Nahum 3:17 kjv
Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
Nahum 3:17 nkjv
Your commanders are like swarming locusts, And your generals like great grasshoppers, Which camp in the hedges on a cold day; When the sun rises they flee away, And the place where they are is not known.
Nahum 3:17 niv
Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day? but when the sun appears they fly away, and no one knows where.
Nahum 3:17 esv
Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold ? when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are.
Nahum 3:17 nlt
Your guards and officials are also like swarming locusts
that crowd together in the hedges on a cold day.
But like locusts that fly away when the sun comes up,
all of them will fly away and disappear.
Nahum 3 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 10:4-6 | "If thou refuse... tomorrow will I bring the locusts... cover the face of the earth, so that one cannot be able to see the earth..." | Locusts as a divine judgment/overwhelming force. |
| Joel 1:4 | "That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten." | Insect devastation as a symbol of complete destruction. |
| Joel 2:25 | "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you." | Locusts as God's instrument of judgment. |
| Rev 9:3 | "And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power." | Locust-like beings as agents of tribulation judgment. |
| Psa 109:23 | "I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust." | Fleetingness of human life, transient state. |
| Isa 33:4 | "And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them." | Enemies scattered like collected locusts. |
| Prov 30:27 | "The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;" | Swarm behaviour, large numbers. Nahum implies they lose their leadership. |
| Psa 73:18-20 | "Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors." | Sudden destruction and disappearance of the wicked. |
| Job 20:5-9 | "the triumphing of the wicked is short... he shall flee away as a dream... those who have seen him shall say, 'Where is he?'" | Transience of the wicked's power and sudden disappearance. |
| Isa 2:12-17 | "For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low..." | Humiliation of the proud and the downfall of earthly strength. |
| 1 Pet 1:24 | "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:" | Frailty and transient nature of human glory and power. |
| Jas 1:10-11 | "But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away... so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways." | Worldly prosperity is short-lived. |
| Psa 2:4-5 | "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure." | God's absolute power over rebellious rulers. |
| Dan 2:44 | "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed... but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms..." | God's eternal kingdom supersedes all earthly kingdoms. |
| Heb 12:26-27 | "Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven... the removing of those things that are shaken..." | God's judgment removes temporary earthly things. |
| Rev 18:21 | "And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." | Total and permanent destruction of a great city. |
| Isa 37:36-37 | "Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses." | God's direct judgment against the Assyrian army, illustrating their fragility. |
| Nahum 1:9 | "What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time." | Prophecy of Assyria's complete end by God. |
| Nahum 3:18 | "Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them." | Confirming the dispersal and lack of leadership in Nineveh's fall. |
| Mal 4:1 | "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up..." | "Sun" as an image of consuming judgment. |
| 2 Thes 2:8 | "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:" | Brightness/light of divine presence destroying evil. |
| Jer 51:14 | "Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall lift up a shout against thee." | Overwhelming numbers like locusts used in a different context, but affirming the parallel to vast hosts. |
Nahum 3 verses
Nahum 3 17 Meaning
This verse prophetically describes the leaders and high-ranking military officials of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, likening them to a swarm of locusts or great grasshoppers. Though numerous and seemingly powerful like an insect plague, they are inherently fragile and transient. They might find temporary refuge "in the hedges on a cold day," signifying a brief respite or hidden position. However, with the rising of the "sun," which symbolizes the dawn of God's judgment and the full onset of their adversaries, they will swiftly and utterly flee, disappearing without a trace, and "their place is not known where they are." This vividly portrays the sudden and complete destruction and dispersal of Nineveh's elite forces.
Nahum 3 17 Context
Nahum's prophecy is singularly focused on the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the powerful Assyrian Empire, known for its extreme brutality, conquests, and oppression (Nah 3:1, 1:9). Chapter 3 specifically details the reasons for Nineveh's impending judgment: its bloodshed, deceit, prostitution (idolatry), and its practice of exploiting other nations. The preceding verses (Nah 3:1-15) vividly describe the siege, the slaughter of its inhabitants, and the futility of its defenses, despite its numerous chariots, cavalry, and vast wealth. Verse 17 directly follows a description of Nineveh's merchants being more numerous than the stars (Nah 3:16), setting up a stark contrast: despite the vastness of its resources and human population, its highest leadership and military might are nothing but fragile insects before the hand of God's judgment. The historical context anticipates the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC to a coalition of Babylonians and Medes, which historically saw the city's leaders fleeing or being annihilated.
Nahum 3 17 Word analysis
- Thy crowned (נְזִרָיִךְ - nᵊzi·rā·yîḵ): Derived from the root meaning "to separate, dedicate." This term, similar to "Nazirite" (someone dedicated to God), is ironically used here for Nineveh's elite officials, princes, or generals. It implies they are set apart, distinguished, or wear a special insignia (a "crown" or diadem). The choice of word may carry a subtle polemic, indicating that those consecrated to earthly power will come to naught, contrasting with those consecrated to God. They were viewed as the powerful, consecrated warriors of Assyria, yet their status would be meaningless.
- are as the locusts (אַרְבֶּה - 'arbeh): A common Hebrew word for the swarming locust, notorious for its devastating numbers and its ability to rapidly consume everything in its path (e.g., Exod 10:4-6, Joel 1:4). Here, it metaphorically highlights two key aspects of Nineveh's leadership: their vast numerical strength (a point of Assyrian pride) and, more importantly, their ultimately temporary, destructive, and easily dispersible nature.
- and thy captains (טַפְסְרָיִךְ - ṭap̄sə·rā·yiḵ): An Aramaic loanword, appearing only here and in Jer 51:27, often interpreted as "scribes" (those who muster or enroll soldiers) or "marshal," "military commander." It refers to another distinct high-ranking class of military leaders, complementing "crowned ones" to encompass the full range of their military hierarchy.
- as the great grasshoppers (גּוֹבַיִךְ גְּבַה גְּבַהּ - gōwāyīḵ gəḇāh gəḇāh): Gōwāyīḵ are "hoppers" or specific types of locusts, parallel to 'arbeh. The Hebrew literally includes an intensifying adjective that signifies large or mighty "hoppers." This further emphasizes the perceived impressive, numerous, and widespread nature of Nineveh's military elite, reinforcing the locust/insect imagery.
- which camp in the hedges in the cold day: This phrase vividly pictures the insects finding temporary shelter from the adverse cold, congregating in hedges (enclosures, protective thorny bushes). This represents a time of pause, inactivity, or limited scope for the Assyrian leaders, a period when they are perhaps regrouping, or are limited by less favorable conditions (not necessarily internal strife but the divine ordained opportune moment is not yet for the enemies to strike fully).
- but when the sun ariseth, they flee away: The "rising sun" (וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ - wə·zāraḥ haš·še·meš) here does not symbolize comfort or warmth, but exposure, judgment, or the onset of overwhelming pressure/adversity. Just as cold-immobilized insects disperse or perish when exposed to the full heat of the sun, Nineveh's leadership, no matter how numerous, will be instantly routed. The verb "flee away" (וַיִּדְּדוּ - way·yid·dəḏū) implies a sudden, scattered, disorganized departure, a quick flutter and scattering.
- and their place is not known where they are: This signifies a total and utter disappearance, an erasure of their former presence and power. Not only do they flee, but their very location becomes untraceable, mirroring the complete obliteration of their empire and influence. Their vast empire and once terrifying presence will leave no lasting physical footprint or known survivors among its leaders.
Nahum 3 17 Bonus section
The irony presented in Nahum 3:17 is particularly striking. Nineveh, renowned for its military conquests and terrorizing tactics, often swept over nations like a plague. Yet, the prophecy inverts this image, showing their own leaders becoming like the plague, not only in numbers but in their ephemeral nature and susceptibility to natural forces, here symbolizing divine judgment. The mention of "crowned ones" (nᵊzi·rā·yîḵ) subtly points to an arrogance or a false sense of distinction among the Assyrian elite, implying their earthly coronations and dignities mean nothing in the face of God's sovereignty. Their disappearance so completely that their "place is not known" speaks to the total cessation of their terror and their legacy, implying not just physical flight but an utter loss of influence and historical significance in terms of their power. This complete obliteration contrasts sharply with human efforts to build lasting monuments and empires for eternal remembrance.
Nahum 3 17 Commentary
Nahum 3:17 delivers a profound statement on the fragility of earthly power and the sovereignty of God's judgment. It directly counters Nineveh's immense pride in its military might and numerous high-ranking officials by reducing them to the status of insects – abundant but inherently vulnerable and temporary. The metaphor of locusts highlights both their vast numbers and their ultimate disposability. Their temporary refuge "in the hedges in the cold day" suggests that their reign and power, while oppressive, were divinely allowed for a time, like insects pausing. However, the moment the "sun" of God's righteous judgment shines forth, their façade of invincibility shatters, leading to a swift, panicked flight and complete vanishing "without a trace." This verse serves as a powerful reminder that all human empires, no matter how formidable or entrenched, are transient before the Lord, and His appointed time brings about their certain and unrecoverable demise. It is a timeless truth that trust in fleeting human strength or resources is vain when compared to the enduring power and justice of God. For example, great kingdoms built on conquest often collapse under the weight of their own systems when facing divine intervention, or nations whose leaders believe themselves unchallengeable may suddenly find their power unravel.