The Meaning of Nahum 3:19 Explained

Nahum 3:19

KJV: There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

YLT: There is no weakening of thy destruction, Grievous is thy smiting, All hearing thy fame have clapped the hand at thee, For over whom did not thy wickedness pass continually?

Darby: There is no healing of thy breach; thy wound is grievous; all that hear the report of thee clap the hands over thee; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

ASV: There is no assuaging of thy hurt: thy wound is grievous: all that hear the report of thee clap their hands over thee; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[There is] no healing  of thy bruise;  thy wound  is grievous:  all that hear  the bruit  of thee shall clap  the hands  over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness  passed  continually? 

What does Nahum 3:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Addressing Nineveh again, in conclusion, Nahum reiterated that the breakdown of Assyria would be impossible to repair. She had a fatal illness from which she would not recover. Everyone who heard about her demise would rejoice because her long practice of wickedness had touched everyone.
Only two books in the Bible end with rhetorical questions, Jonah and Nahum , both of which focus on Nineveh. Jonah ends on a note of compassion for Nineveh, but Nahum ends with assurance that God"s patience had run out and the destruction of Nineveh was now certain.
Is this book only about God"s judgment on Nineveh and the Assyrians, or does it have a broader message? The reasons God brought Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire down are the same reasons He will humble any similar people. Any nation or city that lusts for conquest, practices violence and brutality to dominate others, abuses its power, oppresses the weak, worships anything but Yahweh, or seeks help from the demonic world shares Nineveh"s sins and can expect her fate.

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 3:19 mean?

No healing Your injury [has] is severe Your wound all who hear news of you will clap [their] hands over you for upon whom not has passed your wickedness continually
אֵין־ כֵּהָ֣ה לְשִׁבְרֶ֔ךָ נַחְלָ֖ה מַכָּתֶ֑ךָ כֹּ֣ל ׀ שֹׁמְעֵ֣י שִׁמְעֲךָ֗ תָּ֤קְעוּ כַף֙ עָלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֗י עַל־ מִ֛י לֹֽא־ עָבְרָ֥ה רָעָתְךָ֖ ؟ תָּמִֽיד

אֵין־  No 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
כֵּהָ֣ה  healing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כֵּהָה  
Sense: a quenching, dulling, lessening, healing, alleviation.
לְשִׁבְרֶ֔ךָ  Your  injury  [has] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבֶר 
Sense: breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash, ruin, shattering.
נַחְלָ֖ה  is  severe 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
מַכָּתֶ֑ךָ  Your  wound 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מַכָּה  
Sense: blow, wound, slaughter.
שֹׁמְעֵ֣י  who  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
שִׁמְעֲךָ֗  news  of  you 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁמַע  
Sense: report, a hearing.
תָּ֤קְעוּ  will  clap 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: תֹּוקְעִים 
Sense: to blow, clap, strike, sound, thrust, give a blow, blast.
כַף֙  [their]  hands 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
עָלֶ֔יךָ  over  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.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
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.
מִ֛י  whom 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
עָבְרָ֥ה  has  passed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
רָעָתְךָ֖  your  wickedness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
؟ תָּמִֽיד  continually 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תָּמִיד  
Sense: continuity, perpetuity, to stretch.