Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nahum 3:3

The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and [there is] a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcasses; and [there is] none end of [their] corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:

3. The horseman lifteth up ] Rather, in a series of exclamations: charging horsemen, and flashing swords, and glittering spears! and a multitude of slain! In Jer 46:9 the simple verb is used of the horse ( come up); and the causative is here used of the horseman, as in Jer 51:27.

stumble upon their corpses ] The multitude of slain and the endless corpses are those of the Ninevites, over which the victorious assailants stumble. The first half of the verse describes the charge, the second half the field when the mle is over. Jer 46:12.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The horseman lifteth up – Rather, leading up : the flash of the sword, and the lightning of the spear. Thus, there are, in all, seven inroads, seven signs, before the complete destruction of Nineveh or the world; as, in the Revelations, all the forerunners of the Judgment of the Great Day are summed up under the voice of seven trumpets and seven vials. Rup.: God shall not use homes and chariots and other instruments of war, such as are here spoken of, to judge the world, yet, as is just, His terrors are foretold under the name of those things, wherewith this proud and bloody world hath sinned. For so all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Mat 26:52. They who, abusing their power, have used all these weapons of war, especially against the servants of God, shall themselves perish by them, and there shall be none end of their corpses, for they shall be corpses forever: for, dying by an everlasting death, they shall, without end, be without the true life, which is God. And there is a multitude of slain. Death follows on death. The prophet views the vast field of carnage, and everywhere there meets him only some new form of death, slain, carcasses, corpses, and these in multitudes, an oppressive heavy number, without end, so that the yet living stumble and fall upon the carcasses of the slain. So great the multitude of those who perish, and such their foulness; but what foulness is like sin?

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

The horseman; the Chaldean and Mede, or their confederates in the war.

Lifteth up; hath his sword not only drawn, but in a posture ever ready to smite, wound, or kill. The bright sword: these warriors kept their weapons in such manner, that they were fit both to cut and kill, and also to dazzle rite eye and affright.

And there, in Nineveh, and the streets of it,

is a multitude of slain, by the sword of the prevailing besiegers.

A great number of carcasses; the slain lay in the streets unburied.

There is no end of their corpses; none knew the numbers of the slain.

They, both invaders and invaded, all within the city, stumble upon their corpses, are ready to fall at them, not able to avoid them.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

3. horsemandistinct from “thehorses” (in the chariots, Na3:2).

lifteth updenotingreadiness for fight [EWALD].GESENIUS translates,”lifteth up (literally, ‘makes to ascend’) his horse.”Similarly MAURER, “makeshis horse to rise up on his hind feet.” Vulgatetranslates, “ascending,” that is, making his horse toadvance up to the assault. This last is perhaps better than EnglishVersion.

the bright sword and theglittering spearliterally, “the glitter of the sword andthe flash of the spear!” This, as well as the translation, “thehorseman advancing up,” more graphically presents the battlescene to the eye.

they stumble upon theircorpsesThe Medo-Babylonian enemy stumble upon theAssyrian corpses.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear,…. Or, “the flame of the sword and the glittering spear” w; he rides with a drawn sword, which, being brandished to and fro, looks like a flame of fire; or with a spear made of polished iron, or steel, which, when vibrated and moved to and fro, glitters like lightning; a large number of which entering the city must be terrible to the inhabitants of it:

and [there is] a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcasses; of dead men lying in the streets, pierced and slain with the bright sword and glittering spear of the Medes and Chaldeans:

and [there is] none end of [their] corpses; the number of them could not be told; they lay so thick in all parts of the city, that there was no telling them:

they stumble upon their corpses; the Ninevites in fleeing, and endeavouring to make their escape, and the Medes and Chaldeans pursuing them.

w “flammam gladii et fulgorem hastae”, Piscator; “flammam gladii et fulgur hastae”, Cocceius; “flamma gladii et fulgur lanceae”, Burkius.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

As to the words, some interpreters connect what we have rendered, the horseman makes to ascend, with what follows, that is, he makes to ascend the flame of the sword and the lightning of the spear But as a copulative comes between, it seems rather to be an imperfect sentence, meaning, that the horseman makes to ascend or mount, that is, his horses, by urging them on. With regard to the word להב, leb, it means I have no doubt, a flame. By this word, I know, is also understood metaphorically the brightness of swords, which appears like a flame: but the Prophet immediately adds lightning As then he says that spears lighten, I doubt not but that for the same reason he meant to say that swords flame. All these things were intended for the purpose of fully convincing the Israelites that Nineveh, however much it was supplied with wealth and power, was yet approaching its ruin, for its enemies would prevail against it: and therefore he adds, that all the roads would be full of dead bodies, that the enemies could not enter without treading on them everywhere. It follows —

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(3) The horseman lifteth up.Better, There is the rearing horseman and the flaming sword, and the glittering lance, and a multitude of wounded, and a mass of corpses . . .

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Nah 3:3 The 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:

Ver. 3. The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword ] Heb. The flame of the sword, brandished against the sun, which maketh it seem flaming. Such a sword is man’s tongue, thin, broad, long, and of a red fiery colour. See Psa 42:10 ; Psa 44:3 Pro 12:18 . David cries out of this murdering weapon in his bones, whereby they killed him alive, as with a tuck, or rapier, and buried him in their throats, those gaping graves, open sepulchres.

And the glittering spear ] Heb. The lightning of the spear, because of its bright and swift motion. Thus the prophet, perpetuis metaphoris et periphrasibus luxuriat (as one saith of Apuleius), aboundeth with rhetorical expressions and continued metaphors. Bajazet, the Great Turk, for his valour and skill in handling his arms was surnamed Gilderum, or lightning.

And there is a multitude of slain ] So that it is not fulgur ex vitro, an empty terror, a bare fright only, as a fool’s dagger, that rattleth and snappeth, but without an edge. Vide bis effectum. See here the sad effect, lo, the tragedy represented, behold a multitude of slain, and a great number of caresses. This the prophet spake, not with any delight, further than made for the glory of God and the Church’s deliverance; but that he may set forth by this example what they must look for that imitate Ninevites in their practices; for sin ever ends tragically; and God is still the same, as he is set forth Nah 1:2 . I wonder, saith Cicero to Verres, that thou shunnest not their vices whose fearful ends thou art much afraid of: Miror te quorum mores imitaris eorum exitus non perhorrescere (Cic.). And St Ambrose, closing up the sad story of Ahab and Jezebel, whom God destroyed for their wickedness, Fuge ergo dives eiusmodi exitum, saith he, Tremble at such dismal ends, and be careful to avoid them. Such ends ye shall avoid if ye carefully flee from such flagitious practices.

And a great number of caresses ] Heb. The heaviness of dead caresses, which lie so thick that the earth seemeth to groan under the burden of them.

There is none end of their corpses ] That lie on heaps like so many mountains; as they did after the fight between Amarath, King of Turks, and Lazarus, Despot of Servia, which, while Amurath took a view of, he was suddenly stabbed to death by a half-dead soldier, starting up from among the carcases.

They stumble upon their corpses ] And afterwards, perhaps, use them instead of stools and tables, as the Swissers did the Thuricenses, their adversaries, A.D. 1443, banqueting in the place where they won the victory.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

bright = gleaming.

glittering = flashing.

they: i.e. the slayers. Hebrew text margin, with some codices, and four early printed editions, reads “so that they stumble”, &c.

upon = over.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

bright sword and the glittering spear: Heb. flame of the sword, and lightning of the spear, Nah 2:4, Gen 3:24, Hab 3:11

and there: Isa 37:36, Eze 31:3-13, Eze 39:4

Reciprocal: Jer 47:3 – the noise Eze 21:10 – it is furbished Eze 23:24 – with chariots Eze 26:7 – with horses Joe 2:5 – the noise Amo 8:3 – many Nah 2:5 – they shall stumble

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Nah 3:3. The horseman means the man driving the horses drawing the chariots of the preceding verse, for the charioteers did not restrict their activltles to their driving. “They would leap from the rear of the vehicle (whtch was open at that end) and make close attack upon any person of the enemy nearby. Or they would cast the spear from the chariot at those farther a.way. The great number of the slain is indicated by the words stumble upon their corpses.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary