Nahum 3:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moreover, it is rightly considered treacherous in another sense, as deceit involves cunning and deviousness, accompanied by a hatred for God, which is undeniable since injustice accompanies these traits; where there is deceit and cunning, there is always injustice. And Jerusalem, which put the Lord to death, is truly a city marked by blood and treachery. We recall the Lord's words: ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you’ (Matthew 23:37). Through the prophets, He did not say, 'Woe unto them for having turned away from me; they tremble because of the wrongs they have committed against me; yet I will redeem myself' (Hosea 7:13). They have blasphemed Christ, accusing Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, labeling Him a glutton or a Samaritan, among other disgraceful things; only their brazen tongues could articulate such reproach. The net will not settle. The expression draws from common practice; bird catchers often capture those hiding beneath dense bushes using their hands. This reflects their skill. Thus, ‘the catching will not settle yet’—meaning, they will not engage in hunting as they once did or unlawfully claim what belongs to others. There will be no traps or nets set for the vulnerable when their focus lies elsewhere and when they are caught in a life-and-death struggle.

Woe to you, O city of blood, where truth is absent, and all is falsehood, overflowing with plunder. The relentless sounds of the savage sword, the oppressive power, and the rapid motion of the wheel are incessantly heard. The term sound here indicates noise; it signifies the clamor of wheels moving swiftly in multiple directions, alongside the neighing of horses and the rush of chariots. The imagery within the Hebrew text vividly illustrates an army poised for battle in a way that words alone may struggle to express. When it states, ‘and of heavy fall, and there shall be no end of corpses,’ this alludes to the enemies defeated by them. ‘And they shall fall on their bodies’ can be interpreted as either a result of their sheer number, causing them to crowd into one another, or as ‘they shall fall upon the slain,’ since the term αὐτῶν can denote both ‘their own’ and ‘theirs.’ ‘Because of the multitude,’ it is said, ‘of the lewd woman’s fornication,’ for she has associated with many nations and honored the idols of the entire world, which she has brought under her control. The phrases ‘beautiful and charming, using enchantments’ allude to the Magi. ‘Which sold nations by her whoredoms, and families by her charms’ reflects her dominion over all nations. This understanding of Nineveh, regarding its simplistic view, invites a deeper reflection, as if the city stands as a representation of the world. Can it be just for a world steeped in wickedness (1 John 5:19) to be called a city of blood due to the multitude of those who launch arrows and harm others with their words as if wielding swords? Thus, it is filled with lies, pointing to corrupt doctrines and the absence of God’s word, leaving no refuge for one to lay their head as warped teachings are pervasive. ‘There is one who understands or seeks after God; all have turned away, together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one’ (Psalm 14:2-3). This partial fulfillment is only a precursor to a greater reality, as in the end, ‘because of the multiplication of iniquity, love will grow cold in many’ (Matt. 24:12). Regardless of the numerous captives taken by the giant Nimrod, the cruel hunter, who defiantly challenges God while ensnaring many in his nets, the prey will not be easily seized by many. He has many followers, trapped alongside him, rejoicing in their capture, akin to captives themselves. The sound of the whip echoes throughout the world as ‘many are the afflictions of the righteous’ (Psalm 34:19), and those subjected to such trials cry out, lamenting their suffering; some are tormented by demons, others besieged with rage, while still others succumb to lust, hatred, envy, and pride, echoing the whip of the Assyrian king. Afflictions manifest as bodily ailments wrought by darkness, as spoken to the righteous, ‘and the scourge shall not come near thy dwelling’ (Ps. 91). We witness individuals decay from the king’s illness while they outlive their own flesh, others afflicted with water-related diseases and a swollen appearance, losing the semblance of their former selves, as we have observed diseases of similar nature. Others might expel corrupt fluids due to lung ailments, or suffer from the bitterness of stones formed from dry moisture that cause distress in their bowels; this leads us to declare these to be the scourges of Nineveh, even if some attribute them to tainted air or certain physical conditions. Having read about the healing of the afflicted (Luke 4) and the Lord’s liberation of a lady bound by evil for eighteen years (ibid. 13), we must recognize that these afflictions bear the mark of Nineveh. It continues with ‘the sound of moving wheels,’ for humanity is drawn and pushed in multifarious uncertain paths, wherein lies the shadows of destruction and salvation. This wheel is portrayed at the beginning of Ezekiel’s book, and in the seventy-sixth psalm, we encounter: ‘the voice of Thy thunder in the wheels’ (Psalm 76:19). Nineveh also possesses a stalking horse that, through the clatter of its hooves and the agitation of the earth, persistently conveys its readiness for warfare, as the Lord declares against the adversary: ‘from afar... (Job 39:25) neither spares those who flee nor allows the returning to escape, pursuing to overthrow, to kill, to trample, to crush. Within Nineveh is also heard the rushing of a chariot, reminiscent of those Pharaoh possessed, which the Lord submerged (Ex. 14). This chariot is drawn by four horses, symbolizing four passions, which philosophers have discussed, echoing Maron’s sentiments: Passionately they sting, fear, grieve, and exult. Through these steeds and this chariot, Nineveh sows confusion. The sound of a rider can also be discerned—one who, having armed himself through skill and preparation for battle, advances, posing a risk to those who engage him. This rider bears the sword of the Word, sharpened through dialectic precision and polished with the oil of rhetoric. His glorious weapon stands in contrast to the apostolic full armor (Eph. 6). It is little wonder that Nineveh harbors many wounded, given the waves of arrows it possesses. While in our own battle and defense, we have four shields of virtue: prudence, justice, temperance, and courage, conversely, four vices strike us—the folly, injustice, unkindness, and fear-mongering. Each vice branches out, each presenting various arrows that inflict wounds; if remedies are not swiftly administered, they could lead to a grievous fall. God grant that, at Nineveh, the multitude of those who fall and are easily wounded is as abundant as those who, because of the weighty downfall, are cast into the depths. There is no end to her nations or their wailing; her wickedness is boundless, and as diverse as the kinds of sin, so too are the nations in Nineveh, weakened in body because of rampant fornication. This can be interpreted amidst those who, in pursuit of carnal desires, suffer the loss of their physical vitality, and who, in the destruction of the soul, also ruin the flesh they serve. Yet, those nations subjected to discussion collapse only upon their own bodies, stumbling over the slain—overthrown by the proliferation of sexual immorality. We interpret this in line with the Hebrew text, ‘due to the multitude of fornications of the lewd woman,’ while the LXX translators appear to derive a new sentence starter, stating, ‘due to the multitude of fornication,’ and thus frame their thought, opening anew with the phrase, ‘the lewd woman, beautiful and charming, chief of enchantments.’ Instead of ‘chief of enchantments,’ Aquila and Symmachus composed it as ‘using enchantments.’ It should not astonish those aware of how many individuals were led astray by the charms of Nineveh, enticing many to succumb to her allure. She ensnared nations through her whoredoms, severing them from Christ, making them members of an unchaste woman (1 Cor. 6), selling families with her enticements. She entices them to appreciate what they should disdain, and to revile what they should cherish, drawing them into seduction, causing them to corrupt the customs of godly conduct with evil (1 Cor. 15:33). I have encountered interpretations within scriptures that regard charmers favorably, acknowledging ‘the enchanter who portrays wisely’ (Ps. 57). Nevertheless, such a charmer employs spells intended to redirect those captivated by the corruptions of Nineveh back to a sound mind.