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Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Nahum 2:4

in the ways, and the chariots shall clash together, and shall be entangled in each other in the broad ways: their appearance is as lamps of fire, and as gleaming lightnings.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Chariot;   Lightning;   Thompson Chain Reference - Meteorology;   Streets;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Lamps;   Nineveh;  

Dictionaries:

- Fausset Bible Dictionary - Chariot;   City;   Elkosh;   Nahum (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Nahum;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Lightning;   Nahum;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Torch;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Nahum ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Assyria;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Na'hum;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Broad;   Chariot;   Justle;   Lightning;   Nahum, the Book of;   Torch;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Color;   Fir;   Metals;   Revelation (Book of);   Symbol;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The chariots dash madly through the streets;they rush around in the plazas.They look like torches;they dart back and forth like lightning.
Hebrew Names Version
The chariots rage in the streets. They rush back and forth in the broad ways. Their appearance is like torches. They run like the lightnings.
King James Version (1611)
The charets shall rage in the streets, they shall iustle one against another in the broad wayes: they shall seeme like torches, they shall runne like the lightnings.
King James Version
The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.
English Standard Version
The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches; they dart like lightning.
New American Standard Bible
The chariots drive wildly in the streets, They rush around in the public squares; Their appearance is like torches, They drive back and forth like lightning flashes.
New Century Version
The chariots race through the streets and rush back and forth through the city squares. They look like torches; they run like lightning.
Amplified Bible
The chariots race madly in the streets; They rush wildly in the broad plazas. Their appearance is like torches; They rush in various directions like forked lightning.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The charets shall rage in the streetes: they shall runne to and fro in the hie wayes: they shall seeme like lampes: they shall shoote like the lightning.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The chariots race madly in the streets, They rush wildly in the squares, Their appearance is like torches, They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.
Legacy Standard Bible
The chariots race madly in the streets;They rush wildly in the squares;Their appearance is like torches;They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.
Berean Standard Bible
The chariots dash through the streets; they rush around the plazas, appearing like torches, darting about like lightning.
Contemporary English Version
Their horses prance, and their armored chariots dart around like lightning or flaming torches.
Complete Jewish Bible
The shields of [Ninveh's] warriors are [dyed] red; the soldiers are wearing scarlet. The steel of the chariots flashes like fire as they prepare for battle. The cypress [spears] are poisoned.
Darby Translation
The chariots rush madly in the streets, they justle one against another in the broad ways: the appearance of them is like torches, they run like lightnings.
Easy-to-Read Version
The chariots race wildly through the streets and rush back and forth through the square. They look like burning torches, like lightning flashing from place to place!
George Lamsa Translation
In the streets they sing praises and glory in their chariots, their appearance is like torches; they run like lightning.
Good News Translation
Chariots dash wildly through the streets, rushing back and forth in the city squares. They flash like torches and dart about like lightning.
Lexham English Bible
The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush back and forth in the public squares. Their appearance like lightning bolts, they dart about like flashes of lightning.
Literal Translation
The chariots run madly in the streets; they shall rush to and fro in the plazas. Their appearance is like torches; they dart about like the lightnings.
American Standard Version
The chariots rage in the streets; they rush to and fro in the broad ways: the appearance of them is like torches; they run like the lightnings.
Bible in Basic English
The war-carriages are rushing through the streets, pushing against one another in the wide ways, looking like burning lights, running like thunder-flames.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet; the chariots are fire of steel in the day of his preparation, and the cypress spears are made to quiver.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The charrets shal rage in the streetes, they shall make a terrible noyse in the broade wayes, to loke to like [flaming] cressets, shooting as lightning.
English Revised Version
The chariots rage in the streets, they justle one against another in the broad ways: the appearance of them is like torches, they run like the lightnings.
World English Bible
The chariots rage in the streets. They rush back and forth in the broad ways. Their appearance is like torches. They run like the lightnings.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In weies thei ben troblid togidere, cartis of foure horsis ben hurtlid togidere in stretis; the siyte of hem as laumpis, as leitis rennynge aboute.
Update Bible Version
The chariots rage in the streets; they rush to and fro in the broad ways: the appearance of them is like torches; they run like the lightnings.
Webster's Bible Translation
The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.
New English Translation
The chariots race madly through the streets, they rush back and forth in the broad plazas; they look like lightning bolts, they dash here and there like flashes of lightning.
New King James Version
The chariots rage in the streets, They jostle one another in the broad roads; They seem like torches, They run like lightning.
New Living Translation
The chariots race recklessly along the streets and rush wildly through the squares. They flash like firelight and move as swiftly as lightning.
New Life Bible
The war-wagons race in the streets. They rush through the city. They look like fire and move like lightning.
New Revised Standard
The chariots race madly through the streets, they rush to and fro through the squares; their appearance is like torches, they dart like lightning.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
In the streets, madly go the chariots, they rush along in the broadways, - their appearance, is like torches, as lightnings, hither and thither do they run.
Douay-Rheims Bible
They are in confusion in the ways, the chariots jostle one against another in the streets: their looks are like torches, like lightning running to and fro.
Revised Standard Version
The chariots rage in the streets, they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches, they dart like lightning.
Young's Literal Translation
In out-places shine do the chariots, They go to and fro in broad places, Their appearances [are] like torches, As lightnings they run.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The charettes rolle vpon the stretes, & welter in the hye wayes. They are to loke vpon like cressettes of fyre, and go swyftly, as the lightenynge.

Contextual Overview

1 It is all over with him, he has been removed, one who has been delivered from affliction has come up panting into thy presence, watch the way, strengthen thy loins, be very valiant in thy strength. 2 For the Lord has turned aside the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel: for they have utterly rejected them, and have destroyed their branches. 3 They have destroyed the arms of their power from among men, their mighty men sporting with fire: the reins of their chariots shall be destroyed in the day of his preparation, and the horsemen shall be thrown into confusion 4 in the ways, and the chariots shall clash together, and shall be entangled in each other in the broad ways: their appearance is as lamps of fire, and as gleaming lightnings. 5 And their mighty men shall bethink themselves and flee by day; and they shall be weak as they go; and they shall hasten to her walls, and shall prepare their defences. 6 The gates of the cities have been opened, and the palaces have fallen into ruin, 7 and the foundation has been exposed; and she has gone up, and her maid-servants were led away as doves moaning in their hearts. 8 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. 9 They plundered the silver, they plundered the gold, and there was no end of their adorning; they were loaded with it upon all their pleasant vessels. 10 There is thrusting forth, and shaking, and tumult, and heart-breaking, and loosing of knees, and pangs on all loins; and the faces of all are as the blackening of a pot.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

chariots: Nahum 3:2, Nahum 3:3, Isaiah 37:24, Isaiah 66:15, Jeremiah 4:13, Ezekiel 26:10, Daniel 11:40

they shall seem: Heb. their show

Reciprocal: Isaiah 5:28 - their horses' Jeremiah 46:9 - rage Jeremiah 47:3 - the noise Ezekiel 23:24 - with chariots Ezekiel 26:7 - with horses Joel 2:5 - the noise Revelation 9:9 - and the

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:4
And God saw the light that it was good, and God divided between the light and the darkness.
Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, saying, Increase and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the seas and flying creatures of heaven, and all the cattle and all the earth, and all the reptiles that creep on the earth.
Genesis 1:31
And God saw all the things that he had made, and, behold, they were very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Genesis 2:1
And the heavens and the earth were finished, and the whole world of them.
Genesis 2:2
And God finished on the sixth day his works which he made, and he ceased on the seventh day from all his works which he made.
Genesis 5:1
This is the genealogy of men in the day in which God made Adam; in the image of God he made him:
Genesis 10:1
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noe, Sem, Cham, Japheth; and sons were born to them after the flood.
Genesis 11:10
And these are the generations of Sem: and Sem was a hundred years old when he begot Arphaxad, the second year after the flood.
Genesis 25:12
And these are the generations of Ismael the son of Abraam, whom Agar the Egyptian the hand-maid of Sarrha bore to Abraam.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The chariots shall rage in the streets,.... In the streets of Nineveh when taken; where they shall be drove in a furious manner from place to place, the men in them breathing out slaughter and death wherever they came. Kimchi understands this of the chariots of the Ninevites; who shall drive about in them in the streets of the city like madmen; not daring to go out to fight the enemy, being mightier and more numerous than they.

They shall justle one against another in the broad ways; because of their numbers, and the haste they shall make to spoil and plunder the city; or the Ninevites shall justle one against another, in their hurry and confusion to make their escape.

They shall seem like torches; either the chariots of the Medes and Chaldeans, for the reasons given in the preceding verse Nahum 2:3; or they themselves, because of their fierceness and cruelty; or the faces of the Ninevites, being covered with shame, so Kimchi; see

Isaiah 13:8.

They shall run like the lightnings; exceeding swiftly, with irresistible force and power; the above writer interprets this of the Ninevites also, running from one end of their city to the other in the utmost confusion, not knowing what to do; but the whole of these two verses Nahum 2:3 seem to be a description of their enemies.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Army is arrayed against army; the armies, thus far, of God against the army of His enemy; all without is order; all within, confusion. The assailing army, from its compactness and unity, is spoken of, both as many and one. The might is of many; the order and singleness of purpose is as of one. The shield, collectively, not shields. “His mighty men;” He, who was last spoken of, was Almighty God, as He says in Isaiah; “I have commanded My consecrated ones; I have also called My mighty ones, them that rejoice in My highness” Isaiah 13:3.

Is reddened - Either with blood of the Assyrians, shed in some previous battle, before the siege began, or (which is the meaning of the word elsewhere ), an artificial color, the color of blood being chosen, as expressive of fiery fierceness. The valiant men are in scarlet, for beauty and terror, as, again being the color of blood . It was especially the color of the dress of their nobles one chief color of the Median dress, from whom the Persians adopted their’s . “The chariots shall be with flaming torches,” literally, “with the fire of steels , or of sharp incisive instruments. Either way the words seem to indicate that the chariots were in some way armed with steel. For steel was not an ornament, nor do the chariots appear to have been ornamented with metal. Iron would have hindered the primary object of lightness and speed. Steel, as distinct from iron, is made only for incisiveness. In either way, it is probable, that scythed chariots were already in use. Against such generals, as the younger Cyrus and Alexander , they were of no avail; but they must have been terrific instruments against undisciplined armies.

The rush and noise of the British chariots disturbed for a time even Caesar’s Roman troops . They were probably in use long before . Their use among the ancient Britons , Gauls and Belgians , as also probably among the Canaanites , evinces that they existed among very rude people.

The objection that the Assyrian chariots are not represented in the monuments as armed with scythes is an oversight, since these spoken of by Nahum may have been Median, certainly were not Assyrian. “In the day of His preparation” , when He musters the hosts for the battle; “and the fir-trees shall be terribly shaken;” i. e., fir-spears (the weapon being often named from the wood of which it is made) shall be made to quiver through the force wherewith they shall be hurled.

The chariots shall rage - (Or madden , as the driving of Jehu is said to be “furiously,” literally, in madness) “in the streets.” The city is not yet taken; so, since this takes place “in the streets and broad ways,” they are the confused preparations of the besieged. “They shall justle one against another,” shall run rapidly to and fro, restlessly; “their show (English margin) is like torches,” leaving streaks of fire, as they pass rapidly along. “They shall run” vehemently, “like the lightnings,” swift; but vanishing.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 4. The chariots shall rage — Those of the besiegers and the besieged, meeting in the streets, producing universal confusion and carnage.


 
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