The Meaning of Nahum 1:14 Explained

Nahum 1:14

KJV: And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.

YLT: And commanded concerning thee hath Jehovah, 'No more of thy name doth spread abroad, From the house of thy gods I cut off graven and molten image, I appoint thy grave, for thou hast been vile.

Darby: And Jehovah hath given commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy god will I cut off the graven image, and the molten image: I will prepare thy grave; for thou art vile.

ASV: And Jehovah hath given commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image; I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  hath given a commandment  concerning thee, [that] no more of thy name  be sown:  out of the house  of thy gods  will I cut off  the graven image  and the molten image:  I will make  thy grave;  for thou art vile. 

What does Nahum 1:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The subject reverts to Nineveh.
Yahweh had commanded His heavenly host to manage the world"s affairs so Nineveh"s name (or perhaps the king of Nineveh"s name) would not continue forever. This does not mean that succeeding generations would be completely ignorant of Nineveh and its rulers. More is known about Assyrian literature than that of any other ancient Semitic people except the Hebrews. [1] But the residents, particularly the king, would have no surviving descendants (heirs). [2]
The Lord also promised to destroy Nineveh"s idols and remove them from their temples. The Assyrians often carried off the idols of the nations they conquered to demonstrate the superiority of their gods over those of the conquered, as did other ancient Near Eastern nations (cf1Samuel5). The conquering Medes, however, despised idolatry and did away with multitudes of images that existed in Nineveh. [3] Yahweh would prepare Nineveh"s grave since He would bury the contemptible city. It was a great curse in the ancient Near East to have no descendants, and it was a great humiliation to have no gods, but both fates would befall Nineveh.

Context Summary

Nahum 1:1-15 - God's Goodness And Righteous Anger
The native city of Nahum was Elkosh, near the Lake of Galilee. The name Capernaum means literally "the village of Nahum." He lived about 150 years after Jonah, who also had been especially concerned with the sins and doom of Nineveh. Though as a Jew he must have dreaded Nineveh, which had already carried Samaria into captivity and was now menacing Jerusalem, he accounted its fate a grievous burden-"the burden of Nineveh." We must never speak of the doom of the ungodly, save from a broken heart.
Nahum 1:1-8 forms a magnificent preamble combining the goodness and severity of God. His dealings with mankind are wrapped in mystery, but He is good and the stronghold of His saints. In Nahum 1:9-15 we see how mad Assyria was to enter into conflict with Jehovah. The fate of thorns in fiercely burning flame is the emblem of their doom. Compare Nahum 1:14 with Isaiah 37:38. When the hour of anguish is past, let us not forget to pay our vows. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nahum 1

1  The majesty of God in goodness to his people, and severity against his enemies

What do the individual words in Nahum 1:14 mean?

And has given a command concerning you Yahweh no shall be perpetuated Your name longer Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the molded image I will dig your grave for you are vile -
וְצִוָּ֤ה עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ יְהוָ֔ה לֹֽא־ יִזָּרַ֥ע מִשִּׁמְךָ֖ ע֑וֹד מִבֵּ֨ית אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ אַכְרִ֨ית פֶּ֧סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֛ה אָשִׂ֥ים קִבְרֶ֖ךָ כִּ֥י קַלּֽוֹתָ פ

וְצִוָּ֤ה  And  has  given  a  command 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
עָלֶ֙יךָ֙  concerning  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לֹֽא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִזָּרַ֥ע  shall  be  perpetuated 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָרַע  
Sense: to sow, scatter seed.
מִשִּׁמְךָ֖  Your  name 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
ע֑וֹד  longer 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
מִבֵּ֨ית  Out  of  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ  of  your  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אַכְרִ֨ית  I  will  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
פֶּ֧סֶל  the  carved  image 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
וּמַסֵּכָ֛ה  and  the  molded  image 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַסֵּכָה 
Sense: a pouring, libation, molten metal, cast image, drink offering.
אָשִׂ֥ים  I  will  dig 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
קִבְרֶ֖ךָ  your  grave 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.
קַלּֽוֹתָ  you  are  vile 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation