Nahum 2:8

Myles Coverdale Bible

Niniue is like a pole full of water, but then shal they be fayne to fle. Stonde, stode, (shal they crie) & there shal not one turne backe.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Nineveh has been like a pool of waterfrom her first days,but they are fleeing.“Stop! Stop!” they cry,but no one turns back.

Hebrew Names Version
But Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water, yet they flee away. "Stop! Stop!" they cry, but no one looks back.

King James Version (1611)
But Nineueh is of olde like a poole of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand shall they cry: but none shal looke backe.

King James Version
But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.

English Standard Version
Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry, but none turns back.

New American Standard Bible
Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Yet they are fleeing; "Stop, stop," But no one turns back.

New Century Version
Nineveh is like a pool, and now its water is draining away. "Stop! Stop!" the people yell, but no one turns back.

Amplified Bible
Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now her inhabitants are fleeing; "Stop! Stop!" [a few cry,] But no one turns back.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But Nineueh is of olde like a poole of water: yet they shall flee away. Stande, stande, shall they crie: but none shall looke backe.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing; "Stop, stop," But no one turns back.

Legacy Standard Bible
Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days,Now they are fleeing;"Stand! Stand!"But no one turns back.

Berean Standard Bible
Nineveh has been like a pool of water throughout her days, but now it is draining away. "Stop! Stop!" they cry, but no one turns back.

Contemporary English Version
Nineveh is like a pond with leaking water. Shouts of "Stop! Don't go!" can be heard everywhere. But everyone is leaving.

Complete Jewish Bible
Its mistress is stripped and carried away; her handmaids moan, they sound like doves, as they beat their breasts.

Darby Translation
Nineveh hath been like a pool of water, since the day she existed, yet they flee away. … Stand! Stand! But none looketh back.

Easy-to-Read Version
Nineveh is like a pool whose water is draining away. People yell, "Stop! Stop running away!" But it does not do any good.

George Lamsa Translation
And Nineveh is like a lake, and she is situated by the waters; her warriors flee away. Make a stand, make a stand, their officers cry; but none turns back.

Good News Translation
Like water from a broken dam the people rush from Nineveh! "Stop! Stop!" the cry rings out— but no one turns back.

Lexham English Bible
Nineveh is like a pool of water without its water. As they flee, she cries, "Stop! Stop!" But there is no one who turns back.

Literal Translation
And Nineveh is like a pool of water from her days; yet they are fleeing. They cry , Stand! Stand! But no one turns himself.

American Standard Version
But Nineveh hath been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away. Stand, stand, they cry; but none looketh back.

Bible in Basic English
But Nineveh is like a pool of water whose waters are flowing away; Keep your place, they say; but no one is turning back.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the queen is uncovered, she is carried away, and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Yea many a day Niniue was as a ponde full of water, yet [now] they flee, Stand ye, stande ye, and no man loketh backe.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
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.

English Revised Version
But Nineveh hath been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away; Stand, stand, they cry; but none looketh back.

World English Bible
But Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water, yet they flee away. "Stop! Stop!" they cry, but no one looks back.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Nynyue, as a cisterne of watris the watris therof; forsothe thei fledden; stonde ye, stonde ye, and there is not that schal turne ayen.

Update Bible Version
But Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away. Stand, stand, [they cry]; but none looks back.

Webster's Bible Translation
But Nineveh [is] of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, [shall they cry]; but none shall look back.

New English Translation
Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, but now her people are running away; she cries out: "Stop! Stop!"— but no one turns back.

New King James Version
Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, Now they flee away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry; But no one turns back.

New Living Translation
Nineveh is like a leaking water reservoir! The people are slipping away. "Stop, stop!" someone shouts, but no one even looks back.

New Life Bible
Nineveh is like a pool, where water runs away. "Stop! Stop!" they cry. But no one turns back.

New Revised Standard
Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. "Halt! Halt!"— but no one turns back.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Yet, as for Nineveh, like a reservoir of waters, are her waters, - but, those men, are in flight! Stand! stand but no one is turning.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And as for Ninive, her waters are like a great pool: but the men flee away. They cry: Stand, stand, but there is none that will return back.

Revised Standard Version
Nin'eveh is like a pool whose waters run away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry; but none turns back.

Young's Literal Translation
And Nineveh [is] as a pool of waters, From of old it [is] -- and they are fleeing! `Stand ye, stand;' and none is turning!

Contextual Overview

¹ The scaterer shal come vp agaynst the, & laye sege to the castell. Loke thou wel to the stretes, make thy loynes stronge, arme thy self with all thy myght: ² for the LORDE shal restore agayne the glory of Iacob, like as ye glory of Israel. The destroyers haue broken them downe, & marred the wyne braunches. ³ The shylde of his giauntes glistereth, his men of warre are clothed in purple. His charettes are as fyre, when he maketh him forwarde, his archers are wel deckte & trimmed. ⁴ 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. ⁵ When he doth but warne his giauntes, they fall in their araye, & haistely they clymme vp the walles: yee the engyns of the warre are prepared all ready. ⁶ The water portes shal be opened, and the kinges palace shall fall. ⁷ The quene hir self shal be led awaye captyue, and hir gentilwomen shal mourne as the doues, & grone within their hertes. ⁸ Niniue is like a pole full of water, but then shal they be fayne to fle. Stonde, stode, (shal they crie) & there shal not one turne backe. ⁹ Awaye with the syluer, awaye with the golde: for here is no ende of treasure. There shalbe a multitude of all maner costly ornamentes. ¹⁰ Thus must she be spoyled, emptied & clene striped out: that their hertes maye be melted awaye, their knees treble, all their loynes be weake, and their faces blacke as a pot.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

of old: or, from the days that she hath been, Genesis 10:11

like: Jeremiah 51:13, Revelation 17:1, Revelation 17:15

Stand: Nahum 3:17, Isaiah 13:14, Isaiah 47:13, Isaiah 48:20, Jeremiah 50:16, Jeremiah 51:30

look back: or, cause them to turn

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 19:36 - Nineveh Jeremiah 46:5 - fled apace Jeremiah 50:36 - her mighty Ezekiel 31:15 - I caused a Nahum 1:8 - the place

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
The LORDE God also planted a garde of pleasure in Eden, towarde ye east, and set man therin whom he had made.

Genesis 2:9
And the LORDE God caused to sprynge out of the earth all maner trees, pleasaut to loke vpo, and good to eate: and the tre of life in the myddest of the garden, and the tre of knowlege of good and euell.

Genesis 3:24
And he cast Adam out. And before the garden of Eden he set Cherubes, and a naked fyrie swerde, to kepe ye waye vnto the tre of life.

Genesis 4:16
So Cain wente out from ye face of the LORDE, and dwelt in the lande Nod, vpon the east syde of Eden.

Genesis 13:10
Then Lot lift vp his eyes, and behelde all the countre rounde aboute Iorda, that it was a plenteous countre of water. For before the LORDE destroyed Sodoma and Gomorra, it was rounde aboute Zoar, euen as the pleasaunt garden of the LORDE, and as the londe of Egipte.

2 Kings 19:12
Haue ye goddes of ye Heithen delyuered the, whom my father destroyed, as Gosan, Haran, Reseph, & the childre of Eden which were at Thalassar?

Isaiah 51:3
how the LORDE conforted Sio, and repayred all hir decaye: makinge hir deserte as a Paradise, and hir wildernesse as the garden of the LORDE. Myrth and ioye was there, thankesgeuynge and ye voyce of prayse.

Ezekiel 27:23
Haran, Chene and Eden, the marchauntes off Saba, Assiria and Chelmad, were all doers with ye

Ezekiel 28:13
Thou hast bene in ye pleasaut garde off God: thou art decte with all maner of precious stones: with Ruby, Topas, Christall, Iacyncte, Onyx, Iaspis, Saphir, Smaragde, Carbucle, & golde. Thy beuty & ye holes yt be in ye were set forth in the daye of yi creacion.

Ezekiel 31:16
I wil make the Heithen shake at the sounde of his fall, when I cast him downe to hell, with them yt descende in to the pytte. All the trees of Eden, wt all the chosen and best trees of Libanus, yee and all they that are planted vpon the waters, shal mourne with him also in the lower habitacios:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But Nineveh [is] of old like a pool of water,.... This was a very ancient city, built by Nimrod, as some say; or rather by Ashur, as appears from Genesis 10:10 and it was like fish pool, full of people, as it was in the times of Jonah, who for their number may be compared both to water and to fish; and likewise full of wealth and riches, which for their instability may be signified by water also; and moreover, like a pool of standing water, had never been liable to any commotions and disturbances, but had remained from the beginning in a tranquil and prosperous state; besides, some regard may be had in a literal sense to its situation, being watered by the river Tigris, and which was for its profit and defence: so some copies of the Septuagint read the words,

"Nineveh is like a pool of water, the waters are her walls:''

and the Syriac version is,

"Nineveh is as a lake of water, and is among the waters;''

see Nahum 1:6:

yet they shall flee away; the waters out of the pool, the sluices being opened, or the banks broken down; or the people out of the city, breaches being made in its walls, or its gates opened, and the enemy entering; when everyone would flee for his life, and make his escape in the best manner he could:

stand, stand, [shall they cry]; either the generals and officers of the king of Assyria's army, to the soldiers running away; or the more courageous inhabitants of the city, to those that were timorous and seized with a panic, fleeing in the utmost consternation; or the enemy, as Kimchi, who shall call to them to stop, promising to spare their lives upon a surrender of them to them:

but none shall look back; and stand to hear what is said unto them, but make the best of their way, and flee with all their might and main.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water - that is, of many peoples Revelation 17:1, gathered from all quarters and settled there, her multitudes being like the countless drops, full, untroubled, with no ebb or flow, fenced in, “from the days that she hath been,” yet even therefore stagnant and corrupted (see Jeremiah 48:11), not “a fountain of living waters,” during 600 years of unbroken empire; even lately it had been assailed in vain ; now its hour was come, the sluices were broken; the waters poured out. It was full not of citizens only, but of other nations poured into it. An old historian says , “The chief and most powerful of those whom Ninus settled there, were the Assyrians, but also, of other nations, whoever willed.” Thus, the pool was filled; but at the rebuke of the Lord they flee. “Stand, stand,” the prophet speaks in the name of the widowed city; “shut the gates, go up on the walls, resist the enemy, gather yourselves together, form a band to withstand,” “but none shalt look back” to the mother-city which calls them; all is forgotten, except their fear; parents, wives, children, the wealth which is plundered, home, worldly repute. So will men leave all things, for the life of this world. “All that a man hath, will he give for his life” Job 2:4. Why not for the life to come?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 8. But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water — מימי mimey, from days. Bp. Newcome translates the line thus: "And the waters of Nineveh are a pool of waters." There may be reference here to the fact given in the preceding note, the overflowing of the river by which the city was primarily destroyed.

Stand, stand — Consternation shall be at its utmost height, the people shall flee in all directions; and though quarter is offered, and they are assured of safety it they remain, yet not one looketh back.