Nahum 2:7
New International Version
It is decreed that Nineveh be exiled and carried away. Her female slaves moan like doves and beat on their breasts.

New Living Translation
Nineveh’s exile has been decreed, and all the servant girls mourn its capture. They moan like doves and beat their breasts in sorrow.

English Standard Version
its mistress is stripped; she is carried off, her slave girls lamenting, moaning like doves and beating their breasts.

Berean Standard Bible
It is decreed that the city be exiled and carried away; her maidservants moan like doves, and beat upon their breasts.

King James Bible
And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.

New King James Version
It is decreed: She shall be led away captive, She shall be brought up; And her maidservants shall lead her as with the voice of doves, Beating their breasts.

New American Standard Bible
It is set: She is stripped, she is led away, And her slave women are sobbing like the sound of doves, Beating their breasts.

NASB 1995
It is fixed: She is stripped, she is carried away, And her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their breasts.

NASB 1977
And it is fixed: She is stripped, she is carried away, And her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their breasts.

Legacy Standard Bible
So it stands fixed: She is exiled, she is carried away, And her maidservants are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their hearts.

Amplified Bible
It is decreed: Nineveh is stripped, and she is carried away, And her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their breasts [in sorrow].

Christian Standard Bible
Beauty is stripped; she is carried away; her ladies-in-waiting moan like the sound of doves and beat their breasts.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Beauty is stripped, she is carried away; her ladies-in-waiting moan like the sound of doves, and beat their breasts.

American Standard Version
And it is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.

Contemporary English Version
Nineveh is disgraced. The queen is dragged off. Her servant women mourn; they moan like doves, and they beat their breasts in sorrow.

English Revised Version
And Huzzab is uncovered, she is carried away, and her handmaids mourn as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD has determined: "It will be stripped. It will be carried away. Its young women will be mourning like doves as they beat their breasts."

Good News Translation
The queen is taken captive; her servants moan like doves and beat their breasts in sorrow.

International Standard Version
It has been determined: The woman is unveiled and sent away, her servant girls mourn. Beating their breasts, they whimper like doves.

Majority Standard Bible
It is decreed that the city be exiled and carried away; her maidservants moan like doves, and beat upon their breasts.

NET Bible
Nineveh is taken into exile and is led away; her slave girls moan like doves while they beat their breasts.

New Heart English Bible
It is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, beating on their breasts.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.

World English Bible
It is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her servants moan as with the voice of doves, beating on their breasts.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it is established—she has removed, "" She has been brought up, "" And her handmaids are leading as the voice of doves, "" Tabering on their hearts.

Young's Literal Translation
And it is established -- she hath removed, She hath been brought up, And her handmaids are leading as the voice of doves, Tabering on their hearts.

Smith's Literal Translation
It was fixed, she was led away captive, she went up and her maids being led as the voice of doves smiting upon their heart.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the soldier is led away captive: and her bondwomen were led away mourning as doves, murmuring in their hearts.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the foot soldier has been led away captive, and her handmaids were driven away, mourning like doves, murmuring in their hearts.

New American Bible
The mistress is led forth captive, and her maidservants led away, Moaning like doves, beating their breasts.

New Revised Standard Version
It is decreed that the city be exiled, its slave women led away, moaning like doves and beating their breasts.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the queen summons her horsemen and flees northward; her maids are mourning in their hearts like doves.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And she has set her horsemen and she went up and her maids were moaning in their hearts like doves
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the queen is uncovered, she is carried away, And her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, Tabering upon their breasts.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and the foundation has been exposed; and she has gone up, and her maid-servants were led away as doves moaning in their hearts.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Overthrow of Nineveh
6The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses. 7It is decreed that the city be exiled and carried away; her maidservants moan like doves, and beat upon their breasts. 8Nineveh 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.…

Cross References
Isaiah 47:2-3
Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. / Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”

Jeremiah 51:30
The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting; they sit in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Babylon’s homes have been set ablaze, the bars of her gates are broken.

Lamentations 1:1
How lonely lies the city, once so full of people! She who was great among the nations has become a widow. The princess of the provinces has become a slave.

Zephaniah 2:13-15
And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert. / Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. Both the desert owl and screech owl will roost atop her pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but desolation will lie on the threshold, for He will expose the beams of cedar. / This carefree city that dwells securely, that thinks to herself: “I am it, and there is none besides me,” what a ruin she has become, a resting place for beasts. Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.

Isaiah 13:16
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.

Jeremiah 50:37
A sword is against her horses and chariots and against all the foreigners in her midst, and they will become like women. A sword is against her treasuries, and they will be plundered.

Ezekiel 26:16-18
All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled over you. / Then they will lament for you, saying, “How you have perished, O city of renown inhabited by seafaring men—she who was powerful on the sea, along with her people, who imposed terror on all peoples! / Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your downfall; the islands in the sea are dismayed by your demise.”’

Hosea 10:7
Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.

Micah 1:11
Depart in shameful nakedness, O dwellers of Shaphir. The dwellers of Zaanan will not come out. Beth-ezel is in mourning; its support is taken from you.

Isaiah 3:16-17
The LORD also says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty—walking with heads held high and wanton eyes, prancing and skipping as they go, jingling the bracelets on their ankles— / the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will make their foreheads bare.”

Revelation 18:7-8
As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ / Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Revelation 17:1-2
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. / The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

Revelation 18:22-23
And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again. / The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

Matthew 11:21-22
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. / But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

Luke 10:13-14
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. / But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.


Treasury of Scripture

And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, beating on their breasts.

Huzzab.

Isaiah 38:14
Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

Isaiah 59:11
We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

Luke 23:27,48
And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him…

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Beating Breasts Captive Carried City Decreed Doves Established Fixed Girls Hammering Handmaids Led Maidens Maids Mistress Moan Moaning Queen Removed Servant-Girls Slave Sound Stripped Uncovered Voice Weeping
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Nahum 2
1. The fearful and victorious armies of God against Nineveh.














It is decreed
This phrase indicates a divine decision or judgment that is irrevocable. In the Hebrew text, the word used here is "וְהֻצַּב" (vehutzav), which conveys the idea of something being firmly established or appointed. This reflects the sovereignty of God in executing His will against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, which had been a symbol of oppression and wickedness. The decree is not merely a human prediction but a divine mandate, underscoring the certainty of the impending judgment.

She will be exiled and carried away
The "she" refers to Nineveh, personified as a woman facing humiliation and defeat. The Hebrew word for "exiled" is "גָּלָה" (galah), meaning to uncover or remove, often used in the context of captivity or deportation. This reflects the historical practice of conquering empires, such as the Assyrians themselves, who would exile defeated peoples to prevent rebellion. The phrase "carried away" emphasizes the totality of the city's downfall, as its inhabitants are forcibly removed from their land, signifying the end of their power and influence.

Her maidservants moan
The maidservants symbolize the inhabitants of Nineveh, particularly those who served in the royal court or temple. The Hebrew word "נַהֲגוֹתֶיהָ" (nahagoteha) suggests those who are led or driven, indicating their helplessness in the face of disaster. Their moaning is a response to the calamity that has befallen them, expressing deep sorrow and despair. This imagery highlights the reversal of fortunes for a city that once inspired fear and awe.

like the sound of doves
Doves are often associated with mourning in biblical literature. The Hebrew word "יוֹנִים" (yonim) evokes the gentle, plaintive cooing of doves, which serves as a metaphor for the lamentation of Nineveh's people. This simile underscores the depth of their grief and the loss of their former glory. In a broader biblical context, doves also symbolize innocence and peace, contrasting sharply with Nineveh's history of violence and conquest.

beating their breasts
This phrase describes a traditional expression of mourning and anguish in ancient Near Eastern cultures. The act of beating one's breast is a physical manifestation of inner turmoil and distress. In Hebrew, "מְתֹפְפוֹת עַל לִבְבֵיהֶן" (metofefot al libbehen) conveys an intense emotional response to the city's destruction. This vivid imagery serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of sin and the justice of God, who brings down the proud and exalts the humble.

(7) And Huzzab shall be led away captive. . . .--Better, And it is decided. She is laid bare. She is removed away. And her maidens moan, as with the cry of doves, smiting on their breasts.

It is decided, or established--c'est un fait accompli. The Authorised Version apparently follows those Rabbinic commentators who treat the Hebrew expression hutstsab as the name of an Assyrian queen, or as a symbolical designation of Nineveh. The word is best regarded as a verb-form cognate to the expression rendered by the Authorised Version "of certainty," "certain," "true," in Daniel 2:48; Daniel 3:24; Daniel 7:16. Laid bare, the common figure of the virgin city put to shame by capture (comp. Isaiah 47:1-5). The "maidens" who "moan as with the cry of doves" (comp. Isaiah 38:14; Isaiah 59:11; Ezekiel 7:16) are probably Nineveh's dependent cities. These are represented as standing gazing on the awful catastrophe, groaning aloud and beating the breast (comp. Luke 23:48) in a horror of despair. . . .

Verse 7. - And Huzzab. The Anglican rendering (which has the authority of the Jewish commentators, and is endorsed by Ewald and Ruckert) takes Huzzab as an appellative, either the name of the Queen of Nineveh, or a symbolical name for Nineveh itself, as Sheshach, Peked, and Merathaim were for Babylon (see Jeremiah 25:26: 1:21; 51:41; Ezekiel 23:23), which was formed or adopted by Nahum for the purpose of describing its character. Huzzab may mean "established," "act firm" (Genesis 28:12), and confident in its strength; pual from natsab," to set," "to fix" (Wordsworth). We may dismiss the idea that Huzzab is the name of the queen. Such a personage is unknown to history; and there is no reason why she should be mentioned rather than the king; and persona are not introduced by name in prophecy except for some very special reason, as Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28). The alternative rendering, "it is decreed," adopted by Keil, Pusey, and many modern commentators, is unexampled, and comes in baldly, and not at all according to the prophet's manner. Henderson joins the clause with the proceiling, thus: "The palace is dissolved, though firmly established." The Septuagint gives, Ἡ ὑπόστασις ἀπεκαλύφθη, "The hidden treasures are revealed," or, "The foundation is exposed;" Vulgate, Miles captivus abductus est. It seems best to take Huzzab as an appellative representing either Nineveh or Assyria, as the country between the Upper and Lower Zab (Rawlinson, in 'Dictionary of the Bible'), or as meaning "firm," "bold." Thus Egypt is called Rahab, "arrogant" (Isaiah 30:7); the King of Assyria, Jareb, "contentious" (Hosea 5:13); Jerusalem, Ariel, "God's lion" (Isaiah 29:1). Shall be led away captive; better, is laid bare. She, the queen of nations, is stripped of her adornments and igno miniously treated. She shall be brought up. She is carried away into captivity. "Brought up" may mean brought up to judgment, as Nahum 3:5; Isaiah 47:2, 3 (Pusey). Her maids shall lead her; rather, her handmaids moan. The inhabitants of Nineveh, personified as a queen, or the lesser cities of her empire, follow their mistress mourning. As with the voice of doves (comp. Isaiah 38:14; Isaiah 59:11; Ezekiel 7:16), They shall not only show the outward tokens of sorrow, but shall mourn inwardly in their hearts, as the LXX. renders the whole clause, καθὼς περιστεραὶ φθεγγόμενει ἐν καρδίαις αὐτῶν "as down moaning in their hearts." Tabering; beating on a tabret. (For smiting the breast in token of sorrow, setup. Luke 18:13; Luke 23:48; Homer, 'Il.,' 18:31, Ξεροὶ δὲ πἇσαι Στήθεα πεπλήψοντο.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
It is decreed that
וְהֻצַּ֖ב (wə·huṣ·ṣaḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5324: To take one's stand, stand

[the city] be exiled
גֻּלְּתָ֣ה (gul·lə·ṯāh)
Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

and carried away;
הֹֽעֲלָ֑תָה (hō·‘ă·lā·ṯāh)
Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

her maidservants
וְאַמְהֹתֶ֗יהָ (wə·’am·hō·ṯe·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 519: A maidservant, female slave

moan
מְנַֽהֲגוֹת֙ (mə·na·hă·ḡō·wṯ)
Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 5090: To drive forth, lead, carry away, to proceed, to sigh

like
כְּק֣וֹל (kə·qō·wl)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

doves,
יוֹנִ֔ים (yō·w·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 3123: A dove

and beat upon
מְתֹפְפֹ֖ת (mə·ṯō·p̄ə·p̄ōṯ)
Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 8608: To drum, play, on the tambourine

their breasts.
לִבְבֵהֶֽן׃ (liḇ·ḇê·hen)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine plural
Strong's 3824: Inner man, mind, will, heart


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OT Prophets: Nahum 2:7 It is decreed: she is uncovered she (Nah. Na)
Nahum 2:6
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