Nahum 3:9
Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her helpers.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss here is the sheer scope of No-Ammon's (Thebes/Alexandria) military alliances. It wasn't just drawing strength from Egypt, but also from Cush (Ethiopia) and even distant North African peoples like Put and Libyans. This verse highlights how deeply interconnected the ancient world was, with cities relying on vast networks of allies for their security and power.
The prophet Nahum is directly addressing Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, but here he uses the example of the powerful Egyptian city of No-Amon (also known as Thebes or Diospolis) to illustrate how even mighty cities fall. No-Amon, boasting vast alliances with Cush (Ethiopia) and Egypt, along with auxiliary forces from Put and Libya, was considered incredibly strong and well-defended. However, Nahum reveals that despite this formidable power and seemingly limitless support, No-Amon was utterly destroyed and taken captive, serving as a stark warning to Nineveh of its own impending doom.
Nahum paints a picture of a city so powerful it drew strength from across the known world. What does this reveal about its confidence and its ultimate downfall?
Nahum 3:9 describes the city of No-Amon (often identified with Thebes or even Alexandria) boasting an impressive array of powerful allies.
The Mighty Coalition
This verse highlights the immense confidence No-Amon placed in its human alliances. It saw itself as invincible, backed by a vast network of nations and peoples. This reliance on external strength, rather than on God, sets the stage for a dramatic downfall.
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The verse lists the immense resources of No-Amon's allies. But Nahum's prophecy isn't just about power; it's about the inevitable collapse of that power.
While Nahum 3:9 details the extensive military support No-Amon enjoyed, the prophet's message is a stark warning about the limitations of human strength.
The Illusion of Security
However, the immediate context of Nahum's prophecy (verses 10-19) reveals the brutal reality: this mighty coalition ultimately failed. The city was destroyed, its people scattered, and its leaders captured. This serves as a powerful reminder that even the strongest human alliances are temporary and ultimately insufficient against God's sovereign judgment.
Nahum's prophecy against Nineveh draws on the recent, devastating fall of Egypt's great city, Thebes (No-Amon), to emphasize that even powerful, well-defended cities with extensive alliances are not immune to God's judgment. The verse highlights the vast network of allies Thebes once commanded – Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya, and others – underscoring the futility of human strength against divine power, a truth Nineveh itself would soon learn.
c. 728 BC
Ethiopian Dynasty Rules Egypt
The 25th Dynasty, originating from Nubia (Kush/Ethiopia), begins its rule over Egypt, uniting the two regions politically and militarily.
c. 671 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Thebes
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal, invades and sacks major Egyptian cities, including Thebes (No-Amon), weakening its power and influence.
c. 664 BC— this verse
Fall of Thebes to Assyrians
Thebes, the ancient capital of Egypt (identified as No-Amon), is definitively conquered and plundered by the Assyrians, marking a devastating blow to its prestige and strength.
c. 663 BC
Neo-Babylonian Empire Rises
Following the decline of Assyrian power, the Neo-Babylonian Empire emerges as a major force in the region, eventually leading to the destruction of Nineveh.
612 BC
Fall of Nineveh
The capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Nineveh, is destroyed by a coalition of Babylonians and Medes, fulfilling Nahum's prophecy and signaling the end of Assyrian dominance.
This passage also lists Ethiopia (Cush) and other African nations like Put and Libya as auxiliaries to Egypt, highlighting the expansive military alliances common in the region.
Ezekiel 30:5Here, Cush, Put, and Lud are explicitly mentioned as allies and mercenaries fighting alongside Egypt, reinforcing the interconnectedness of these powers in ancient warfare.
2 Chronicles 12:3This verse describes the vast armies that came from Egypt and supported Judah, illustrating the immense military resources that nations like Egypt could draw upon and lend to allies.
Nahum 2:9This verse, also from Nahum, uses similar language to describe Nineveh's vast stockpiles of treasure and resources as 'infinite,' paralleling the description of the inexhaustible strength of Egypt and Cush.
clarkeNahum 3:9: "Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers."
Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength - The land of Cush, not far from Diospolis; for it was in Arabia, on the Red Sea. Put and Lubim - A part of Africa and Libya, which were all within reach of forming alliances with No-Ammon or Diospolis.
calvinNahum 3:8-10: "Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?"
An melior es quam No (id est, Alexandria,) Amon (vertunt quidam, populosum; alii putant esse nomen Regis; an igitur melior es quam Alexandria populosa,) quae habitabat in fluviis? Mare in circuitu ejus, cujus fossa erat mare, et a mari murus ejus;
Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put an…
What's easy to miss here is the sheer scope of No-Ammon's (Thebes/Alexandria) military alliances. It wasn't just drawing strength from Egypt, but also from Cush (Ethiopia) and even distant North African peoples like Put and Libyans. This verse highlights how deeply interconnected the ancient world was, with cities relying on vast networks of allies for their security and power.
The prophet Nahum is directly addressing Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, but here he uses the example of the powerful Egyptian city of No-Amon (also known as Thebes or Diospolis) to illustrate how even mighty cities fall. No-Amon, boasting vast alliances with Cush (Ethiopia) and Egypt, along with auxiliary forces from Put and Libya, was considered incredibly strong and well-defended. However, Nahum reveals that despite this formidable power and seemingly limitless support, No-Amon was utterly destroyed and taken captive, serving as a stark warning to Nineveh of its own impending doom.
The prophet Nahum is directly addressing Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, but here he uses the example of the powerful Egyptian city of No-Amon (also known as Thebes or Diospolis) to illustrate how even mighty cities fall. No-Amon, boasting vast alliances with Cush (Ethiopia) and Egypt, along with auxiliary forces from Put and Libya, was considered incredibly strong and well-defended. However, Nahum reveals that despite this formidable power and seemingly limitless support, No-Amon was utterly destroyed and taken captive, serving as a stark warning to Nineveh of its own impending doom.
"Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her helpers." — What's easy to miss here is the sheer scope of No-Ammon's (Thebes/Alexandria) military alliances. It wasn't just drawing strength from Egypt, but also from Cush (Ethiopia) and even distant North Afri…
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