the hedges  in the cold  day,  [but] when the sun  ariseth  they flee away,  and their place  is not known  where  they [are]. 

What does Nahum 3:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Assyria"s guards also reminded Nahum of locusts. There were huge numbers of them, but when the heat of battle came they would run away. Locusts do the same thing. They take their places on walls in the cool of the day, but when the hot sun beats on them they desert their posts and seek more comfortable surroundings.

Context Summary

Nahum 3:1-19 - Deserved Doom
This terrible chapter pictures the doom of Nineveh. She had used infamous methods in bringing surrounding nations under her power, and now her shame was to be discovered and exposed. It seemed incredible that so great a city should become desolate, but she is reminded of the populous Thebes especially dedicated to Ammon, the Egyptian Jupiter. As this great city had been overwhelmed by Assyria, so would Nineveh be by the Chaldeans. In spite of her Nile and her tributary nations, Thebes fell, and Nineveh would drink of the same cup. Her fall would be as easy as the plucking of ripe figs. The centuries that have passed since the prophet spoke only lend emphasis to his words. The silence of death still reigns over the desolate mounds that mark the site of the cherished capital. In Revelation 19:1-10 the saints and martyrs celebrate the fall of Babylon the Great. Let us see to it that we are heirs of that Kingdom which cannot be shaken, Hebrews 12:28 [source]

Chapter Summary: Nahum 3

1  The destruction of Nineveh

What do the individual words in Nahum 3:17 mean?

Your commanders [are] like [swarming] locusts and your generals like grasshoppers great which camp in the hedges on a day cold the sun when rises and they flee away and not is known the place where they [are]
מִנְּזָרַ֙יִךְ֙ כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְטַפְסְרַ֖יִךְ כְּג֣וֹב גֹּבָ֑י הַֽחוֹנִ֤ים בַּגְּדֵרוֹת֙ בְּי֣וֹם קָרָ֔ה שֶׁ֤מֶשׁ זָֽרְחָה֙ וְנוֹדַ֔ד וְלֹֽא־ נוֹדַ֥ע מְקוֹמ֖וֹ אַיָּֽם

מִנְּזָרַ֙יִךְ֙  Your  commanders  [are] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: מִנְּזָר  
Sense: princes, anointed ones, consecrated ones.
כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה  like  [swarming]  locusts 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַרְבֶּה  
Sense: a kind of locust, locust swarm (coll).
וְטַפְסְרַ֖יִךְ  and  your  generals 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: טִפְסָר  
Sense: scribe, official, marshal.
כְּג֣וֹב  like  grasshoppers 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גֹּבַי 
Sense: locusts.
גֹּבָ֑י  great 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּבַי 
Sense: locusts.
הַֽחוֹנִ֤ים  which  camp 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: חָנָה  
Sense: to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against.
בַּגְּדֵרוֹת֙  in  the  hedges 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: גְּדֵרָה 
Sense: wall, hedge.
בְּי֣וֹם  on  a  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
קָרָ֔ה  cold 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קָרָה  
Sense: cold.
שֶׁ֤מֶשׁ  the  sun 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
זָֽרְחָה֙  when  rises 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: זָרַח  
Sense: to rise, come forth, break out, arise, rise up, shine.
וְנוֹדַ֔ד  and  they  flee  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Pual, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָדַד  
Sense: to retreat, flee, depart, move, wander abroad, stray, flutter.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נוֹדַ֥ע  is  known 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
מְקוֹמ֖וֹ  the  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
אַיָּֽם  where  they  [are] 
Parse: Interrogative, third person masculine plural
Root: אֵי  
Sense: where?, whence?.

What are the major concepts related to Nahum 3:17?

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