Nahum 3:15
There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper!
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse's shocking comparison of the attackers' sword to locusts, and then immediately commanding Nineveh to "multiply like the locust," isn't a compliment; it's biting sarcasm. It highlights how Nineveh, once a destructive force itself, is about to be consumed by an enemy just as voracious and innumerable as the very pestilence it will become.
Nahum has just described Nineveh's frantic and ultimately futile efforts to prepare for siege, urging them to reinforce their defenses and stock their supplies. Now, the prophet starkly declares that despite all these preparations, destruction is inevitable. Fire and sword will consume the city and its people, and the prophet uses the image of locusts to highlight the totality of the devastation, ironically telling Nineveh to multiply itself like its own destroyers.
Nineveh spared no effort in preparing for siege. They built, they fortified, they stored supplies. But this verse flips their efforts on their head.
Nahum is addressing Nineveh's desperate attempts to prepare for the coming destruction. The prophet describes them drawing water for the siege, reinforcing their strongholds, and making bricks. These are the actions of a city fighting for its life.
The Irony of Fortification
But Nahum declares that all this preparation is utterly useless. The very things they use to defend themselves will become the instruments of their destruction.
It’s a stark reminder that human efforts, however diligent, are futile against God’s judgment when people stubbornly refuse to repent.
The verse uses a shocking comparison: Nineveh will be devoured 'like the locust.' But why this specific imagery, and what does it imply about Nineveh itself?
The simile of the locust is incredibly potent. Locusts descend in massive, overwhelming numbers, consuming everything in their path with insatiable hunger.
A Double-Edged Comparison
Nahum employs this image in two ways:
Understand the original words
chereb · Hebrew Noun
A hand-to-hand combat weapon; in biblical prophecy, it is the primary instrument of divine judgment against rebellious nations.
arbeh · Hebrew Noun
A migratory insect known for rapid reproduction and total destruction of vegetation; biblically, it is used as a metaphor for an unstoppable, vast, and devouring invading army sent by God.
The prophecy against Nineveh, delivered by Nahum, is set against the backdrop of Assyria's oppressive dominance and subsequent, dramatic fall. The vivid imagery of fire, sword, and locusts emphasizes the totality of Nineveh's destruction, serving as a stark warning that even the mightiest empires are subject to divine judgment when they become instruments of terror and cruelty.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire, under Shalmaneser V and later Sargon II, conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants. This event demonstrated Assyria's formidable military power and signaled their growing dominance in the region, foreshadowing future threats to Judah.
701 BC
Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem
Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. While Jerusalem was miraculously spared divine intervention, the campaign served as a stark reminder of Assyria's power and the vulnerability of the Southern Kingdom.
663 BC
Assyrian Sack of Thebes
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, at the height of its power, sacked the wealthy Egyptian city of Thebes. This event showcased the vast reach and brutal efficiency of the Assyrian military, which had become the preeminent superpower.
c. 650-612 BC
Assyrian Empire in Decline
This passage uses the same imagery of locusts as a destructive force, emphasizing their voracious appetite and the complete devastation they leave behind, mirroring the destruction Nineveh faces.
Jeremiah 51:14Jeremiah echoes the imagery of being 'made many' like locusts when describing God's judgment against Babylon, highlighting how even overwhelming numbers cannot save those under God's wrath.
Exodus 10:12-15The plagues of Egypt show God using locusts as a devastating force against a stubborn people, illustrating how God can use even seemingly small creatures to bring about His powerful judgments.
Revelation 9:3-7This passage in Revelation describes a plague of locust-like creatures that torment humanity, drawing a parallel to the consuming and destructive power described in Nahum.
clarkeNahum 3:15: "There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts."
Make thyself many as the cankerworm - On the locusts, and their operations in their various states, see the notes on Joel 2 (note). The multitudes, successive swarms, and devastation occasioned by locusts, is one of the most expressive similes that could be used to point out the successive armies and all-de…
calvinNahum 3:14-15: "Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln."
- Illic vorabit te ignis, exterminabit te gladius, comedet te quasi bruchus (alii vertunt, quasi bruchum;) multiplicari (ad verbum, vel, multiplicando; est kyrq quasi bruchus,) multiplicare quasi locusta.
The Prophet goes on with the same subject, -- that the Ninevites would labor in vain, while striving anxiously and with every effort to defend themselves…
The verse's shocking comparison of the attackers' sword to locusts, and then immediately commanding Nineveh to "multiply like the locust," isn't a compliment; it's biting sarcasm. It highlights how Nineveh, once a destructive force itself, is about to be consumed by an enemy just as voracious and innumerable as the very pestilence it will become.
Nahum has just described Nineveh's frantic and ultimately futile efforts to prepare for siege, urging them to reinforce their defenses and stock their supplies. Now, the prophet starkly declares that despite all these preparations, destruction is inevitable. Fire and sword will consume the city and its people, and the prophet uses the image of locusts to highlight the totality of the devastation, ironically telling Nineveh to multiply itself like its own destroyers.
Nahum has just described Nineveh's frantic and ultimately futile efforts to prepare for siege, urging them to reinforce their defenses and stock their supplies. Now, the prophet starkly declares that despite all these preparations, destruction is inevitable. Fire and sword will consume the city and its people, and the prophet uses the image of locusts to highlight the totality of the devastation, ironically telling Nineveh to multiply itself like its own destroyers.
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The prophet highlights the terrifying reality of divine retribution: those who live by the sword (or by devouring others) will perish by it, and their own destructive methods will be turned against them.
Despite outward appearances of strength, the vast Neo-Assyrian Empire began to show signs of internal weakness and overextension. Growing discontent among conquered peoples and internal strife created opportunities for its enemies.
612 BC— this verse
Fall of Nineveh
A coalition of Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians besieged and utterly destroyed the Assyrian capital, Nineveh. This cataclysmic event marked the end of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and fulfilled the prophecies of judgment against its cruelty and oppression, including those of Nahum.
"There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper!" — The verse's shocking comparison of the attackers' sword to locusts, and then immediately commanding Nineveh to "multiply like the locust," isn't a compliment; it's biting sarcasm. It highlights how N…
