Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day— but when the sun appears they fly away, and no one knows where. New Living Translation Your guards and officials are also like swarming locusts that crowd together in the hedges on a cold day. But like locusts that fly away when the sun comes up, all of them will fly away and disappear. English Standard Version Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold— when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are. Berean Standard Bible Your guards are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where. Berean Literal Bible Your princes are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts of locusts, those camping on the fences on a day of cold; the sun has risen, and it flees away, and it is not known the place of it, where they are. King James Bible Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. New King James Version Your commanders are like swarming locusts, And your generals like great grasshoppers, Which camp in the hedges on a cold day; When the sun rises they flee away, And the place where they are is not known. New American Standard Bible Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known. NASB 1995 Your guardsmen are like the swarming locust. Your marshals are like hordes of grasshoppers Settling in the stone walls on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known. NASB 1977 Your guardsmen are like the swarming locust. Your marshals are like hordes of grasshoppers Settling in the stone walls on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known. Legacy Standard Bible Your guardsmen are like the swarming locust. Your marshals are like a locust-swarm Encamping in the stone walls on a cold day. The sun rises, and they flee, And the place where they are is not known. Amplified Bible Your guardsmen are like the swarming locusts. Your marshals are like the hordes of grasshoppers Settling in the stone walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, And no one knows the place where they are. Berean Annotated Bible Your guards (princes) are like the swarming locust, and your scribes (marshals) like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where. Christian Standard Bible Your court officials are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day; when the sun rises, they take off, and no one knows where they are. Holman Christian Standard Bible Your court officials are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day; when the sun rises, they take off, and no one knows where they are. American Standard Version Thy princes are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, which encamp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. Contemporary English Version Your guards and your officials are swarms of locusts. On a chilly day they settle on a fence, but when the sun comes out, they take off to who-knows-where. English Revised Version Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. GOD'S WORD® Translation Your officers are like locusts, and your scribes are like swarms of locusts that settle on the fences when it is cold. The sun rises, and they scatter in every direction. No one knows where they've gone. Good News Translation Your officials are like a swarm of locusts that stay in the walls on a cold day. But when the sun comes out, they fly away, and no one knows where they have gone! International Standard Version Your imperial guards are like the swarming grasshopper; your marshals are like hordes of grasshoppers, settling in the stone walls on a chilly day. The sun rises, and they flee away; no one knows where they went. NET Bible Your courtiers are like locusts, your officials are like a swarm of locusts! They encamp in the walls on a cold day, yet when the sun rises, they fly away; and no one knows where they are. New Heart English Bible Your guards are like the locusts, and your officials like the swarms of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day, but when the sun appears, they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. Webster's Bible Translation Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which settle in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleYour guards are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where. World English Bible Your guards are like the locusts, and your officials like the swarms of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day, but when the sun appears, they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionYour crowned ones [are] as a locust, "" And your princes as great grasshoppers, "" That encamp in hedges in a day of cold, "" The sun has risen, and it flees away, "" And its place where they are is not known. Berean Literal Bible Your princes are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts of locusts, those camping on the fences on a day of cold; the sun has risen, and it flees away, and it is not known the place of it, where they are. Young's Literal Translation Thy crowned ones are as a locust, And thy princes as great grasshoppers, That encamp in hedges in a day of cold, The sun hath risen, and it doth flee away, And not known is its place where they are. Smith's Literal Translation Thy devoted ones as the locust, and thy satraps as the locust of locusts encamping in the walls in a cold day; the sun arose and they fled away, and where his place he knew not. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThy guards are like the locusts: and thy little ones like the locusts of locusts which swarm on the hedges in the day of cold: the sun arose, and they flew away, and their place was not known where they were. Catholic Public Domain Version Your guardians are like locusts, and your little ones are like locusts among locusts, which alight on hedges on a cold day. The sun rose up, and they flew away, and there was no way to know the place where they had been. New American Bible Your sentries are like locusts, and your scribes like locust swarms Gathered on the rubble fences on a cold day! Yet when the sun rises, they vanish, and no one knows where they have gone. New Revised Standard Version Your guards are like grasshoppers, your scribes like swarms of locusts settling on the fences on a cold day— when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they have gone. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleYour Nazarites are as the locusts, and your warriors as the swarms of locusts which settle on the hedges on a cold day, but when the sun arises they fly off, and it is not known where they are. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Your Nazarites are like the locust and your fighters like the locust that settles in hedges in the cold day that whenever the sun has set, it rises, and his place is not known OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Thy crowned are as the locusts, And thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, Which camp in the walls in the cold day, But when the sun ariseth they flee away, And their place is not known where they are. Brenton Septuagint Translation Thy mixed multitude has suddenly departed as the grasshopper, as the locust perched on a hedge in a frosty day; the sun arises, and it flies off, and knows not its place: woe to them! Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Judgment Against Nineveh…16You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away. 17Your guards are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where. 18O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your officers sleep. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them.… Cross References Your guards are like the swarming locust, Judges 7:12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore. Jeremiah 46:23 They will chop down her forest, declares the LORD, dense though it may be, for they are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted. and your scribes like clouds of locusts Psalm 105:34-35 He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. / They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil. Joel 1:4 What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten. that settle on the walls on a cold day. Joel 2:7-9 They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course. / They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks. / They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves. Exodus 10:14-15 The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. / They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt. When the sun rises, they fly away, Matthew 13:6 But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Hosea 13:3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, like smoke through an open window. and no one knows where. Job 7:10 He never returns to his house; his place remembers him no more. Psalm 103:16 when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more. Jeremiah 51:27 “Raise a banner in the land! Blow the ram’s horn among the nations! Prepare the nations against her. Summon the kingdoms against her—Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a captain against her; bring up horses like swarming locusts. Isaiah 33:4 Your spoil, O nations, is gathered as by locusts; like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it. Isaiah 13:3-4 I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph. / Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war. Isaiah 10:18-19 The splendor of its forests and orchards, both soul and body, it will completely destroy, as a sickness consumes a man. / The remaining trees of its forests will be so few that a child could count them. Ezekiel 31:12-13 Foreigners, the most ruthless of the nations, cut it down and left it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth’s ravines. And all the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it. / All the birds of the air nested on its fallen trunk, and all the beasts of the field lived among its boughs. Isaiah 14:23 “I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts. Treasury of Scripture Your crowned are as the locusts, and your captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun rises they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. Revelation 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. Jump to Previous Appears Ariseth Camp Captains Chosen Cold Cover Crowned Fences Flee Flight Grasshoppers Great Guards Hedges Hordes Insects Locusts Longer Officials Ones Rises Settle Settling Stone Sun Swarming Swarms WallsJump to Next Appears Ariseth Camp Captains Chosen Cold Cover Crowned Fences Flee Flight Grasshoppers Great Guards Hedges Hordes Insects Locusts Longer Officials Ones Rises Settle Settling Stone Sun Swarming Swarms WallsNahum 3 1. The destruction of Nineveh.Your guards are like the swarming locust In the ancient Near East, locusts were a symbol of destruction and overwhelming numbers. The comparison of guards to swarming locusts suggests a vast, uncontrollable force. However, this imagery also implies that the guards, despite their numbers, are ultimately ineffective and transient. Historically, Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was known for its formidable military might, yet Nahum prophesies their downfall, indicating that their defenses will be as fleeting as a swarm of locusts. This reflects the biblical theme that human strength is futile without divine support, as seen in Psalm 127:1. and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day When the sun rises, they fly away and no one knows where Persons / Places / Events 1. Guards and OfficialsThese represent the leaders and protectors of Nineveh, who are compared to locusts in their fleeting presence and unreliability. 2. Locusts In the ancient Near East, locusts were a symbol of destruction and transience, often used to describe overwhelming and uncontrollable forces. 3. Nineveh The capital of the Assyrian Empire, known for its power and eventual downfall due to its wickedness and opposition to God. 4. The Sun Symbolizes exposure and judgment, revealing the true nature of the guards and officials. 5. Walls Represent the supposed strength and security of Nineveh, which ultimately proves to be inadequate. Teaching Points The Fleeting Nature of Earthly PowerEarthly leaders and systems, like locusts, can be unreliable and temporary. True security is found in God alone. Divine Judgment and Exposure Just as the sun reveals the true nature of the locusts, God's judgment exposes the reality of our hearts and actions. The Illusion of Security Trusting in human strength and fortifications, like the walls of Nineveh, is ultimately futile. Our trust should be in God's eternal power. The Consequences of Wickedness Nineveh's downfall serves as a warning of the consequences of living in opposition to God's will. Repentance and Redemption While Nahum focuses on judgment, the broader biblical account offers hope through repentance and turning back to God. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Nahum 3:17?2. How does Nahum 3:17 illustrate the fleeting nature of earthly power and glory? 3. What lessons can we learn from Nahum 3:17 about trusting in God alone? 4. How does Nahum 3:17 connect with Jesus' teachings on worldly riches in Matthew 6? 5. In what ways can Nahum 3:17 encourage us to seek eternal rather than temporal security? 6. How can Nahum 3:17 inspire us to prioritize God's kingdom over earthly pursuits? 7. What does Nahum 3:17 reveal about God's judgment on Nineveh's leaders? 8. How does Nahum 3:17 reflect the transient nature of power and authority? 9. Why are locusts used as a metaphor in Nahum 3:17? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Nahum 3? 11. What are the main themes of the Bible's books? 12. What does 'Godliness with Contentment' mean? 13. How do we reconcile Nahum's prophecy of Nineveh's swift destruction (Nahum 3:15-17) with archaeological evidence of its prolonged ruins and partial habitation? 14. What are the tools for spiritual battles? What Does Nahum 3:17 Mean Your guards are like the swarming locust– Nahum pictures Nineveh’s soldiers as a sudden, overwhelming mass of insects. • Locusts descend in terrifying numbers (Exodus 10:12-15), just as Assyria’s armies once did on their foes. • Yet the comparison also hints at weakness: locusts have no king (Proverbs 30:27) and scatter easily when disturbed. • The point: what looks fierce can prove fragile. As surely as God once used Israel’s enemies to chastise, He now judges those same enemies (Isaiah 10:12-14). and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day – Scribes were the record-keepers, strategists, and messengers of the empire. • On a chilly morning locusts cluster motionless, appearing orderly and secure (Joel 2:5-6). So Nineveh’s bureaucrats seem firmly in place, giving the illusion of stability. • Walls symbolize security (Psalm 48:12-13). But a life that trusts governmental machinery over God is still vulnerable (Psalm 146:3-4). When the sun rises, they fly away – As soon as heat touches the insects, they break formation and disappear. • God’s “sun” of judgment rises through the Babylonian attack (Jeremiah 51:1-4). • What looked immovable evaporates in a moment (Psalm 73:18-20). • The verse underscores the swiftness with which God can overturn human strength (Isaiah 40:6-8). and no one knows where – The sudden vanishing leaves observers bewildered. • Nineveh’s allies will be unable to find or rally the fleeing officials (Nahum 2:8). • Like chaff in the wind (Psalm 1:4) or smoke carried off (Hosea 13:3), their disappearance is total. • The empire that boasted of its reach will leave no lasting trace of protection for its people (Zephaniah 2:13-15). summary Nahum 3:17 uses vivid locust imagery to expose the frailty behind Nineveh’s military and administrative power. Guards and scribes once looked formidable, yet they will scatter as easily as insects warmed by the sun of God’s judgment. The verse reassures God’s people that no earthly system, however impressive, can stand against the Lord’s sovereign justice. (17) Thy crowned.--The subordinate kings who represent the Assyrian empire in her tributary provinces.Captains.--Taphs'rim, an Assyrian term denoting some high military office. The sudden disappearance of the Assyrian locust-pest is here enlarged upon. A sudden outburst of sunshine will sometimes induce a swarm of locusts to take flight; cold, on the other hand, makes these insects settle, and soon deprives them of the power of flying. Dr. Pusey well observes, "The heathen conqueror rehearsed his victory, 'I came, I saw, conquered.' The prophet goes further, as the issue of all human conquest, 'I disappeared.'" The insect designations, rendered in Authorised Version, "cankerworm," "locust," "great grasshopper," all represent varieties of the locust species. Verse 17. - Thy crowned. The word minnezar is found only here, and, as its derivation is uncertain, it has received various interpretations. The Anglican Version derives the word from nezer, "a diadem," and "the crowned" are the officials of upper rank. "High officers of state in Assyria were adorned with diadems, closely resembling the lower baud of the royal mitre, separated from the cap itself. Very commonly the head was encircled with a simple fillet or hoop, probably of gold, without any adornment" (Gosse, 'Assyria,' p. 463, quoted by Strauss; see the figures in Bonomi, p. 319). Others derive it from nazar. "to separate," in the signification of "those separated or selected for war." Septuagint, ὁ συμμικτός: i.e. the band of mixed mercenary troops - a rendering in which Wordsworth acquiesces. Knabenbauer (referring to Strassmaier's Assyrian vocabulary) considers the word to be a transliteration (ss being resolved into ne) of the Assyrian ma-as-sa-ru, which means "guardian," or some inferior officer. With this agrees the Vulgate custodes. As the locusts; i.e. in multitude. That the number of captains and superior officers would be very great may be conjectured from the inscriptions which sometimes enumerate the captives carried off from conquered countries. Thus in the account of the capture of some insignificant nation, the then king boasts that he took away 13,000 fighting men, 1121 captains, and 460 superior officers (Strauss, in loc.). The prophet's meaning is that if the officers, etc., are so numerous, the multitude of soldiers and civilians must be truly immense. Thy captains. Taphsar is an Assyrian word, occurring only in Jeremiah 51:27. It is probably the same as dupsarru or dipsarru of the inscriptions, and is taken to signify "a scribe" (see Sehrader, p. 424) Such officials are often represented on the monuments (see Layard, 2:184), and seem sometimes to have been of high or priestly rank. Jerome translates, parvuli tui, though in Jeremiah, loc. cit., he retains the Assyrian word. The Septuagint omits it. Great grasshoppers; swarms of locusts (Amos 7:1). Which camp in the hedges in the cold day. Locusts become torpid in cold weather; so the captains and princes of Nineveh are paralyzed and useless in the day of calamity. They flee away. Thus the Assyrian army perishes and leaves no trace behind. The LXX. adds, "Woe unto them!"Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Your guardsmenמִנְּזָרַ֙יִךְ֙ (min·nə·zā·ra·yiḵ) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular Strong's 4502: Perhaps consecrated ones, princes are like the swarming locust, כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה (kā·’ar·beh) Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 697: (a kind of) locust and your scribes וְטַפְסְרַ֖יִךְ (wə·ṭap̄·sə·ra·yiḵ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular Strong's 2951: A military governor like clouds of locusts, כְּג֣וֹב (kə·ḡō·wḇ) Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1462: The locust that settle הַֽחוֹנִ֤ים (ha·ḥō·w·nîm) Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 2583: To incline, to decline, to pitch a, tent, gen, to encamp on the walls בַּגְּדֵרוֹת֙ (bag·gə·ḏê·rō·wṯ) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 1448: Enclosure on a cold קָרָ֔ה (qā·rāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 7135: Coolness day. בְּי֣וֹם (bə·yō·wm) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3117: A day When the sun שֶׁ֤מֶשׁ (še·meš) Noun - common singular Strong's 8121: The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement rises, זָֽרְחָה֙ (zā·rə·ḥāh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 2224: To irradiate, to rise, to appear they fly away, וְנוֹדַ֔ד (wə·nō·w·ḏaḏ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Pual - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5074: To wave to and fro, to rove, flee, to drive away and no וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no one knows נוֹדַ֥ע (nō·w·ḏa‘) Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 3045: To know where. אַיָּֽם׃ (’ay·yām) Interrogative | third person masculine plural Strong's 335: Where?, how? Links Nahum 3:17 NIVNahum 3:17 NLT Nahum 3:17 ESV Nahum 3:17 NASB Nahum 3:17 KJV Nahum 3:17 BibleApps.com Nahum 3:17 Biblia Paralela Nahum 3:17 Chinese Bible Nahum 3:17 French Bible Nahum 3:17 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Nahum 3:17 Your guards are like the locusts (Nah. Na) |
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