Nahum 1:4

Translations

Modern

He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts.

Traditional

He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.

Literal

He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and all the rivers He dries up; Bashan and Carmel wither; the flower of Lebanon has withered.

Latin

Increpans mare, et exsiccans illud, et omnia flumina ad desertum deducens. Infirmatus est Basan et Carmelus, et flos Libani elanguit.

Original

Hebrew

English

He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts.

Notes

Nahum 1:4

Like clouds (Nahum 1:3) and mountains (1:5), oceans and rivers are under God's control. The Old Testament prophets often recall God's actions against the seas and rivers during the exodus (Exodus 15:8–10; 2 Samuel 22:16; Psalms 66:6; 77:16; Habakkuk 3:15). God's power over the waters challenged the myths of the ancient Canaanites, who believed the sea-god Yam controlled the oceans and rivers.
Bashan, east of the Sea of Galilee, was known for its rich grasslands, ideal for raising cattle (compare Micah 7:14).
Carmel, a mountain region on the Mediterranean coast in central Canaan, was well known for its beauty and rich farmland (Song of Solomon 7:5; Jeremiah 50:19).
Lebanon was famous for its great cedars (1 Kings 5:6–18). Nahum lists these areas to show that even the most fertile and productive places on earth cannot withstand God's judgment.

Nahum 1:2–6

The hymn's first stanza uses biblical texts about Israel's exodus from Egypt. It teaches that everything in creation is under God's power. God will punish those who oppose him.

Nahum 1:2–11

This short hymn (a song of praise about God) has two stanzas (1:2–6, 7–11). It speaks about God’s supreme power and authority.

Theme notes and profiles

God’s Justice

Events

Prophecies of Nahumc. 663 BC

Related verses

Isaiah 33:9
The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is ashamed and decayed. Sharon is like a desert; Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
Psalm 106:9
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert.
Psalm 114:5
Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,
Isaiah 44:27
…who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’
Isaiah 51:10
Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?
Isaiah 19:5–10
The waters of the Nile will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and empty.
Psalm 74:15
You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
Psalm 104:7
At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away—
Joshua 3:13–15
When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
Psalm 114:3
The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back;
Isaiah 50:2–3
Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold, My rebuke dries up the sea; I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.
Amos 1:2
He said: “The LORD roars from Zion and raises His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.”

Parallels

Jonah 1:1–3

Places

Bashan: Region east of the Jordan, known for its fertility Carmel: Town in Judah; home of Nabal and Abigail Lebanon: A mountainous region known for its cedar trees

Glossary

Acrostic Book of Nahum

Topics

Bashan: Fertility and Productiveness of God: Power of God: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Lebanon: Celebrated For: Flowers Lebanon: Flower of Rivers: (Drying up of) of God's Judgments Rivers: God's Power Over, Unlimited The Providence of God is Exercised in Ruling the Elements The Sea: God: Dries Up, by his Rebuke

Nahum 1:4

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Translations

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Events

Related verses

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