Nahum 2:1-7
2:1 a Although Nineveh’s defenders might fully prepare to protect the city with ramparts ... roads ... defenses, and forces, their efforts were doomed to failure (1:1-14 b).2:2 c The vine symbolizes God’s blessing his people (Isa 27:2-6 d), while the stripped vine reflects God’s previous chastisement of them (Isa 5:1-7 e). The children of Israel were in a sad state compared to the days of the great kings David and Solomon, but God promised to restore the splendor of his people.
2:4 f Chariots were virtually unstoppable in battle because of their maneuverability and power.
2:5 g The Assyrian king overcomes the initial shock of Nineveh’s being attacked and shouts to his officers. He and the city have been caught off guard and they rush to the walls to thwart the siege.
• to set up their defenses (literally the covering is prepared): The meaning of the Hebrew term here is uncertain. Covering probably refers to something the attackers or the defenders used to protect themselves from armaments hurled through the air.
2:6 h The rush to defend (2:5 i) comes too late; the defenses are already breached.
• Nineveh was served by a reservoir formed by a double dam on the Khosr River, a tributary of the Tigris that flowed through the city. The reservoir was augmented by a series of flood gates. The Greek historian Diodorus reported that during this time torrential rains had already swelled the city’s river system. By first closing, then opening the flood gates, Nineveh’s attackers released the pent-up water as a battering ram against the city walls.
2:7 j Because Nineveh’s exile had been decreed by God, it would certainly happen.
• To beat their breasts was a common sign of mourning (see, e.g., Luke 18:13 k).
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