Nahum 3 13

Nahum 3:13 kjv

Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.

Nahum 3:13 nkjv

Surely, your people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; Fire shall devour the bars of your gates.

Nahum 3:13 niv

Look at your troops? they are all weaklings. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed the bars of your gates.

Nahum 3:13 esv

Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.

Nahum 3:13 nlt

Your troops will be as weak
and helpless as women.
The gates of your land will be opened wide to the enemy
and set on fire and burned.

Nahum 3 verses

Nahum 3 13 Meaning

Nahum 3:13 vividly prophesies the complete and humiliating downfall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. The verse declares that Nineveh's once-formidable military forces will become utterly demoralized and ineffective, like women in a battlefield, symbolizing fear, weakness, and lack of courage. Furthermore, the city's robust defenses, its gates and security bars, will be rendered useless, wide open for its enemies to enter, indicating a divinely orchestrated collapse that makes resistance impossible. This speaks of the inevitable and devastating judgment of God upon a proud and wicked city, where its perceived strengths become its greatest vulnerabilities.

Nahum 3 13 Context

Nahum chapter 3 vividly depicts the impending and complete destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Following chapters 1 and 2, which established God's just character as avenger and detailed the siege of Nineveh, chapter 3 focuses on the reasons for her judgment and the humiliation of her fall. Nineveh is accused of being a "city of blood," full of lies and plunder (Nahum 3:1), directly referencing Assyria's historical cruelty, widespread conquests, and exploitation of conquered peoples. The prophecy ridicules Nineveh, comparing its exposed state to a harlot stripped bare, emphasizing her shame (Nahum 3:5).

Historically, Assyria was the dominant superpower of its time, notorious for its military might, sophisticated siege warfare, and extreme brutality. Its capital, Nineveh, was thought to be impregnable, boasting massive walls, strong gates, and the river Tigris forming part of its defense. Nahum’s prophecy stands as a divine counter-narrative to Nineveh's self-assured pride and perceived invincibility, demonstrating that no human power can stand against the sovereign judgment of God. Verse 13, therefore, delivers a crushing blow to Nineveh's ego, directly undermining its reliance on its warriors and defenses, setting the stage for its prophesied collapse which occurred around 612 BC when a coalition of Babylonians and Medes sacked the city.

Nahum 3 13 Word analysis

• Behold (הִנֵּה - hinnēh): This Hebrew interjection serves as an exclamation, demanding immediate attention to what follows. It emphasizes the certainty and astonishing nature of the declaration. It functions like "Lo!" or "Indeed!", signaling a powerful and unavoidable truth.
• your troops (עַמֵּךְ - ‘ammêk): While ‘am often means "people" or "nation," in military contexts, it can denote the "army" or "fighting men." The possessive suffix "-ekh" specifies Nineveh's own people/military. The focus here is on the combatants who were expected to defend the city.
• are women (נָשִׁים - nāshîm): This is a powerful, derogatory simile, especially in an ancient martial context. It implies utter weakness, fear, panic, cowardice, and an inability to resist or fight effectively. It is a profound emasculation and humiliation, suggesting internal decay and demoralization far beyond external pressure. It subverts the expectation of brave warriors.
• in your midst (בְּקִרְבֵּךְ - bəqirbēḵ): Literally "in your inward part" or "within you." This highlights that the weakness and failure originate from within the city itself, suggesting internal collapse, perhaps a result of their morale breaking, or divine judgment manifesting internally.
• the gates (שַׁעֲרֵי - sha‘arê): Ancient cities relied heavily on their gates for defense. They were vital strategic points. Their failure meant immediate invasion.
• of your land (אַרְצֵךְ - ’arṣēḵ): Referring to the territory or specifically the fortified gates of the capital city Nineveh.
• are wide open (נִפְתְּחוּ פָתוֹחַ - nip̄təḥû pāṯoaḥ): This Hebrew construction uses a Pual participle (or Nifal perfect, for niphtehchu) followed by an infinitive absolute of the same verb, which intensely emphasizes the action. It's not just "opened," but "opened wide" or "surely opened." This signifies extreme vulnerability, a lack of resistance, or a divinely induced situation where defenses are utterly useless, not merely breached, but effortlessly exposed.
• to your enemies (לְאֹיְבָיִךְ - lə’ôyəḇayik): Clearly specifies the outcome and the beneficiaries of Nineveh's military failure and opened defenses: their besieging foes. This emphasizes the direct consequence of their actions and the just nature of God's judgment, as their enemies now have free reign.
• fire (אֵשׁ - ’êš): Symbolizes divine wrath, overwhelming destructive power, and complete consumption. It suggests an unstoppable force of judgment.
• shall devour (תֹאכַל - tōḵal): Literally "it will eat." This verb conveys thorough consumption and complete destruction, leaving nothing behind. It suggests the irresistible and absolute nature of the judgment.
• your bars (בְּרִיחָיִךְ - bərîḥayik): Heavy wooden or metal beams used to secure city gates from within. They represented the ultimate physical security measure for ancient cities. Their destruction means there is no hope of reinforcing the gates, sealing off entry, or preventing an overwhelming invasion.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Behold, your troops are women in your midst": This phrase directly confronts Nineveh's greatest source of pride: its formidable military. By likening its elite soldiers to women, the prophecy shatters their image of invincibility and instills maximum psychological humiliation, suggesting an internal breakdown of courage and morale that makes effective resistance impossible. It contrasts human strength with divine judgment.
• "the gates of your land are wide open to your enemies": This paints a vivid picture of total defensive failure. Gates, symbols of security and strength, are not just breached but lie completely open, offering no obstacle. This suggests a swift and unopposed entry for the enemies, hinting at divine intervention removing Nineveh's defensive capability, exposing it entirely.
• "fire shall devour your bars": This signifies the complete destruction of Nineveh's last line of defense. Bars represent final security measures. "Fire shall devour" suggests an inescapable and annihilating judgment, coming either literally (the burning of the city) or figuratively, denoting God's consuming wrath destroying all means of resistance and escape.

Nahum 3 13 Bonus section

The historical record confirms the collapse of Nineveh's defenses around 612 BC when the Medes and Babylonians sacked the city. Accounts suggest that unprecedented floods, possibly caused by heavy rains or a breach of a dam, undermined a portion of the city walls, fulfilling ancient prophecies (like Nahum 1:8 and 2:6, "the gates of the rivers are opened"). This environmental factor might have contributed to the "wide open" gates and the helplessness implied in Nahum 3:13, where natural forces orchestrated by God weakened the defenses, allowing easy entry for the besieging armies. This illustrates how God orchestrates even natural elements to execute His judgment.

The humiliation described in Nahum 3:13 also serves as a potent theological message: nations, no matter how powerful, are accountable to God. Assyria, which boasted of its unparalleled might and treated others with merciless cruelty, would itself experience divine judgment that targeted its perceived strengths, turning its "brave warriors" into cowards and its "unbreachable gates" into welcoming entrances for its foes. This serves as a warning against national pride, military arrogance, and unrepentant wickedness, emphasizing that all earthly powers are ultimately subservient to the Almighty God.

Nahum 3 13 Commentary

Nahum 3:13 delivers a stark prophetic reversal of Nineveh's glory and might. As the formidable capital of the Assyrian Empire, Nineveh prided itself on its military strength and impenetrable defenses. However, this verse declares that the source of their pride will become their shame. The imagery of "troops as women" is a profound insult in ancient warfare, implying an unmanly, spiritless, and terrified army, reflecting a collapse of morale from within, possibly induced by fear of the coming judgment or God’s direct intervention. This inner decay renders their outer strength meaningless.

Further compounding the humiliation, the verse prophesies the failure of their seemingly impregnable city gates and their bars, critical components of a city’s defense. "Wide open" suggests not merely a breach, but a complete inability to defend, a shocking vulnerability that allows easy access for the enemies. This vulnerability is not simply military but supernaturally ordained. Finally, "fire shall devour your bars" points to an all-consuming divine judgment, suggesting the destructive power of God's wrath, leaving Nineveh defenseless and consumed, an inescapable fate for a city that relied on its cruelty and power rather than righteousness. This verse thus demonstrates that God's judgment overrules all human strength and security, stripping even the most powerful empire of its boasted invincibility.