Nahum 3 1

Nahum 3:1 kjv

Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;

Nahum 3:1 nkjv

Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs.

Nahum 3:1 niv

Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!

Nahum 3:1 esv

Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder ? no end to the prey!

Nahum 3:1 nlt

What sorrow awaits Nineveh,
the city of murder and lies!
She is crammed with wealth
and is never without victims.

Nahum 3 verses

Nahum 3 1 Meaning

Nahum chapter 3 verse 1 opens with a severe pronouncement of "Woe!" against the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. It identifies Nineveh as the "bloody city" that is utterly saturated with deceit, treachery, and incessant plunder. The verse portrays Nineveh as a city defined by its extreme violence, falsehoods, and perpetual robbery, from which the cycle of seizing spoils and oppressing victims never ceases. It is a divine indictment, laying bare the character of Nineveh as the reason for its impending catastrophic judgment.

Nahum 3 1 Context

Nahum's prophecy is singularly directed against Nineveh, the capital of the powerful Assyrian Empire, which had long terrorized Israel and Judah. This prophecy stands in stark contrast to the Book of Jonah, where Nineveh repented and was spared. However, over a century had passed since Jonah, and Nineveh had reverted to and intensified its ways of violence, conquest, and idolatry. By Nahum's time (likely late 7th century BC), Assyria had become the quintessential oppressive global power, known for its brutal military tactics, extensive deportations, and plundering of conquered nations. Chapter 2 vividly depicts the siege and destruction of Nineveh itself, while Chapter 3 provides the divine rationale for this devastating judgment, beginning with the declaration of "woe" rooted in the city's inherent character as a "bloody city" filled with deceit and endless robbery. It portrays the fall of Nineveh not as a mere historical event but as a righteous act of God's judgment against a pervasive evil.

Nahum 3 1 Word analysis

• Woe (הוֹי, hôy):

  • This is an interjection, an exclamation expressing sorrow, grief, alarm, or warning, frequently used by the prophets.
  • It signals a solemn prophetic pronouncement of doom or condemnation.
  • Often initiates a curse or judgment.
  • It indicates not only lament over the impending disaster but also severe disapproval of the conduct that leads to it.

• to the bloody (דָּמִים, dāmîm) city (עִיר, ‘îr):

  • ‘îr: standard Hebrew word for "city."
  • dāmîm: This is the plural form of dām (blood). The plural often denotes not just a single act of bloodshed, but massive, habitual, or accumulated bloodshed, and the resultant bloodguilt.
  • It points to a city saturated with violence, murder, massacres, and the systemic cruelty characteristic of the Assyrian empire's conquest and governance.
  • This blood was on their hands from oppressing nations, executing captives, and establishing rule through terror.

• it is all full (כֻּלָּהּ מְלֵאָה, kullāh mělē’â):

  • kullāh: "all of it," or "completely."
  • mělē’â: "full," "filled."
  • Emphasizes the utter saturation of the city with the mentioned evils; it was not merely prone to these vices, but fully characterized by them. There was no aspect of Nineveh that was not tainted.

• of lies (כַּחַשׁ, kaḥaš):

  • From a root meaning "to deny," "deceive," "deal falsely."
  • Refers to deceit, treachery, falsehood, fraud, perfidy.
  • This includes deceptive treaties, broken promises, and the cunning required to maintain a vast, exploitative empire. Assyria was notorious for its double-dealing.

• and robbery (פֶּרֶק, pereq):

  • Often interpreted as "rapine," "plunder," or "booty taken by violence."
  • The root meaning can relate to "breaking apart" or "dismembering," suggesting the violent seizure of goods or victims torn apart.
  • Nineveh's prosperity was built upon systematic plunder and violent exploitation of other nations, which they literally "broke" and stripped bare.

• the prey departeth not (לֹא יָמוּשׁ טֶרֶף, lō’ yāmûš ṭerep):

  • lō’: "not."
  • yāmûš: "shall depart" or "move away," from the verb mûš (to depart, move, remove). Signifies something persistent, unending, always present.
  • ṭerep: "prey," "plunder," or "something torn." Refers to that which is seized violently.
  • This phrase communicates the incessant, relentless nature of Nineveh's plundering activity. It could mean "the act of seizing prey never stops" or "the captured plunder is never consumed and exhausted, but always growing," or "the victims always remain in their grip as prey." It underscores their insatiable rapaciousness.

Nahum 3 1 Bonus section

The indictment of Nineveh as the "bloody city" reverberates throughout biblical prophecy, establishing it as an archetype for any world power or system that oppresses and spills innocent blood. The severity of the divine judgment declared against Nineveh underlines that unrepentant, systemic violence and injustice will inevitably incur God's wrath, despite temporary human might. This serves as a warning not just to ancient empires but to any entity built upon deceit and violent exploitation. The phrase "all full" (kullah mele'ah) underscores the complete moral corruption, signifying that every aspect of the city's life and function was contaminated by these evils, leaving no room for leniency or mitigation of judgment. This passage reminds believers that God sees and abhors such practices and will bring recompense upon those who practice them without ceasing.

Nahum 3 1 Commentary

Nahum 3:1 serves as the stark opening to the prophetic judgment against Nineveh, dissecting the very essence of the city's iniquity. The "Woe" is a divine declaration, an unveiling of God's righteous anger against an empire that had built its wealth and power on the deliberate oppression, violent subjugation, and treacherous exploitation of others. Nineveh is not merely a city with some moral failings; it is identified as a "bloody city" — a powerful indictment implying pervasive, habitual, and deeply embedded violence that saturates its very being and identity, accruing immense bloodguilt. The description of being "all full of lies and robbery" highlights its method of operation: deceitful diplomacy followed by brutal plunder. The Assyrian empire's statecraft relied on coercion and false promises, ensuring subjugation. Its economy thrived on "robbery," meaning the violent acquisition of wealth and resources from conquered peoples. The phrase "the prey departeth not" emphasizes the ceaseless, unending nature of Nineveh's predatory activities, indicating an insatiable greed and a never-ending cycle of victimizing other nations. This verse thus lays the theological groundwork for the impending destruction, portraying Nineveh's doom as a just recompense for its unremitting cruelty, deception, and rapaciousness, reflecting God's absolute commitment to justice for the oppressed.