Nahum 3:14
Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Ancient siege warfare was war of attrition. Cities needed vast water reserves, strong walls, and ability to manufacture building materials for repairs. Nineveh had sophisticated defenses and supply systems. Yet Nahum prophesies all preparations will prove useless. In 612 BC, despite three years of preparation and three months of resistance, Nineveh fell. The Babylonian Chronicle records the siege and conquest. All the water storage, wall reinforcement, and defensive preparation couldn't prevent God's decreed judgment. The irony proved accurate—Nineveh did everything humanly possible to defend itself, yet fell completely. This demonstrates divine sovereignty: when God purposes to judge, no human effort prevents it.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the ironic command to prepare defenses that will fail teach about the limits of human effort when opposed to divine purposes?
- How should believers understand the relationship between human responsibility (proper preparation) and divine sovereignty (ultimate outcomes)?
- In what ways do people today similarly engage in futile 'preparation' and 'fortification' against consequences that God has decreed for unrepented sin?
Analysis & Commentary
Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds (mei matzor shi'avi-lak chazzeqi mibtzerayik)—Nahum ironically commands Nineveh to prepare for siege: draw (sha'av, שָׁאַב) water for siege (matzor, מָצוֹר) and strengthen (chazaq, חָזַק) fortifications (mivtzar, מִבְצָר). Sieges required massive water storage since supply lines would be cut. Fortifications needed reinforcement against assault.
Go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln (bo'i vatit verimsi bachomer chazqi malben)—go into clay (tit, טִיט), trample mortar (chomer, חֹמֶר), strengthen the brick-mold (malben, מַלְבֵּן). This describes manufacturing bricks to repair walls—the complete cycle of defensive preparation. But the commands are deeply ironic: do everything possible to defend yourself—it won't help. When God decrees judgment, no human preparation avails. This echoes 2:1 where similar ironic commands appear. The repetition emphasizes futility: prepare all you want; you will still fall.