Nahum 2:7 - Exposition

And Huzzab. The Anglican rendering (which has the authority of the Jewish commentators, and is endorsed by Ewald and Ruckert) takes Huzzab as an appellative, either the name of the Queen of Nineveh, or a symbolical name for Nineveh itself, as Sheshach, Peked, and Merathaim were for Babylon (see Jeremiah 25:26 : 1:21; Jeremiah 51:41 ; Ezekiel 23:23 ), which was formed or adopted by Nahum for the purpose of describing its character. Huzzab may mean "established," "act firm" ( Genesis 28:12 ), and confident in its strength; pual from natsab, " to set," "to fix" (Wordsworth). We may dismiss the idea that Huzzab is the name of the queen. Such a personage is unknown to history; and there is no reason why she should be mentioned rather than the king; and persona are not introduced by name in prophecy except for some very special reason, as Cyrus ( Isaiah 44:28 ). The alternative rendering, "it is decreed," adopted by Keil, Pusey, and many modern commentators, is unexampled, and comes in baldly, and not at all according to the prophet's manner. Henderson joins the clause with the proceiling, thus: "The palace is dissolved, though firmly established." The Septuagint gives, ἡ ὑπόστασις ἀπεκαλύφθη , "The hidden treasures are revealed," or, "The foundation is exposed;" Vulgate, Miles captivus abductus est. It seems best to take Huzzab as an appellative representing either Nineveh or Assyria, as the country between the Upper and Lower Zab (Rawlinson, in 'Dictionary of the Bible'), or as meaning "firm," "bold." Thus Egypt is called Rahab, "arrogant" ( Isaiah 30:7 ); the King of Assyria, Jareb, "contentious" ( Hosea 5:13 ); Jerusalem, Ariel , "God's lion" ( Isaiah 29:1 ). Shall be led away captive; better, is laid bare . She, the queen of nations, is stripped of her adornments and igno miniously treated. She shall be brought up. She is carried away into captivity. "Brought up" may mean brought up to judgment, as Nahum 3:5 ; Isaiah 47:2 , Isaiah 47:3 (Pusey). Her maids shall lead her; rather, her handmaids moan. The inhabitants of Nineveh, personified as a queen, or the lesser cities of her empire, follow their mistress mourning. As with the voice of doves (comp. Isaiah 38:14 ; Isaiah 59:11 ; Ezekiel 7:16 ), They shall not only show the outward tokens of sorrow, but shall mourn inwardly in their hearts, as the LXX . renders the whole clause, καθὼς περιστεραὶ φθεγγόμενει ἐν καρδίαις αὐτῶν "as down moaning in their hearts." Tabering ; beating on a tabret. (For smiting the breast in token of sorrow, setup. Luke 18:13 ; Luke 23:48 ; Homer, 'Il.,' 18.31, χεροὶ δὲ πἄσαι στήθεα πεπλήψοντο .)