Nah 3:13-14 | NETfull | STEP | Your warriors will be like women in your midst; the gates of your land will be wide open to your enemies; fire will consume the bars of your gates.

Nahum 3:13-14

13 Your warriors will be like women in your midst;
the gates of your land will be wide open ^{▼▼ Or “have been opened wide.” The Niphal perfect נִפְתְּחוּ (nift^ekhu) from פָּתַח (patach, “to open”) may designate a past-time action (“have been opened wide”) or a present-time circumstance (“are wide open”). The present-time sense is preferred in vv. 13–14. When used in reference to present-time circumstances, the perfect tense represents a situation occurring at the very instant the expression is being uttered; this is the so-called “instantaneous perfect” (IBHS 488–89 #30.5.1). The root פָּתַח (“to open”) is repeated for emphasis to depict the helpless state of the Assyrian defenses: פָּתוֹחַ נִפְתְּחוּ (patoakh nift^ekhu, “wide open”).} to your enemies;
fire will consume ^{▼▼ Or “has consumed.” The Qal perfect אָכְלָה (’okhlah) from אָכַל (’akhal, “to consume”) refers either to a past-time action (“has consumed”) or a present-time action (“consumes”). The context suggests the present-time sense is preferable here. This is an example of the “instantaneous perfect” which represents a situation occurring at the very instant the expression is being uttered (see IBHS 488–89 #30.5.1).} the bars of your gates. ^{▼▼ Heb “your bars.”}
14 Draw yourselves water for a siege! ^{▼▼ Heb “waters of siege.”}
Strengthen your fortifications!
Trample the mud ^{▼▼ Heb “go into the mud.”} and tread the clay!
Make mud bricks to strengthen your walls! ^{▼▼ Heb “Take hold of the mud-brick mold!”}