Nahum 2:8
New International Version
Nineveh is like a pool whose water is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.

New Living Translation
Nineveh is like a leaking water reservoir! The people are slipping away. “Stop, stop!” someone shouts, but no one even looks back.

English Standard Version
Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry, but none turns back.

Berean Standard Bible
Nineveh has been like a pool of water throughout her days, but now it is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.

King James Bible
But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.

New King James Version
Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, Now they flee away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry; But no one turns back.

New American Standard Bible
Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Yet they are fleeing; “Stop, stop,” But no one turns back.

NASB 1995
Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing; “Stop, stop,” But no one turns back.

NASB 1977
Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing; “Stop, stop,” But no one turns back.

Legacy Standard Bible
Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing; “Stand! Stand!” But no one turns back.

Amplified Bible
Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now her inhabitants are fleeing; “Stop! Stop!” [a few cry,] But no one turns back.

Christian Standard Bible
Nineveh has been like a pool of water from her first days, but they are fleeing. “Stop! Stop! ” they cry, but no one turns back.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Nineveh has been like a pool of water from her first days, but they are fleeing.” Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.”

American Standard Version
But Nineveh hath been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away. Stand, stand, they cry; but none looketh back.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Nineva is like a lake of waters and she is between the waters, and those men have fled. Stand! Stand! And there is none who returns

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And as for Nineve, her waters shall be as a pool of water: and they fled, and staid not, and there was none to look back.

Contemporary English Version
Nineveh is like a pond with leaking water. Shouts of "Stop! Don't go!" can be heard everywhere. But everyone is leaving.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And as for Ninive, her waters are like a great pool, but the men flee away. They cry: Stand, stand, but there is none that will return back.

English Revised Version
But Nineveh hath been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away; Stand, stand, they cry; but none looketh back.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Nineveh was like a pool of water from its first day on. But now its people are fleeing. "Stop! Stop!" But no one turns around.

Good News Translation
Like water from a broken dam the people rush from Nineveh! "Stop! Stop!" the cry rings out--but no one turns back.

International Standard Version
Nineveh is a reservoir whose water is draining away. "Wait! Wait!" they cry, yet not even one person looks back.

JPS Tanakh 1917
But Nineveh hath been from of old like a pool of water; Yet they flee away; 'Stand, stand'; But none looketh back.

Literal Standard Version
And Nineveh [is] as a pool of waters, | From of old it [is]—and they are fleeing! “Stand, stand”; and none is turning!

Majority Standard Bible
Nineveh has been like a pool of water throughout her days, but now it is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.

New American Bible
Nineveh is like a pool whose waters escape; “Stop! Stop!” but none turns back.

NET Bible
Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, but now her people are running away; she cries out: "Stop! Stop!"--but no one turns back.

New Revised Standard Version
Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. “Halt! Halt!”— but no one turns back.

New Heart English Bible
But Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water, yet they flee away. "Stop. Stop." they cry, but no one looks back.

Webster's Bible Translation
But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.

World English Bible
But Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water, yet they flee away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one looks back.

Young's Literal Translation
And Nineveh is as a pool of waters, From of old it is -- and they are fleeing! 'Stand ye, stand;' and none is turning!

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Overthrow of Nineveh
7It is decreed that the city be exiled and carried away; her maidservants moan like doves, and beat upon their breasts. 8Nineveh has been like a pool of water throughout her days, but now it is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back. 9“Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!” There is no end to the treasure, an abundance of every precious thing.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 46:5
Why am I seeing this? They are terrified, they are retreating; their warriors are defeated, they flee in haste without looking back; terror is on every side!" declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 47:3
at the sound of the galloping hooves of stallions, the rumbling of chariots, and the clatter of their wheels. The fathers will not turn back for their sons; their hands will hang limp.

Nahum 1:1
This is the burden against Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:


Treasury of Scripture

But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.

of old.

Genesis 10:11
Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

like.

Jeremiah 51:13
O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

Revelation 17:1,15
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: …

Stand.

Nahum 3:17
Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

Isaiah 13:14
And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

Isaiah 47:13
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

look back.

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Nahum 2
1. The fearful and victorious armies of God against Nineveh.














(8) We prefer to adopt the slight change of reading favoured by the LXX. (meymeyha for mimey hi, and to render, And Nineveh, like a pool of water are her waters, and they [her inhabitants] are fleeing away. The waters which formerly flowed in river-courses and dykes are now one vast expanse of inundation. A panic thereupon seizes the inhabitants. If the present text be maintained, the rendering of the Authorised Version will stand. We may then suppose the heterogeneous population of Nineveh to be compared to "countless drops, full, untroubled, with no ebb or flow, fenced in from the days that she hath been, yet even therefore stagnant and corrupted; not 'a fountain of living waters'" (Pusey). But this appears to us a farfetched comparison.

The pregnant terseness of the last part of the verse will give the English reader a good idea of Nahum's style and the difficulties therewith connected.

Verse 8. - The prophet compares the past and present condition of Nineveh. But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water; and (or, though) Nineveh hath been like a pool of water all her days. Others, altering the points in accordance with the Septuagint and Vulgate, translate, "But as for Nineveh, her waters are like a pool of water." This is what she has come to, for "her waters" represent herself. She is compared to a pool or reservoir (Nehemiah 2:15; Nehemiah 3:15) from the multitude of her inhabitants gathered from all parts of the world, and streaming unto her, both as tributary and for commercial purposes (comp. Jeremiah 51:13; Revelation 17:1, 15). Yet they shall flee away. In spite of their numbers, the multitudes represented by "the waters" fly before the enemy. In vain the captains cry, Stand, stand. They pay no attention. None shall look back. No one of the fugitives turns rounder gives a thought to anything but his own safety.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Nineveh
וְנִינְוֵ֥ה (wə·nî·nə·wêh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5210: Nineveh -- capital of Assyr

has been like a pool
כִבְרֵֽכַת־ (ḵiḇ·rê·ḵaṯ-)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1295: A pool, pond

of water
מַ֖יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

throughout
הִ֑יא (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

her days,
מִ֣ימֵי (mî·mê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

but now
וְהֵ֣מָּה (wə·hêm·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

it is draining away.
נָסִ֔ים (nā·sîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away

“Stop!
עִמְד֥וּ (‘im·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

Stop!” they cry,
עֲמֹ֖דוּ (‘ă·mō·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

but no
וְאֵ֥ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

one turns back.
מַפְנֶֽה׃ (map̄·neh)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look


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OT Prophets: Nahum 2:8 But Nineveh has been from of old (Nah. Na)
Nahum 2:7
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