Nahum 3:14

Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln. DRAW THEE WATERS FOR THE SIEGE, FORTIFY THY STRONG HOLDS - ironical exhortation to Nineveh to defend herself. DRAW THEE WATERS - so as not to be without water for drinking, in the event of being cut off by the besiegers from thy fountains. GO INTO CLAY, AND TREAD THE MORTAR, MAKE STRONG THE BRICK-KILN - "make strong," or 'repair' (Maurer); so as to have a supply of bricks formed of kiln-burned clay, to repair breaches in the ramparts, or to build new fortifications inside when the outer ones are taken by the foe....

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 against their enemies. The meaning then is, “That though thou remittest no diligence, yet thou shalt lose all thy labor; for thou wilt not be able to resist the vengeance of God; and thou deceives thyself if thou thinkest that by the usual means thou canst aid thyself; for it is God who attacks thee by the Babylonians. How much soever then thou mayest accumulate of those things which are usually employed to fortify cities, all this will be useless.” _Draw for thyself, _he says, _waters for the siege; _that is, lay up provisions for thyself, as it is usually done, and have water laid up in cisterns; _strengthen thy fortresses, _that is, renew them; _enter into the clay _for the sake of treading the mortar: _fortify, _or cement, or join to...

8-19 Strong-holds, even the strongest, are no defence against the judgments of God. They shall be unable to do any thing for themselves. The Chaldeans and Medes would devour the land like canker-worms. The Assyrians also would be eaten up by their own numerous hired troops, which seem to be meant by the word rendered "merchants." Those that have done evil to their neighbours, will find it come home to them. Nineveh, and many other cities, states, and empires, have been ruined, and should be a warning to us. Are we better, except as there are some true Christians amongst us, who are a greater security, and a stronger defence, than all the advantages of situation or strength? When the Lord shows himself against a people, every thing they trust in must fail, or prove a disadvantage; but he continues good to Israel. He is a strong-hold for every believer in time of trouble, that cannot be st...

Verse Nahum 3:14. _DRAW THEE WATERS FOR THE SIEGE_] The Tigris ran near to Nineveh, and here they are exhorted to lay in plenty of fresh water, lest the siege should last long, and lest the enemy should cut off this supply. _GO INTO CLAY, AND TREAD THE MORTAR_] This refers to the manner of forming bricks anciently in those countries; they digged up the clay, kneaded it properly by _treading_, mixed it with straw or _coarse grass_, moulded the bricks, and dried them in the sun. I have now some of the identical bricks, that were brought from this country, lying before me, and they show all these appearances. They are compact and very hard, but wholly soluble in water. There were however others without _straw_, that seem to have been _burnt in_ _a kiln_ as ours are. I have also some fragments or _bats_ of these from Babylon....

DRAW THEE WATERS FOR THE SIEGE, FORTIFY THY STRONGHOLDS - This is not mere mockery at man’s weakness, when he would resist God. It foretells that they shall toil, and that, heavily. Toil is added upon toil. Nineveh did undergo a two years’ siege. Water stands for all provisions within. He bids them, as before Nahum 2:1, strengthen what was already strong; strongholds, which seemed to “cut off” all approach. These he bids them strengthen, not repairing decays only but making them exceeding strong 2 Chronicles 11:12. Go into clay. We seem to see all the inhabitants, like ants on their nest, all poured out, every one busy, every one making preparation for the defense. Why had there been no need of it? What needed she of towers and fortifications, whose armies were carrying war

EXPOSITION NAHUM 3:1 Part III. THE CAUSE OF THE JUDGMENT—SINS OF THE CITY, WHICH BRING INEVITABLE PUNISHMENT. NAHUM 3:1 § 1. _The prophet specifies the crimes which have brought this ruin upon Nineveh._ NAHUM 3:1 THE BLOODY CITY; literally, _city of bloods_, where Mood is shed without scruple (comp. Ez

DRAW THEE WATERS FOR THE SIEGE,.... Before the siege is begun, fetch water from the river, wells, or fountains without the city, and fill cisterns, and such like receptacles of water, with them; that there may be sufficiency of it to hold out, which is often wanting in long sieges; the want of which gives great distress to the besieged: this is put for all necessary provisions, which should be made when a city is in danger of being blocked up: this, and what follows, are said ironically; signifying, let them do what they would or could for their support and security, it would be all in vain: FORTIFY THY STRONG HOLDS; repair the old fortifications, and add new ones to them; fill them with soldiers, arms, and ammunition: GO INTO CLAY, AND TREAD THE MORTAR; MAKE STRONG THE BRICK KILN; repair the brick kilns, keep them in good order; employ men in digging clay, and treading it, and making...

Nahum 3:1. _Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;_ Assyria became a great empire through violence, falsehood, and robbery. The soldiery had no respect for justice; they trod out the last spark of liberty, and crushed all nations under their feet. Nahum 3:2. _The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots. The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcasses; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:_ When the Medo-Babylonian army came against the great city, it inflicted a terrible slaughter, killing the inhabitants without mercy, making a very h

CHAPTER 3 Nineveh's Guilt and Well-Deserved Judgment _ 1. The great wickedness of Nineveh (Nahum 3:1) _ 2. Her fate to be like the fate of No-Amon (Nahum 3:8) 3. Her well-deserved and complete judgment (Nahum 3:14) Nahum 3:1. Nineveh was a bloody city, for her kings never knew peace, but were constantly at war. The Hebrew Ir-Damim means “city of blood drops.” They boasted of making the blood of their enemies run like rivers. It was a city full of lies and rapine. Her word could not be trusted; she broke truces and covenants and deceived nations with lying promises of help and protection. As stated in the second chapter

Even so Nineveh shall be made drunk with the cup of God's wrath, and faint and staggering shall seek refuge from the enemy. Her outer fortresses shall fall like first-ripe figs (Isaiah 28:4 *) into the mouth of the destroyer, the gateways that barred the approach to the capital shall fly open at the touch of fire, her defenders shall prove weak as women, and despite all efforts to repair the breaches the whole city shall sink beneath the flames. Her people may be numerous as the locust-swarms that encamp on the garden walls in the day of cold; but they shall vanish as completely as these same swarms when the sun shines out. And while the people are scattered over the mountains, the king and nobles shall sleep their last sleep, amid manifestations of triumphant joy from all who hear the tale of doom. Nahum 3:11.