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英文原文
We now come closer to Nineveh, that great city; she took, not warning by the destruction of her armies and the fall of her king, and therefore may expect, since she persists in her enmity to God, that he will proceed in his controversy with her. Here is foretold, I. The approach of the enemy that should destroy Nineveh, and the terror of his military preparations, Na 2:1-5. II. The taking of the city, Na 2:6. III. The captivity of the queen, the flight of the inhabitants, the seizing of all its wealth, and the great consternation it should be in, Na 2:7-10. IV. All this is traced up to its true causes—their sinning against God and God's appearing against them, Na 2:11-13. All this was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar, in the first year of his reign, in conjunction with Cyaxares, or Ahasuerus, king of the Medes, conquered Nineveh, and made himself master of the Assyrian monarchy.
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The Judgment of Nineveh (710 BC)
尼尼微的审判（主前 710 年）
¹ 打碎邦国的已经上来攻击你；你要看守保障，谨防道路，使腰强壮，大大勉力。 ² 因为耶和华使雅各所夸耀的复兴，如以色列所夸耀的一样；因为劫掠者已经使它们空尽，毁坏了它们的葡萄枝。 ³ 他勇士的盾牌是红的，精兵都穿朱红衣服。在他预备争战的日子，战车如火把飞舞，杉木大大震动。 ⁴ 战车在街上狂乱奔驰，在宽阔路上彼此冲撞；形状如火把，飞跑如闪电。 ⁵ 他招聚贵胄；他们行走时绊跌；他们速速上城垣，预备保障。 ⁶ 河闸开放，宫殿融化。 ⁷ 王后被掠去，被带上去；她的宫女哀鸣如鸽，捶胸悲泣。 ⁸ 尼尼微自古以来如同一池积水，如今却都逃跑。人虽呼喊说：站住，站住，却无人回顾。 ⁹ 你们抢掠银子吧，抢掠金子吧；因为所积蓄的无数，宝器无穷尽，华美的家具荣耀无比。 ¹⁰ 她空虚荒凉，全然废弃；人心消化，双膝相撞，腰间大大疼痛，众人的脸面都变为苍白。
此处有：I. 向尼尼微发出的战争警号（鸿2:1）。先知将它描述为已迫在眉睫，因为它既无可疑也非遥远："环顾四周，看看吧，打碎邦国的已经上来攻击你。尼布甲尼撒——他以打碎列国著称，今后将更甚——从你开始，要驱散你、分散你"；有人如此译。巴比伦被称为全地的锤子（耶50:23）。尼布甲尼撒对尼尼微的进犯是公开、大胆、冒险的："他已经上来攻击你，公然宣告要毁灭你；所以拿起武器吧，尼尼微啊！你要看守保障——保护你的塔楼和军械库；谨防道路——在城的各处隘口设防；使腰强壮——鼓励你的兵士，激励你自己和他们；大大勉力，正如城在敌军推进时所行的"（这话是反讽的口吻）；"尽力而为吧，但你仍不能推开这审判的打击，因为筹算与权能都敌不过耶和华。"
II. 一项所颁布的宣言，说明战争的缘由（鸿2:2）：耶和华使雅各所夸耀的复兴，如以色列所夸耀的一样，即：第一，亚述人曾虐待雅各——那两个支派（使他们卑微、受辱），也虐待以色列——那十个支派，使它们空尽，毁坏了它们的葡萄枝。为此神必与他们算账；虽行已久，如今必列入那王国、以及为其首城的尼尼微的账上。神与他们的争辩是为向雅各所行的强暴。或者，第二，神如今藉尼布甲尼撒将要转去雅各的骄傲——以两支派的被掳，正如他以以色列的被掳转去其骄傲；他已定意如此行，要使劫掠者临到他们，而那要成就此事的仇敌必从尼尼微开始，先攻取它，使它的骄傲降卑。神注视骄傲的城，使之卑微——连那些最亲近他的城。撒玛利亚已被降卑，耶路撒冷也必被降卑，它们的骄傲必被拉低；尼尼微那骄傲的城，岂不也要被拉下来吗？劫掠者已经使雅各与以色列城邑空尽，毁坏了国中的葡萄枝；尼尼微所引以为极大骄傲的尊荣，岂不也要被转去吗？
III. 详细记述入侵之敌将以何等的可畏向尼尼微显现；一切都将助其威势。第一，他勇士的盾牌是红的——也许他们其他的兵器与装束也是，仿佛已染上他们所流或将要流的血，或藉此表示他们将尽行刀剑；他们悬挂红旗，表明不留活口。第二，精兵都穿朱红衣服——不仅是红衣，表示他们要作何等血腥的工；更是华服，表示军队之富——而财富乃战争之筋。第三，在他预备争战的日子，战车如火把飞舞；当他们推进之时，必快如闪电；车轮在石头上击出火花，驾车的人必带着如火的烈怒狂奔，如耶户驾车。或他们在露天的战车上带着火把，在夜间推进之时——如基甸的兵士在瓶中带着灯——既为引导自己，也为惊吓敌人，并随处放火。第四，杉木大大震动——尼尼微的大人物，他们高过邻舍如挺拔的杉木高出灌木；或连立着的树木也因大军所造成的大地剧烈震动而摇晃。第五，战车必极其可畏（鸿2:4）：它们在街上狂乱——即驾车的人狂乱；你几乎以为战车本身在发狂；它们如此众多，又驾车如此猛烈，以致在宽阔路上——人本以为那里足够宽敞——也彼此冲撞；这些铁车被打磨得如此光亮，在阳光下形状如火把——如同夜间的火把；它们飞跑如闪电——如此迅速，如此猛烈。尼布甲尼撒的指挥官在此被称为他的贵胄——他的勇士（旁注如此读），他的英雄；他招聚他们，命令他们立即、不可失误地到达各自的岗位，因为他即将开始行动，决心立即出兵，以围攻尼尼微作为开战。他的贵胄必记得（有人如此读）——他们必记得其职位的本分与所受的命令，并因此专心致志于其工，以致行走时绊跌——急不可耐，欲速而不达；他们绊跌，却不跌倒；因为他们速速上城垣，开挖壕沟；保障——或掩蔽道——必预备妥当（作某种掩护，抵挡被围者的飞镖）；他们必如此紧密地、如此有力地推进围攻，终于河闸开放（鸿2:6）——尼尼微那些开向底格里斯河（尼尼微建在其上）的城门必先被攻破，或被出卖给敌人，敌人必经那些城门而入。那时宫殿融化——或是王的宫殿，或是他的神尼斯洛的庙；同一个词既指宫殿也指庙。当在天上的神出来与一民相争之时，无论他们的宫殿或他们的王，无论他们的庙宇或他们的神祇，都不能保护他们、庇护他们，都必随他们一同倾覆。
IV. 预言此事的后果；其惨状不难猜想。第一，王后必落入敌手（鸿2:7）：王后被掠去——那受保护的（有人如此读），以为安全因她隐藏、被关在隐密之处，必被发现（旁注如此读），必被带上去作俘——比寻常囚徒更为羞辱；她必被以戏弄之状带上去；她的宫女因她软弱衰疲——不能承受如此惊吓与艰辛，而这些对不惯于它们的人格外艰难可怖——必搀扶她；她们伴随她，不是为欢言相慰、鼓励她，而是自己哀鸣叹息，如鸽的声音——谷中的鸽子（结7:16）以哀鸣著称（赛38:14，赛59:11）；她们捶胸——因忧愁愤懑而击打自己的胸膛，仿佛在上面击鼓，因为原文如此。
第二，居民虽多，却没有一人能抵挡入侵者或坚守阵地（鸿2:8）：尼尼微自古以来如同一池积水——如池中有水那样满了人（水表示群众，启17:15），或如水中有鱼；它素来是人口众多的城；在约拿之时其中已有十二万小孩（拿4:11），而城市与国家通常每年人数都在增加；然而他们虽有如此多的人手可供公共服务，却不能彼此激发勇气，反而如懦夫一般逃跑。他们的指挥官尽力鼓舞他们；他们呼喊：站住，站住，壮起胆来，我们必无碍；却无人甚至回顾——他们没有丝毫勇气残存，人人自以为最明智的便是抓住机会逃命；他们甚至不回头看是谁在呼召他们。注意，神能在困境之日使最强大、最勇敢的人丧胆，使他们与人的期望相去甚远，却如同一池积水——其水已干涸离去。
第三，城的财富必成为掠物，一切华美器具必落入得胜的敌手（鸿2:9）；他们彼此激动、怂恿去抢夺：你们抢掠银子吧，抢掠金子吧——官长如此激发兵士抓住机会；这里的金银足够他们，因为所积蓄的无数，宝器无穷尽。尼尼微既自古以来如同一池积水，便积聚了大量的淤泥；它有华美的家具之荣耀——一切可悦之器皿——他们曾引以为荣，如今必成为征服者的掠物与夸耀。注意，那些以衣服如泥土般预备，以银子如尘土般堆积的人，不知谁将穿上那衣服、分掉那银子（伯27:16-17）。如此这座富城便空虚、荒凉、全然废弃（鸿2:10）。看世上财富的虚空；它不但不能保护主人，反倒暴露他们，使敌人能加更大的祸患。
第四，兵士与百姓将无心为保卫城而现身。他们的精神必如蜡在火前消化；他们的双膝相撞（如伯沙撒在惊惶中所行的，但5:6），以致他们既不能坚守阵地，甚至不能逃脱；腰间大大疼痛——正如极度惊恐之时的情形，以致他们不能直起腰来。众人的脸面都变为苍白——如同天天在火上的锅那样；原文如此。注意，良心中的罪疚在遭难之日必使人满心恐惧，那些将幸福寄于世上财富、心系其中的人，当他们的金银和可悦的家具被夺去之时，便自以为完了。
英文原文
The Judgment of Nineveh (710 BC)
¹ He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.
² For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.
³ The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.
⁴ 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.
⁵ He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared.
⁶ The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.
⁷ 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.
⁸ 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.
⁹ Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.
¹⁰ She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.
Here is, I. An alarm of war sent to Nineveh, Na 2:1. The prophet speaks of it as just at hand, for it is neither doubtful nor far distant: "Look about thee, and see, he that dashes in pieces has come up before thy face. Nebuchadnezzar, who is noted, and will be yet more so, for dashing nations in pieces, begins with thee, and will dissipate and disperse thee;" so some render the word. Babylon is called the hammer of the whole earth, Jer 50:23. The attempt of Nebuchadnezzar upon Nineveh is public, bold, and daring: "He has come up before thy face, avowing his design to ruin thee; and therefore stand to thy arms, O Nineveh! keep the munition; secure thy towers and magazines: watch the way; set guards upon all the avenues to the city; make thy loins strong; encourage thy soldiers; animate thyself and them; fortify thy power mightily, as cities do when an enemy is advancing against them" (this is spoken ironically); "do the utmost thou canst, yet thou shalt not be able to put by the stroke of this judgment, for there is no counsel or strength against the Lord."
II. A manifesto published, showing the causes of the war (Na 2:2): The Lord has turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel, that is, 1. The Assyrians have been abusive to Jacob, the two tribes (have humbled and mortified them), as well as to Israel, the ten tribes, have emptied them, and marred their vine-branches. For this God will reckon with them; though done long since, it shall come into the account now against that kingdom, and Nineveh the head-city of it. God's quarrel with them is for the violence done to Jacob. Or, (2.) God is now by Nebuchadnezzar about to turn away the pride of Jacob by the captivity of the two tribes, as he did the pride of Israel by their captivity; He has determined to do it, to bring emptiers upon them, and the enemy that is to do it must begin with Nineveh, and reduce that first, and humble the pride of that. God is looking upon proud cities, and abasing them, even those that are nearest to him. Samaria is humbled, and Jerusalem is to be humbled, and their pride brought low; and shall not Nineveh, that proud city, be brought down too? Emptiers have emptied the cities, and marred the vine-branches in the country of Jacob and Israel; and must not the excellency of Nineveh, that is so much her pride, be turned away too?
III. A particular account given in of the terrors wherein the invading enemy shall appear against Nineveh; every thing shall contribute to make him formidable. 1. The shields of his mighty men are made red, and probably their other arms and array, as if they were already tinctured with the blood they had shed, or intended hereby to signify they would put all to the sword; they hung out a red flag, in token that they would give no quarter. 2. The valiant men are in scarlet; not only red clothes, to intimate what bloody work they designed to make, but rich clothes, to intimate the wealth of the army, and that is the sinews of war. 3. The chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation; when they are making their approaches, they shall fly as swiftly as lightning; the wheels shall strike fire upon the stones, and those that drive them shall drive furiously with a flaming indignation, as Jehu drove. Or they carried flaming torches with them in the open chariots, when they made their approach in the night, as Gideon's soldiers carried lamps in their pitchers, to be both a guide to themselves and a terror to their enemies, and with them to set all on fire wherever they went. 4. The fir-trees shall be terribly shaken; the great men of Nineveh, that overtop their neighbours, as the stately firs do the shrubs; or the very standing trees shall be made to shake by the violent concussions of the earth, which that great army shall cause. 5. The chariots of war shall be very terrible (Na 2:4): They shall rage in the streets, that is, those that drive them shall rage; you would think the chariots themselves raged; they shall be so numerous, and drive with so much fury, that even in the broad ways, where, one would think, there should be room enough, they shall jostle one another; and these iron chariots shall be made so bright that in the beams of the sun they shall seem like torches in the night; they shall run like the lightnings, so swiftly, so furiously. Nebuchadnezzar's commanders are here called his worthies, his gallants (so the margin reads it), his heroes; those he shall recount, and order them immediately and without fail to render themselves at their respective posts, for he is entering upon action, is resolved to take the field immediately, and to open the campaign with the siege of Nineveh. His worthies shall remember (so some read it); they shall be mindful of the duty of their place, and the charge they have received, and shall thereby be made so intent upon their business that they shall stumble in their walks, shall make more haste than good speed; they stumble, but shall not fall; for they shall make haste to the wall thereof, shall open the trenches; and the defence, or the covered way, shall be prepared (something to shelter them from the darts of the besieged), and they shall so closely carry on the siege, and with so much vigour, that at length the gates of the rivers shall be opened (Na 2:6); those gates of Nineveh which open upon the river Tigris (on which Nineveh was built) shall be first forced by, or betrayed to, the enemy, and by those gates they shall enter. And then the palace shall be dissolved, either the king's house or the house of Nisroch his god; the same word signifies both a palace and a temple. When the God of heaven goes forth to contend with a people, neither the palaces nor their kings, neither the temples nor their gods, can protect and shelter them, but must all inevitably fall with them.
IV. A prediction of the consequences of this; and it is easy to guess how dismal those will be. 1. The queen shall fall into the hands of the enemy (Na 2:7): Huzzab shall be led away captive; she that was established (so some read it), thought herself safe because she was concealed and shut up in secret, shall be discovered (so the margin reads it) and shall be led away captive, in greater disgrace than that of common prisoners; she shall be brought up in a mock state, and her maids of honour shall lead her, because she is weak and faint, not able to bear such frights and hardships, which are doubly hard and frightful to those that have not been used to them; they shall attend her, not to speak cheerfully to her and to encourage her, but murmuring and moaning themselves, as with the voice of doves, the doves of the valleys (Eze 7:16), noted for their mourning, Isa 38:14,59:11. They shall be tabering upon their breasts, beating their own breasts in grief and vexation, as if they were drumming upon them, for so the word signifies. 2. The inhabitants, though numerous, shall none of them be able to make head against the invaders, or stand their ground (Na 2:8): Nineveh is of old like a pool of water, replenished with people as a pool with water (and waters signify multitudes, Re 17:15), or as those waters with fish; it was long ago a populous city; in Jonah's time there were 120,000 little children in it (Jon 4:11), and, ordinarily, cities and countries are increasing in their number every year; but, though they have so many hands to be employed in the public service, yet they shall not be able to inspire one another with courage, but they shall flee away like cowards. Their commanders shall do what they can to animate them; they shall cry, "Stand, stand, have a good heart on it, and we shall do well enough;" but none shall so much as look back; they shall not have the least spark of courage remaining, but every one shall think it is his wisest course to make his best of the opportunity to escape; they shall not so much as look back to see who calls for them. Note, God can dispirit the strongest and boldest, in the day of distress, so that they shall not be what one would expect from them, but like a pool of water, the water whereof is dried up and gone. 3. The wealth of the city shall become a prey, and all its rich furniture shall fall into the hands of the victorious enemy (Na 2:9); they shall thus animate and excite one another to plunder: Take the spoil of silver; take the spoil of gold; thus the officers shall stir up the soldiers to improve their opportunity; here are silver and gold enough for them, for there is no end of the store of money and plate. Nineveh, having been of old like a pool of water, has gathered a vast deal of mud; and abundance of glory it has out of all the pleasant furniture, all the vessels of desire, which they have gloried in and which shall now be a prey and a pride to the conquerors. Note, Those who prepare raiment as the clay, and heap up silver as the dust, know not who may put on the raiment and divide the silver, Job 27:16,17. Thus this rich city is empty, and void, and waste, Na 2:10. See the vanity of worldly wealth; instead of defending its owners, it does but expose them, and enable their enemies to do them so much the more mischief. 4. The soldiers and people shall have no heart to appear for the defence of the city. Their spirits shall melt away like wax before the fire; their knees shall smite together (as Belshazzar's did, in his agony, Da 5:6), so that they shall not be able to stand their ground, no, nor to make their escape; much pain shall be in all loins, as is the case in extreme frights, so that they shall not be able to hold up their backs. And the faces of them all shall gather blackness, like that of a pot that is every day over the fire; so the word signifies. Note, Guilt in the conscience will fill men with terror in an evil day, and those who place their happiness in the wealth of this world and set their hearts upon it think themselves undone when their silver, and their gold, and their pleasant furniture are taken from them.
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The Judgment of Nineveh (710 BC)
尼尼微的审判（主前 710 年）
¹¹ 狮子的洞在哪里，少壮狮子喂养之处在哪里？那狮子和老狮子并小狮子游行、无人惊吓之处在哪里？ ¹² 公狮为小狮撕碎得够，为母狮扼杀足够，用猎物充满它的洞，用掠物充满它的穴。 ¹³ 万军之耶和华说：看哪，我与你为敌；我必将你的战车焚烧在烟中，刀剑必吞灭你的少壮狮子；我也必从地上剪除你的掠物，你使者的声音必不再听见。
此处我们看见尼尼微的毁灭：第一，被其邻邦所夸胜——他们如今追念它在繁华兴盛之时所犯的一切压迫与滥用权力（鸿2:11-12）：狮子的洞在哪里？ 它已不复存在；它的遗迹、它的踪迹都不见了。少壮狮子的喂养之处在哪里——它们在那里因掠物而饕餮？尼尼微的君王如狮子，如猛兽；残忍的暴君不过如此，不，在这方面更糟——因为他们既是人，人本对他们有所期许；不，他们若真是狮子，也不会捕食同类。猛兽彼此相安。但他们以人的形像行了狮子的残忍：他们在尼尼微如林中的狮子游行，无人惊吓他们；人人都敬畏他们，他们也不怕任何人；虽无人爱他们，人人却怕他们——那便是他们所求的一切。让他们恨，只要他们怕。王自己，如同每一个王子，以一切强暴勒索之术为业，以致富己、兴家；他为他的小狮撕碎得够（而少量对他们也不为足），他为他的母狮扼杀——杀尽一切近前之人，夺取他们所有的，为他的儿女、为他的妻妾，用猎物充满他的洞，用掠物充满他的穴，如狮子素常所行的。注意，许多人以要供养妻儿作为自己掠夺与不义的借口；然而如此所得的绝不会对他们有益；那敬畏耶和华、以正道得物的，必不缺自己与家人的所需；他们必得饱足，而少壮狮子——虽然为其预备了充满猎物与掠物的洞与穴——却要缺乏饥饿（诗34:10）。第二，被公义的天上地下之审判官所宣告；这是他的作为，让全世界都注意此乃如此（鸿2:13）：看哪，万军之耶和华说，我与你为敌。 当万军之耶和华为她的毁灭与她为敌之时，万军能为她的防卫作什么益处呢？尼尼微的压迫者以为他们只是使邻邦与他们为敌——那些不是他们对手、他们能轻易压制的人；但事实证明他们使神与他们为敌——他是、也将永远是权利的维护者、冤屈的报应者。神与尼尼微的王子为敌，那么：（一）这些军事预备对他们毫无益处：我必将他们的战车焚烧在烟中；他不是说在火中，而是出于对他们的轻蔑，神忿怒的烟便足以烧他们的战车；他的忿怒之火一燃，它们便被吞灭——当它还只是冒烟、尚未发火焰之时。或者，战车的御者将被烟所窒息；那时他们所夸的荣耀的战车必成为他们家族的羞辱（赛22:18）。（二）他们的儿女——他们家族的盼望——必被剪除：刀剑必吞灭少壮狮子——他们曾如此关切地以压迫勒索为之预备的。注意，神以剥夺那以犯罪之法致富其儿女之人的儿女、或（这是一样的）剥夺其在儿女身上的安慰，为公义；他们（如论到某些人所说的）以害自己的灵魂为代价使儿子成为绅士。（三）他们以诡诈与强暴所堆积的财富，既不能被他们享受，也不能为他们所用：我必从地上剪除你的掠物；不仅你不能因之受益，别人也不能。有人理解为使他们今后无力再掠夺邻邦。（四）他们在外邦的使者在邻邦中将不再有从前所受的尊重与影响力：你使者的声音必不再被听见——不再被理会；有人以为这是指拉伯沙基——尼尼微的使者之一——他曾亵渎又真又活的神，这罪在许久之后仍被记念归于尼尼微。那些曾一次出言亵渎神的人，不配再被听见。
英文原文
The Judgment of Nineveh (710 BC)
¹¹ Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?
¹² The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.
¹³ Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.
Here we have Nineveh's ruin, 1. Triumphed in by its neighbours, who now remember against it all the oppressions and abuse of power it had been guilty of in its pomp and prosperity (Na 2:11,12): Where is the dwelling of the lions? It is gone; there appear no remnants, no footsteps, of it. Where is the feeding place of the young lions, where they glutted themselves with prey? The princes of Nineveh had been as lions, as beasts of prey; cruel tyrants are no better, nay, in this respect much worse—that, being men, humanity is expected from them; nay, if they were indeed lions, they would not prey upon those of their own kind. Savis inter se convenit ursæ—Fierce bears agree together. But in the shape of men they had the cruelty of lions: they walked in Nineveh as a lion in the woods, and none made them afraid; every one stood in awe of them, and they were under no apprehensions of danger from any; though nobody loved them, every body feared them, and that was all they desired. Oderint, dum metuant—Let them hate, so that they do but fear. The king himself, as well as every prince, made it his business, by all the arts of violence and extortion, to enrich himself and raise his family; he did tear in pieces enough for his whelps (and no little would be enough for them) and he strangled for his lioness, killed all that came near him, and seized what they had for his children, for his wives and concubines, and filled his holes with prey and his dens with ravin, as lions are wont to do. Note, Many make it an excuse for their rapine and injustice that they have wives and children to provide for, whereas what is so got will never do them any good; those that fear the Lord, and get what they have honestly, shall not want a competency for themselves and theirs; verily they shall be fed, when the young lions, though dens and holes were filled with prey and ravin for them, shall lack, and suffer hunger, Ps 34:10. 2. It is avowed by the righteous Judge of heaven and earth; it is his doing, and let all the world take notice that it is so (Na 2:13): Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts. And what good can hosts do for her in her defence, when the Lord of hosts is against her for her destruction? The oppressors in Nineveh thought they only set their neighbours against them, who were not a match for them, and whom they could easily overpower; but it proved they set God against them, who is, and will be, the asserter of right and the avenger of wrong. God is against the princes of Nineveh, and then, (1.) These military preparations will stand them in no stead: I will burn their chariots in the smoke; he does not say in the fire, but, in contempt of them, the very smoke of God's indignation shall serve to burn their chariots; they shall be consumed as soon as the fire of his indignation is kindled, while as yet it does but smoke, and not flame out. Or, The drivers of the chariots shall be smothered and stifled with the smoke; then the chariots of their glory shall be the shame of their families, Isa 22:18. (2.) Their children, the hopes of their families, shall be cut off: The sword shall devour the young lions, whom they were so solicitous to provide for by oppression and extortion. Note, It is just with God to deprive those of their children, or (which is all one) of comfort in them, that take sinful courses to enrich them, and (as has been said of some) damn their souls to make their sons gentlemen. (3.) The wealth they have heaped up by fraud and violence shall neither be enjoyed by them nor employed for them: I will cut off thy prey from the earth; not only thou shalt not be the better for it, but no one else shall. Some understand it of the disabling of them for the future to prey upon their neighbours. (4.) Their agents abroad shall not have that respect from their neighbours and that influence upon them which sometimes they had had: The voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard, no more be heeded, which some think refers to Rabshakeh, one of Nineveh's messengers, that had blasphemed the living God, an iniquity which was remembered against Nineveh long after. Those are not worthy to be heard again that have once spoken reproachfully of God.
如今我们更近地来看尼尼微这大城；她并未因她军兵的毁灭和她君王的倾覆而受警戒，因此既她坚持与神为敌，便只能预期神必在他与她之间的争辩上继续前行。此处预言了以下内容：I. 那将毁灭尼尼微的仇敌的逼近，及其军事预备的可畏（鸿 2:1-5）。II. 城被攻取（鸿 2:6）。III. 王后被掳、居民逃亡、一切财富被劫夺，以及全城所要陷入的大惊惶（鸿 2:7-10）。IV. 这一切都被追溯至其真正的根源——他们得罪了神，而神兴起与他们为敌（鸿 2:11-13）。这一切在尼布甲尼撒登基第一年，联合玛代王居阿克萨列（即亚哈随鲁）攻取尼尼微、并使自己成为亚述帝国之主之时，便告应验。