Nahum 1:9 kjv
What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
Nahum 1:9 nkjv
What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.
Nahum 1:9 niv
Whatever they plot against the LORD he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time.
Nahum 1:9 esv
What do you plot against the LORD? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.
Nahum 1:9 nlt
Why are you scheming against the LORD?
He will destroy you with one blow;
he won't need to strike twice!
Nahum 1 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 9:4 | Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? | God's invincibility against human opposition. |
| Psa 2:4 | He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. | Divine amusement at vain human plotting. |
| Psa 33:10-11 | The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He frustrates... | God's plans prevail over human schemes. |
| Prov 19:21 | Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose... | God's ultimate sovereignty over intentions. |
| Isa 8:9-10 | Though you make plans, they will be thwarted; though you speak a word... | Human plans against God will fail. |
| Isa 14:26-27 | This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth... | God's determined purpose cannot be annulled. |
| Lam 3:37 | Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? | God's decree is final; nothing occurs without His will. |
| Dan 4:35 | He does according to His will among the inhabitants of the earth... | God's absolute reign and power. |
| Acts 5:38-39 | if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. | Resisting God is futile. |
| Isa 10:23 | For the Lord GOD of hosts will make a full end, even a decisive one... | God's comprehensive and certain judgment. |
| Psa 9:5-6 | You have rebuked the nations; You have made the wicked perish;... | God annihilates the wicked. |
| Psa 37:20 | But the wicked will perish; the LORD’s enemies will be like the glory... | Final end of the wicked. |
| Mal 4:1 | For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace;... | Prophecy of utter destruction for the wicked. |
| 2 Pet 3:10-13 | But the day of the Lord will come like a thief... | Ultimate and complete divine judgment. |
| Rev 20:14 | Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. | Finality of judgment on evil. |
| Isa 60:18 | Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation... | Assurance of future peace and freedom from affliction. |
| Rev 21:4 | He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more... | Eternal state of no sorrow or affliction. |
| Isa 25:8 | He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears... | End of all suffering and tribulation. |
| Zeph 3:15 | The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again... | Deliverance from evil and fear. |
| Jer 30:10-11 | I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I have scattered you, | God's specific promise of protection for His people. |
| Nah 1:7 | The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows... | God is a refuge for those who trust Him amidst trouble. |
| Rom 8:37-39 | No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him... | God's love secures believers against all adversity. |
Nahum 1 verses
Nahum 1 9 Meaning
Nahum 1:9 proclaims the utter futility of devising plans against the Sovereign God. It asserts God's absolute power to bring a complete and final end to His adversaries. Moreover, it assures that the judgment rendered will be so definitive that the affliction or oppression, whether inflicted by the enemy or endured by God's people from that source, will not re-emerge or recur. This verse acts as a warning to enemies and a profound promise of peace and deliverance for God's faithful.
Nahum 1 9 Context
Nahum is a prophecy specifically targeting Nineveh, the formidable capital of the oppressive Assyrian Empire. At the time of this prophecy, Assyria had been a ruthless superpower, having sacked Samaria (722 BC) and posed a severe threat to Judah, including Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem (701 BC). Nahum's book brings a message of comfort and hope to Judah, promising the ultimate and certain downfall of their relentless oppressor. Chapter 1 begins with a dramatic acrostic psalm (Nah 1:2-8), describing the awesome and fearsome character of the Lord – His zealous vengeance against His adversaries, His slow-to-anger nature but terrifying wrath when provoked, His irresistible power, and His unwavering goodness and protective care for those who take refuge in Him. Verse 9 then serves as a direct application of this revealed divine character, specifically setting the stage for the judgment against Nineveh. It shifts from a general description of God's power over nations to an implicit challenge against Nineveh's arrogance, reassuring Judah that God will decisively intervene.
Nahum 1 9 Word analysis
What do ye imagine against the LORD?
- imagine (תחשבו - takhshěvû): Derived from the Hebrew root חָשַׁב (chashab), meaning to think, calculate, devise, or scheme. In this context, it carries a negative connotation of plotting or contriving evil, insidious plans. The rhetorical question highlights the utter foolishness and futility of any human power attempting to devise or implement a strategy against the omnipotent YHWH. It implies divine awareness of every hidden thought and plan, no matter how secretly conceived.
- LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): The covenant name of God, revealing His personal and active involvement in history, particularly His covenant faithfulness to His people and His righteous judgment against their oppressors. This is the unchangeable, sovereign God against whom no plot can succeed.
he will make an utter end:
- make an utter end (כָּלָה - kālāh): The verb signifies to bring to completion, to finish, to consume, to annihilate, or utterly destroy. This denotes a judgment that is absolute, comprehensive, and leaves nothing remaining. For Nineveh, it meant complete obliteration as a world power, never to recover its former status. This is not a partial or temporary defeat but a final cessation.
affliction shall not rise up the second time.
- affliction (צָרָה - tsārāh): Refers to distress, trouble, tribulation, or anguish. This can be interpreted in two interconnected ways crucial to the verse's meaning:
- The affliction that God brings upon His enemies (like Nineveh) will be so complete that it will not require a second act of judgment to finish the job; the first will be utterly decisive.
- The affliction experienced by God's people (Judah) from their oppressor (Assyria/Nineveh) will not occur again; God's judgment will decisively remove the source of their tribulation, ensuring lasting peace from that specific enemy.
- rise up (קוּם - qûm): To stand up, arise, establish, or re-emerge. This emphasizes that the effect of the judgment is final; the source of trouble will not re-establish itself or regain power.
- second time (פַעֲמַיִם - pa`amayim): Twice. This highlights the absolute finality of the judgment. Once God's judgment falls, there will be no need for a repeat; the end is decisive and irreversible. This also powerfully reassures Judah that Assyria's terror will never return.
- affliction (צָרָה - tsārāh): Refers to distress, trouble, tribulation, or anguish. This can be interpreted in two interconnected ways crucial to the verse's meaning:
Nahum 1 9 Bonus section
The destruction prophesied in Nahum 1:9, specifically concerning Nineveh, historically came to pass in 612 BC when a coalition of Babylonians and Medes sacked the city, utterly fulfilling Nahum's prophecy. This historical precision demonstrates the power and reliability of divine prophecy. Furthermore, the theme of "utter end" or "no second time" for God's judgment often applies specifically to the covenant enemies who refuse repentance, contrasting with the promise that God would not make a full end of His own people (Jer 4:27, 46:28). This illustrates God's differentiated judgment and mercy based on one's relationship with Him. The confidence in God's decisive action against Nineveh echoes a broader biblical principle that all who defiantly oppose the Lord and persecute His people will ultimately face an inescapable and complete reckoning.
Nahum 1 9 Commentary
Nahum 1:9 encapsulates a dual message of impending doom for God's enemies and sure comfort for His people. The rhetorical question underscores the sheer arrogance and ultimate foolishness of anyone, or any nation, plotting against the Lord. Human designs and power are utterly inconsequential before His infinite might. The pronouncement "he will make an utter end" signifies a divine judgment that is not only devastating but also complete and irreversible. For Nineveh, this meant total destruction and eradication from its dominant status, as history indeed recorded its downfall and disappearance from world power. Coupled with this final judgment, the assurance that "affliction shall not rise up the second time" provides profound solace. It promises that the particular distress caused by this specific oppressive enemy (Assyria) will cease definitively. God's act of judgment will remove the threat permanently, ensuring His people will not face similar trouble from that source again. This verse serves as an enduring reminder of God's perfect justice and His steadfast faithfulness in delivering His own.