Introduction: Nachum's Prophecy on the Downfall of Assyria
Chapter 2 of Nachum presents a detailed description of the downfall of Assyria and the destruction of Nineveh. As we saw in the previous chapter, the king of Assyria was a cruel monarch who sought to wage war against Babylon. Rebels arose within his kingdom, and at first he succeeded in subduing them. However, an external army arrived - the Bactrians - who were supposed to come to his aid, but the Babylonians managed to bribe them and win their favor. Thus, the very force meant to assist the king of Assyria turned into an ally of his enemies, and together with the internal rebels, Babylon conquered Assyria.
The king was Sardanapalus, a wicked, tyrannical, and corrupt ruler. When he saw that he was being conquered, he set his palace on fire and burned himself along with his wives, children, and servants, choosing to die by suicide. Furthermore, we saw that he had received a forewarning: the astrologers, soothsayers, and diviners had told him that when he saw the Tigris River acting against him, he would know that his end had arrived. Indeed, shortly before the conquest, the Tigris overflowed its banks, washed over the city wall, and collapsed part of it. At that moment, Sardanapalus realized that the end was near and took his own life.
Verse 1: Tidings of Peace for Judah
הִנֵּה עַל־הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם, חׇגִּי יְהוּדָה חַגַּיִךְ שַׁלְּמִי נְדָרָיִךְ, כִּי לֹא יוֹסִיף עוֹד לַעֲבׇר־בָּךְ בְּלִיַּעַל כֻּלֹּה נִכְרָת. - "Behold, upon the mountains are the feet of the herald announcing peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, fulfill your vows, for the wicked one will never again pass through you; he is utterly cut off."
The king of Assyria sought to subjugate Judah. As we have seen, Chizkiyahu and his people were shut up behind walls, gates, and bars, until the Holy One, blessed be He, struck Sancheriv's camp and slew one hundred and eighty-five thousand army commanders. They had lived in dread of him, and now the glad tidings come to them: upon the mountains are the feet of the herald announcing peace. Judah, celebrate your festivals - you can now celebrate your festivals once again.
Throughout this chapter, the Malbim considers two chronological possibilities and explains according to both. According to the view that these events occurred in the days of Menashe, Scripture recounts that the army commanders of the king of Assyria captured Menashe with hooks and brought him to Babylon, and "Menashe entreated Hashem, and He restored him to his kingdom." Chazal describe that they placed him inside a copper cauldron and lit a fire beneath him; he cried out to Hashem, and the Holy One, blessed be He, brought a whirlwind that took him out and returned him to Jerusalem, whereupon he repented. Although his repentance was not complete, he nevertheless repented.
It is to this era that the prophet refers here. Menashe had been captured by Belesis, the Babylonian general who was subject to the king of Assyria. Later, when the Babylonian general rebelled against Sardanapalus king of Assyria, he restored Menashe to his throne. At that point, Menashe made vows to serve Hashem, blessed be He, and about this Psalm 66 was established: "I will pay You my vows, which my lips have uttered." Then heralds went out to the mountains of Judah and proclaimed peace: you no longer have anything to fear from those who besiege you, for Menashe is returning to his kingdom. Celebrate your festivals, the altar has been rebuilt, begin to serve Hashem, and fulfill the vows you made during your time of distress.
"For the wicked one will never again pass through you; he is utterly cut off" - you no longer have any reason to fear the king of Assyria, who is called "the wicked one," a counselor of wickedness. "He is utterly cut off" - he and his household, and his sons as well, have fled and will never return.
Rashi and Radak explain that these words refer to Sancheriv. Both commentaries identify him as the king of Assyria, and the disagreement is only regarding the timeline: according to Rashi, it refers to Sancheriv who came in the days of Chizkiyahu, whereas according to the Malbim, it refers to the king who came in the days of Chizkiyahu's son, Menashe. According to Rashi and Radak, "the wicked one will never again pass through you; he is utterly cut off" is interpreted to mean that his sons also fled. This aligns with their approach: one hundred and eighty-five thousand army commanders died at the gates of Jerusalem, his sons fled and later killed their father, and ultimately those sons died as well - "he is utterly cut off."
Verse 2: The Scatterer Under Siege
עָלָה מֵפִיץ עַל־פָּנַיִךְ נָצוֹר מְצוּרָה, צַפֵּה־דֶרֶךְ חַזֵּק מׇתְנַיִם אַמֵּץ כֹּחַ מְאֹד. - "The scatterer has come up against you; guard the rampart, watch the way, strengthen your loins, fortify your power exceedingly."
"The scatterer has come up before your face" - the scatterer has already come up. Who is the scatterer? This is the king of Assyria, who scattered Israel into exile, or, if we place this in an earlier era, who wanted to scatter Israel into exile. But now, "guard the fortress" - his own army commanders who rebelled against him are besieging him, and he himself is under siege.
"Watch the road" - stand and watch the crossroads. In those days, people would stand at the crossroads and hear news from passersby; that was the news hub. In this way, Leah stood at the crossroads to hear what people were saying about her intended groom, that "prize" Esau, and heard them saying, "The elder daughter for the elder son, and the younger daughter for the younger son." As a result, she wept and merited to become the portion of Yaakov. Here too: watch the road to hear the good tidings of his downfall, and through this, "strengthen your loins, fortify your power greatly" - take courage, for you are destined to hear good tidings.
And what is the difference between chazak (strengthen) and ametz (fortify)? The Malbim explains that chizuk refers to strength itself, whereas imutz is the endurance and constancy of strength in the heart - a courageous heart, constant inner fortitude. And that is "fortify your power greatly."
Verse 3: The Restoration of Yaakov's Pride
כִּי שָׁב יְהֹוָה אֶת־גְּאוֹן יַעֲקֹב כִּגְאוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי בְקָקוּם בֹּקְקִים וּזְמֹרֵיהֶם שִׁחֵתוּ. - For Hashem has returned the pride of Yaakov like the pride of Yisrael, for plunderers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches.
"For Hashem has returned the pride of Yaakov" - even the Ten Tribes who were in exile under Assyria, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them permission to return, and their pride will be like the pride of Yisrael. The Malbim always explains that these names indicate two levels: "Yaakov" relates to eikev (heel), a lowly place, while "Yisrael" denotes authority and an elevated standing. Within the Jewish people there were two parts: the Ten Tribes, who followed an evil path ever since the days of Yarov'am ben Nevat, and they are called "Yaakov," the lower part; whereas Yehudah and Binyamin are called "Yisrael," who went into exile later and ultimately also returned, and our existence today derives from them, while the Ten Tribes were completely lost to us. This, then, is the meaning: Hashem brought back the Ten Tribes to return, and their pride will be like the pride of Yisrael - meaning Yehudah - who were not under the hand of the king of Assyria. According to this, "ki shav" is an expression of return - they will return to their land.
Radak brings this interpretation as well, and adds an explanation in the name of Rabbi Yehudah that "and returned the pride of Yaakov" is an expression of tranquility and respite, meaning He granted respite to Yaakov and they will have rest.
"For plunderers have emptied them out" - the word bokeik (emptying) always appears in the context of stripping a vine, like a vine stripped of its fruit. And not only that, but "and ruined their vine branches" - they destroyed the very branches of the vine itself. The metaphor: not only did they plunder Israel's wealth, which is comparable to picking the fruit - "plunderers have emptied them out," the pillagers looted their property - but they also exiled them from their land. That is "and ruined their vine branches": they took their land, and consequently the vine can no longer bear branches or produce fruit. The Malbim adds that even if we say this refers to an earlier period, we can say that already back then the king of Assyria began to reach out his hand against the Ten Tribes; and although this is not explicitly stated in the biblical text, it did not happen on a large and absolute scale, which is why it was not explicitly recorded in Scripture.
Verse 4: The Description of Assyria's Might
מָגֵן גִּבֹּרֵיהוּ מְאׇדָּם, אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל מְתֻלָּעִים, בְּאֵשׁ־פְּלָדֹת הָרֶכֶב בְּיוֹם הֲכִינוֹ, וְהַבְּרֹשִׁים הׇרְעָלוּ. - The shield of his mighty men is reddened, the valiant men are dressed in scarlet; the chariots are with fiery steel on the day of his preparation, and the cypress spears are shaken.
Here the prophet begins to describe in detail the first destruction of Nineveh. At first, King Sardanapalus relied upon his mighty warriors, for they had won in battle, successfully routing the rebels and overpowering Babylon. "The shield of his mighty men is reddened" - the shield of the warriors is stained red with the blood of the defeated; meaning: we won the battle, we spilled blood, and we have the upper hand.
"The valiant men are dressed in scarlet" - tola is a type of worm from whose blood a crimson dye was extracted, which was used to color garments. The valiant men wore garments dyed scarlet, signifying slaughter and blood. Radak explains that it is a mark of their greatness and great dignity, for scarlet garments were considered garments of honor; and another explanation is that this vibrant color casts terror upon people, frightening anyone who sees them, which is why they wore such clothing.
"The chariots flash with fire on the day they are prepared" - the chariot is the vehicle hitched to horses and taken out to battle. They would work the iron with fire and torches, and when they wished to polish it, they would pass it once again under fiery torches to renew it. "Peladot" (steel/flashing iron) is related to "lapidot" (torches). According to the Malbim, the verse means: they placed the chariot in fire that burned away impurities and renewed it so that it gleamed, as if it had been prepared on this very day.
The Radak explains differently: The chariots galloped behind the horses, and their wheels had metal rims. As they raced along the roads over stones, the friction between the stones and the iron struck sparks, making it appear as though fire was issuing from the wheel rims - "with fire of steel," like the fire of torches.
"And the cypress spears were poisoned" - the Malbim explains that the spears made of cypress wood were smeared with poison, so that any blow would be fatal. They did this with arrows as well; whoever was struck by such an arrow had slim chances of survival. The Radak cites in the name of his father that "hor'alu" means trembled, for "tarelah" denotes trembling, and the cypresses here are an allegory for the ministers, dignitaries, and rulers of Ninveh, who were seized by trembling and began to shudder. Rashi follows a similar direction, based on Targum Yonatan, explaining that the cypresses are the prominent and great men of the city. However, he interprets "hor'alu" according to Targum Yonatan as "clad in colored garments" - a "sarbal" being a garment, meaning they were wrapped in colorful clothing. In this view, "hor'alu" derives from "re'alot" (veils or ornate cloaks), like women who go out veiled, as it is written in Yeshayahu, "the pendants, the bracelets, and the veils." Thus, these dignitaries were attired in splendid clothing.
Verse 5: Panic or Valor
בַּחוּצוֹת יִתְהוֹלְלוּ הָרֶכֶב, יִשְׁתַּקְשְׁקוּן בָּרְחֹבוֹת, מַרְאֵיהֶן כַּלַּפִּידִים, כַּבְּרָקִים יְרוֹצֵצוּ. - The chariots rage in the streets, they dash to and fro in the broad plazas; their appearance is like torches, they dart about like lightning.
In the following verses, the Radak and the Malbim differ on the general approach, and the verses can be interpreted either way. According to the Radak, the verse describes the panic of Assyria, whereas according to the Malbim, it describes its military prowess.
According to the Radak: "The chariots rage in the streets" - they could not venture outside the city to wage battle with their armies, so the charioteers dashed about frantically inside the city like madmen. "They dash to and fro in the broad plazas" - moving in panic through the city streets. The word *yishtakshakun* implies turmoil and confusion, like rattling or shaking, and its root derives from *shok* (leg), for when a panicked person walks, his legs knock against each other. "Their appearance is like torches" - their faces were red like torches, a sign of disgrace and shame, for anyone who is ashamed blushes red, just as it is said of the Babylonians at their downfall: "their faces are flames." Their faces were red with humiliation because they had no strength left to fight their enemies. "They dart about like lightning" - out of great panic, they raced through the streets, not knowing what to do or how to save themselves.
According to the Malbim, the verse initially describes the might of Assyria. "Chutzot" refers to the area behind the houses, where "the chariots rage" - the chariot riders rush back and forth. In front of the houses, meanwhile, "they gather," from the term *shuk* (market), for they assembled together as on a market day. "Their appearance is like torches" - just as a torch moves with great speed, so did Assyria ready its armies for battle.
Verse 6: The Stumbling Nobles and the Covering
יִזְכֹּר אַדִּירָיו, יִכָּשְׁלוּ בַּהֲלִיכָתָם, יְמַהֲרוּ חוֹמָתָהּ וְהֻכַן הַסֹּכֵךְ. - He summons his nobles, they stumble in their march; they hasten to its wall, and the covering is prepared.
According to the Radak's first interpretation, as well as the Malbim, this refers to the king of Assyria, the king of Ninveh. "He summons his nobles" - he remembers his nobles, appoints them, and commands them to go to the wall to fight. Yet do not think they will succeed in battle: "they stumble in their march" out of utter panic. "And the covering is prepared" - the enemy prepared the shelter against the wall in order to breach it.
And what was the covering? The Radak explains: "The covering (*sochech*) is a shelter of wooden boards overlaid with animal hides. When the warriors approach the city, they enter beneath it until they reach the wall, and they tunnel beneath the wall; it protects them from the stones cast down from atop the wall." For when an army wished to conquer a walled city, they had to reach the wall and batter it with an iron battering ram, or scale it to breach within. Yet this was nearly impossible, since the defenders held the high ground and hurled stones and catapult missiles at anyone who approached. Therefore, they would construct a large canopy out of planks and timber, carry it over themselves, and advance toward the wall under its protection. Then they could position a battering ram beneath it and strike, while the falling stones and arrows hit the shelter rather than them. To be sure, if the defenders threw fire down upon them it posed a serious threat, as it could burn the shelter over their heads, but against arrows and ballista stones, the shelter was effective.
The Malbim explains that this refers to the mighty warriors of the king of Assyria, those warriors he had summoned from Bactria - a vast region known in historical sources as the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. He eagerly awaited them and counted on them to assist him against the Babylonians, which is the meaning of "he remembers his nobles" - he remembers them and expects their arrival. "They stumble on their march" - along the way, the Babylonians intercepted and bribed them, and the rebels made a pact with them to defect and fight together against Sardanapalus. Thus, they stumbled through those who caused them to falter and enticed them to defect, and through this, all his warriors fell in battle. "They hurry to its wall" - they then shut themselves behind the city wall, "and the mantelet is prepared" - they prepared the fortress that would shield them from the enemy. That is, according to the Malbim, the protective shelter does not belong to the besieger, but is rather the stronghold established by Sardanapalus to protect himself.
Radak also interprets this as referring to the king of Babylon: "He remembers his nobles" - the king of Babylon is the mighty ruler, and his men advanced toward the wall to conquer it; in their haste, they stumbled on their march, and they set up the mantelet (siege shelter) to stand beneath it and undermine the wall.
Verse 7: The River Gates
שַׁעֲרֵי הַנְּהָרוֹת נִפְתָּחוּ וְהַהֵיכָל נָמוֹג. - The river gates are opened, and the palace melts away.
Rashi, as well as Radak, explain that this refers to the city gates that faced the river, for the city was surrounded by the Tigris River and had gates opening out toward it. "The river gates are opened" - the soldiers broke down the doors and entered through those gates. "And the palace melts away" - the palace where the king sat melted away, trembling and shaken by the impact of catapult stones hurled against it; Rashi notes that these were hurled stones called boma, meaning they shattered the palace with catapult stones. Radak explains that this resulted from the heavy blows struck against the gates, which broke the gates and sent reverberations into the palace. Targum Yonatan translates this as "the bridges of the rivers" - that the gate over the river refers to the bridge, which the enemy had to cross to reach the city; they succeeded in breaching the bridges and crossing over to fight the king of Assyria.
According to the Malbim, the entire verse depicts what we saw earlier: the astrologers of the king of Assyria had warned him, "Know that when the river swells, your downfall will begin; so we see in the stars." And indeed, the Tigris swelled and flooded the city. This is the meaning of "the river gates are opened" - according to this, it does not refer to city gates at all, but to the rivers themselves, which are as if confined behind sluice gates along their course, and now the gates burst open and the river overflowed its banks, flooding the city. "And the palace melts away" - those in the palace melted with fear, for the astrological prophecy was being fulfilled before their eyes, and now the river would submerge the city and deliver it into enemy hands.
Verse 8: The Death of the Queen and the Palace Women
וְהֻצַּב גֻּלְּתָה הֹעֲלָתָה, וְאַמְהֹתֶיהָ מְנַהֲגוֹת כְּקוֹל יוֹנִים מְתֹפְפֹת עַל־לִבְבֵהֶן. - And Hutzab is uncovered and led away, and her handmaidens moan like the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.
Once the king realized the end had come, he set fire to his palace along with his wives, servants, and children. This is the meaning of "vehutzav gullatah ho'alatah" - a pyre was prepared to burn the queen and all the concubines. "Gullatah" refers to the queen; the Malbim explains that just as the king was called "Tiglath-Pileser", where "Tiglath" is a royal title of honor, so too the queen was titled "Gullatah". Radak cites in the name of Rav Shmuel that the queen's personal name was "Hutzab".
We will follow the Malbim: "Hutzab" derives from covered litters (tzav), as in "in litters and upon mules", a magnificent covered carriage in which the queen was transported. "Vehutzav gullatah ho'alatah" - the queen's carriage with the queen inside was placed there and completely consumed by flames; "ho'alatah" has the meaning of being offered up in flames, consumed on a pyre, as it says later, "and I will burn her chariots in smoke." "And her handmaidens" - the maidservants were likewise consumed by fire. "Menahagot" - akin to moaning, from the root of hegeh (a mournful sound), for they moaned and cooed like doves; "beating upon their breasts" - striking their chests in boundless grief and anguish over the great conflagration and the consumption of the entire royal household on the pyre.
Verse 9: Nineveh Like a Pool of Water
וְנִינְוֵה כִבְרֵכַת־מַיִם מִימֵי הִיא, וְהֵמָּה נָסִים, עִמְדוּ עֲמֹדוּ וְאֵין מַפְנֶה. - And Nineveh has been like a pool of water from days of old, yet they flee: "Halt, halt!" but none turns back.
Radak explains this allegorically: from ancient days, Nineveh was full of abundance and all good things. Whenever abundance is expressed, it is often described with the imagery of a pool (berechah). We too, lehavdil, recite in the Leshem Yichud before the Shabbat Kiddush, "abundance from the supernal pool," which is also the root of the word berachah (blessing) - drawing down abundance from the supernal reservoir. In other words, Nineveh was brimming with bounty like a pool of water that overflows everywhere, like a reservoir where waters gather from rains or a spring. Yet from that glorious place - "and they flee"; now they flee the city as it is conquered, and when the enemies tell them, "Halt, halt!" no one even turns to look at who is calling them; everyone flees, and not a soul remains behind for a moment.
Malbim explains the verse according to its literal sense, based on what we explained earlier: the Tigris River overflowed its banks and flooded Nineveh, fulfilling the omen that had been prophesied to him. Regarding this, the prophet says, "from of old she was" - for this was the reality since antiquity, from the day of her existence, that the river flooded her from time to time. Malbim cites Abarbanel, who explains that Nineveh was always filled with water, and the residents had to build their houses on upper stories - a sort of ancient miniature Venice. If so, if flooding was normal there, why are they fleeing? Rather, as we explained: this time it was an omen, for when you see the Tigris rising and Nineveh flooded, know that the end has begun. Therefore, terror fell upon them, and everyone fled.
"Halt, halt!" - as Malbim prefaced, ancient chronicles record that the army conquering Nineveh proclaimed to the city's inhabitants: We have no grievance against you; we do not seek to enslave you, rule over you, or oppress you. Our war is solely against one man, the tyrannical and cruel king. Therefore they say to them, "Halt, halt! You have no reason to run; we have come only to humble the pride of the wicked Sardanapalus." They shout at them not to flee. Yet despite all this, "none turn back" - not a single person turns around to see who is calling to him; they flee with no one pursuing, running away even as the Babylonians do not chase them at all and have no quarrel with them.
Verse 10: The Plunder Left Untouched
בֹּזּוּ כֶסֶף בֹּזּוּ זָהָב, וְאֵין קֵצֶה לַתְּכוּנָה, כָּבֹד מִכֹּל כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה. - Plunder silver! Plunder gold! There is no end to the treasure, glorious above all precious vessels.
Malbim explains, based on ancient historical chronicles, that the victors - the Babylonians - did not seek to loot Nineveh or take its treasures, and they did not lay their hands on the spoil. The honor of victory and the humiliation of Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, were enough for them. Therefore, it is as though someone calls out to the conquerors: "Plunder silver, plunder gold! There are endless treasures here, why do you not take them? 'There is no end to the store (techunah)'" - techunah shares the root of huchan (prepared), meaning there was no limit to the treasures amassed and prepared there. But they reply: "'Glorious above all precious vessels' - honor means more to us than any precious vessel we might covet from here; the fact that we succeeded in subjugating them is more precious to us than seizing silver and gold."
Verse 11: Emptiness, Desolation, and Ruin
בּוּקָה וּמְבוּקָה וּמְבֻלָּקָה, וְלֵב נָמֵס וּפִק בִּרְכַּיִם, וְחַלְחָלָה בְּכׇל־מׇתְנַיִם, וּפְנֵי כֻלָּם קִבְּצוּ פָארוּר. - She is empty, despoiled, and laid waste; the heart melts, knees knock, trembling is in all loins, and the faces of all gather blackness.
Radak explains that this denotes emptiness, as in "an emptying vine (gefen bokek)" - a vine stripped bare. "Empty and despoiled (bukah u'mevukah)" is doubled for emphasis, indicating the immense void, and "mevulakah" denotes destruction and cutting off, that she will be drained of all good and cut down. Rashi interprets "mevulakah" as breached, meaning that her walls were broken through. "The heart melts" - the inhabitants' hearts will melt away. "Knees knock (pik birkayim)" - a faltering of the knees, for when one is terrified, his knees knock against each other from trembling, as in the phrase, "and his knees knocked together" (Daniel 5:6). "The faces of all gather blackness (kibtzu farur)" - their faces turn black as a pot, like the sooty rim and bottom of a cooking pot. In ancient times, pots were placed directly over hot coals and were made of iron rather than stainless steel, so their sides became deeply blackened. Thus, whenever our Sages sought to express extreme pallor or blackened sorrow, they said their faces became "as black as the rim of a pot."
Malbim describes the state of the city's inhabitants: the entire city was emptied, which is expressed by "empty and despoiled (bukah u'mevukah)." What does the prefixed letter mem add? It intensifies the degree of emptiness - bukah means empty, and mevukah indicates even greater emptiness, similar to shamah and meshammah (ruin and total devastation). And "mevulakah" represents complete destruction, where everything is ruined. The hearts of the city's inhabitants melted from sheer terror, "trembling is in all loins" from overwhelming grief and despair, and "knees knock" as they flee.
Verses 12-13: The Den of Lions
אַיֵּה מְעוֹן אֲרָיוֹת וּמִרְעֶה הוּא לַכְּפִרִים, אֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ אַרְיֵה לָבִיא שָׁם גּוּר אַרְיֵה וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד. - Where is the den of lions, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, the lioness, and the lion cub walked, with none to make them afraid?
Radak explains: The nations who witnessed the destruction of Nineveh say, "How could such a thing happen to a place that was a den of lions?" From it, men went out to war like predatory lions, threatening the entire world and bringing the prey back to Nineveh. It was a den for lions and a feeding ground for young lions, where the prey represented the plunder and spoils taken from everywhere and brought back, like a lion that goes out, tears its prey, and brings it back to its lair. "Where the lion and lioness walked, the lion cub, and none made them afraid" - even the lion cub was there without fear; the place was serene and quiet, while still possessing the might to go forth and tear prey from anywhere beyond its borders.
The Malbim explains that these words refer to the royal palace, which now lies ruined and desolate. The onlooker stands amazed at the terrible cruelty of Sardanapalus: How could he burn the royal palace down upon his wives, his children, his handmaidens, and his servants? How could he kill them so cruelly without pity? "Where is the den of lions?" - this is the royal house where the kings resided, the king being the mature lion. "And the feeding place of the young lions" - around the palace roved the young lions, the king's sons. "Where the lion and lioness walked" - there walked the lion and the lioness (the female lion, as found in Yechezkel, leviah); that is, the king and queen, whose dwelling was there. "The lion cub was there" - these are the young children of the royalty. "And none made them afraid" - there they were completely secure. According to Targum Yonatan: "for kings would go and leave their children there" - kings, due to their immense trust in the security of this place, would bring their sons and leave them in Nineveh, where there were evidently academies of learning and wisdom, and out of complete confidence in the site they entrusted their children there.
אַרְיֵה טֹרֵף בְּדֵי גֹרוֹתָיו, וּמְחַנֵּק לְלִבְאֹתָיו, וַיְמַלֵּא־טֶרֶף חֹרָיו וּמְעֹנֹתָיו טְרֵפָה. - The lion tore enough for his cubs, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with torn flesh.
According to Radak, the verse describes Nineveh in the days of its grandeur: "The lion tore enough for his cubs" - the lion would tear prey sufficient for its cubs. This continues the previous verse: that den of lions was a stronghold of warriors who would venture out to foreign lands, seize prey, and bring it back, with plenty of spoil for its offspring as well. "And strangled for his lionesses" - he would throttle the enemies to provide prey for the lionesses, the females. This is all an allegory for the king of Nineveh and his princes, who brought the plunder of all nations back to Nineveh.
The Malbim explains that this depicts Nineveh's state after the fall, and the sheer cruelty that took place there: The lion, King Sardanapalus, tears "the branches of his cubs" (badei gorotav) - killing his young children. "Badei" is related to boughs or branches (as in "its shoots and its branches"), as if the lion tears apart the branches and limbs of his cubs. How could a king proceed to burn the palace over his own children and wives? Furthermore, "and strangled for his lionesses" - he strangled his lionesses, his wives, for they died from the smoke, and smoke kills by asphyxiation. "And filled his holes with prey, and his dens with torn flesh" - his wives are called tereifah in the feminine, and his cubs teref in the masculine; the women dwelt in mansions and palaces, while the young cubs resided in smaller chambers, and he filled the holes with prey and the dens with torn flesh. Could such an atrocity be imagined? Has such a thing ever been heard?
Verse 14: Behold, I Am Against You
הִנְנִי אֵלַיִךְ נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת, וְהִבְעַרְתִּי בֶעָשָׁן רִכְבָּהּ, וּכְפִירַיִךְ תֹּאכַל חָרֶב, וְהִכְרַתִּי מֵאֶרֶץ טַרְפֵּךְ, וְלֹא־יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד קוֹל מַלְאָכֵכֵה. - Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of Hosts, and I will burn her chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; and I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard.
The Holy One, Blessed is He, declares: Behold, I am against you - I am setting Myself against you. "And I will burn her chariots in smoke" - I will consume your chariots in smoke. "And the sword shall devour your young lions" - your young lions, who are your mighty warriors, the sword shall devour them. "And I will cut off your prey from the earth" - I will eliminate from the earth the prey you were accustomed to seizing. "And the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard" - the voice of your emissaries, who used to come and terrorize the nations, will no longer be heard, like Rabshakeh sent by Sennacherib to intimidate Chizkiyahu.
In summary:
The chapter opens with tidings of peace for Yehudah - the harbinger stands upon the mountains, and Yehudah celebrates its festivals and fulfills its vows, for the wicked one shall never again pass through it. From there, the prophet proceeds to depict the downfall of Nineveh through all its stages: the scatterer who is himself besieged, the restoration of the pride of Yaakov like the pride of Yisrael, the initial prowess of the warriors of Ashur with their crimson shields and polished chariots, the stumble of the nobles who were intercepted on the way by the enemy, the river overflowing its banks in fulfillment of the prophecy made to the king, the palace set ablaze upon the queen, the maidservants, and the children by Sardanapalus himself, the flight of the city's inhabitants even as the conquerors urged them to stand firm, and the treasures left abandoned rather than plundered, because life itself was valued above all precious vessels. Finally, the den of lions - the royal court that was once a sanctuary of total security where none made them afraid - turned into a place where the lion tears his cubs and strangles his lionesses. Over this scene, the Lord of Hosts proclaims: Behold, I am against you; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard.