Nahum 1:10
For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.
Original Language Analysis
כִּ֚י
H3588
כִּ֚י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
1 of 10
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
עַד
H5704
עַד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
2 of 10
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
סִירִ֣ים
as thorns
H5518
סִירִ֣ים
as thorns
Strong's:
H5518
Word #:
3 of 10
a thorn (as springing up rapidly); by implication, a hook
וּכְסָבְאָ֖ם
as drunkards
H5435
וּכְסָבְאָ֖ם
as drunkards
Strong's:
H5435
Word #:
5 of 10
potation, concretely (wine), or abstractly (carousal)
סְבוּאִ֑ים
and while they are drunken
H5433
סְבוּאִ֑ים
and while they are drunken
Strong's:
H5433
Word #:
6 of 10
to quaff to satiety, i.e., become tipsy
Cross References
Micah 7:4The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.Isaiah 5:24Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.Isaiah 9:18For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.Nahum 3:11Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.Malachi 4:1For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.Jeremiah 51:57And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
Historical Context
Assyrian military might was legendary—disciplined armies, advanced siege weapons, brutal tactics that terrorized enemies into submission. Yet Nahum prophesies total defeat. Historical accounts describe chaos during Nineveh's final siege: demoralized defenders, failed counterattacks, and ultimately catastrophic defeat. The Babylonian Chronicle records the city's burning. Excavations reveal destruction by fire throughout Nineveh's ruins. God used the Babylonian-Median coalition to fulfill His word—the thorns and stubble imagery proved literally accurate. The mighty fell swiftly and completely.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the imagery of entangled thorns and drunk defenders illustrate false confidence based on apparent strength?
- What modern 'thorns' and 'stubble'—sources of false security—might appear strong but are actually vulnerable to God's judgment?
- How does this prophecy encourage believers facing seemingly overwhelming opposition—what appears invincible to us is utterly vulnerable before God?
Analysis & Commentary
For while they be folden together as thorns (ki ad-sirim sevukim, כִּי עַד־סִירִים סְבֻכִים). Sirim (סִירִים, "thorns") and sevukim (סְבֻכִים, "entangled/interwoven") create an image of dense, twisted thornbushes—impossible to penetrate but easily burned. This may describe Nineveh's defenders packed tightly together in formation, seeming formidable but actually vulnerable. Thorns appear strong when intertwined but provide poor defense against fire.
And while they are drunken as drunkards (uchesovam sevuim, וּכְסָבְאָם סְבוּאִים). Sava (סָבָא, "drunkard") describes complete intoxication—impaired judgment, reduced coordination, false confidence. Whether literal (Assyrian defenders drunk during the siege) or metaphorical (spiritually/morally intoxicated by pride and power), drunkenness indicates vulnerability masquerading as strength. The drunk feel invincible but are easily overcome.
They shall be devoured as stubble fully dry (ukhullu qash male yovalu, אֻכְּלוּ כְּקַשׁ מָלֵא יָבֵשׁ). Qash (קַשׁ, "stubble") is dried crop remnants after harvest—completely dry, instantly flammable. Male yavesh ("fully dry") emphasizes extreme flammability. The image is devastating: Nineveh's mighty armies, despite appearing strong (entangled thorns, numerous drunkards), will be consumed as quickly and completely as fire burns dry stubble. Ancient historians record that Nineveh was indeed burned during its conquest—palaces, temples, and buildings set ablaze. Archaeological evidence confirms massive fire destruction layers.