King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.
Complete Jewish Bible:
For ADONAI is restoring the pride of Ya'akov, along with the pride of Isra'el; because plunderers have plundered them and ravaged their vines.
Berean Standard Bible:
For the LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and ruined the branches of their vine.
American Standard Version:
For Jehovah restoreth the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out, and destroyed their vine-branches.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
For the LORD{H3068} hath turned away{H7725} the excellency{H1347} of Jacob{H3290}, as the excellency{H1347} of Israel{H3478}: for the emptiers{H1238} have emptied them out{H1238}, and marred{H7843} their vine branches{H2156}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Psalms 80:12
- Why hast thou [then] broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?
Psalms 80:13
- The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.
Zephaniah 3:11
- In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
Ezekiel 37:23
- Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
Isaiah 60:15
- ¶ Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through [thee], I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
Jeremiah 25:29
- For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
Genesis 49:22
- ¶ Joseph [is] a fruitful bough, [even] a fruitful bough by a well; [whose] branches run over the wall:
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Commentary for Nahum 2:2
Nahum 2:2 is part of the Book of Nahum, which is a prophetic oracle concerning the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The verse reflects the theme of divine retribution and the fall of a once-great nation due to its wickedness and pride.
In this verse, the "excellency of Jacob" and the "excellency of Israel" refer to the glory and strength of the northern kingdom of Israel, which had been destroyed by the Assyrians a century earlier. The term "Jacob" is often used in the Bible to refer to the nation of Israel, named after their patriarch. The "emptiers" are likely the Assyrian invaders who plundered and devastated the land of Israel, stripping it of its wealth and beauty, symbolized by the marred vine branches, which were a common biblical metaphor for the prosperity and fertility of the land.
The historical context of this verse is set against the backdrop of the Assyrian Empire's dominance in the ancient Near East. Assyria was known for its ruthless military campaigns and had previously conquered and exiled the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE. The prophecy of Nahum foretells the eventual defeat and destruction of Nineveh, which came to pass in 612 BCE when a coalition of Babylonians, Medes, and others sacked the city.
Nahum 2:2 thus encapsulates the stark reversal of fortune for the Israelites and the Assyrians, emphasizing the sovereignty of the LORD (Yahweh) in bringing low the prideful and punishing those who had oppressed His people. It serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly power and the ultimate justice that God will enact against those who act wickedly. For the Israelites, this message would have been one of hope and vindication, assuring them that their oppressors would not go unpunished.
*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: 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: H7725
There are 952 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׁוּב
Transliteration: shûwb
Pronunciation: shoob
Description: a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw. - Strong's Number: H1347
There are 45 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּאוֹן
Transliteration: gâʼôwn
Pronunciation: gaw-ohn'
Description: from גָּאָה; the same as גַּאֲוָהxlit gaʻăvâh corrected to gaʼăvâh; {arrogance or majesty; by implication, (concretely) ornament}; arrogancy, excellency(-lent), majesty, pomp, pride, proud, swelling. - Strong's Number: H3290
There are 319 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יַעֲקֹב
Transliteration: Yaʻăqôb
Pronunciation: yah-ak-obe'
Description: from עָקַב; heel-catcher (i.e. supplanter); Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch; Jacob. - Strong's Number: H3478
There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel. - Strong's Number: H1238
There are 7 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּקַק
Transliteration: bâqaq
Pronunciation: baw-kah'
Description: a primitive root; to pour out, i.e. to empty, figuratively, to depopulate; by analogy, to spread out (as a fruitful vine); (make) empty (out), fail, [idiom] utterly, make void. - Strong's Number: H7843
There are 136 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁחַת
Transliteration: shâchath
Pronunciation: shaw-khath'
Description: a primitive root; to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively); batter, cast off, corrupt(-er, thing), destroy(-er, -uction), lose, mar, perish, spill, spoiler, [idiom] utterly, waste(-r). - Strong's Number: H2156
There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זְמוֹרָה
Transliteration: zᵉmôwrâh
Pronunciation: zem-o-raw'
Description: or זְמֹרָה (feminine); and זְמֹר (masculine); from זָמַר; a twig (as pruned); vine, branch, slip.