Nahum 2:8 kjv
But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.
Nahum 2:8 nkjv
Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, Now they flee away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry; But no one turns back.
Nahum 2:8 niv
Nineveh is like a pool whose water is draining away. "Stop! Stop!" they cry, but no one turns back.
Nahum 2:8 esv
Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry, but none turns back.
Nahum 2:8 nlt
Nineveh is like a leaking water reservoir!
The people are slipping away.
"Stop, stop!" someone shouts,
but no one even looks back.
Nahum 2 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
| Psa 33:10 | The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans... | God's sovereignty over nations |
| Prov 1:28 | Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but will not find me. | Futility of seeking escape/mercy too late |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Nineveh's pride leading to its ruin |
| Isa 13:14 | And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, everyone will turn to his own people, and every one flee to his own land. | Similar image of flight and scattering in judgment |
| Isa 17:13 | ...Like chaff of the mountains before the wind and like whirling dust before the storm. | Nations swept away by divine judgment |
| Isa 40:23 | ...who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. | God's power over human rulers and empires |
| Isa 57:20 | But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. | Turbulence of the wicked, contrasting the "stable pool" |
| Jer 48:9 | Give wings to Moab, for she must flee away; her cities shall become a desolation... | Prophecy of flight for Moab in judgment |
| Jer 51:41-42 | "How Babylon has become a horror among the nations! ...The sea has come up on Babylon; she is covered with its tumultuous waves." | Judgment on a great city, "sea" can be vast people or destructive power |
| Lam 1:3 | Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells among the nations, but finds no resting place; her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. | Pursued without escape or rest |
| Ezek 26:17-18 | And they will utter a lament over you... when the inhabitants of the coastlands tremble at the day of your fall. | Despair and trembling at the fall of a great city (Tyre) |
| Ezek 29:3 | Speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt... like a monster in the midst of his streams." | King associated with water, representing power/territory |
| Zech 1:17 | Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity... | Reference to cities "overflowing" with good fortune, inverse of Nineveh's fall |
| Zech 2:6-7 | "Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD. "For I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven," declares the LORD. "Up! Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon." | Command to flee Babylon and divine scattering |
| Matt 24:16-18 | Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains... not turn back to take his cloak. | Urgency and completeness of flight in times of tribulation |
| Luke 21:23 | For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. | Irreversible judgment, leading to great distress |
| Rev 18:9-10 | And the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail over her... "Alas, alas, for the great city, for Babylon, for in a single hour your judgment has come!" | Lament over the sudden and irreversible fall of a powerful, corrupt city |
| Rev 17:15 | And he said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages." | Water imagery symbolizing multitudes, relates to Nineveh as a "pool" |
| Heb 12:25 | See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. | Futility of trying to escape God's judgment |
Nahum 2 verses
Nahum 2 8 Meaning
The verse paints a vivid picture of Nineveh's sudden and complete downfall. Once a vast, stable, and populated power, compared to an overflowing "pool of water," its inhabitants are now described as frantically scattering. Desperate shouts to stop the flight echo futilely amidst the chaos, as no one heeds the command or turns back, signifying the irreversible nature of their destruction and the futility of human resistance against God's decree.
Nahum 2 8 Context
Nahum is a prophetic book delivering an oracle of divine judgment specifically against Nineveh, the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. This city was renowned for its immense power, cruelty, and idolatry. Chapter 2 vividly describes the coming siege and its terrifying impact. Verses 1-7 depict the advance of the attackers, the preparations for battle, and the initial breach of Nineveh's defenses. Verse 8 marks the critical turning point of the conflict, transitioning from external siege to the internal collapse and frantic rout within the city walls, highlighting the desperate and hopeless situation of its inhabitants as judgment is fully executed.
Nahum 2 8 Word analysis
- Nineveh: The formidable capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, symbolizing its power, ruthlessness, and vast influence. Its specific targeting in this prophecy highlights God's righteous judgment against national pride, violence, and idolatry (Nah 3:19).
- has been like a pool of water: The Hebrew mayim (מַיִם, "water") suggests a large body of water, perhaps implying its immense population, teeming like a vast reservoir or its immense wealth collected from plunder. This imagery contrasts its prior stability and abundance with its impending dispersal. It also possibly hints at its protective moats or the destructive forces God uses against it (Nah 1:8).
- since of old (מִימֶיהָ, mi-yame-ha): This phrase emphasizes Nineveh's long-established power, its enduring existence for centuries, and its deep-rooted prosperity and influence. It underscores the shocking and unprecedented nature of its predicted fall, highlighting the reversal of a seemingly impregnable status quo.
- but now: This conjunction signals a dramatic and sudden shift, emphasizing the stark contrast between Nineveh's past stability and its immediate, chaotic present, marking the onset of its judgment.
- they flee away (הֵמָּה נָסִים, hemmah nasim): The use of the Hebrew present participle "fleeing" or "running away" signifies a frantic, uncontrolled, and ongoing rout. It conveys intense panic and demoralization, directly contrasting with the stationary, abundant image of a "pool of water." This indicates a complete abandonment of their former strength and position.
- Halt! Halt! (עֲמֹד עֲמֹד, 'amod 'amod): The repetition of the Hebrew imperative for "stand!" or "stop!" emphasizes the extreme urgency, desperation, and futility of the command. It portrays the frantic cries of leaders or those attempting to impose order amid a devastating stampede, highlighting the sheer terror and disorder.
- they cry: This implies loud, desperate, and potentially authoritative shouts, yet they are shown to be entirely ineffectual amidst the chaos.
- but no one turns back (וְאֵין מַפְנֶה, v'ein mafneh): This critical phrase highlights the complete and irreversible nature of the rout. It indicates that no one obeys the command to halt, nor do they even look back. This signifies utter despair, demoralization, and the absence of any hope for rally or return. It underscores the finality of God's judgment and Nineveh's complete collapse.
- Words-group: "Nineveh has been like a pool of water since of old": This phrase sets up a powerful juxtaposition, presenting Nineveh as a long-established, stable, and seemingly unassailable power. The "pool of water" imagery points to its vast population or acquired wealth, historically appearing deep, full, and immovable, but this perception is about to be drastically overturned.
- Words-group: "but now they flee away. Halt! Halt! they cry, but no one turns back.": This segment dramatically illustrates the rapid and chaotic collapse of the empire. The sharp shift from a stable past to an uncontrolled flight signifies divine judgment overwhelming all human resistance. The repeated, ignored cry to "Halt!" vividly depicts utter futility and complete demoralization among the inhabitants, underscoring that the destruction is irreversible and unavoidable.
Nahum 2 8 Bonus section
The sudden and comprehensive destruction prophesied here for Nineveh highlights a profound biblical principle: no empire, however mighty or ancient, can withstand the righteous judgment of the Almighty God. The contrast between Nineveh's long history of might and its rapid, humiliating collapse serves as a powerful testament to God's ultimate sovereignty over nations and their destiny. This divine reversal transforms the oppressor into the utterly vanquished, demonstrating that pride and cruelty inevitably lead to ruin, particularly when met with God's decreed vengeance.
Nahum 2 8 Commentary
Nahum 2:8 brilliantly encapsulates the ultimate undoing of Nineveh. The initial metaphor of a "pool of water" subtly portrays its past grandeur—whether referring to its vast population, accumulated wealth, or even its perceived defensive strength for centuries. However, divine judgment causes a sudden, irreversible shift, turning this image of stability into a terrifying scene of complete disarray. The Ninevites' frantic "fleeing away" directly contradicts their former settled state, indicating a full-blown panic. The repeated, desperate calls to "Halt!" echo futility in the face of an uncontrollable rout, emphasizing that human commands are powerless against the momentum of God's ordained destruction. The ultimate statement that "no one turns back" confirms the total and final collapse, signifying a judgment so profound that resistance or recovery is utterly impossible. The verse thus teaches of God's sovereign power to humble the proudest of empires and fulfill His word of judgment against wickedness.