Nahum 2:2 kjv
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.
Nahum 2:2 nkjv
For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob Like the excellence of Israel, For the emptiers have emptied them out And ruined their vine branches.
Nahum 2:2 niv
The LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines.
Nahum 2:2 esv
For the LORD is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches.
Nahum 2:2 nlt
Even though the destroyer has destroyed Judah,
the LORD will restore its honor.
Israel's vine has been stripped of branches,
but he will restore its splendor.
Nahum 2 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference | Short Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jer 30:18 | "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob..." | Jer 30:18 | God's promise to restore Jacob's fortunes. |
| Eze 36:33-35 | "...I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the wastes shall be rebuilt... the land that was desolate shall be tilled." | Eze 36:33-35 | Restoration of land and cities. |
| Joel 2:25-27 | "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten... You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel..." | Joel 2:25-27 | God restoring lost years and proving presence. |
| Amo 9:11-14 | "I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen... and I will bring back the captives of My people Israel..." | Amo 9:11-14 | Promise of Israel's future restoration. |
| Ps 126:1 | "When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream." | Ps 126:1 | Joy experienced after divine restoration. |
| Deut 30:3-5 | "Then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you..." | Deut 30:3-5 | God's faithfulness in restoring Israel. |
| Isa 49:8-9 | "In a favorable time I have answered you... I will restore the land..." | Isa 49:8-9 | God's covenant pledge to restore His people. |
| Zec 8:12 | "For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give its fruit..." | Zec 8:12 | Future prosperity and fruitfulness. |
| Isa 1:7-8 | "Your country is desolate... laid waste by foreigners..." | Isa 1:7-8 | Desolation mirroring being "emptied out." |
| Jer 2:15 | "The young lions roared at him; they growled and made his land a waste..." | Jer 2:15 | Judah's land being laid waste by enemies. |
| Lam 1:4 | "The roads to Zion mourn... all her gates are desolate." | Lam 1:4 | Depicts Jerusalem's desolation and emptiness. |
| Ps 80:8-13 | "You brought a vine out of Egypt... why have You broken down her hedges...? The boar from the forest ravages it..." | Ps 80:8-13 | Israel depicted as a devastated vine. |
| Isa 5:1-7 | "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel... I will make it a waste..." | Isa 5:1-7 | Israel as a vine, God allowing its devastation. |
| Jer 2:21 | "I had planted you a noble vine... How then have you turned into a degenerate plant..." | Jer 2:21 | Israel's spiritual corruption as a vine. |
| Nahum 1:7-8 | "The LORD is good... But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of Nineveh." | Nahum 1:7-8 | Imminent judgment on Nineveh in context. |
| Nahum 3:7 | "Nineveh is laid waste; who will bemoan her?..." | Nahum 3:7 | Fulfillment of Nineveh's destruction. |
| Isa 10:12 | "...He will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria..." | Isa 10:12 | God's eventual judgment on Assyria. |
| Zep 2:13-15 | "He will stretch out His hand against the north, destroy Assyria... Nineveh shall be a desolation..." | Zep 2:13-15 | Prophecy detailing Nineveh's destruction. |
| Jer 50:11-13 | "Because you were glad... O plunderers of My heritage... therefore your mother shall be greatly ashamed." | Jer 50:11-13 | Principle of judgment on nations plundering God's people. |
| Rev 18:2-3 | "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great... For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality..." | Rev 18:2-3 | Ultimate judgment on oppressive empires. |
| Isa 43:1-2 | "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine." | Isa 43:1-2 | God's steadfast relationship with Israel. |
| Exo 19:5-6 | "...you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." | Exo 19:5-6 | Original calling and status of Israel's "excellence." |
| Rom 11:25-26 | "...a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved." | Rom 11:25-26 | Ultimate, future restoration of all Israel. |
| John 15:1-5 | "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser... Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away..." | John 15:1-5 | New Testament theological understanding of the "vine" metaphor. |
Nahum 2 verses
Nahum 2 2 Meaning
Nahum 2:2 announces God's impending restoration of the lost glory and prosperity of His people, Jacob and Israel. This promise of restoration is explicitly linked to God's act of divine retribution against the Assyrians, who are depicted as "emptiers" and devastators who thoroughly plundered and marred the nation, likened to a damaged vine. The verse conveys a message of comfort and vindication for Judah, assuring them that their former suffering at the hands of their oppressors will be avenged, and their land and well-being will be brought back to a state of excellence.
Nahum 2 2 Context
The book of Nahum is a prophetic oracle primarily against Nineveh, the capital of the powerful Assyrian Empire, which had long been a terror to the surrounding nations, including Judah. Chapter 1 introduces the Lord as a zealous, avenging God who is slow to anger but will not clear the guilty, focusing on His justice against Nineveh and comfort for Judah. Chapter 2 transitions from the certainty of Nineveh's fall to vivid descriptions of its destruction. Verse 2 functions as a foundational theological justification for Nineveh's imminent judgment. The verse reassures Judah that Nineveh's impending desolation is not a random act, but a direct consequence of their oppressive actions against God's people. Historically, Assyria had indeed "emptied out" and significantly "marred" both the northern kingdom of Israel (in 722 BC, leading to its collapse) and severely afflicted the southern kingdom of Judah (notably during Sennacherib's campaign in 701 BC). Thus, the verse comforts the immediate audience, survivors in Judah, with the promise that God remembers their past suffering and is now acting to restore their dignity and fortune.
Nahum 2 2 Word analysis
- For (כִּי - ki): A causal conjunction. It functions as an explanation, linking the preceding implied statement of Nineveh's judgment (from Nahum 1) to the reason behind it, which is God's resolve to restore His people. It explains why God is moving against Nineveh.
- the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH/Adonai): Refers to the covenant God of Israel. His action is sovereign and personal. It highlights that the restoration of Jacob/Israel is not due to their own power but to the mighty and just intervention of their God. This underscores His faithfulness to His covenant.
- hath restored (שָׁב - shav): Hebrew perfect tense. While it can mean "has restored," in prophetic context, it is often understood as a "prophetic perfect," signifying a future event so certain it is spoken of as already accomplished. It denotes a turning back or bringing back to a former state. Here, it refers to God bringing back the lost glory, prosperity, and status of His people.
- the excellency (גְּאוֹן - ga'on): This word has a dual range of meaning: "majesty," "glory," "pride," "excellency," but also "arrogance" or "haughtiness." In this context, in parallel with "excellency of Israel," it refers to the former greatness, honor, prosperity, and blessings of God's people that Assyria had despoiled. God promises to reinstate that dignity. The negative sense of ga'on (pride/arrogance) is applied to Nineveh in Nahum 3:11, creating a strong contrast.
- of Jacob (יַעֲקֹב - Ya'akov): A foundational name for God's covenant people, referring to their patriarch.
- as the excellency of Israel (כְּגְאוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל - k'ga'on Yisrael): "Israel" is the expanded name for God's people and the nation (derived from Jacob). The parallelism "Jacob, as Israel" emphasizes the unity and completeness of God's people, implying restoration for both the northern kingdom (historically decimated by Assyria) and the southern kingdom (Judah, which also suffered greatly). It assures that the full historical entity of God's chosen people will see this restoration.
- for (כִּי - ki): Another causal conjunction, providing the reason why restoration is necessary. It pivots to explain the extent of the damage inflicted.
- the emptiers (בֹּקְקִים - bokeqim): Literally, "those who empty out" or "plunderers." This refers directly to the Assyrians, who systematically stripped nations of their resources and people. It evokes images of total desolation and removal of wealth.
- have emptied them out (בְקְקוּם - biqq'qum): This verb from the same root (b.q.q.) as "emptiers" emphasizes the thoroughness and destructive nature of their plundering. The Piel stem here denotes intensive action. "Them" refers to Jacob/Israel, indicating the extent of the suffering endured by God's people.
- and marred (שִׁחֵתוּ - shihḥatu): From the verb shahat, meaning to corrupt, destroy, ruin, spoil, lay waste. In Piel, it implies severe destruction. This word conveys comprehensive damage and destruction to what was formerly good and beautiful.
- their vine branches (וּזְמֹרֹתָם - u'zmorotam): The "vine" (or its branches) is a profound biblical metaphor for the nation of Israel (e.g., Ps 80, Isa 5). It symbolizes prosperity, fruitfulness, covenant relationship, and the vitality of the nation. To "mar their vine branches" signifies a devastating assault on Israel's very life, productivity, and well-being as God's chosen people, leaving them fruitless and barren.
Nahum 2 2 Bonus section
The specific literary pairing of "Jacob" and "Israel" in Nahum 2:2 is noteworthy. While often used interchangeably for the entire people of God, the "excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel" can also implicitly acknowledge the historic division of the kingdom and God's sovereign care for both the ten northern tribes (often simply "Israel") who had already fallen to Assyria, and Judah (sometimes "Jacob" as the direct line) who suffered at Assyrian hands. This highlights God's holistic plan of restoration for His entire covenant people, even if the primary immediate comfort was for Judah. This phrase serves to magnify the promise, suggesting a comprehensive renewal of the entire nation to its unified, foundational glory under God. The restoration is not merely a cessation of suffering, but an active, re-establishment of their original honor and position.
Nahum 2 2 Commentary
Nahum 2:2 delivers a powerful message of divine justice and hope within the broader prophecy of Nineveh's downfall. It essentially says that the same powerful hand of God that is about to demolish the oppressor (Assyria/Nineveh) is also committed to rehabilitating and restoring His own people. The double "for" (ki) serves to clearly establish cause and effect: God's decisive action against Nineveh is rooted in their ruthless devastation of Jacob and Israel.
The term "excellency" is crucial. Assyria's military might and political dominion were its ga'on (pride/majesty), but it used this pride to "empty" and "mar" the legitimate "excellency" of Jacob and Israel, who possessed glory by divine election and blessing. God, being sovereign, does not permit such injustices to stand indefinitely. He reverses the tables, assuring His people that their despoiled glory will be reinstated to its former splendor. This restoration goes beyond mere survival; it promises a return to a state of blessing and honor, as evidenced by the rich agricultural imagery of the "vine branches." The image of a damaged vine speaks to profound national suffering, but it also carries the hope that the Divine Vinedresser will not abandon His vineyard. This verse is a core declaration that Yahweh is not just a punisher of the wicked but a faithful restorer of His suffering people, reminding them of His unwavering covenant love amidst turmoil.