Nahum 3:10

Yet [was] she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

Yet was she carried away {H1473}, she went {H1980} into captivity {H7628}: her young children {H5768} also were dashed in pieces {H7376} at the top {H7218} of all the streets {H2351}: and they cast {H3032} lots {H1486} for her honourable men {H3513}, and all her great men {H1419} were bound {H7576} in chains {H2131}.

Still she went captive into exile, her infants torn to pieces at every streetcorner. Lots were drawn for her nobles, and all her great men were bound in chains.

Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.

Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity; her young children also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; and they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

Commentary

Nahum 3:10 describes the devastating fall and brutal consequences experienced by a once-mighty city, here used as a cautionary example for Nineveh. The prophet vividly portrays the horrors of ancient warfare and the complete desolation that awaited conquered cities.

Context

The book of Nahum is a prophetic oracle primarily directed against Nineveh, the capital of the mighty Assyrian Empire. Known for its cruelty and oppressive tactics, Nineveh had been a terror to surrounding nations, including Judah. In Nahum 3, the prophet uses the recent, well-known fall of Thebes (referred to as No-amon in Nahum 3:8), a powerful Egyptian city, as a rhetorical device. Thebes had been conquered and sacked by the Assyrians themselves in 663 BC. By reminding Nineveh of Thebes' fate, Nahum effectively asks, "If such a strong city as Thebes could fall so utterly, how much more certain is your own destruction?" This verse graphically details the common atrocities of that era following a city's defeat.

Key Themes

  • Divine Retribution and Justice: The verse highlights the principle that God's justice eventually catches up with those who practice cruelty and oppression. Nineveh, which had inflicted similar horrors on others, would experience the same fate.
  • The Fall of Mighty Empires: No earthly power, however formidable or well-fortified, is immune to divine judgment. Thebes' fall serves as a powerful illustration that even the most secure cities can be utterly destroyed.
  • Consequences of Sin and Cruelty: The horrific details of the city's inhabitants being carried away, children killed, and leaders humiliated underscore the severe consequences of a nation's wickedness and violent actions.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "dashed in pieces" (Hebrew: rittash) conveys an extremely violent and merciless act, common in ancient warfare to ensure the complete eradication of a conquered people. The act of "cast[ing] lots for her honourable men" indicates the practice of dividing captives as spoils of war, a demeaning and dehumanizing fate for those who were once respected leaders.

Related Scriptures

The brutal imagery in Nahum 3:10 finds parallels in other prophetic warnings against proud and oppressive nations. The destruction described here, particularly the fate of children, echoes similar prophecies of judgment against other empires, such as the fall of Babylon described in Isaiah 13:16. This verse also implicitly points to the overarching biblical truth that God rules in the kingdom of men, and He exalts and abases according to His sovereign will.

Practical Application

For a contemporary audience, Nahum 3:10 serves as a sobering reminder of God's unwavering justice. It teaches that pride, cruelty, and oppression, whether on a national or individual level, will not go unpunished indefinitely. While the immediate context is historical, the principle remains: unchecked wickedness leads to ruin. Conversely, this verse offers comfort to the oppressed, assuring them that God sees their suffering and will ultimately bring justice against their oppressors. It also calls believers to consider the impermanence of earthly power and to place their trust in God's eternal kingdom rather than fleeting human strength.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Isaiah 20:4

    So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with [their] buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

  • Joel 3:3

    And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

  • Hosea 13:16

    Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

  • Obadiah 1:11

    In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou [wast] as one of them.

  • Isaiah 13:16

    Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

  • Lamentations 2:19

    Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

  • Psalms 137:8

    O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy [shall he be], that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
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