Nahum 3:9
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Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Nineveh's Sins and Inevitable Destruction - Nahum 3 The announcement of the destruction awaiting Nineveh is confirmed by the proof, that this imperial city has brought this fate upon itself by its sins and crimes (Nah 3:1-7), and will no more be able to avert it than the Egyptian No-amon was (Nah 3:8-13), but that, in spite of all its resources, it will be brought to a terrible end (Nah 3:14-19).
Open source ↗This chapter goes on with the burden of Nineveh, and concludes it. I. The sins of that great city are charged upon it, murder (Nah 3:1), whoredom and witchcraft (Nah 3:4), and a general extent of wickedness (Nah 3:19). II. Judgments are here threatened against it, blood for blood (Nah 3:2, Nah 3:3), and shame for shameful sins (Nah 3:5-7). III. Instances are given of the like desolations brought upon other places for the like sins (Nah 3:8-11). IV. The overthrow of all those things which they depended upon, and put confidence in, is foretold (Nah 3:12-19).
Open source ↗3:9-10 Thebes fell to the Assyrians under King Ashurbanipal in 663 BC. Before Ashurbanipal’s victory, Thebes had seemed to have unconquerable defenses, as well as the help of all Egypt and its allies: Ethiopia, Put (perhaps the fabled land of Punt, located near what is now coastal Somalia), and Libya. None of these, however, had effectively protected Thebes. • babies were dashed to death: Ancient conquerors had the heinous practice of exterminating the infants of their enemies in this way (2 Kgs 8:12; Ps 137:9; Isa 13:16, 18). • Soldiers threw dice for the spoils of war, while the leaders of the conquered people were bound in chains (see 2 Kgs 25:7; Jer 40:1, 4; Joel 3:3; Obad 1:11).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put served as warriors in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls; they gave you splendor.
Cush, Put, and Lud, and all the various peoples, as well as Libya and the men of the covenant land, will fall with Egypt by the sword.
with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and countless troops who came with him out of Egypt—Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.
Persia, Cush, and Put will accompany them, all with shields and helmets,
Advance, O horses! Race furiously, O chariots! Let the warriors come forth— Cush and Put carrying their shields, men of Lydia drawing the bow.
The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed.
The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.