What does Nahum 3:17 mean?
"Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are." - Nahum 3:17
The Bible verse Nahum 3:17 in the King James Version reads, "Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are." This verse is a part of the book of Nahum, which is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament. The book of Nahum is a prophecy against the city of Nineveh, the capital of the ancient Assyrian empire.
The verse contains vivid imagery that vividly conveys the insignificance and ephemeral nature of the power and wealth of the city of Nineveh. The use of the locusts and grasshoppers as a metaphor for the city's leaders and captains illustrates the fleeting nature of their power. Locusts and grasshoppers are typically associated with destruction and devastation in the Bible, and here they represent the fleeting and ultimately destructive power of the rulers of Nineveh.
The use of the phrase "camp in the hedges in the cold day" suggests a sense of temporary shelter and hiding, and perhaps a sense of vulnerability. This imagery further emphasizes the transitory and ultimately vulnerable nature of the city's power. The image of the locusts and great grasshoppers fleeing when the sun arises underscores the idea of impermanence and the fleeting nature of worldly power and wealth. The leaders of Nineveh may seem powerful and formidable in their positions, but ultimately their power will not endure and they will be scattered and dispersed.
In a broader context, this verse serves as a warning against relying on worldly power and wealth as a source of security and stability. It reminds readers that human power and wealth are ultimately fleeting and impermanent, and that true security can only be found in God. The imagery of the verse also serves as a reminder of the consequences of pride and arrogance, as the leaders of Nineveh are portrayed as being ultimately insignificant and powerless in the face of divine judgment.
The verse also carries a message of hope for those who may be oppressed by the powerful and wealthy. It reminds readers that ultimately, the power and wealth of the oppressors will not endure, and that justice will prevail. This message would have been especially meaningful to the original audience of the book of Nahum, who were likely suffering under the oppressive rule of the Assyrian empire.
In terms of symbolism, the locusts and grasshoppers in this verse can be seen as symbols of destruction and transience. They represent the temporary and ultimately destructive nature of human power and wealth. The hedge and the cold day can be seen as symbols of temporary protection and vulnerability, and the sun arising symbolizes the ultimate reckoning and judgment that will scatter and disperse the power and wealth of the rulers of Nineveh.
In conclusion, Nahum 3:17 is a powerful and vividly imagery-laden verse that serves as a warning against relying on worldly power and wealth for security and stability. It also carries a message of hope for the oppressed, reminding readers that ultimately, the power and wealth of the oppressors will not endure, and that justice will prevail. The verse's imagery and symbolism add depth and significance to its message, emphasizing the fleeting and ultimately insignificant nature of human power and wealth in the face of divine judgment.
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Nahum 3:17 - "Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are."
"Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are." - Nahum 3:17
Nahum 3:1 - "Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;"
Nahum 1:3 – "The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished."
Nahum 3:2 - "The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots."
Nahum 3:6 - "And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock."
Nahum 3:16 - "Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away."
Nahum 3:9 - "Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers."
Nahum 3:14 - "Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln."
Nahum 3:11 - "Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy."
Nahum 3:12 - "All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater."
Nahum 3:3 - "The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:" bible verse art
Nahum 3:4 - "Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts."
Nahum 3:8 - "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?"
Nahum 3:18 - "Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them."
Nahum 1:3 - "The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."
"Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;" - Nahum 3:1
"The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots." - Nahum 3:2
Nahum 3:13 - "Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars."
Nahum 3:19 - "There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?"
Nahum 2:3 - "The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken."
Nahum 3:7 - "And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?"
Nahum 3:5 - "Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame."
Nahum 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."
"Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers." - Nahum 3:9
"And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock." - Nahum 3:6
"Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away." - Nahum 3:16
Nahum 3:10 - "Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains."
"Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy." - Nahum 3:11
"The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:" - Nahum 3:3