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Nahum 1:10

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For while [they be] folden together [as] thorns, and while they are drunken [as] drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

For while they be folden together {H5440} as thorns {H5518}, and while they are drunken {H5433} as drunkards {H5435}, they shall be devoured {H398} as stubble {H7179} fully {H4392} dry {H3002}.

For like men drunk with liquor, they will be burned up like tangled thorns, like straw completely dry.

For they will be entangled as with thorns and consumed like the drink of a drunkard— like stubble that is fully dry.

For entangled like thorns, and drunken as with their drink, they are consumed utterly as dry stubble.

Commentary

Nahum 1:10 vividly describes the inevitable and complete destruction awaiting Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, through striking metaphors. This verse is part of Nahum's prophecy, which focuses entirely on the downfall of this oppressive empire, a message of comfort to the people of Judah who suffered under Assyrian cruelty.

Context

The Book of Nahum is a prophetic oracle delivered against the city of Nineveh, a powerful and feared ancient capital known for its brutality and idolatry. Coming after a powerful declaration of God's righteous anger and immense power (Nahum 1:2-8), this verse specifically targets the Assyrians, assuring their utter defeat. Despite their perceived strength and unity, God's fierce divine judgment is poised to consume them.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment on Wickedness: The verse underscores God's unwavering commitment to bring justice upon those who practice widespread wickedness and oppression. Nineveh's sins, including its cruelty and pride, sealed its fate.
  • Vulnerability of the Seemingly Strong: Though Assyria was a dominant world power, the metaphors of "thorns" and "drunkards" highlight their inherent weakness and moral decay, making them susceptible to God's wrath. Their unity ("folden together as thorns") would not protect them, nor would their revelry ("drunken as drunkards").
  • Swift and Complete Destruction: The imagery of being "devoured as stubble fully dry" paints a picture of rapid, irreversible, and thorough annihilation. Stubble is worthless and easily consumed by fire, symbolizing Nineveh's ultimate demise. This echoes other prophetic warnings about swift judgment consuming the wicked like stubble.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "thorns" (sirim) often denotes something useless, harmful, or easily burned. "Folden together" (sĕbhukim) implies entanglement or being interwoven, perhaps suggesting their dense numbers or their complicated network of evil. The term "drunken" (sōbhē'îm) points to being thoroughly saturated with wine, indicating a state of moral stupor, self-indulgence, and lack of awareness of impending danger. This moral decay and reckless abandon would leave them unprepared for the swift destruction, likened to dry "stubble" (qaš), which is extremely flammable and offers no resistance to fire.

Practical Application

Nahum 1:10 serves as a powerful reminder of God's justice and sovereignty over all nations and individuals. It teaches us that:

  • Wickedness does not go unpunished: Those who persist in cruelty, pride, and moral decay will ultimately face consequences, whether in this life or the next.
  • False security is dangerous: Relying on human strength, unity in evil, or worldly pleasures (represented by drunkenness) blinds one to the realities of divine judgment.
  • God is in control: Even the most formidable human empires are like dry stubble before the power of the Almighty. This offers comfort to the oppressed and a warning to oppressors. For further reflection on God's ultimate power, consider Isaiah 40:23.
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 (May 20, 2025) 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

  • Micah 7:4 (6 votes)

    The best of them [is] as a brier: the most upright [is sharper] than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen [and] thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

  • Isaiah 5:24 (4 votes)

    Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, [so] their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

  • Malachi 4:1 (4 votes)

    ¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

  • Isaiah 9:18 (4 votes)

    For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up [like] the lifting up of smoke.

  • Nahum 3:11 (4 votes)

    Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.

  • 2 Samuel 23:6 (3 votes)

    But [the sons] of Belial [shall be] all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

  • 2 Samuel 23:7 (3 votes)

    But the man [that] shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the [same] place.