Nahum 2:2 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

For the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob Jacob and Israel stood in a nearer relation to God than Nineveh; yet God hath punished them: much more will he punish Nineveh. By the excellency of Jacob, the wealth, the strength, the valiant men, all that Jacob gloried in is here meant. For the emptiers have emptied them out This is spoken of the Assyrians having spoiled the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And marred their vine-branches Ruined their towns and villages. Judah, or Israel, sometimes, is represented in the prophetic writings under the emblem of a vine, or vineyard; of consequence her towns and villages are her vine- branches. Some think, however, that the expression signifies here, their being bereaved of their children by the Assyrian conquerors. The shield of his mighty men is made red Is stained with blood: this appears to be a description of the Chaldeans, or Medes, assaulting Nineveh. The valiant men are in scarlet The eastern people were very fond of dressing themselves in scarlet, as we learn from Herodotus. Or, “As the preparation for battle is described, we may suppose,” says Bishop Newcome, that “it was customary among those who fought against Nineveh to carry red shields and to wear scarlet.” The chariots shall be with flaming torches Rather, the chariots shall shine like the fire of torches, in the day that they prepare themselves Namely, by the wheels continually striking fire against the stones and pavement by the quickness of the motion. And the fir-trees shall be terribly shaken Namely, by the rattling of the chariot wheels, in running up and down. Or this may be interpreted of the pikes and lances used by the Chaldeans, and made of fir, and here called fir-trees on account of their length and largeness. The chariots shall rage in the streets They shall drive furiously one against another. They shall seem like torches, &c. See on the preceding verse. They run like the lightnings Or, with the swiftness of lightning.