Show Bible Commentary For A Bible Verse

Click here to show/hide instructions.

Selected Verse: Nahum 3:4 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Na 3:4	Strong Concordance	Because of the multitude [07230] of the whoredoms [02183] of the wellfavoured [02896] [02580] harlot [02181], the mistress [01172] of witchcrafts [03785], that selleth [04376] nations [01471] through her whoredoms [02183], and families [04940] through her witchcrafts [03785].
	King James	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.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

Open All | Close All Open All | Close All

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Because of the multitude of the whoredoms--This assigns the reason for Nineveh's destruction. of the well-favoured harlot--As Assyria was not a worshipper of the true God, "whoredoms" cannot mean, as in the case of Israel, apostasy to the worship of false gods; but, her harlot-like artifices whereby she allured neighboring states so as to subject them to herself. As the unwary are allured by the "well-favored harlot's" looks, so Israel, Judah (for example, under Ahaz, who, calling to his aid Tiglath-pileser, was made tributary by him, Kg2 16:7-10), and other nations, were tempted by the plausible professions of Assyria, and by the lure of commerce (Rev 18:2-3), to trust her. witchcrafts-- (Isa 47:9, Isa 47:12). Alluding to the love incantations whereby harlots tried to dement and ensnare youths; answering to the subtle machinations whereby Assyria attracted nations to her. selleth--deprives of their liberty; as slaves used to be sold: and in other property also sale was a usual mode of transfer. MAURER understands it of depriving nations of their freedom, and literally selling them as slaves to distant peoples (Joe 3:2-3, Joe 3:6-8). But elsewhere there is no evidence that the Assyrians did this. families--peoples.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Because of the multitude of the whoredoms--This assigns the reason for Nineveh's destruction.

of the well-favoured harlot--As Assyria was not a worshipper of the true God, "whoredoms" cannot mean, as in the case of Israel, apostasy to the worship of false gods; but, her harlot-like artifices whereby she allured neighboring states so as to subject them to herself. As the unwary are allured by the "well-favored harlot's" looks, so Israel, Judah (for example, under Ahaz, who, calling to his aid Tiglath-pileser, was made tributary by him, Kg2 16:7-10), and other nations, were tempted by the plausible professions of Assyria, and by the lure of commerce (Rev 18:2-3), to trust her.

witchcrafts-- (Isa 47:9, Isa 47:12). Alluding to the love incantations whereby harlots tried to dement and ensnare youths; answering to the subtle machinations whereby Assyria attracted nations to her.

selleth--deprives of their liberty; as slaves used to be sold: and in other property also sale was a usual mode of transfer. MAURER understands it of depriving nations of their freedom, and literally selling them as slaves to distant peoples (Joe 3:2-3, Joe 3:6-8). But elsewhere there is no evidence that the Assyrians did this.

families--peoples.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favored harlot - There are "multitudes of slain" because of the "multitude of whoredoms" and love of the creature instead of the Creator. So to Babylon Isaiah saith, "they (loss of children and widowhood) shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, for the great abundance of thine enchantments" Isa 47:9. The actual use of "enchantments," for which Babylon was so infamous, is not elsewhere attributed to the Assyrians. But neither is the word elsewhere used figuratively; nor is Assyria, in its intimate relation to Babylon, likely to have been free from the longing, universal in pagandom, to obtain knowledge as to the issue of events which would affect her. She is, by a rare idiom, entitled "mistress of enchantments," having them at her command, as instruments of power. Mostly, idolatries and estrangement from God are spoken of as "whoredoms," only in respect of those who, having been taken by God as His own, forsook Him for false gods. But Jezebel too, of whose offences Jehu speaks under the same two titles Kg2 9:22, was a pagan. And such sins were but part of that larger all-comprehending sin, that man, being made by God for Himself, when he loves the creature instead of the Creator, divorces himself from God. Of this sin world empires, such as Nineveh, were the concentration. Their being was one vast idolatry of self and of "the god of this world." All, art, fraud, deceit, protection of the weak against the strong Kg2 16:7-9; Ch2 28:20-21, promises of good Isa 36:16-17, were employed, together with open violence, to absorb all nations into it. The one end of all was to form one great idol-temple, of which the center and end was man, a rival worship to God, which should enslave all to itself and the things of this world. Nineveh and all conquering nations used fraud as well as force, enticed and entangled others, and so sold and deprived them of freedom. (see Joe 3:3). Nor are people less sold and enslaved, because they have no visible master. False freedom is the deepest and most abject slavery. All sinful nations or persons extend to others the infection of their own sins. But, chiefly, the "wicked world," manifoldly arrayed with fair forms, and "beautiful in the eyes of those who will not think or weigh how much more beautiful the Lord and Creator of all," spreads her enticements on all sides "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life," "her pomps and vanities," worldly happiness and glory and majesty, and ease and abundance, deceives and sells mankind into the power of Satan. It is called well-favored (literally, good of grace), because the world has a real beauty, nor , "unless there were a grace and beauty in the things we love, could they draw us to them." They have their beauty, because from God; then are they deformed, when "things hold us back from God, which, unless they were in God, were not at all." We deform them, if we love them for our own sakes, not in Him; or for the intimations they give of Him. : "Praise as to things foul has an intensity of blame. As if one would speak of a skilled thief, or a courageous robber, or a clever cheat. So though he calls Nineveh a well-favored harlot, this will not be for her praise, (far from it!) but conveys the heavier condenmation. As they, when they would attract, use dainty babblings, so was Nineveh a skilled artificer of ill-doing, well provided with means to capture cities and lands and to persuade them what pleased herself." She selleth not nations only but families, drawing mankind both as a mass, and one by one after her, so that scarce any escape. The adultery of the soul from God is the more grieveus, the nearer God has brought any to Himself, in priests worse than in the people, in Christians than in Jews, in Jews than in pagan; yet God espoused mankind to Him when He made him. His dowry were gifts of nature. If this be adultery, how much sorer, when betrothed by the Blood of Christ, and endowed with the gift of the Spirit!

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
The whoredom - The idolatries, which were multiplied by the many people that served the Assyrian idols. And whoredoms literally understood, did undoubtedly abound, where wealth, luxury, ease, and long continuance of these were to be found. Well - favoured - Glorious in their state and government, and in the splendor of their idols, temples, and sacrifices. Of witchcrafts - Bewitching policies; or it may be taken for witchcrafts or necromances, which abounded among the Assyrians. That selleth - That dispose of them as imperiously, and absolutely as men do slaves. And families - This may intimate the seducing of some particular and eminent families to an hereditary service of the Assyrian idols, or to witchcrafts, in which the devil imitated God's institution, in taking a family to his service.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Because of the multitude of the whoredoms - Above, the Ninevites were represented under the emblem of a lion tearing all to pieces; here they are represented under the emblem of a beautiful harlot or public prostitute, enticing all men to her, inducing the nations to become idolatrous, and, by thus perverting them, rendering them also objects of the Divine wrath. Mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms - Using every means to excite to idolatry; and being, by menace or wiles, successful in all.

Top

⁶ The children [01121] also of Judah [03063] and the children [01121] of Jerusalem [03389] have ye sold [04376] unto the Grecians [03125] [01121], that ye might remove them far [07368] from their border [01366].
⁷ Behold, I will raise [05782] them out of the place [04725] whither ye have sold [04376] them, and will return [07725] your recompence [01576] upon your own head [07218]:
⁸ And I will sell [04376] your sons [01121] and your daughters [01323] into the hand [03027] of the children [01121] of Judah [03063], and they shall sell [04376] them to the Sabeans [07615], to a people [01471] far off [07350]: for the LORD [03068] hath spoken [01696] it.

² I will also gather [06908] all nations [01471], and will bring them down [03381] into the valley [06010] of Jehoshaphat [03092], and will plead [08199] with them there for my people [05971] and for my heritage [05159] Israel [03478], whom they have scattered [06340] among the nations [01471], and parted [02505] my land [0776].
³ And they have cast [03032] lots [01486] for my people [05971]; and have given [05414] a boy [03206] for an harlot [02181], and sold [04376] a girl [03207] for wine [03196], that they might drink [08354].

¹² Stand [05975] now with thine enchantments [02267], and with the multitude [07230] of thy sorceries [03785], wherein [0834] thou hast laboured [03021] from thy youth [05271]; if so be thou shalt be able [03201] to profit [03276], if so be thou mayest prevail [06206].

⁹ But these two [08147] things shall come [0935] to thee in a moment [07281] in one [0259] day [03117], the loss of children [07908], and widowhood [0489]: they shall come [0935] upon thee in their perfection [08537] for the multitude [07230] of thy sorceries [03785], and for the great [03966] abundance [06109] of thine enchantments [02267].

² And [2532] he cried [2896] mightily [2479] with [1722] a strong [3173] voice [5456], saying [3004], Babylon [897] the great [3173] is fallen [4098], is fallen [4098], and [2532] is become [1096] the habitation [2732] of devils [1142], and [2532] the hold [5438] of every [3956] foul [169] spirit [4151], and [2532] a cage [5438] of every [3956] unclean [169] and [2532] hateful [3404] bird [3732].
³ For [3754] all [3956] nations [1484] have drunk [4095] of [1537] the wine [3631] of the wrath [2372] of her [846] fornication [4202], and [2532] the kings [935] of the earth [1093] have committed fornication [4203] with [3326] her [846], and [2532] the merchants [1713] of the earth [1093] are waxed rich [4147] through [1537] the abundance [1411] of her [846] delicacies [4764].

⁷ So Ahaz [0271] sent [07971] messengers [04397] to Tiglathpileser [08407] king [04428] of Assyria [0804], saying [0559], I am thy servant [05650] and thy son [01121]: come up [05927], and save [03467] me out of the hand [03709] of the king [04428] of Syria [0758], and out of the hand [03709] of the king [04428] of Israel [03478], which rise up [06965] against me.
⁸ And Ahaz [0271] took [03947] the silver [03701] and gold [02091] that was found [04672] in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and in the treasures [0214] of the king's [04428] house [01004], and sent [07971] it for a present [07810] to the king [04428] of Assyria [0804].
⁹ And the king [04428] of Assyria [0804] hearkened [08085] unto him: for the king [04428] of Assyria [0804] went up [05927] against Damascus [01834], and took [08610] it, and carried the people of it captive [01540] to Kir [07024], and slew [04191] Rezin [07526].
¹⁰ And king [04428] Ahaz [0271] went [03212] to Damascus [01834] to meet [07125] Tiglathpileser [08407] king [04428] of Assyria [0804], and saw [07200] an altar [04196] that was at Damascus [01834]: and king [04428] Ahaz [0271] sent [07971] to Urijah [0223] the priest [03548] the fashion [01823] of the altar [04196], and the pattern [08403] of it, according to all the workmanship [04639] thereof.

³ And they have cast [03032] lots [01486] for my people [05971]; and have given [05414] a boy [03206] for an harlot [02181], and sold [04376] a girl [03207] for wine [03196], that they might drink [08354].

¹⁶ Hearken [08085] not to Hezekiah [02396]: for thus saith [0559] the king [04428] of Assyria [0804], Make [06213] an agreement with me by a present [01293], and come out [03318] to me: and eat [0398] ye every one [0376] of his vine [01612], and every one [0376] of his fig tree [08384], and drink [08354] ye every one [0376] the waters [04325] of his own cistern [0953];
¹⁷ Until I come [0935] and take you away [03947] to a land [0776] like your own land [0776], a land [0776] of corn [01715] and wine [08492], a land [0776] of bread [03899] and vineyards [03754].

²⁰ And Tilgathpilneser [08407] king [04428] of Assyria [0804] came [0935] unto him, and distressed [06696] him, but strengthened [02388] him not.
²¹ For Ahaz [0271] took away a portion [02505] out of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and out of the house [01004] of the king [04428], and of the princes [08269], and gave [05414] it unto the king [04428] of Assyria [0804]: but he helped [05833] him not.

²² And it came to pass, when Joram [03088] saw [07200] Jehu [03058], that he said [0559], Is it peace [07965], Jehu [03058]? And he answered [0559], What peace [07965], so long as [05704] the whoredoms [02183] of thy mother [0517] Jezebel [0348] and her witchcrafts [03785] are so many [07227]?