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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Easy-to-Read Version

Nahum 3:12

But Nineveh, all your strong places will be like fig trees. When new figs become ripe, people come and shake the tree. The figs fall into their mouths. They eat them, and the figs are gone.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fig-Tree, the;   Nineveh;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Fig;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nahum (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Nahum;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Fig, Fig-Tree;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Assyria;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fig (tree);   Mouth;   Ripe;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Fig Tree;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Food;   Fortification;   Nahum, the Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
All your fortresses are fig treeswith figs that ripened first;when shaken, they fall—right into the mouth of the eater!
Hebrew Names Version
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the first-ripe figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
King James Version (1611)
All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs: if they bee shaken, they shall euen fall into the mouth of the eater.
King James Version
All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.
English Standard Version
All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
New American Standard Bible
All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit— When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth.
New Century Version
All your defenses are like fig trees with ripe fruit. When the tree is shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
Amplified Bible
All your fortresses are [nothing but] fig trees with ripe figs— When shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Geneva Bible (1587)
All thy strong cities shall be like figtrees with the first ripe figs: for if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit— When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth.
Legacy Standard Bible
All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit—When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth.
Berean Standard Bible
All your fortresses are fig trees with the first ripe figs; when shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater!
Contemporary English Version
Your fortresses are fig trees with ripe figs. Merely shake the trees, and fruit will fall into every open mouth.
Complete Jewish Bible
All your fortifications will be like fig trees with early ripening figs; the moment they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Darby Translation
All thy strongholds are [like] fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they even fall into the mouth of the eater.
George Lamsa Translation
All your strongholds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs; when they are ripe, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Good News Translation
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with ripe figs: shake the trees, and the fruit falls right into your mouth!
Lexham English Bible
All of your fortifications are like fig trees with ripe firstfruits— if they are shaken, they will fall into the mouth of the eater.
Literal Translation
All your fortresses are fig trees with the firstfruits; if they are shaken, then they shall fall on the mouth of the eater.
American Standard Version
All thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Bible in Basic English
All your walled places will be like fig-trees and your people like the first figs, falling at a shake into the mouth which is open for them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
All thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
All thy strong aydes [are as] figge trees with the first ripe figges: if they be stirred, they fal into the mouth of the eater.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
All thy strong-holds are as fig-trees having watchers: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.
English Revised Version
All thy fortresses shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
World English Bible
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the first-ripe figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Al thi strengthis as a fige tree, with hise figis vnripe; if thei schulen be schakun, thei schulen falle in to the mouth of the etere.
Update Bible Version
All your fortresses shall be [like] fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Webster's Bible Translation
All thy strong holds [shall be like] fig-trees with the first ripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.
New English Translation
All your fortifications will be like fig trees with first-ripe fruit: If they are shaken, their figs will fall into the mouth of the eater!
New King James Version
All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: If they are shaken, They fall into the mouth of the eater.
New Living Translation
All your fortresses will fall. They will be devoured like the ripe figs that fall into the mouths of those who shake the trees.
New Life Bible
All your strong towers are like fig trees with first-fruits. When they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the one who eats them.
New Revised Standard
All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
All thy fortresses, shall be fig-trees with first-ripe figs: if thy be shaken, then shall the fruit fall on the mouth of the eater.
Douay-Rheims Bible
All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with their green figs: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.
Revised Standard Version
All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs--if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Young's Literal Translation
All thy fortresses [are] fig-trees with first-fruits, If they are shaken, They have fallen into the mouth of the eater.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
All thy stronge cities shal be like fyge trees wt rype fyges: which whe a ma shaketh, they fall in to the mouth of the eater.

Contextual Overview

8 Nineveh, are you better than Thebes on the Nile River? Thebes also had water all around her to protect herself from enemies. She used that water like a wall too. 9 Ethiopia and Egypt made Thebes strong. Libya and the Sudan supported her, 10 but Thebes was defeated. Her people were taken away as prisoners to a foreign country. Soldiers beat her small children to death at every street corner. They threw lots to see who got to keep the important people as slaves. They put chains on all the important men of Thebes. 11 So, Nineveh, you will also fall like a drunk. You will try to hide. You will look for a safe place away from the enemy. 12 But Nineveh, all your strong places will be like fig trees. When new figs become ripe, people come and shake the tree. The figs fall into their mouths. They eat them, and the figs are gone. 13 Nineveh, your people are all like women—and the enemy soldiers are ready to take them. The gates of your land are open wide for your enemies to come in. Fire has destroyed the wooden bars across the gates. 14 Get water and store it inside your city, because the enemy soldiers will surround your city. Make your defenses strong! Get clay to make more bricks and mix the mortar. Get the molds for making bricks. 15 You can do all these things, but the fire will still destroy you completely. And the sword will kill you. Your land will look like a swarm of grasshoppers came and ate everything. Nineveh, you grew and grew. You became like a swarm of grasshoppers. You were like a swarm of locusts. 16 You have many traders who go places and buy things. They are as many as the stars in the sky. They are like locusts that come and eat until everything is gone and then leave. 17 And your government officials are also like locusts that settle on a stone wall on a cold day. But when the sun comes up, the rocks become warm, and the locusts all fly away. And no one knows where.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Habakkuk 1:10, Revelation 6:13

Reciprocal: Isaiah 25:2 - For Isaiah 28:4 - the hasty Isaiah 30:25 - when Hosea 10:14 - and all Nahum 2:13 - I will cut

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, "I see that it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the companion he needs, one just right for him."
Genesis 2:20
The man gave names to all the tame animals, to all the birds in the air, and to all the wild animals. He saw many animals and birds, but he could not find a companion that was right for him.
Genesis 2:22
The Lord God used the rib from the man to make a woman. Then he brought the woman to the man.
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What have you done?" She said, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."
Genesis 3:15
I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your children and her children will be enemies. You will bite her child's foot, but he will crush your head."
Genesis 3:20
Adam named his wife Eve. He gave her this name because Eve would be the mother of everyone who ever lived.
Genesis 3:21
The Lord God used animal skins and made some clothes for the man and his wife. Then he put the clothes on them.
Genesis 3:24
God forced the man to leave the garden. Then he put Cherub angels and a sword of fire at the entrance to the garden to protect it. The sword flashed around and around, guarding the way to the tree of life.
Job 31:33
I have not tried to hide my sins as some people do. I have never hidden my guilt.
Proverbs 19:3
People ruin their lives with the foolish things they do, and then they blame the Lord for it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

All thy strong holds [shall be like] fig trees with the first ripe figs,.... Upon them, or like them: "and the first ripe figs"; which are easily shook and gathered; and so easily should the fortresses and towers of Nineveh, in which they trusted for safety, be taken by the enemy, not only one, but all of them:

if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater; as such ripe fruit is very desirable, and the mouth of a man is open and ready for them; so if he gives the tree but the least shake, they will fall into his mouth, or about him in great plenty: in like manner, as the fortresses of Nineveh, being of importance, were desirable by the Chaldeans and Medes, and for which they were gaping; so upon the least assault they would fall into their hands; see Revelation 6:13.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

All thy strong-holds shall be like fig trees, with the first ripe figs - Hanging from them; eagerly sought after , to be consumed. Being ripe, they are ready to fall at once; “if they be shaken;” it needs but the tremulous motion, as when trees wave in the wind, “they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater,” not costing even the slight pains of picking them from the ground . So easy is their destruction on the part of God, though it cost more pains to the Babylonians. At the end of the world it shall be yet more fulfilled Revelation 6:13, for then God will use no human instrument, but put forth only His own Almightiness; and all strong-holds of man’s pride, moral or spiritual, shall, of themselves, melt away.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nahum 3:12. Thy strong holds — The effects of the consternation into which the Ninevites were cast by the assault on their city are here pointed out by a very expressive metaphor; the first-ripe figs, when at full maturity, fell from the tree with the least shake; and so, at the first shake or consternation, all the fortresses of Nineveh were abandoned; and the king, in despair, burnt himself and household in his own palace.


 
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