See in Reader
1.9 KiB
See, I am against you
Here Yahweh begins to speak.
See
"Look" or "Listen." This word adds emphasis to what is said next. AT: "Pay attention to what I am about to tell you"
the sword will devour your young lions
Here the word "sword" is a metonym for soldiers who attack with swords and is spoken of as if it were a person who eats its victims. Nahum also continues to speak to the people of Nineveh as if they were lions. AT: "attackers will kill your people with swords" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
I will cut off your prey from your land
Yahweh speaks of the people of Nineveh as if they were lions who preyed upon the nations. Possible meanings are 1) the word "prey" is a metonym for the things that they have taken from those upon whom they preyed, and Yahweh speaks of taking those things away from them as if it were cutting off their prey. AT: "I will take away from your land all the things that you took from others" or 2) Yahweh speaks of the nations whom the people of Nineveh had plundered as if they were Nineveh's prey, and preventing Nineveh from plundering any more nations as if he were cutting off their prey. AT: "I will stop you from preying upon any other nation" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
the voices of your messengers will be heard no more
This likely refers to the messengers that the Assyrians sent out to other nations to demand surrender or payment of tribute. This can be stated in active form. AT: "no one will ever hear the voices of your messengers again" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive)