Nahum 1 10

Nahum 1:10 kjv

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

Nahum 1:10 nkjv

For while tangled like thorns, And while drunken like drunkards, They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried.

Nahum 1:10 niv

They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble.

Nahum 1:10 esv

For they are like entangled thorns, like drunkards as they drink; they are consumed like stubble fully dried.

Nahum 1:10 nlt

His enemies, tangled like thornbushes
and staggering like drunks,
will be burned up like dry stubble in a field.

Nahum 1 verses

Nahum 1 10 Meaning

Nahum 1:10 vividly describes the complete and sudden destruction awaiting Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. Despite their apparent strength and revelry, metaphorically likened to intertwined thorns and habitual drunkenness, they are depicted as utterly vulnerable, destined to be consumed as swiftly and thoroughly as parched stubble by fire. This verse emphasizes the inescapable nature of God's judgment against the wicked.

Nahum 1 10 Context

Nahum 1:10 stands as part of a profound oracle against Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the tyrannical empire that had oppressed Judah. The first chapter of Nahum, particularly verses 2-8, establishes the character of God as a jealous, avenging, and wrathful God who punishes His adversaries, yet is also good and a stronghold for those who trust Him. Verses 9-11 specifically declare Nineveh's impending destruction. The historical context is prior to Nineveh's actual fall in 612 BC, offering hope and "consolation" (the meaning of Nahum's name) to the beleaguered people of Judah by assuring them of their oppressor's certain demise. This verse, therefore, directly contrasts Nineveh's apparent invincibility, its wealth, and its military might, which had brought terror and oppression to many nations, with the irresistible, fiery judgment of the Almighty God. It foreshadows the total reversal of their fortunes, where their strength becomes their greatest weakness.

Nahum 1 10 Word analysis

• For while (כִּ֤י, kî): "Indeed" or "for." It introduces the explanation or reason for the coming judgment, connecting it directly to God's previously declared character and intentions.

• they be folden together (סְבוּכִים֙, s'vukhīm): From the root meaning "to intertwine," "entangle," "complicate." This describes Nineveh (or the Assyrians) as densely intertwined, like a thicket. This imagery suggests their numerous forces, their strategic plans, or their self-assurance through their consolidated power, making them appear formidable and impenetrable. Ironically, this entanglement makes them more, not less, vulnerable to the consuming fire of judgment.

• as thorns (סִירִ֗ים, sirīm): "Thorns," "thorn bushes." In the Bible, thorns often represent worthlessness, difficulty, or objects fit for burning. This compares the Assyrians not to a strong fortress but to combustible brushwood, emphasizing their worthlessness in God's sight and their readiness for destruction.

• and while (וּֽכְסָבְאָם֙, ūḵ'sāḇ'ām): "And like their drinking." This word refers to a state of excessive drinking or deep intoxication.

• they are drunken as drunkards (סָבֻ֣א, sāḇū’): A participle, "drunken" or "wino's drink," emphasizing deep saturation or habitual indulgence in alcohol. Together with the previous word, it means they are thoroughly and utterly given over to drunkenness. This can refer literally to excessive revelry and lack of discipline common in pagan societies, symbolizing a false sense of security, recklessness, or spiritual stupor that blinds them to impending doom. It can also metaphorically describe their "drunkenness" with power, conquest, or their own pride.

• they shall be devoured (וְאֻכְּל֖וּ, wə'uk'lə): "And they shall be consumed," "eaten up." This is a passive verb, emphasizing that they are the object of consumption. It implies a total and destructive eating or consuming action.

• as stubble (כְּקַ֥שׁ, k'qaš): "Like stubble" or "like straw." Stubble refers to the dry stalks left after a harvest. It is exceedingly dry and catches fire instantly and burns away quickly.

• fully dry (מָלֵֽא׃, mālē'): "Full" or "complete." Here, it describes the stubble as completely or perfectly dry, emphasizing its ultimate readiness for consumption by fire. This intensifies the image of their immediate and total annihilation.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "folded together as thorns": This phrase paints a picture of entangled adversaries. Like a dense, prickly thicket, they might seem formidable and protective, deterring approach. Yet, a tangled mass of dry thorns is also the perfect fuel for a wildfire, signifying their self-inflicted vulnerability to God's fiery judgment despite their outward strength or numerical superiority. Their very cohesiveness becomes their means of destruction.
  • "drunken as drunkards": This goes beyond simple intoxication. It implies a state of being completely absorbed or overwhelmed, either by literal revelry and excess (common among powerful, unrighteous empires) or metaphorically by their own pride, arrogance, and false sense of security. In this stupor, they are oblivious to danger, incapable of discerning threat, and unable to mount an effective resistance when judgment comes. Their impaired judgment makes them an easy target.
  • "they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry": This is the culmination of the prophecy. The comparison to "stubble fully dry" is a powerful and devastating metaphor for rapid, complete, and effortless destruction. No resistance, no survivors; they will be instantly consumed by the fire of divine wrath, leaving nothing behind. It highlights the vast disparity between human strength and God's sovereign power.

Nahum 1 10 Bonus section

• The stark contrast between Nineveh's perceived power (through military might and strong fortifications) and its description as combustible thorns and dry stubble highlights the futility of human strength when confronted by divine judgment.
• The use of fire imagery throughout the Bible, particularly in relation to judgment (e.g., God as a "consuming fire," Heb 12:29), connects Nahum's prophecy to a broader theological theme of God's purifying wrath against wickedness.
• The Hebrew words chosen here create a vivid, almost onomatopoeic effect that emphasizes the nature of Nineveh's state and their swift end. The sounds of intertwined thorns, heavy drinking, and rapid burning are subtly woven into the language.
• The "drunkenness" can be seen as a polemic against the Assyrian gods, suggesting that their idols offer no true wisdom or protection, and indeed contribute to the spiritual stupor of their worshippers. It could also directly target actual festivals of excess in Nineveh, often involving drinking, which would mock their self-confidence at the very hour of their downfall.

Nahum 1 10 Commentary

Nahum 1:10 is a chilling pronouncement of Nineveh's unavoidable doom, delivered with powerful and evocative agricultural metaphors. The verse systematically dismantles any notion of Nineveh's invincibility by comparing its apparent strengths to inherent weaknesses in the face of God's judgment. Their formidable appearance, like a dense thicket of thorns, actually renders them perfectly combustible. Their lifestyle of revelry, pride, or spiritual blindness, described as deep drunkenness, leaves them helpless and exposed to a sudden, devastating strike. The imagery of "stubble fully dry" conveys not just destruction, but destruction that is instantaneous, effortless from God's perspective, and utterly complete. It leaves no remnant, mirroring the concept that their very "fullness" of wickedness and dryness of spirit makes them ripe for the divine incinerator. The verse emphasizes that when God judges, what appears as human strength becomes mere fuel, and revelry turns to a stupor before utter ruin.