King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Behold, I [am] against thee, saith the LORD 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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"I am against you," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. "Her chariots I will send up in smoke, the sword will consume your lion cubs, I will destroy your prey from the earth, and your envoys' voices will be heard no more."
Berean Standard Bible:
“Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will send your chariots up in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voices of your messengers will no longer be heard.”
American Standard Version:
Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah 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.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Behold, I am against thee, saith{H5002} the LORD{H3068} of hosts{H6635}, and I will burn{H1197} her chariots{H7393} in the smoke{H6227}, and the sword{H2719} shall devour{H398} thy young lions{H3715}: and I will cut off{H3772} thy prey{H2964} from the earth{H776}, and the voice{H6963} of thy messengers{H4397} shall no more be heard{H8085}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Psalms 46:9
- He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
Nahum 3:5
- Behold, 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.
Jeremiah 21:13
- Behold, I [am] against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, [and] rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?
2 Kings 19:23
- By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, [and] the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, [and into] the forest of his Carmel.
Nahum 3:1
- ¶ Woe to the bloody city! it [is] all full of lies [and] robbery; the prey departeth not;
Joshua 11:9
- And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
Ezekiel 5:8
- Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, [am] against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Nahum 2:13
Nahum 2:13 is a verse from the Book of Nahum, which is part of the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament in the Christian Bible. The book is a prophecy concerning the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. This empire was known for its ruthless military campaigns and had previously destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel, as well as besieged Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah.
The verse reflects the themes of divine judgment and retribution. It is a direct message from the Lord of Hosts, a title for God that emphasizes His power and control over the armies of heaven, declaring His opposition to Assyria. The imagery used is vivid and symbolic: the burning of chariots represents the destruction of Assyria's military might; the devouring of young lions by the sword signifies the defeat of Assyria's fierce warriors; cutting off prey from the earth indicates the end of Assyria's plundering conquests; and the silencing of messengers suggests the cessation of Assyria's influence and communications.
Historically, this prophecy foretells the actual fall of Nineveh, which occurred around 612 BCE when a coalition of Babylonians, Medes, and others sacked the city. The verse captures the essence of the book's message that God will avenge the wrongs done to His people and that no empire, no matter how powerful, is beyond the reach of divine justice. It serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly power and the ultimate sovereignty of God over human affairs.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H5002
There are 358 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נְאֻם
Transliteration: nᵉʼum
Pronunciation: neh-oom'
Description: from נָאַם; an oracle; (hath) said, saith. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H6635
There are 463 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צָבָא
Transliteration: tsâbâʼ
Pronunciation: tsaw-baw'
Description: or (feminine) צְבָאָה; from צָבָא; a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship); appointed time, ([phrase]) army, ([phrase]) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare). - Strong's Number: H1197
There are 90 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּעַר
Transliteration: bâʻar
Pronunciation: baw-ar'
Description: a primitive root; also as denominative from בַּעַר; to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by eating); to be(-come) brutish; be brutish, bring (put, take) away, burn, (cause to) eat (up), feed, heat, kindle, set (on fire), waste. - Strong's Number: H7393
There are 104 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֶכֶב
Transliteration: rekeb
Pronunciation: reh'-keb
Description: from רָכַב; a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension, cavalry; by analogy a rider, i.e. the upper millstone; chariot, (upper) millstone, multitude (from the margin), wagon. - Strong's Number: H6227
There are 24 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָשָׁן
Transliteration: ʻâshân
Pronunciation: aw-shawn'
Description: from עָשַׁן; smoke, literally or figuratively (vapor, dust, anger); smoke(-ing). - Strong's Number: H2719
There are 372 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֶרֶב
Transliteration: chereb
Pronunciation: kheh'-reb
Description: from חָרַב; drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement; axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool. - Strong's Number: H398
There are 825 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָכַל
Transliteration: ʼâkal
Pronunciation: aw-kal'
Description: a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. - Strong's Number: H3715
There are 32 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כְּפִיר
Transliteration: kᵉphîyr
Pronunciation: kef-eer'
Description: from כָּפַר; a village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane); (young) lion, village. Compare כָּפָר. - Strong's Number: H3772
There are 280 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּרַת
Transliteration: kârath
Pronunciation: kaw-rath'
Description: a primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces); be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), [idiom] lose, perish, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] want. - Strong's Number: H2964
There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טֶרֶף
Transliteration: ṭereph
Pronunciation: teh'-ref
Description: from טָרַף; something torn, i.e. a fragment, e.g. a fresh leaf, prey, food; leaf, meat, prey, spoil. - Strong's Number: H776
There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶרֶץ
Transliteration: ʼerets
Pronunciation: eh'-rets
Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. - Strong's Number: H6963
There are 436 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קוֹל
Transliteration: qôwl
Pronunciation: kole
Description: or קֹל; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a voice or sound; [phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, [phrase] hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, [phrase] sing, sound, [phrase] spark, thunder(-ing), voice, [phrase] yell. - Strong's Number: H4397
There are 197 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֲלְאָךְ
Transliteration: mălʼâk
Pronunciation: mal-awk'
Description: from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher); ambassador, angel, king, messenger. - Strong's Number: H8085
There are 1072 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁמַע
Transliteration: shâmaʻ
Pronunciation: shaw-mah'
Description: a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.); [idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, [idiom] surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.