The Meaning of Nahum 2:12 Explained

Nahum 2:12

KJV: The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

YLT: The lion is tearing parts for his whelps, And is strangling for his lionesses, And he doth fill with prey his holes, And his habitations with rapine.

Darby: The lion tore in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

ASV: The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with prey, and his dens with ravin.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The lion  did tear in pieces  enough  for his whelps,  and strangled  for his lionesses,  and filled  his holes  with prey,  and his dens  with ravin. 

What does Nahum 2:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Lions normally kill only what they need to eat, but the Assyrians killed many enemies not just to sustain their own needs but for the joy of conquest. They were unusually vicious toward their enemies and notorious in the ancient world as cruel. [1] Yet lions, while vicious, are not known for being excessively so.

Context Summary

Nahum 2:1-13 - A Cruel City To Be Overthrown
This is a prophetic foreview of the overthrow of Nineveh by the Medo-Babylonians. God had used her for the chastisement of His people; now, in turn, she must be cast away for her sins. The attacking soldiers wore crimson tunics, and the chariot wheels were armed with scythes, that flashed as they revolved. The streets might be filled with chariots mustering for defence, but all must be in vain since the scaling-ladders were already against the walls, and the gates of the rivers would soon be opened. Huzzab was Nineveh's queen, and represents the condition of the city, going into captivity as a slave, with bare face and legs. Note the comparison of Nineveh to a den of lions filled with bones. Fire and sword completed her ruin. This is the lot of the enemies of God's people. See Isaiah 54:16-17. But if God is true to His threatenings, how much more is He true to His promises! [source]

Chapter Summary: Nahum 2

1  The fearful and victorious armies of God against Nineveh

What do the individual words in Nahum 2:12 mean?

the lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs and Killed for his lionesses and Filled with prey his caves and his dens with flesh
אַרְיֵ֤ה טֹרֵף֙ בְּדֵ֣י גֹֽרוֹתָ֔יו וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק לְלִבְאֹתָ֑יו וַיְמַלֵּא־ טֶ֣רֶף חֹרָ֔יו וּמְעֹֽנֹתָ֖יו טְרֵפָֽה

אַרְיֵ֤ה  the  lion 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרִי 
Sense: lion.
טֹרֵף֙  tore  in  pieces 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: טָרַף  
Sense: to tear, rend, pluck.
בְּדֵ֣י  enough  for 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּדֵי 
Sense: sufficiency, enough.
גֹֽרוֹתָ֔יו  his  cubs 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גֹּור  
Sense: whelp.
וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק  and  Killed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָנַק  
Sense: to strangle, strangle oneself.
לְלִבְאֹתָ֑יו  for  his  lionesses 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֶבֶא 
Sense: lion.
וַיְמַלֵּא־  and  Filled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
טֶ֣רֶף  with  prey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טֶרֶף  
Sense: prey, food, leaf.
חֹרָ֔יו  his  caves 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֹר  
Sense: hole, cave.
וּמְעֹֽנֹתָ֖יו  and  his  dens 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מְעֹנָה  
Sense: dwelling, habitation, refuge.
טְרֵפָֽה  with  flesh 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: טְרֵפָה  
Sense: that which is torn, animal torn (by beasts).

What are the major concepts related to Nahum 2:12?

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