The Meaning of Nahum 3:5 Explained

Nahum 3:5

KJV: Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

YLT: Lo, I am against thee, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And have removed thy skirts before thy face, And have shewed nations thy nakedness, And kingdoms thy shame,

Darby: behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts; and I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

ASV: Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face; and I will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, I [am] against thee, saith  the LORD  of hosts;  and I will discover  thy skirts  upon thy face,  and I will shew  the nations  thy nakedness,  and the kingdoms  thy shame. 

What does Nahum 3:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Almighty Yahweh repeated that He was against Nineveh (cf. Nahum 2:13). He would expose her shamefulness because of her shameless Acts , as when someone lifted the skirt of a lady over her head so high that he covered her face with it (cf. Isaiah 47:1-3; Jeremiah 13:26-27; Ezekiel 16:37; Hosea 2:3-5; Revelation 17:15-16). Nakedness was a great shame in the ancient world. She who had enslaved the nations ( Nahum 3:4) would have her own nakedness exposed to them.

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 3:5 mean?

Behold I [am] against you says Yahweh of hosts and I will lift your skirts over your face and I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame
הִנְנִ֣י אֵלַ֗יִךְ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְגִלֵּיתִ֥י שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ עַל־ פָּנָ֑יִךְ וְהַרְאֵיתִ֤י גוֹיִם֙ מַעְרֵ֔ךְ וּמַמְלָכ֖וֹת קְלוֹנֵֽךְ

הִנְנִ֣י  Behold  I  [am] 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
אֵלַ֗יִךְ  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
נְאֻם֙  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֔וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
וְגִלֵּיתִ֥י  and  I  will  lift 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ  your  skirts 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: שׁוּל  
Sense: skirt (of robe).
עַל־  over 
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.
פָּנָ֑יִךְ  your  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְהַרְאֵיתִ֤י  and  I  will  show 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
גוֹיִם֙  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
מַעְרֵ֔ךְ  your  nakedness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: מַעַר  
Sense: bare, naked place, nakedness.
וּמַמְלָכ֖וֹת  and  the  kingdoms 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַמְלָכָה  
Sense: kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty.
קְלוֹנֵֽךְ  your  shame 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: קָלֹון  
Sense: shame, disgrace, dishonour, ignominy.