Chapter 3
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;
2The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.
3The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:
4Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
5Behold, 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.
6And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.
7And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
8Art 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?
9Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
10Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
11Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.
12All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.
13Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.
14Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.
15There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.
16Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away.
17Thy 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.
18Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.
19There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
“There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?”
Overview
Nahum pronounces final woe upon Nineveh, the 'bloody city' full of lies, plunder, and unceasing cruelty. Her sorceries and seductions have enslaved nations, and now God will expose her shame before all peoples. Nahum compares Nineveh to Thebes (No-amon), the great Egyptian city that also fell despite its strength and allies. Nineveh's wound is incurable, and all who hear the news of her fall will clap their hands in relief.
Key Themes
Woe to the Bloody City
Nineveh's violence, deception, and exploitation of nations are laid bare — a city built on blood cannot endure, for God holds every nation accountable for its cruelty.
The Lesson of Thebes
If mighty Thebes with its river defenses and powerful allies could fall, Nineveh has no reason to think itself immune — history's fallen empires are warnings to the present.
An Incurable Wound
There is no healing for Nineveh's breach — their destruction is final, and every nation that suffered under their cruelty rejoices at the news.
Study Questions
Why does God pronounce 'woe' upon the 'bloody city' (v. 1), and what specific sins are named?
What does God mean by saying He will expose Nineveh's shame to the nations (vv. 5-6)?
How does the comparison to Thebes (No-amon) in verses 8-10 serve as a warning?
What is the significance of the final image — 'all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee' (v. 19)?
How does Nahum's message apply to any nation or empire that builds its power through violence and exploitation?
Connection to Christ
The final judgment on Nineveh points forward to the ultimate judgment described in Revelation, where 'Babylon the great is fallen' and the nations that trafficked in human souls are held to account. Christ is the just Judge who will bring all oppressive systems to their end and establish His righteous kingdom in their place.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Nahum 3. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?