Nahum 2:2. The excellency of Jacob. The Vulgate reads as the Hebrew, the pride of Jacob, and the pride of Israel, which the Lord punished by the Assyrians. Now the same just God comes to punish the pride of Assyria. This reading agrees with the next verse.
Nahum 2:9. Take ye the spoil. The arsenals of Hezekiah, the riches of Crœsus, the gold of Nineveh, were strong temptations to invasion. Let other splendid cities think of this.
REFLECTIONS.
The approach of the enemy, and the storming of Nineveh are described in this chapter, in all the severity of satire, and all the glow of oriental language. He dashes in pieces, and puts to the sword all he finds in his way. His shield is painted: he is clothed in scarlet, his chariots are illuminated, and the weapons glitter. He enters first by the gates, or mouth of the river, as Cyrus afterwards entered Babylon. Isaiah 13:14. He carries fear and terror to the palace, he storms Huzzab, a fortress deemed impregnable, and the queen of all their strength. He leads her, with her daughters, the minor cities into captivity. The women beat their breasts with cries and anguish, as they had once beat their tabrets with joy. The emptiers of other nations' treasuries are emptied themselves. All these impressive occurrences follow in order, and are finely painted. But the invader, so terrible in himself, had nevertheless no terror compared with a yet greater who spake with vengeance from above. Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts. I will burn thy chariots in the smoke of mine anger; and the sword shall devour thy young lions or princes, ere they disturb the nations.
From the severity of language here used against Nineveh, let us learn to avoid her sins. She bewitched, intimidated and enticed other nations to her idolatries, abominations, and sin. Now other nations conspired, for God gave them a heart to do his will, and made her the eager object of their revenge. She had plundered nations from the Ganges to the Nile, and from the Nile to the Don. Now they assembled to fetch back their treasures. Let those who corrupt the morals of youth, and those who amass great fortunes by a constant trade of extortion, remember that the God who fought against Nineveh, is about to turn his sword to fight against them.