Nahum 3:6

Authorized King James Version

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And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.

Original Language Analysis

וְהִשְׁלַכְתִּ֥י And I will cast H7993
וְהִשְׁלַכְתִּ֥י And I will cast
Strong's: H7993
Word #: 1 of 6
to throw out, down or away (literally or figuratively)
עָלַ֛יִךְ H5921
עָלַ֛יִךְ
Strong's: H5921
Word #: 2 of 6
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
שִׁקֻּצִ֖ים abominable filth H8251
שִׁקֻּצִ֖ים abominable filth
Strong's: H8251
Word #: 3 of 6
disgusting, i.e., filthy; especially idolatrous or (concretely) an idol
וְנִבַּלְתִּ֑יךְ upon thee and make thee vile H5034
וְנִבַּלְתִּ֑יךְ upon thee and make thee vile
Strong's: H5034
Word #: 4 of 6
to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail, faint
וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ and will set H7760
וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ and will set
Strong's: H7760
Word #: 5 of 6
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
כְּרֹֽאִי׃ thee as a gazingstock H7210
כְּרֹֽאִי׃ thee as a gazingstock
Strong's: H7210
Word #: 6 of 6
sight, whether abstractly (vision) or concretely (a spectacle)

Analysis & Commentary

And I will cast abominable filth upon thee (vehishlakalti aleyka shiqqutim, וְהִשְׁלַכְתִּי עָלַיִךְ שִׁקֻּצִים)—God threatens to hurl (shalak, שָׁלַךְ) disgusting things (shiqqutim, שִׁקֻּצִים) upon Nineveh. The term shiqqutim often refers to idols or abominations but here likely means literal filth, excrement, or refuse. This was ancient punishment for prostitutes—pelting them with dung and garbage to humiliate publicly.

And make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock (venibbaltikha vesamtik kero'i)—God will treat Nineveh as vile/contemptible (nabal, נָבַל) and make it a spectacle (ro'i, רֹאִי), something people stare at in shock and disgust. The city that commanded fear and respect will become an object of contempt and morbid curiosity. This complete reversal—from terror-inspiring empire to despised spectacle—demonstrates the totality of divine judgment. Nineveh's humiliation would be as complete as its former pride was great.

Historical Context

Ancient honor-shame cultures considered public humiliation worse than death. The imagery of casting filth resonated powerfully—it was actual punishment for sexual immorality and a metaphor for utter disgrace. Nineveh, which had humiliated conquered peoples by parading captives, desecrating temples, and destroying national symbols, would itself be utterly humiliated. When the city fell in 612 BC, it became exactly what Nahum prophesied—a spectacle of destruction that shocked the ancient world. Nations came to gawk at the ruins of the once-mighty empire. For over 2,000 years, Nineveh's buried ruins were a 'gazingstock' testifying to divine judgment, until archaeological excavations in the 1800s revealed the city's former glory and catastrophic end.

Questions for Reflection