Nahum 3:8
New International Version
Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall.

New Living Translation
Are you any better than the city of Thebes, situated on the Nile River, surrounded by water? She was protected by the river on all sides, walled in by water.

English Standard Version
Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall?

Berean Standard Bible
Are you better than Thebes, stationed by the Nile with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water?

King James Bible
Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

New King James Version
Are you better than No Amon That was situated by the River, That had the waters around her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall was the sea?

New American Standard Bible
Are you better than No-amon, Which was situated by the canals of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea?

NASB 1995
Are you better than No-amon, Which was situated by the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea?

NASB 1977
Are you better than No-amon, Which was situated by the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea?

Legacy Standard Bible
Are you better than No-amon, Which sits along the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea?

Amplified Bible
Are you better than Thebes, Which was situated by the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose defense was the sea (the Nile), Whose wall consisted of the sea?

Christian Standard Bible
Are you better than Thebes that sat along the Nile with water surrounding her, whose rampart was the sea, the river her wall?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Are you better than Thebes that sat along the Nile with water surrounding her, whose rampart was the sea, the river her wall?

American Standard Version
Art thou better than No-amon, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about her; whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Are you better than Yavan of Amon who dwells on the rivers and waters surround him, whose power is the sea and the waters, his fortification

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Prepare thee a portion, tune the chord, prepare a portion for Ammon: she that dwells among the rivers, water is round about her, whose dominion is the sea, and whose walls are water.

Contemporary English Version
Nineveh, do you feel safer than the city of Thebes? The Nile River was its wall of defense.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Art thou better than the populous Alexandria, that dwelleth among the rivers? waters are round about it: the sea is its riches, the waters are its walls.

English Revised Version
Art thou better than No-amon, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about her; whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Are you better than No-amon, which sits by the streams of the Nile with water surrounding her? The sea was [her] defense. The water was her wall.

Good News Translation
Nineveh, are you any better than Thebes, the capital of Egypt? She too had a river to protect her like a wall--the Nile was her defense.

International Standard Version
"Are you any better than Thebes, which sits by the upper Nile, surrounded by water? The sea was her defense, the waters her wall of protection.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Art thou better than No-amon, That was situate among the rivers, That had the waters round about her; Whose rampart was the sea, and of the sea her wall?

Literal Standard Version
Are you better than No-Ammon, | That is dwelling among brooks? Waters she has around her, | Whose bulwark [is] the sea, waters her wall.

Majority Standard Bible
Are you better than Thebes, stationed by the Nile with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water?

New American Bible
Are you better than No-amon that was set among the Nile’s canals, Surrounded by waters, with the river for her rampart and water for her wall?

NET Bible
You are no more secure than Thebes--she was located on the banks of the Nile; the waters surrounded her, her rampart was the sea, the water was her wall.

New Revised Standard Version
Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, water her wall?

New Heart English Bible
Are you better than No-Amon, who was situated among the rivers, who had the waters around her; whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?

Webster's Bible Translation
Art thou better than populous No, that was situated among the rivers, that had the waters around it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

World English Bible
Are you better than No-Amon, who was situated among the rivers, who had the waters around her, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?

Young's Literal Translation
Art thou better than No-Ammon, That is dwelling among brooks? Waters she hath round about her, Whose bulwark is the sea, waters her wall.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judgment Against Nineveh
7Then all who see you will recoil from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated; who will grieve for her?’ Where can I find comforters for you?” 8Are you better than Thebes, stationed by the Nile with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water? 9Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies.…

Cross References
Isaiah 19:6
The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither.

Jeremiah 25:19
Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officials, his leaders, and all his people;

Jeremiah 46:12
The nations have heard of your shame, and your outcry fills the earth, because warrior stumbles over warrior and both of them have fallen together."

Jeremiah 46:25
The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: "Behold, I am about to punish Amon god of Thebes, along with Pharaoh, Egypt with her gods and kings, and those who trust in Pharaoh.

Ezekiel 29:15
Egypt will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the nations. For I will diminish Egypt so that it will never again rule over the nations.

Ezekiel 30:14
I will lay waste Pathros, set fire to Zoan, and execute judgment on Thebes.


Treasury of Scripture

Are you better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

thou.

Ezekiel 31:2,3
Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness? …

Amos 6:2
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

populous No.

Jeremiah 46:25,26
The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him: …

Ezekiel 30:14-16
And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No…

that had.

Isaiah 19:5-10
And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up…

Jump to Previous
Better Brooks Bulwark Consisted Defense Dwelling Earthwork Nile Populous Rampart River Rivers Round Sat Sea Seated Situate Situated Streams Surrounding Thebes Wall Water Waters
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Better Brooks Bulwark Consisted Defense Dwelling Earthwork Nile Populous Rampart River Rivers Round Sat Sea Seated Situate Situated Streams Surrounding Thebes Wall Water Waters
Nahum 3
1. The destruction of Nineveh.














(8) Populous No.--Better, No Amon. Thebes, the capital of Upper Egypt, was known to the Hebrews as "No Amon" (perhaps, "house of the god Amon;" similarly the Greeks called it ?????????). Assyria herself had reduced the power of Thebes. (1) Sargon, the father of Sennacherib, had defeated Shebah, the Egyptian Tar-dan, at Rapikh, cir. B.C. 716. (2) Esar-haddon, Sennacherib's son, had routed the forces of Tirhakah, subjugated the whole of the Nile valley, and taken the city where Tirhakah held his court, probably Thebes, cir. B.C. 670. (3) Asshur-bani-pal invaded Egypt in the year of his accession, B.C. 668, and reinstated certain rulers of his father's appointment, whom Tirhakah had driven out. In B.C. 665, another revolt brought this king again into Egypt. On this occasion Thebes was certainly sacked, and a large booty, including "gold, silver, precious stones, dyed garments, captives (male and female), tame animals brought up in the palace, obelisks, &c., was carried off, and conveyed to Nineveh" {Five Great Monarchies, ii. 203). The present passage may refer either to this event or to Esar-haddon's previous capture of Thebes. The fall of the city was certainly a thing of the past when Nahum wrote. The allusion, therefore, helps us to assign the date of the composition (see Introduction). To mere human reasoning the downfall of Thebes testified to the power of Assyria, its conqueror. But to the inspired vision of Nahum, the ruin of the one world-power is an earnest of the ruin of the other. Both had been full of luxury and oppression, both were hated of mankind and opposed to God. If No-Amon has fallen, the city of the hundred gates, the metropolis of the Pharaohs, the conqueror whose countless captives reared the pyramids, why shall Nineveh stand? If Nineveh is protected by rivers--the Tigris and the Khausser--had not Thebes a rampart in the Nile, that "sea" of waters (comp. Isaiah 19:5), and its numerous canals? If Nineveh relies on subordinate or friendly states--Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Syria--had not Thebes all the resources of Africa--Ethiopia in the south, the Egypts in the north, her Libyan allies, Put and the Lubim, in the north-west? Yet what was the fate of No Amon? Her youth carried off in the slave-gangs of Assyria; her infants dashed to pieces at the street-corner (2Kings 8:12), as unprofitable to the captor; her senators reserved to grace a triumph, and assigned to the Assyrian generals by lot (Obadiah 1:11).

Verses 8-13. - § 2. The ruin of Nineveh can be averted no more than was that of No-Amon. Verse 8. - Art thou better than populous No? "Better" probably means here more prosperous. "Populous No" ought to be rendered, No-Amon, i.e. No of the solar god Amon. This is the celebrated Thebes, in Upper Egypt, called in Egyptian Pa-Amun, "the House of Amun," and in the inscriptions Ni, which is the same word as No. The name Amon is attached because that god was particularly worshipped there. The LXX. has μερίδα Ἀμμών ("a portion of or for Ammon"), translating the word "No." St. Jerome, misled by his Hebrew teacher, renders, "Alexandria populorum," as if Thebes stood on the site of the much later city of Alexandria; whereas we see from Assurbanipal's annals that he was forty days marching from Memphis, where he defeated Rudammon, to Thebes (see G. Smith, 'Assurbanipal,' p. 55). On the grandeur and magnificence of this city, Denon (quoted by Rawlinson, 'Ancient Monarchies,' 1:309, note 7), writes, "On est fatigue d'ecrire, on est fatigue de lire, on est epouvante de la pensee d'une telle conception; on ne peut croire, meme apres l'avoir vu, a la realite de l'existence de tant de constructions reunies sur un meme point, a leurs dimensions, a la constance obstinee qu'a exigee leur fabrication, aux depenses incalculables de taut de somptuosite" ('Egypte,' 2:226). "In the long and rich valley of the Lower Nile, which extends above five hundred miles from Syene to Memphis, almost any situation might furnish a site for a great city, since, except at Silsilis and at the Gebelein, the valley is never less than two miles wide, the soil is always fertile, good quarries are always at hand, and lavish Nature is so bounteous with her gifts that abundant sustenance can at any point be obtained for a large population. But in this wealth of eligible sites, there are still degrees of eligibility - spots which Nature has distinguished by special favour, and, as it were, marked out for greatness and celebrity. Such a position is that which the traveller reaches when, passing through the gorge of the Gebelein, he emerges upon the magnificent plain, at least ten miles in width, through which the river flows with a course from southwest to northeast for a distance of some forty miles between Erment and Qobt. Here, for the first time since quitting the Nubian desert, does the Nile enter upon a wide and ample space. On either side the hills recede, and a broad green plain, an alluvium of the richest description, spreads itself out on both banks of the stream, dotted with dom and date palms, sometimes growing singly, sometimes collected into clumps or groves. Here, too, there open out on either side, to the east and to the west, lines of route offering great advantages for trade, on the one hand with the Lesser Oasis and so with the tribes of the African interior, on the other with the western coast of the Red Sea and the spice region of the opposite shore. In the valley of Hammamat, down which passed the ancient route to the coast, are abundant supplies of breccia verde and of other valuable and rare kinds of stone, while at no great distance to the right and left of the route lie mines of gold, silver, and lead, anciently prolific, though exhausted now for many ages. Somewhat more remote, yet readily accessible by a frequented route, was the emerald region of Gebel Zabara, where the mines are still worked" (Rawlinson, 'Ancient Egypt,' 2:124, etc.). Thebes was situated on both banks of the Nile, the principal portion lying on the east; the Necropolis and Memnonia were on the west. It seems never to have been surrounded with a wall (notwithstanding its "hundred gates"), the river and canals forming a sufficient defence. At the present time the ruins are some twenty-seven miles in circuit, including Luxor and the remains of the great temple at Karnak. The sea. The Nile formed its rampart. Great rivers are called seas in the poetical books. Thus Isaiah 19:5; Isaiah 27:1; Jeremiah 51:36. Her wall was from the sea; or, of the sea. The sea was her wall. Septuagint, ὅδωρ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς, "water her walls."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Are you better
הֲתֵֽיטְבִי֙ (hă·ṯê·ṭə·ḇî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 3190: To be good, well, glad, or pleasing

than Thebes,
מִנֹּ֣א (min·nō)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4996: Thebes -- an Egyptian city

situated
הַיֹּֽשְׁבָה֙ (hay·yō·šə·ḇāh)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

by the Nile
בַּיְאֹרִ֔ים (bay·’ō·rîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2975: Nile -- a channel, a fosse, canal, shaft, the Nile, the Tigris

with water
מַ֖יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

around her,
סָבִ֣יב (sā·ḇîḇ)
Adverb
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around

whose
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

rampart
חֵ֣יל (ḥêl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2426: An army, an intrenchment

was the sea,
יָ֔ם (yām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

whose wall
חוֹמָתָֽהּ׃ (ḥō·w·mā·ṯāh)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2346: A wall of protection

was the water?
מִיָּ֖ם (mî·yām)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin


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OT Prophets: Nahum 3:8 Are you better than No-Amon who was (Nah. Na)
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