11 13<\/strong>. The prophet’s exultation over the downfall of Nineveh<\/p>\n 11<\/strong>. Where is the dwelling<\/em> ] the den<\/strong>.<\/p>\n the old lion<\/em> ] Perhaps, the lioness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions? – <\/B>Great indeed must be the desolation, which should call forth the wonder of the prophet of God. He asks where is it? For so utterly was Nineveh to be effaced, that its place should scarcely be known, and now is known by the ruins which have been buried, and are dug up. The messengers of her king had asked, Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? 2Ki 18:34<\/span>. And now of her it is asked, Where is Nineveh? It had destroyed utterly all lands, and now itself is utterly destroyed. The lion dwelt, fed, walked there, up and down, at will; all was spacious and secure; he terrified all, and none terrified him; he tore, strangled, laid up, as he willed, booty in store; but when he had filled it to the full, he filled up also the measure of his iniquities, and his sentence came from God. Nineveh had set at nought all human power, and destroyed it; now, therefore, God appears in His own Person.<\/P> <\/p>\n Verse 11<\/span>. Where<\/B><\/I> is <\/B>the dwelling of the lions<\/B><\/I>] Nineveh<\/I>, the habitation of bold, strong<\/I>, and ferocious<\/I> men.<\/P> <\/P> The feeding place of the young lions<\/B><\/I>] Whither her victorious and rapacious generals frequently returned<\/I> to consume<\/I> the produce of their success. Here they walked<\/I> at large, and none made them<\/I> afraid<\/I>. Wheresoever they turned their arms they were victors; and all nations were afraid of them.<\/P> <\/p>\n This is the insulting or deriding speech of all that see and note it. <\/P> The dwelling of the lions; Nineveh, compared to a lions den. <\/P> Lions; tyrants and bloody warriors, as Pul, Tiglath-pileser, and Shalmaneser. <\/P> The feeding-place of the young lions; Nineveh. <\/P> Young lions; princes, the children of those tyrannical kings. <\/P> The old lion, the king of Assyria, walked in his pride, in safety, and his princes with his rapines about him, which none durst disturb. <\/P> <\/p>\n 11. dwelling of . . . lions<\/B>Nineveh,the seat of empire of the rapacious and destructive warriors ofvarious ranks, typified by the “lions,” “young lions,””old lion” (or lioness<\/I> [MAURER]),”the lion’s whelp.” The image is peculiarly appropriate, aslions of every form, winged, and sometimes with the head of a man,are frequent in the Assyrian sepulchres. It was as full of spoils ofall nations as a lion’s den is of remains of its prey. The question,”Where,” &c., implies that Jehovah “would make anutter end of the place,<\/I>” so that its very site could notbe found (Na 1:8<\/span>). It is aquestion expressing wonder, so incredible did it then seem.<\/P><\/p>\n Where [is] the dwelling of the lions<\/strong>?…. Of the kings of Assyria, comparable to lions for their strength, courage, and cruelty, tyranny, and oppression; such as Pul, Tiglathpileser, Shalmaneser, and Sennacherib. So the Targum,<\/p>\n “where are the habitations of kings?”<\/p>\n these are the words, either of the prophet, or of the people that had seen this city in its glory, and now see it in its ruins; and so desolate and waste, as that it could scarcely be said where it once stood:<\/p>\n and the feedingplace of the young lions<\/strong>? the sons of the kings of Assyria, the princes of the blood, and who were of the same blood, temper, and disposition of their ancestors, and were born, brought up, and educated, in Nineveh the royal city. So the Targum,<\/p>\n “and the dwelling houses of the princes,”<\/p>\n or governors:<\/p>\n where the lion, [even] the old lion, walked<\/strong>: not Nebuchadnezzar, as Jerom, who entered into Nineveh the den of those lions, or seat of the Assyrians, and took it, and walked about in it, as the conqueror and possessor of it; but rather Nimrod, that old lion and tyrant, if he was the first founder of this city, as some say; though it does not seem so much to design any particular person, but the kings of Assyria in general, even the most cruel and savage, as the old lion is. So the Targum in the plural number,<\/p>\n “whither the kings went;”<\/p>\n and the lion’s whelp, and none made [them] afraid<\/strong>: there were none to resist their power, curb their insolence, and put a stop to their cruelty and oppression; or make them afraid of pursuing such methods. The Targum is,<\/p>\n “there they leave their children, even as a lion that continues in hunting with confidence, and there is none that terrifies.”<\/p>\n Thus will the mighty city be destroyed, with its men of war and booty. Nah 2:11<\/span>. “Where is the dwelling of the lions and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion walked, the lioness, the lion’s whelp, and no one frightened?<\/em> Nah 2:12<\/span>. The lion robbing for the need of his young ones, and strangling for his lionesses, and he filled his dens with prey, and his dwelling-places with spoil.<\/em> Nah 2:13<\/span>. Behold, O come to thee, is the saying of Jehovah of hosts, and I cause her chariots to turn in smoke, and thy young lions the sword devours; and I cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall be heard no more.” <\/em> The prophet, beholding the destruction in spirit as having already taken place, looks round for the site on which the mighty city once stood, and sees it no more. This is the meaning of the question in Nah 2:11<\/span>. He describes it as the dwelling-place of lions. The point of comparison is the predatory lust of its rulers and their warriors, who crushed the nations like lions, plundering their treasures, and bringing them together in Nineveh. To fill up the picture, the epithets applied to the lions are grouped together according to the difference of sex and age. is the full-grown male lion; , the lioness; , the young lion, though old enough to go in search of prey; , catulus leonis <\/em>, the lion’s whelp, which cannot yet seek prey for itself. , lit., “and a feeding-place is it,” sc. the dwelling-place ( pointing back to ) in this sense: “Where is the dwelling-place which was also a feeding-place for the young lions?” By the apposition the thought is expressed, that the city of lions was not only a resting-place, but also afforded a comfortable living. is to be taken in connection with the following : in the very place where; and halakh <\/em> signifies simply to walk, to walk about, not “to take exercise,” in which case the kal<\/em> would stand for piel<\/em>. The more precise definition follows in , without any one terrifying, hence in perfect rest and security, and undisturbed might (cf. Mic 4:4<\/span>; Lev 26:6<\/span>; Deu 28:26<\/span>, etc.). Under the same figure Nah 2:12<\/span> describes the tyranny and predatory lust of the Assyrians in their wars. This description is subordinate in sense to the leading thought, or to the question contained in the previous verse. Where is the city now, into which the Assyrians swept together the booty of the peoples and kingdoms which they had destroyed? In form, however, the verse is attached poetically in loose apposition to Nah 2:12<\/span><\/em>. The lion, as king of the beasts, is a very fitting emblem of the kings or rulers of Assyria. The lionesses and young lions are the citizens of Nineveh and of the province of Assyria, the tribe-land of the imperial monarchy of Assyria, and not the queens and princes, as the Chaldee explains it. Goroth <\/em> with the o<\/em> -inflection for guroth <\/em>, as in Jer 51:38<\/span>. Chorm <\/em>, holes for hiding-places, or caves, not only applies to the robbers, in which character the Assyrians are exhibited through the figure of the lion (Hitzig), but also to the lions, which carry their prey into caves (cf. Bochart, Hieroz.<\/em> i. 737). This destruction of Nineveh will assuredly take place; for Jehovah the Almighty God has proclaimed it, and He will fulfil His word. The word of God in Nah 2:13<\/span> stamps the foregoing threat with the seal of confirmation. , behold I (will) to thee (Nineveh). We have not to supply here, but simply the verb. copul.<\/em>, which is always omitted in such sentences. The relation of the subject to the object is expressed by (cf. Nah 3:5<\/span>; Jer 51:25<\/span>). , I burn into smoke, i.e., so that it vanishes into smoke (cf. Psa 37:20<\/span>). , her war-chariots, stands synecdochically for the whole of the apparatus of war (Calvin). The suffix in the third person must not be altered; it may easily be explained from the poetical variation of prophetic announcement and direct address. The young lions are the warriors; the echo of the figure in the previous verse still lingers in this figure, as well as in . The last clause expresses the complete destruction of the imperial might of Assyria. The messengers of Nineveh are partly heralds, as the carriers of the king’s commands; partly halberdiers, or delegates who fulfilled the ruler’s commands (cf. 1Ki 19:2<\/span>; 2Ki 19:23<\/span>). The suffix in is in a lengthened form, on account of the tone at the end of the section, analogous to in Exo 29:35<\/span>, and is not to be regarded as an Aramaeism or a dialectical variation (Ewald, 258, a<\/em>). The tsere<\/em> of the last syllable is occasioned by the previous tsere<\/em>. Jerome has summed up the meaning very well as follows: “Thou wilt never lay countries waste any more, nor exact tribute, nor will thy messengers be heard throughout thy provinces.” (On the last clause, see Eze 19:9<\/span>.) <\/p>\n The Judgment of Nineveh.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD> B. C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 710.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE> 11 Where is<\/I> the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion, even<\/I> the old lion, walked, and<\/I> the lion’s whelp, and none made them<\/I> afraid? 12 The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin. 13 Behold, I am<\/I> against thee, saith the LORD<\/B> of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.<\/P> Here we have Nineveh’s ruin, 1. Triumphed in by its neighbours, who now remember against it all the oppressions and abuse of power it had been guilty of in its pomp and prosperity (Nah 2:11<\/span>; Nah 2:12<\/span>): Where is the dwelling of the lions?<\/I> It is gone; there appear no remnants, no footsteps, of it. Where is the feeding place of the young lions,<\/I> where they glutted themselves with prey? The princes of Nineveh had been as lions, as beasts of prey; cruel tyrants are no better, nay, in this respect much worse–that, being men, humanity is expected from them; nay, if they were indeed lions, they would not prey upon those of their own kind. Savis inter se convenit urs–Fierce bears agree together.<\/I> But in the shape of men they had the cruelty of lions: they walked in Nineveh as a lion in the woods, and none made them afraid;<\/I> every one stood in awe of them, and they were under no apprehensions of danger from any; though nobody loved them, every body feared them, and that was all they desired. Oderint, dum metuant–Let them hate, so that they do but fear.<\/I> The king himself, as well as every prince, made it his business, by all the arts of violence and extortion, to enrich himself and raise his family; he did tear in pieces enough for his whelps<\/I> (and no little would be enough for them) and he strangled for his lioness,<\/I> killed all that came near him, and seized what they had for his children, for his wives and concubines, and filled his holes with prey and his dens with ravin,<\/I> as lions are wont to do. Note, Many make it an excuse for their rapine and injustice that they have wives and children to provide for, whereas what is so got will never do them any good; those that fear the Lord,<\/I> and get what they have honestly, shall not want a competency for themselves and theirs; verily they shall be fed,<\/I> when the young lions,<\/I> though dens and holes were filled with prey and ravin<\/I> for them, shall lack, and suffer hunger,<\/I> Ps. xxxiv. 10<\/I><\/span>. 2. It is avowed by the righteous Judge of heaven and earth; it is his doing, and let all the world take notice that it is so (v.<\/I><\/span> 13<\/span>): Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts.<\/I> And what good can hosts do for her in her defence, when the Lord of hosts<\/I> is against her for her destruction? The oppressors in Nineveh thought they only set their neighbours against them, who were not a match for them, and whom they could easily overpower; but it proved they set God against them, who is, and will be, the asserter of right and the avenger of wrong. God is against the princes of Nineveh, and then, (1.) These military preparations will stand them in no stead: I will burn their chariots in the smoke;<\/I> he does not say in the fire,<\/I> but, in contempt of them, the very smoke<\/I> of God’s indignation shall serve to burn their chariots; they shall be consumed as soon as the fire of his indignation is kindled, while as yet it does but smoke, and not flame out. Or, The drivers of the chariots shall be smothered and stifled with the smoke; then the chariots of their glory<\/I> shall be the shame of their families, Isa. xxii. 18<\/span>. (2.) Their children, the hopes of their families, shall be cut off: The sword shall devour the young lions,<\/I> whom they were so solicitous to provide for by oppression and extortion. Note, It is just with God to deprive those of their children, or (which is all one) of comfort in them, that take sinful courses to enrich them, and (as has been said of some) damn their souls to make their sons gentlemen. (3.) The wealth they have heaped up by fraud and violence shall neither be enjoyed by them nor employed for them: I will cut off thy prey from the earth;<\/I> not only thou shalt not be the better for it, but no one else shall. Some understand it of the disabling of them for the future to prey upon their neighbours. (4.) Their agents abroad shall not have that respect from their neighbours and that influence upon them which sometimes they had had: The voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard,<\/I> no more be heeded, which some think refers to Rabshakeh, one of Nineveh’s messengers, that had blasphemed the living God, an iniquity which was remembered against Nineveh long after. Those are not worthy to be heard again that have once spoken reproachfully of God.<\/P><\/p>\n Here the Prophet triumphs over the Assyrians, because they thought that the city Nineveh was remote from every danger: as lions, who fear nothing, when they are in their dens, draw thither their prey in their claws or in their mouths: so also was the case with the Assyrians; thinking themselves safe, while Nineveh flourished, they took the greater liberty to commit plunders everywhere. For Nineveh was not only the receptacle of robbers but was also like a den of lions. And the Prophet more fully expresses the barbarous cruelty of the Assyrians by comparing them to lions, than if he had simply called them lions. We now then see what he means, when he says, Where is the place of lions? And he designedly speaks thus of the Assyrians: for no one ever thought that they could be touched by even the least injury; the fear of them had indeed so seized all men, that of themselves they submitted to the Assyrians. As then no one dared to oppose them, the Prophet says, Where? as though he had said that though all thought it incredible that Nineveh could be overthrown, it would yet thus happen. But he assumes the character of one expressing his astonishment, in order to intimate, that when the Lord should execute such a judgment, it would be a work of wonder, which would fill almost all with amazement. This question then proves that those are very foolish who form a judgment of God’s vengeance, of which the Prophet speaks, according to the appearance of things at the time; for the ruin of Nineveh and of that empire was to be the incomprehensible work of God, and which was to fill all minds with astonishment. <\/p>\n He says first, Where is the place of lions? The feminine gender is indeed here used; but all agree that the Prophet speaks of male lions. (236) He then adds, the place of feeding for lions? כפרים, caphrim, mean young lions as we shall hereafter see; and אריות, ariut, are old lions. He afterwards adds, Where אריה, arie came: and then comes לביא, labia, which some render, lioness; but לביא, labia, properly means an old lion; the Prophet, no doubt, uses it in the next verse in the feminine gender for lionesses. I therefore do not deny, but that we may fitly render the terms here, lion and lioness; afterwards, and the whelp of lions, and none terrifying. He then adds, Seize did the lion (the word is אריה, arie) for his whelps to satiety, that is, sufficiently; and strangle did he for his lionesses, ללבאתיו, lalabatiu. Here no doubt the Prophet means lionesses; there would otherwise be no consistency in the passage. He afterwards says, <\/p>\n (236) It is better to retain the gender as it is in Hebrew: and this makes the passage more consistent, and corresponds better with the “feeding-place” in the next line. The recesses of the lionesses and the whelps are here mentioned, and in the next verse is stated what the lions did for them: — <\/p>\n 11. Where is the haunt of the lionesses, And the feeding-place, even that for the whelps, Where did go the lion, the lioness, the cub of the lion, And none made them afraid? <\/p>\n 12. The lion ravined for the supply of his cubs, And strangled for his lionesses, And filled with ravin his dens, And his haunts by ravining. <\/p>\n “<\/p>\n The allegory,” says Newcome, “is beyond measure beautiful. Where are the inhabitants of Nineveh, who were strong and rapacious like lions?” — Ed. <\/p>\n CRITICAL NOTES<\/strong>. <\/p>\n Nah. 2:11<\/span><\/strong>. Where]<\/strong> is the site on which the mighty city once stood? Its warriors crushed the nations like lions<\/em> in their lust and power. To fill up the picture, the epithets applied to the lions are grouped together according to the difference of sex and age [Keil<\/em>]. <\/p>\n Nah. 2:12<\/span><\/strong>.]<\/strong> Description of tyranny and predatory lust of Assyrian kings. <\/p>\n Nah. 2:13<\/span><\/strong>.]<\/strong> The destruction is certain I<\/em> against thee; God has proclaimed, and will fulfil it. Her war-chariots, i.e.<\/em> the whole apparatus of war [Calvin<\/em>], will be consumed like smoke; imperial might shall no longer prey upon the nations, and emissaries, with the kings commands or exacting tribute, shall be seen no more (Eze. 19:9<\/span>).<\/p>\n HOMILETICS<\/em><\/p>\n NINEVEH EFFACED.Nah. 2:11-13<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The Prophet, beholding the destruction in spirit as having already taken place, looks round for the site on which the mighty city once stood, and sees it no more. This is the meaning of the question in Nah. 2:11<\/span>. He describes it as the dwelling-place of lions. The point of comparison is the predatory lust of its rulers and their warriors, who crushed the nations like lions, plundering their treasures, and bringing them together in Nineveh [Keil<\/em>].<\/p>\n I. Its site was obliterated<\/strong>. Where is the dwelling of the lions, &c. Great must be the desolation to call forth such an expression. Where indeed is the proud city? Its place was unknown for ages, and is only just discovered by the ruins which have been dug up. It was secure<\/em>, the dwelling<\/em> of the lions; spacious walked;<\/em> and wealthy<\/em>, the feeding-place<\/em> of the young lions; but its battlements were destroyed and its glory departed. The dust of Nineveh is a witness for the truth of God, and a warning to the nations of the earth. Assyria lies buried there with all its people; round about are their graves, all of them are slain and fallen by the sword; they have made their graves deep there below. <\/p>\n II. Its rulers were overcome<\/strong>. Over 500 years this great city of God (cf. Jon. 1:3<\/span>; Jon. 3:2<\/span>) was, under its powerful rulers, the terror of Western Asia. Dynasty after dynasty had transmitted its dreaded name to age after age. <\/p>\n 1. Its rulers were strong<\/em>. Like lions in power and purpose, bent on plunder and mischief. They were greedy, ravenous beasts, which could never be satisfied (Isa. 66:11<\/span>). <\/p>\n 2. Its rulers were a terror to others<\/em>. They tore others, and were not touched themselves. Exempt from fear, they were a dread to surrounding peoples, and none made them afraid. But the Lord of hosts was against them, and raised up one stronger than they. The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. <\/p>\n III. Its resources were destroyed<\/strong>. Nah. 2:13<\/span> expresses her complete destruction. <\/p>\n 1. Its military defences were destroyed<\/em>. I will burn her chariots in the smoke. Their chariots remarkable for speed and lightness, their horses noted for fierceness and power, were fuel for the fire. All their warlike preparations vanished into smoke, and not a brand was plucked from the burning. <\/p>\n 2. Their offspring were cut off<\/em>. The sword shall devour thy young lions. The flower of youth, their hope for the future, was cut down. The whole race of oppressors was taken away. God in justice may cut off those whom we seek to enrich, and for whom we are so anxious to provide. <\/p>\n 3. Their wealth was taken away<\/em>. I will cut off thy prey from the earth. The immense booty they had gathered by fraud and violence was robbed by the enemy. <\/p>\n 4. Their agents were no longer seen<\/em>. The voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard. Emissaries exacting tribute or conveying the edicts of the king; heralds and delegates travelling the provinces; messengers, uttering blasphemy and publishing victory, should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel. God had hushed them to silence, and the stillness of death prevailed. <\/p>\n IV. Its destiny was sealed<\/strong>. Behold, I come, are words which seal and confirm the threat. God had endured long, but came at last. The city was captured and destroyed. Its ruins have never been revived, and Moslem tribes rear their hamlets on its barren stones. Desolation meets desolation, says Layard; a feeling of awe succeeds to wonder, for there is nothing to relieve the mind; to lead to hope, or to tell of what has gone by. These high mounds of Assyria made a deeper impression upon me, gave rise to more serious thought and more earnest reflection, than either the temples of Baalbec or the theatres of Ionia.<\/p>\n Conquerors proud, to seal her doom,<\/p>\n Swept her to ruins all-engulfing tomb. HOMILETIC HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS<\/em><\/p>\n Nah. 2:11-12<\/span>. The lions<\/em>. Oppression is brutish conduct. It turns palaces into dens, and princes into lions. As a roaring lion and a raging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. Unrighteous gain is a risky bargain. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them.<\/p>\n Nah. 2:13<\/span>. God against the sinner. <\/p>\n 1. God is declared to be against him. Behold<\/em>, &c.<\/em> <\/p>\n 2. God has power to fulfil his threats. The Lord of Hosts<\/em>. <\/p>\n 3. The results will be unmistakeable if the opposition continues. Seek to be reconciled to God. From the whole chapter we may learn 2. The vanity of human greatness<\/em>. Heaps of gold and silver are not real possessions. A royal palace and an imperial throne will crumble into dust. Empty and void and waste, may be<\/em> inscribed on every earthly glory.<\/p>\n They are but beggars that can count their wealth [Shakespeare<\/em>].<\/p>\n (11-13) The figure of the lion appears so frequently on the Assyrian monuments that we may perhaps suppose it to have been a national scutcheon. The metaphor of the ravening beast is well illustrated by the Assyrian records, wherein the most frequent theme is the levying of gold, silver, brass, oxen, &c., from tributary cities. The messengers of Nah. 2:13<\/span> are royal heralds and delegates, subordinate agents in this business of extortion.<\/p>\n THE PROPHET’S EXULTATION OVER THE FALL OF NINEVEH, Nah 2:11-13<\/span>.<\/p>\n 11<\/strong>. <\/strong> The prophet rejoices because the wicked city, the oppressor of Judah, is no more. <\/p>\n Where is the dwelling of the lions <\/strong> He very aptly likens Nineveh to a den of lions. The point of comparison is the cruelty and rapacity of her kings and warriors. Like lions they went about, seeking whom they might devour, and with the plunder they filled their den; “and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped” (Isa 10:14<\/span>). The cruelty and lust of the Assyrian conquerors is further described in Nah 2:12<\/span>; but the end has come. 13. Jehovah can endure the outrages no longer. The lions, their den, and the plunder heaped up there will be destroyed. <\/p>\n Burn her chariots in the smoke <\/strong> Burn the chariots so that they will go up in smoke. LXX. and Peshitto have the pronoun of the second person, “thy,” and this is preferable; they also read “multitude” in the place of “chariots,” which involves the transposition of two consonants; but in this case the Hebrew is preferable. A slight change would give “thy den,” which would be very appropriate in this connection. <\/p>\n Thy prey <\/strong> The magnificence, splendor, and glory made possible by the prey taken in military expeditions. <\/p>\n The voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard <\/strong> The power of the empire having vanished, no more messengers will be sent to the subdued nations to issue orders or demand tribute (Eze 19:9<\/span>). For more than two centuries had the Hebrews suffered much from the Assyrian armies.<\/p>\n No wonder that with the doom of the world power so near the prophet breaks into a song of triumph.<\/p>\n Nah 2:11-12<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Where is the dwelling, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> Where is the dwelling of the lioness? And the same was the nursery of the young lions: <\/em>that is, “What has become of the stately palaces of the king and princes of Nineveh; who, like so many lions, cruel and violent, knew no other law than their pride and ambition; preying both upon their own people and the neighbouring countries, and enriching themselves with the spoil which they kept from them.” <\/p>\n Nah 2:11 Where [is] the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, [even] the old lion, walked, [and] the lion’s whelp, and none made [them] afraid?<\/p>\n Ver. 11. Where is the dwelling of the lions, &c.<\/strong> ] Where is Nineveh, once so terrible, now so despicable? Leoni mortuo vel mus insultat.<\/em> A dead lion or a lively mouse! Once none dared look at it or mute against it, now each passenger can insult over it, inquire where it stood, and not be afraid to take this lion by the beard. “God poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty,” Job 12:21<\/span> , when once they turn tyrants, and exercise regiment without righteousness, as Mic 3:2-3<\/span> . Such a mighty hunter, or devourer of men and nations, was Nimrod (the first founder of this Assyrian monarchy), and became a proverb against all tyrants and persecutors, Gen 10:9<\/span> . Such a lion was Nero, 2Ti 4:17<\/span> . Such a tiger Tiberius, of whom one saith, that he laid hold with his teeth on all the excellent spirits of his time; Domitian, who, not content with the blood of Christians, commanded all Jews that were of the stock of David to be sought out, and put to death; Diocletian, and the rest of the primitive persecutors; as also that man of sin, the whole pack of popes, successors to Boniface VIII (who came in like a fox, reigned like a lion, died like a dog), and to Benedict XII, who, when he died, had this epitaph made of him: <\/p>\n “ Hic situs est Nero, laicis leo, vipera clero:<\/p>\n Devins a vero, turba repleta mere. ”<\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n And the feedingplace of the young lions<\/em><\/strong> ] Where the old ones provided prey for them till they could skill to do it for themselves; that which they would soon learn and practise, when once grown up. The Assyrian young princes were accustomed to rapine and cruelty from the first; being no better than young Tiberius, whom his tutor, Theodorus Gadareus, rightly characterized when he said, he was dirt kneaded with blood (<\/em> <\/em> ); or than Nero the lion; of whom his father, Domitius, prophesied, that of himself and his wife, Agrippa (both notoriously naughty), no good man could be born. Mali corvi, malum ovum.<\/em> The wicked ravens lay bad eggs. Of an ill breed, ne catulus quidem relinquendus,<\/em> to leave not even a young dog behind, said the Romans, when they slew one of their tyrants together with his young son. It was Maximinus, if I mistake not. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Where the lion, even the old lion, walked<\/strong> ] The courageous or hearty lion (named of Leo, a heart), walked and stalked with his whelps, and none made them afraid (Labi). But now his heart melteth, his knees knock together with fear and faintness, as Nah 2:10<\/span> , his city Nineveh, that was not only spoliarium latronum,<\/em> but spelunca leonum<\/em> (Calv.), is how nowhere; it shall live by fame only, time shall triumph over it. God will “stain the pride of all glory, and bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth,” Isa 23:9<\/span> . So Ovid. (Metam. lib. 15): <\/p>\n “ Clara fuit Sparte, magnae viguere Mycenae,<\/p>\n Vile solum Sparte est, altae cecidere Mycenae.<\/p>\n Oedipodioniae quid sunt nisi nomina Thebae? &c. ”<\/p>\n Where . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis (App-6), for emphasis. <\/p>\n lions. Note the Figure of speech Synonymia (App-6), for emphasis. This is Jehovah’s answer to Sennacherib’s taunt in 2Ki 18:34, looking back after the fulfillment of this prophecy. <\/p>\n old lion = lioness. <\/p>\n This is a prophecy of the destruction of Nineveh. Remember that Assyria had been one of the great powers that swayed the world, a cruel, tyrannical empire; and God at last determined to destroy Nineveh, which was its seat of government. In a high poetical strain, the prophet cries out,<\/p>\n Nah 2:11. Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lions whelp, and none made them afraid?<\/p>\n You will remember how Mr. Layard took out of the ruins at Nineveh those immense lions that now stand in the British Museum. They were the very type of this great empire, that boasted itself in its lion-like strength and ferocity. So the prophet cries, Where is the lair of the lion?<\/p>\n Nah 2:12. The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.<\/p>\n They were always destroying, and plundering, and carrying home the spoil, so that everybody was fattened with the rapine of the nations.<\/p>\n Nah 2:13. Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts,<\/p>\n And whenever that is the case, a man does not need any other adversary. If God be against you, O my dear hearer, what will become of you? Though you should have all the power of the world, and possess robust health, abundant riches, and keen wit, what can you do against God? I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts. He throws down the gauntlet to Nineveh.<\/p>\n Nah 2:13. And I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.<\/p>\n It is time that they were stopped. You remember in what foul-mouthed language Rabshakeh addressed king Hezekiah; and God now declares that there shall be no more such letters as his. God may allow evil to lord it over his people for a while; but he puts a hook in the mouth of the leviathan by-and-by. He that restraineth the sea and the waves thereof, Jehovah is his name, and he restraineth the wickedness of men. <\/p>\n This exposition consisted of readings from Nah 2:11-13; Nah 2:3.<\/p>\n the dwelling: Nah 3:1, Job 4:10, Job 4:11, Isa 5:29, Jer 2:15, Jer 4:7, Jer 50:17, Jer 50:44, Eze 19:2-8, Zep 3:3 <\/p>\n none: Gen 49:9, Isa 31:4 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Psa 10:9 – secretly Isa 37:18 – the kings Jer 5:6 – a lion Jer 51:38 – roar Eze 32:2 – Thou art like Eze 38:13 – with Mic 5:6 – they Nah 3:19 – upon Zep 2:13 – will make<\/p>\n Nah 2:1113. These verses are grouped into one paragraph because they all are on the same subject. The terms are generally all used figuratively, especially the lions and their breed. The heroes and leaders of the Assyrian nation are likened to the lions because of their savage treatment of men and women wbo fell into their hands. They showed no mercy toward others and now the Lord will bring a nation against them that wlll burn their chariots and slay their strong men. (See historical quotation.)<\/p>\n Nah 2:11-13. Where is the dwelling of the lions Where is the lion-like courage and strength, which formerly characterized the king of Nineveh and his people? What is become of the stately palaces of the king and princes of Nineveh? who, like so many lions, cruel, violent, and irresistible, knew no other law than their pride and ambition; preying upon their own people, and the neighbouring countries, and filling their houses with the spoils they took from them, as the lions fill their dens with their prey. I will burn her chariots in the smoke Or, even unto smoke. The LXX. read, , I will burn thy multitude in the smoke. Some again render the clause, I will burn thy seat, or thy habitation, observing, that the simile taken from lions is continued; and therefore that the word chariots is quite improper here; the expression referring to the den or habitation of lions, which he threatens to suffocate with fire and smoke in their subterraneous caverns. The sword shall devour thy young lions Shall destroy thy young people, and the most vigorous of thy soldiers. I will cut off thy prey from the earth I will prevent thy spoiling any country any more. And the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard Thou shalt no more send ambassadors with thy orders to distant countries, either to encourage thine allies or to terrify thine enemies. <\/p>\n 2:11 Where [is] the {l} dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, [even] the old lion, walked, [and] the lion’s whelp, and none made [them] afraid?<\/p>\n (l) Meaning, Nineveh, whose inhabitants were cruel like the lions, and given to all oppression, and spared no violence or tyranny to provide for their wives and children.<\/p>\n After Nineveh’s destruction the people who remained would taunt the Assyrians by comparing Nineveh to a lion’s den and nearby feeding grounds. They would also compare its inhabitants to lions. Assyria’s leaders were lion-like and its youths like young lions in that they had plundered and preyed on others. But their once secure haunts were now desolate.<\/p>\n "Assyrian kings prided themselves in their ability to kill lions in lion hunts. And the kings likened their own ferocity and fearlessness to that of lions. For example, Sennacherib boasted of his military fury by saying, ’Like a lion I raged.’ Lions were frequently pictured in Assyrian reliefs and decorations." [Note: Johnson, p. 1501. See also Gordon H. Johnston, "Nahum’s Rhetorical Allusions to the Neo-Assyrian Lion Motif," Bibliotheca Sacra 158:631 (July-September 2001):287-307.] <\/span><\/p>\n Where [is] the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, [even] the old lion, walked, [and] the lion’s whelp, and none made [them] afraid? 11 13. The prophet’s exultation over the downfall of Nineveh 11. Where is the dwelling ] the den. the old lion ] Perhaps, … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nahum 2:11”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22721\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Long ages past, and turf oergrew the walls,
And silence reigned in Ninus buried halls.<\/p>\n
1. God s hand in destructive warfare<\/em>. The wealth and haughty bearing of Nineveh drew forth the conquering army. The passions and efforts of men were concerned, but they only performed the pleasure of the Most High. <\/p>\nFuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"