Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nahum 2:4
The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.
4. Nah 2:3 referred to the aspect of the assailing army in the day of preparation; Nah 2:4 appears to describe an actual conflict before the city.
shall rage in the streets ] rage in the outplaces. The reference is certainly to what is taking place outside the walls, not within the town. The term “streets” often means fields (Job 5:10), or what lies outside or abroad; it is parallel to “broad places” next clause, i.e. open ground in front of the walled city.
A suburb or outskirt of Nineveh called ribit Nina (broad place of Nineveh) lay probably on the N.E. of the city, or on the east, the side on which the great road to Arbela left the city. In such places there would no doubt be forts here and there and around these the battle would rage, for the defenders would not retreat within the walls without a conflict. Jer 46:9 also uses the word “rage” of the racing of chariots. Chariots were employed in sieges. Lay., Nineveh, II. 349.
They shall seem like torches ] the appearance of them is like torches. The glitter of the mailed chariots and their furious racing is compared to torches and lightnings.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 4. The chariots shall rage] Those of the besiegers and the besieged, meeting in the streets, producing universal confusion and carnage.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The chariots of the Chaldean army, or the riders in the chariots, by their fierceness and carriage, by their cries and calls, heartening one another, and threatening the Assyrians.
Shall rage; shall seem to be more like madmen than well-ordered soldiers, and act as if they avert possessed with fruits, do more than man can do.
In the streets, either of the towns they pass through, or rather of Nineveh when taken.
They shall justle; by reason of their multitude, haste, and fury, they shall hit one against another.
In the broad ways; where is most room, shall be most of these chariots, and yet scarce room for them to move in.
They shall seem like torches; what with sparkling fire, caused by their horses and chariots shod with iron, and what with the glittering of the polished irons about the chariots, and what with the light of flaming torches carried in them, the chariots shall look like so malay great flambeaus, very dangerous and terrible.
They shall run like the lightnings, both for speed, irresistibleness, and terror, against which no defence, from which no flight or hiding.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. rageare driven in furioushaste (Jer 46:9).
justle one againstanotherrun to and fro [MAURER].
in the broad ways (2Ch32:6). Large open spaces in the suburbs of Nineveh.
they shall seem liketorchesliterally, “their (feminine in Hebrew)appearance (is)”: namely, the appearance of the broad placesis like that of torches, through the numbers of chariots in themflashing in the sun (Pr 8:26,Margin).
run like the lightningswithrapid violence (Mat 24:27;Luk 10:18).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The chariots shall rage in the streets,…. In the streets of Nineveh when taken; where they shall be drove in a furious manner from place to place, the men in them breathing out slaughter and death wherever they came. Kimchi understands this of the chariots of the Ninevites; who shall drive about in them in the streets of the city like madmen; not daring to go out to fight the enemy, being mightier and more numerous than they.
They shall justle one against another in the broad ways; because of their numbers, and the haste they shall make to spoil and plunder the city; or the Ninevites shall justle one against another, in their hurry and confusion to make their escape.
They shall seem like torches; either the chariots of the Medes and Chaldeans, for the reasons given in the preceding verse Na 2:3; or they themselves, because of their fierceness and cruelty; or the faces of the Ninevites, being covered with shame, so Kimchi; see
Isa 13:8.
They shall run like the lightnings; exceeding swiftly, with irresistible force and power; the above writer interprets this of the Ninevites also, running from one end of their city to the other in the utmost confusion, not knowing what to do; but the whole of these two verses Na 2:3 seem to be a description of their enemies.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He still goes on with the same subject, — that they shall be furious in the streets that is, that they shall he so turbulent, as though they were out of their minds: as furious men are wont to be who are impetuously carried away beyond all reason and moderation, so shall they also become mad in their tumult. He then says, They shall hasten. The verb is derived from the hips; for he who hastens shakes the hips, and moves them with a quick motion; and if it be lawful to coin a word, it is, they shall hip; Ils remueront les hanches. This is what the Prophet meant. And then, Their appearance (228) shall be as lamps. He refers here to the chariots. They shall then be like lamps; that is they shall dazzle the eyes of beholders with their brightness. All these things are intended to set forth what is terrific. He says also, as lightning they shall run here and there.
In short, he intimates, that the impetuosity of the Chaldeans would be so violent as to surpass what is commonly witnessed among men, that it would be, as it were, a species of fury and madness sent down from above. Thus, then, they were to be like lightning and flames of fire, that they might exceed every thing human. But these forms of speech, though they are hyperbolical, were not yet used without reason; for we may easily conjecture how great was then the security of the city Nineveh, and how incredible was the event of its ruin. That monarchy was then preeminent over every other in the whole world, and no one could have thought that it could ever be assailed. Since then it was difficult to persuade the Jews that ruin was nigh the Assyrians, it was necessary for the Prophet to accumulate these various forms of expressions, by which he sets forth the power of God in the destruction of the Assyrians. It afterwards follows —
(228) מראיהן, three MSS. Have the masculine suffix הם — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Nah 2:4 The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.
Ver. 4. The chariots shall rage in the streets ] Shall run so fast, as if they were mad that drove them.
They shall jostle one against another
They shall seem like torches
They shall run like the lightnings
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
rage = rave [as though mad]. Hebrew. halal.
justle. From Old French jouster, to tilt; from Low Latin. juxtare, to approach (as in tilting).
Jostle = to push against, a frequentative form; but the Hebrew (shakak) means to run to and fro, as in Isa 33:4. Joe 2:9.
they shall seem = their appearance is.
run = rush, or flash. Hebrew. ruz.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
chariots: Nah 3:2, Nah 3:3, Isa 37:24, Isa 66:15, Jer 4:13, Eze 26:10, Dan 11:40
they shall seem: Heb. their show
Reciprocal: Isa 5:28 – their horses’ Jer 46:9 – rage Jer 47:3 – the noise Eze 23:24 – with chariots Eze 26:7 – with horses Joe 2:5 – the noise Rev 9:9 – and the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Nah 2:4. The chariots in ancient times were used either tor purposes of transportation or as a war implement, more generally the latter. This verse is a prediction of the great numbers of the vehicles to be used in the attack upon Nineveh’s streets and the broad ways or open country. They were to be so numerous they would justle (jostle) one against another. Seem like torches and run like the lightnings is to be understood in about the same sense as the conditions for the sake of appearance in the preceding verse. Most of the war chariots had swords or large scythes attached to them in order to mow down the men of the enemy. These were made of bright metal and would give off the appearance of torches as they revolved on the wheels in the sunlight.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The invaders’ chariots would race through Nineveh’s streets and squares. So gleaming with red and steel would they be that they would look like torches or lightning darting to and fro. Since Nahum described the enemy advancing toward the city walls (Nah 2:5), he may have seen these chariots darting through the suburban streets and squares outside the walls. [Note: Maier, p. 243.]