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英文原文
This chapter goes on with the burden of Nineveh, and concludes it. I. The sins of that great city are charged upon it, murder (Na 3:1), whoredom and witchcraft (Na 3:4), and a general extent of wickedness, Na 3:19. II. Judgments are here threatened against it, blood for blood (Na 3:2,3), and shame for shameful sins, Na 3:5-7. III. Instances are given of the like desolations brought upon other places for the like sins, Na 3:8-11. IV. The overthrow of all those things which they depended upon, and put confidence in, is foretold, Na 3:12-19.
1-7
The Judgment of Nineveh (710 BC)
尼尼微的审判（主前 710 年）
¹ 祸哉这流人血的城！其中充满谎诈和强暴；抢夺的事总不止息； ² 鞭声哗哗，轮声轰轰；马匹踊跃，战车腾跃。 ³ 马兵扬起刀剑与闪烁的枪矛；被杀的人甚多，尸首无数；他们的尸骸无穷尽；人因尸骸绊跌； ⁴ 都因那美貌的妓女多有淫行，那行邪术的主母，藉淫行卖列国，藉邪术卖各家。 ⁵ 万军之耶和华说：看哪，我与你为敌；我必掀起你的衣襟遮盖你的脸面，使列国看见你的赤体，使列邦看见你的羞辱。 ⁶ 我必将可憎污秽之物抛在你身上，使你变为卑贱，将你当众展览。 ⁷ 凡看见你的，都必逃避你，说：尼尼微荒凉了！谁为她悲伤呢？我何处寻得安慰她的人呢？
此处有：I. 尼尼微被传讯、被控告。此处所拟定的是针对那大城的严重控告，她的人数与宏伟都不能使她免于受审。第一，它是流人血的城——其中流了许多无辜之人的血，或因不义的战争，或假借公众正义之名，或因任凭野蛮的谋杀不受惩罚；为此公义的神必追讨。第二，其中充满谎诈；真理被逐出他们中间；根本无所谓诚实；人不知该信谁、该信靠谁。第三，它充满强暴与掠夺；人不以自己所行的恶为意，也不以所加害之人为意：抢夺的事总不止息——即他们掠夺压迫所得永不知足。他们为追求掠物而杀人、说谎，以致富己。第四，其中有多淫行——即偶像崇拜，属灵的淫乱，她以此污秽自己，又以此勾引邻国，如美貌的妓女，藉淫行卖列国而毁之。第五，她是行邪术的主母，藉此卖各家（鸿3:4）。尼尼微所图的是普世帝国——作世界的首都，使一切邻邦伏在她脚下；为达此目的，她不仅用武力，更用诡计——强迫一些，迷惑另一些归顺她，如妓女以魅力哄骗他们把颈项放在她的轭下，向他们暗示这将使他们得益。她邀请他们与她同参偶像之礼，以更牢地系住他们的利益，并利用她的财富、权势与伟大吸引人与她结盟，藉此取得对他们的优势，并利用他们。这些便是她的淫行，如推罗的淫行（赛23:15,17）。这些便是她的邪术，她以之不可思议地取得统治。为此神与她有争辩——那位从一本造出万族的人的神，从未定意一族为暴君、一族为奴隶；那位声称普世君王为其特有特权之神。
II. 尼尼微在此控告之下被判毁灭。祸哉这流人血的城！（鸿3:1）。看这祸是什么。
1. 尼尼微曾以她的残忍使别人惊恐毁灭，因此毁灭与惊恐也必临到她。那些要推翻一切挡其道者的人，迟早会遇上对手。（一）请听尼尼微将被惊吓的警号（鸿3:2）。向她推进的是一支可畏的大军；你在远处便可听见——鞭声哗哗，猛烈地赶着战车之马；你可听见轮声轰轰，马匹踊跃，战车腾跃；这声音本身已令人惊惧，但当他们知道这一切兵力正以这一切速度向他们扑来，而他们无力抵挡之时，便更可畏了。（二）请看尼尼微将被荒废的屠杀（鸿3:3）——那抽出以执行死刑的刀，扬起的刀剑与闪烁的枪矛，其炫目的光辉对被它所对准的人甚为可怖。看这些兵器受命击杀之时所造成的祸害：尸首无数，因为被杀的甚多；他们的尸骸无穷尽；被杀的人如此之多，要数算他们便属徒然；他们躺卧如此密集，以致行人每一步都几乎要在他们的尸骸上绊跌。西拿基立军队的毁灭——他们在一夜之间全都成了死尸——或许在此被视为尼尼微日后所要遭受的类似毁灭的影像；因为那些不愿因远处的审判受警戒的人，必让审判逼近。
2. 尼尼微曾以她的淫行与邪术引诱别人进入可耻的邪恶，所以神必将羞辱与藐视堆在她身上（鸿3:5-7）：万军之耶和华与她为敌——那时她必暴露于最高程度的耻辱与羞辱之下，不仅失去一切魅力，更要显得极其可憎。当人看见她当初向邻邦献媚乃是要毁灭他们的自由与财产，当她一切邪恶的诡计被揭发出来，那时她的羞辱就向列国显明。当她骄傲的宣称被挫败，她对绝对普世统治的虚妄狂妄之望归于无有，她显得并不如她想被人以为的那样强大可畏之时，那时他们便来观看地的赤体，显出可笑。那时他们必将可憎污秽之物抛在她身上——如对待被游街示众的妓女——并使她变为卑贱，如同万物中的渣滓；那座万国曾向之献媚、渴望与之结盟的大城，如今成了被围观之物、笑柄。那些从前仰望她、投奔她、盼望她保护的人，如今看见她便逃避她，恐怕与她一同灭亡。注意，那些滥用其尊荣与势力的人，必公正地被羞辱、被抛弃，并且因为可悲，必被轻看，因而更加可悲。当尼尼微荒凉之时，谁为她悲伤呢？ 她的苦难必如此之大，她对之的自觉必如此之深，以致不能因同情或任何安慰之言而得解慰；即便能，也无人行此善举：我何处寻得安慰她的人呢？ 注意，那些在掌权之日不施怜恤的人，在倾覆之日也别指望得着怜恤。当尼尼微周围那些曾被她诡计所欺的人在她的毁灭中醒悟过来之时，人人都向她夸胜，无人为她悲伤。这便是尼尼微的命运——当她成为奇观、成为众目之的之时。注意，人在被滥用的兴盛之日越是显耀，在被定罪的毁灭之日羞辱也越大。我必使你作鉴戒（Drusus 如此读）。注意，当骄傲的罪人被降卑、被拉下之时，其目的便是让别人以他们为鉴——在世上兴盛之时不可因安逸与狂妄而自高。
英文原文
The Judgment of Nineveh (710 BC)
¹ Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;
² The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.
³ The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:
⁴ Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
⁵ Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
⁶ And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazing-stock.
⁷ And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
Here is, I. Nineveh arraigned and indicted. It is a high charge that is here drawn up against that great city, and neither her numbers nor her grandeur shall secure her from prosecution. 1. It is a city of blood, in which a great deal of innocent blood is shed by unrighteous war, or under colour and pretence of public justice, or by suffering barbarous murders to go unpunished; for this the righteous God will make inquisition. 2. It is all full of lies; truth is banished from among them; there is no such thing as honesty; one knows not whom to believe nor whom to trust. 3. It is all full of robbery and rapine; no man cares what mischief he does, nor to whom he does it: The prey departs not, that is, they never know when they have got enough by spoil and oppression. They shed blood, and told lies, in pursuit of the prey, that they might enrich themselves. 4. There is a multitude of whoredoms in it, that is, idolatries, spiritual whoredoms, by which she defiled herself, and to which she seduced the neighbouring nations, as a well-favoured harlot, and sold and ruined nations through her whoredoms. 5. She is a mistress of witchcrafts, and by them she sells families, Na 3:4. That which Nineveh aimed at was a universal monarchy, to be the metropolis of the world, and to have all her neighbours under her feet; to compass this, she used not only arms, but arts, compelling some, deluding others, into subjection to her, and wheedling them as a harlot by her charms to lay their necks under her yoke, suggesting to them that it would be for their advantage. She courted them to join with her in her idolatrous rites, to tie them the faster to her interests, and made use of her wealth, power, and greatness, to draw people into alliances with her, by which she gained advantages over them, and made a hand of them. These were her whoredoms, like those of Tyre, Isa 23:15,17. These were her witchcrafts, with which she unaccountably gained dominion. And for this that God has a quarrel with her who, having made of one blood all nations of men, never designed one to be a nation of tyrants and another of slaves, and who claims it as his own prerogative to be universal Monarch.
II. Nineveh condemned to ruin upon this indictment. Woe to this bloody city! Na 3:1. See what this woe is.
1. Nineveh had with her cruelties been a terror and destruction to others, and therefore destruction and terror shall be brought upon her. Those that are for overthrowing all that come in their way will, sooner or later, meet with their match. (1.) Hear the alarm with which Nineveh shall be terrified, Na 3:2. It is a formidable army that advances against it; you may hear them at a distance, the noise of the whip, driving the chariot-horses with fury; you may hear the noise of the rattling of the wheels, the prancing horses, and the jumping chariots; the very noise is frightful, but much more so when they know that all this force is coming with all this speed against them, and they are not able to make head against it. (2.) See the slaughter with which Nineveh shall be laid waste (Na 3:3), the sword drawn with which execution shall be done, the bright sword lifted up and the glittering spear, the dazzling brightness of which is very terrible to those whom they are lifted up against. See what havoc these make when they are commissioned to slay: There is a great number of carcases, for the slain of the land shall be many; there is no end of their corpses; there is such a multitude of slain that it is in vain to go about to take the number of them; they lie so thick that passengers are ready to stumble upon their corpses at every step. The destruction of Sennacherib's army, which, in the morning, were all dead corpses, is perhaps looked upon here as a figure of the like destruction that should afterwards be in Nineveh; for those that will not take warning by judgments at a distance shall have them come nearer.
2. Nineveh had with her whoredoms and witchcrafts drawn others to shameful wickedness, and therefore God will load her with shame and contempt (Na 3:5-7): The Lord of hosts is against her, and then she shall be exposed to the highest degree of disgrace and ignominy, shall not only lose all her charms, but shall be made to appear very odious. When it shall be seen that while she courted her neighbours it was with design to ruin their liberty and property, when all her wicked artifices shall be brought to light, then her shame is discovered to the nations. When her proud pretensions are baffled, and her vain towering hopes of an absolute and universal dominion brought to nought, and she appears not to have been so strong and considerable as she would have been thought to be, then to see the nakedness of the land do they come, and it appears ridiculous. Then do they cast abominable filth upon her, as upon a carted strumpet, and make her vile as the offscouring of all things; that great city, which all nations had made court to and coveted an alliance with, has become a gazing-stock, a laughing stock. Those that formerly looked upon her, and fled to her, in hopes of protection from her, now look upon her and flee from her, for fear of being ruined with her. Note, Those that abuse their honour and interest will justly be disgraced and abandoned, and, because miserable, will be made contemptible, and thereby be made more miserable. When Nineveh is laid waste who will bemoan her? Her trouble will be so great, and her sense of it so deep, as not to admit relief from sympathy, or any comforting considerations; or, if it would, none shall do any such good office: When shall I seek comforters for thee? Note, Those that showed no pity in the day of their power can expect to find no pity in the day of their fall. When those about Nineveh, that had been deceived by her wiles, come to be undeceived in her ruin, every one shall insult over her, and none bemoan her. This was Nineveh's fate, when she was made a spectacle, or gazing-stock. Note, The greater men's show was in the day of their abused prosperity the greater will their shame be in the day of their deserved destruction. I will make thee an example; so Drusus reads it. Note, When proud sinners are humbled and brought down it is designed that others should take example by them not to lift up themselves in security and insolence when they prosper in the world.
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The Judgment of Nineveh (710 BC)
尼尼微的审判（主前 710 年）
⁸ 你岂比那坐落在众河之上、周围有水环绕、以海为保障、城墙从海而出的挪亚们更好吗？ ⁹ 古实和埃及是她的力量，并且无限；弗人和路比族是她的帮助。 ¹⁰ 但她被迁徙，被掳去；她的婴孩在各街头被摔死；人为她的尊贵人拈阄，她的一切大人都被锁链捆绑。 ¹¹ 你也必喝醉，也必被隐藏；你也必因仇敌的缘故寻求保障。 ¹² 你一切保障必如无花果树上初熟的无花果；若一摇撼，就落在想吃之人的口中。 ¹³ 看哪，在你中间的你的百姓如妇人；你地的城门必向仇敌敞开；火必吞灭你的门闩。 ¹⁴ 你要为围困汲取水，坚固你的保障；践踏泥土，踩泥做砖，修固砖窑。 ¹⁵ 在那里火必吞灭你；刀剑必剪除你，如蝻子吞吃你；你要如蝻子增多，如蝗虫增多。 ¹⁶ 你的商人多于天上的星；蝻子剥尽而飞去。 ¹⁷ 你的首领如蝗虫，你的将军如大军营的蚂蚱；天冷时在篱笆上安营，日头一出便飞去，飞到何处无人知道。 ¹⁸ 亚述王啊，你的牧人沉睡；你的贵胄必安歇在尘土中；你的百姓散在山上，无人招聚他们。 ¹⁹ 你的损伤无法医治；你的伤痕极其严重；凡听见你消息的，必都因你拍掌；因为你所行的恶，谁没有时常遭遇呢？
尼尼微已被宣告神与它为敌，那时便无人能站在它一边、为它有所益处；然而它公然向神挑战，向他的权能与公义挑战，说：我必平安。 受威胁之人活得长久；所以先知在此详述它的倚靠将何等虚空、何等不足以挡开神的审判。为使他们确信此点——
I. 他向他们指出：别的与它们同样坚固、同样安逸之地，也不能在神的审判之下守住阵地。尼尼微必不被怜悯、不被安慰而倾覆（因为对那些神要加患难之人说平安的人，必是可悲的安慰者），它也不能自救：你岂比挪亚们更好吗？（鸿3:8）。他引用先例将他们从虚妄的倚靠中引开。所提之城是挪亚们——埃及地的一座大城（耶46:25），有人读作挪·亚们（No-Ammon）。我们读到它（结30:14-16）。有人以为是底比斯（Diospolis），有人以为是亚历山大。正如神对耶路撒冷说：去看看我从前对示罗所行的（耶7:12），照样对尼尼微这座大城说：去看看我对人口众多的挪亚们所行的。 注意，想到我们并不比那些在我们以先落在审判之下的人更好，有助于我们存圣洁的敬畏之心对待神的审判。我们同样配受，也无力与之较量。这也当有助于我们与苦难和好。我们岂比某某更好吗——他们也同样受试炼？不，他们岂不比我们更好、更不像受苦之人吗？如今关于挪亚们，当注意：第一，它的地位看来何等稳固（鸿3:8）。它既因天然也因人工设防，坐落在众河之上。尼罗河以数条支流不仅灌溉其田，也保护其墙。它的保障是海——马列奥提斯湖（Mareotis），埃及的海，如提比哩亚海。它的城墙从海而出；它以一道城墙防御，那墙被认为使该地不可攻取。它也因在外的利益与联盟而得支持（鸿3:9）。古实，或阿拉伯，是它的力量——或因贸易给它带来财富，或因军事上的辅助兵力。全埃及也供给这座人口众多的城力量；所以它是无限的，没有穷尽（可如此读）；它对自己的野心不加界限，对自己的财富与力量也不知尽头；人不断涌向它，它自以为永远没有尽头；但无限乃是神的特权。弗人和路比族是它的帮助——非洲的两个邻国，毛里塔尼亚与利比亚——即利比亚·古利奈加（Libya Cyrenica），一个埃及大加倚赖之国。挪亚们既得如此帮助，似乎稳坐如皇后，不至看见忧愁。但第二，看它的倾覆何等致命（鸿3:10）：但她被迁徙——她的力量失效了；连那如此强大、如此安稳的她，也被掳去。这指那城当时众所周知的、也许记忆犹新的某种毁灭——虽然史书未载；因为若将之理解为尼布甲尼撒所致（我们若如此预言地理解），它不能作为尼尼微的鉴戒；因为攻取尼尼微是他最早的胜利之一，而攻取埃及是最晚的。那大城的力量与宏伟不能保护它免于军事的执行。（一）不能免于最野蛮之事——因为她的婴孩未蒙怜恤，在各街头被摔死于无情的征服者之手。（二）不能免于最不荣耀、最可耻之事——人为她的尊贵人拈阄，他们成了战俘，看谁要他们作奴仆。他们人数如此之多，以致不知如何处置，便以掷骰取乐；她的一切大人——素常在朝会之日以金链装饰的——如今被锁链捆绑；他们被捆绑或上手铐（原文如此），不仅如奴仆，更如定罪的囚犯。这对人口众多的挪亚们是何等的屈辱——她的尊贵人与大人，本是她的骄傲与倚靠，竟如此受辱！由此他针对尼尼微推论（鸿3:11）："你也必沉醉——被愚妄所困；你也必摇摇晃晃，如因主忿怒之杯而醉——那杯将交在你手中"（参耶25:17,27）；你必跌倒，不再起来。 这杯要轮流传递，轮到你了，尼尼微啊！最后要饮尽，它对你必如疑恨之水。
II. 他向他们指出：他们所倚靠的一切都必使他们失望。第一，尼尼微人是否信赖自己的胆略与勇武？他们的心必消化失效。他们必被隐藏——因羞耻而躲藏——既已蒙羞；因恐惧而躲藏——既在困苦危险之中，无力面对仇敌；因自己毫无力量，他们必因仇敌的强大与可畏而寻求保障——偷偷到邻邦乞求帮助。如此神能截断君王的勇气，夺去他们的心。第二，他们是否倚靠其屏障——所设的驻军与堡垒，一切按正规设防、勇士驻守？这些必证明不过是纸墙，如初熟的无花果——你只要轻轻一摇树，它们便落在想吃之人的口中；他们一切堡垒必如此轻易地向推进的敌人投降——一经传唤便降（鸿3:12）。注意，堡垒——哪怕最强的——当审判奉命而来时，也不能抵挡。富人的财富是他的坚城，高墙，但只在自己的想象中（箴18:10）。他们假定将自己的堡垒修得尽可能坚固，并受挑战要尽力使它们可守、可对抗入侵者（鸿3:14）：你要为围困汲取水——储备大量的水，使这维持人命所必需之物不致缺乏；此处以之代表一切储备，尼尼微被反讽地告知要为自己预备这些，以备围攻。"尽你所能小心防备不至因饥荒被饿出、被迫投降，但那也无益。坚固堡垒——加筑外围工事，或派兵派械驻守，"如我们之安设大炮。践踏泥土，踩泥做砖，修固砖窑——在构筑新工事上尽一切努力；但都必归于徒然，因为（鸿3:15）即便如此被攻取，火必吞灭你。火与刀剑是战争中所造成大破坏的工具。第三，他们是否信赖居民的众多？他们是否因人数与勇武而被视为最坚固的城墙与堡垒？唉！这些对他们毫无益处；他们只会在自己人数的重压下更快沉沦（鸿3:13）：在你中间的你的百姓如妇人——他们无智无勇；他们必如妇人在此类危险困苦之时所常有的，反复无常、软弱、胆怯；他们必不知所措，因自己想象的力量加增自己的忧愁与恐惧，完全无力为自己作什么；勇士必变为懦夫。真是弗吕家的妇人，不是弗吕家的人。 他们虽如蝻子增多（鸿3:15），如蝗虫——成群结队而来，虽然你的商人多于天上的星——虽然你的交易所挤满富商，他们既有如此多的钱需要保卫、又如此多的钱可用以购置防卫之具，人本以为他们会给敌人热烈的迎接，但他们的心也要失效；他们虽多如毛虫，火与刀剑却必如蝻子一般轻易不可抗地吞灭他们（鸿3:15）。他们如那些害虫之多，但他们的仇敌也如它们一样有害。他加上（鸿3:16），蝻子剥尽而飞去。 商人与仇敌都被比作蝻子。仇敌必剥尽尼尼微、带走掠物，毫无阻挡，也无收回之望。或者，那些从远方来尼尼微定居、在那里发了财的富商——本来盼望他们会为保卫城而大量捐输——当他们看见国被侵、城将受围之时，必运走他们的财产，迁往别处，必展开翅膀**飞去到安全之地，尼尼微不能因之受益。注意，连那些与我们同享喜乐的人，也难得有愿与我们同分忧愁的。蝻子在田间还有可食之时便留下，一切尽时便离去。人所得的，不甘于失。尼尼微的商人在其患难中向她告别。财富本身正如蝻子，忽然如鹰向天飞去（箴23:5）。第四，他们是否信赖其城门与门闩的坚固？那些在神审判的权能面前能作何屏障？（鸿3:13）你地的城门必向仇敌敞开——你河的城门（鸿2:6），水闸，或隘口，仇敌藉以进入国境的通道，或诸城的城门；这些无论何等坚固、何等森严，都不能达到其目的：火必吞灭你的门闩——你城门的门闩，那时它们必敞开。第五，他们是否信赖其君王与王子？他们不能为他们效力（鸿3:17）：你的首领如蝗虫——那些有威仪有权柄的、戴冠冕的，都变得无力，在仇敌如洪水涌入之时无力抵抗。你的将军——当统率兵力出征的——虽大、虽显得大，但他们如大蚂蚱——该类的最大者；但他们终不过是蚂蚱，无益之物，不能效力。他们在篱笆上安营，天冷时——寒冷天气——但当太阳一出，他们便飞去，不见了，无人知其去向。如此这些雇佣兵在尼尼微四周沉睡，一旦患难兴起，便逃之夭夭，自顾安全。雇工逃走，因为他是雇工。 亚述王被告知——而这是他需被告知的羞耻（他本可自己观察）：他的牧人沉睡——他们没有生命气息为羊群现身，在其职位本分与所托的信重上极其懈怠：你的贵胄必安歇在尘土中，被埋葬于沉寂之中。第六，他们是否盼望终将恢复自己、重整旗鼓？他们在此也要失望；因为牧人被击打之时，羊就分散；百姓散在山上，无人招聚，也永不会自己再来在一起，却如分散的羊无尽地漂泊。他们所处的审判如伤，而它无法医治；其中毫无解救，你的损伤无法医治——那如此严重、如此痛苦的伤，连结痂的可能都没有；你的情形绝望（鸿3:19）；你的邻邦非但不向你伸出援手，反而向你拍掌，因你的倾覆而夸胜；原因是，你或此或彼地伤害了他们一切人：你所行的恶，谁没有时常遭遇呢？ 你向来对周围的人作恶；他们中没有一人不被你虐待、不被你侮辱；所以他们非但不怜悯你，反要以见你受报为乐。注意，那些虐待邻邦的人，迟早必发觉此事回到自己身上；他们不过是在自己倾覆之日来临之前为自己预备仇敌；那些不敢亲手加害他们的人，也要向他们拍掌，以他们先前的恶行责备他们——他们如今被善待得宜，自食其果。扰乱人的必被扰乱——这将成为许多人的重担，如此处尼尼微的默示一样。
英文原文
The Judgment of Nineveh (710 BC)
⁸ Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?
⁹ Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
¹⁰ Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
¹¹ Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.
¹² 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.
¹³ Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.
¹⁴ Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the brick-kiln.
¹⁵ There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.
¹⁶ Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.
¹⁷ Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
¹⁸ Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.
¹⁹ There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
Nineveh has been told that God is against her, and then none can be for her, to stand her in any stead; yet she sets God himself at defiance, and his power and justice, and says, I shall have peace. Threatened folks live long; therefore here the prophet largely shows how vain her confidences would prove and insufficient to ward off the judgment of God. To convince them of this,
I. He shows them that other places, which had been as strong and as secure as they, could not keep their ground against the judgments of God. Nineveh shall fall unpitied and uncomforted (for miserable comforters will those prove who speak peace to those on whom God will fasten trouble), and she shall not be able to help herself: Art thou better than populous No? Na 3:8. He takes them off from their vain confidences by quoting precedents. The city mentioned is No, a great city in the land of Egypt (Jer 46:25), No-Ammon, so some read it both there and here. We read of it, Eze 30:14-16. Some think it was Diospolis, others Alexandria. As God said to Jerusalem, Go, see what I did to Shiloh (Jer 7:12), so to Nineveh that great city, Go, see what I did to populous No. Note, It will help to keep us in a holy fear of the judgments of God to consider that we are not better than those that have fallen under those judgments before us. We deserve them as much, and are as little able to grapple with them. This also should help to reconcile us to afflictions. Are we better than such and such, who were in like manner exercised? Nay, were not they better than we, and less likely to be afflicted? Now, concerning No, observe, 1. How firm her standing seemed to be, Na 3:8. She was fortified both by nature and art, was situate among the rivers. Nile, in several branches, not only watered her fields, but guarded her wall. Her rampart was the sea, the lake of Mareotis, an Egyptian sea, like the sea of Tiberias. Her wall was from the sea; it was fenced with a wall which was thought to make the place impregnable. It was also supported by its interests and alliances abroad, Na 3:9. Ethiopia, or Arabia, was her strength, either by the wealth brought to her in a way of trade or by the auxiliary forces furnished for military service. The whole country of Egypt also contributed to the strength of this populous city; so that it was infinite, and there was no end of it (so it might be rendered); She set no bounds to her ambition and knew no end of her wealth and strength; people flocked to her endlessly, and she thought there never would be any end of it; but it is God's prerogative to be infinite. Put and Lubim were thy helpers, two neighbouring countries of Africa, Mauritania and Libya, that is, Libya Cyrenica, a country that Egypt had much dependence upon. No, thus helped, seemed to sit as a queen, and was not likely to see any sorrow. But, 2. See how fatal her fall proved to be (Na 3:10): Yet was she carried away, and her strength failed her; even she that was so strong, so secure, yet went into captivity. This refers to some destruction of that city which was then well-known, and probably fresh in memory, though not recorded in history; for the destruction of it by Nebuchadnezzar (if we should understand this prophetically) could not be made an example to Nineveh; for the reducing of Nineveh was one of the first of his victories and that of Egypt one of the last. The strength and grandeur of that great city could not be its protection from military execution. (1.) Not from that which was most barbarous; for her young children had no compassion shown them, but were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets by the merciless conquerors. (2.) Not from that which was most inglorious and disgraceful: They cast lots for her honourable men that were made prisoners of war, who should have them for their slaves. So many had they of them that they knew not what to do with them, but they made sport with throwing dice for them; all her great men, that used to be adorned on state-days with chains of gold, were now bound in chains of iron; they were pinioned or handcuffed (so the word properly signifies), not only as slaves, but as condemned malefactors. What a mortification was this to populous No, to have her honourable men and great men, that were her pride and confidence, thus abused! Now hence he infers against Nineveh (Na 3:11), "Thou also shalt be intoxicated, infatuated; thou also shalt reel and stagger, as drunk with the cup of the Lord's fury, that shall be put into thy hand" (see Jer 25:17,27); "Thou shalt fall and rise no more. The cup shall go round, and come to thy turn, O Nineveh! to drink off at last, and shall be to thee as the waters of jealousy."
II. He shows them that all those things which they reposed a confidence in should fail them. 1. Did the men of Nineveh trust to their own magnanimity and bravery? Their hearts should sink and fail them. They shall be hid, shall abscond for shame, being in disgrace, abscond for fear, being in distress and danger, and not able to face the enemies, because of whose strength and terror, having no strength of their own, they shall seek strength, shall come sneaking to their neighbours to beg their assistance in a time of need. Thus God can cut off the spirit of princes, and take away their heart. 2. Did they depend upon their barrier, the garrisons and strongholds they had, which were regularly fortified and bravely manned? Those shall prove but paper-walls, and like the first-ripe figs, which, if you give the tree but a little shake, will fall into the mouth of the eater that gapes for them; so easily will all their strongholds be made to surrender to the advancing enemy, upon the first summons, Na 3:12. Note, Strongholds, even the strongest, are no fence against the judgments of God, when they come with commission. The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and a high wall, but only in his own conceit, Pr 18:10. They are supposed to make their strongholds as strong as possible, and are challenged to do their utmost to make them tenable, and serviceable to them against the invader (Na 3:14): Draw thee water for the siege; lay in great quantities of water, that that which is so necessary to the support of human life may not be wanting; it is put here for all manner of provision, with which Nineveh is ironically told to furnish herself, in expectation of a siege. "Take ever so much care that thou mayest not be starved out, and forced by famine to surrender, yet that shall not avail. Fortify the strongholds, by adding out-works to them, or putting men and arms into them," as with us by planting cannon upon them. "Go into clay, and tread the mortar, and make strong the brick-kiln; take all the pains thou canst in erecting new fortifications; but it shall be all in vain, for (Na 3:15) there shall even the fire devour thee if it be taken by storm." It is by fire and sword that in time of war the great devastations are made. 3. Did they put confidence in the multitude of their inhabitants? Were they, from their number and valour, reckoned their strongest walls and fortifications? Alas! these shall stand them in no stead; they shall but sink the sooner under the weight of their own numbers (Na 3:13): Thy people in the midst of thee are women; they have no wisdom, no courage; they shall be fickle, feeble, and faint-hearted, as women commonly are in such times of danger and distress; they shall be at their wits' end, adding to their griefs and fears by the power of their own imagination, and utterly unable to do any thing for themselves; the valiant men shall become cowards. O verè Phrygiæ, neque enim Phryges—Phrygian dames, not Phrygian men. Though they make themselves many (Na 3:15), as the canker-worm and as the locust, that come in vast swarms, though thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven, though thy exchange be thronged with wealthy traders, who, having so much money to stand up in defence of and so much to lay out in the means of their defence, should, one would think, give the enemy a warm reception, yet their hearts shall fail them too; though they be numerous as caterpillars, yet the fire and sword shall eat them up easily and irresistibly as the canker-worm, Na 3:15. They are as numerous as those wasting insects, but their enemies shall be mischievous like them. He adds (Na 3:16), The canker-worm spoils, or spreads herself, and flies away. Both the merchants and the enemies were compared to canker-worms. The enemies shall spoil Nineveh, and carry away the spoil, without opposition, or any hope of recovering it. Or the rich merchants, who have come from abroad to settle in Nineveh, and have raised vast estates there, out of which it was hoped they would contribute largely for the defence of the city, when they see the country invaded and the city likely to be besieged, will send away their effects, and remove to some other place, will spread their wings and fly away where they may be safe, and Nineveh shall be never the better for them. Note, It is rare to find even those that have shared with us in our joys willing to share with us in our griefs too. The canker-worms will continue upon the field while there is any thing to be had, but they are gone when all is gone. Those that men have got by they do not care to lose by. Nineveh's merchants bid her farewell in her distress. Riches themselves are as the canker-worms, which on a sudden fly away as the eagle towards heaven, Pr 23:5. 4. Did they put a confidence in the strength of their gates and bars? What fence will those be against the force of the judgments of God? Na 3:13. The gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thy enemies, the gates of thy rivers (Na 2:6), the flood-gates, or the passes and avenues, by which the enemy would make his entrance into the country, or the gates of the cities; these, though ever so strong and well-guarded, shall not answer their end: The fire shall devour thy bars, the bars of thy gates, and then they shall fly open. 5. Did they put a confidence in their king and princes? They should do them no service (Na 3:17): Thy crowned heads are as the locusts; those that had pomp and power, as crowned heads, were enfeebled, and had no power to make resistance, when the enemy came in like a flood. "Thy captains, that should lead thy forces into the field, are great indeed, and look great, but they are as the great grasshoppers, the maximum quod sic—the largest specimens of that species; still they are but grasshoppers, worthless things, that can do no service. They encamp in the hedges, in the cold day, the cold weather, but, when the sun arises, they flee away, and are gone, nobody knows whither. So these mercenary soldiers that lay slumbering about Nineveh, when any trouble arises, flee away, and shift for their own safety. The hireling flees, because he is a hireling." The king of Assyria is told, and it is a shame he needs to be told it (who might observe it himself), that his shepherds slumber; they have no life or spirit to appear for the flock, and are very remiss in the discharge of the duty of their place and the trust reposed in them: Thy nobles shall dwell in the dust, and be buried in silence. 6. Did they hope that they should yet recover themselves and rally again? In this also they should be disappointed; for, when the shepherds are smitten, the sheep are scattered; the people are dispersed upon the mountains and no man gathers them, nor will they ever come together of themselves, but will wander endlessly, as scattered sheep do. The judgment they are under is as a wound, and it is incurable; there is no relief for it, "no healing of thy bruise, no possibility that the wound, which is so grievous and painful to thee, should be so much as skinned over; thy case is desperate (Na 3:19) and thy neighbours, instead of lending a hand to help thee, shall clap their hands over thee, and triumph in thy fall; and the reason is, because thou hast been one way or other injurious to them all: Upon whom has not thy wickedness passed continually? Thou hast been always doing mischief to those about thee; there is none of them but what thou hast abused and insulted; and therefore they shall be so far from pitying thee that they shall be glad to see thee reckoned with." Note, Those that have been abusive to their neighbours will, one time or another, find it come home to them; they are but preparing enemies to themselves against their day comes to fall: and those that dare not lay hands on them themselves will clap their hands over them, and upbraid them with their former wickedness, for which they are now well enough served and paid in their own coin. The troublers shall be troubled will be the burden of many, as it is here the burden of Nineveh.
本章继续尼尼微的默示，并作其结束。I. 那大城的罪被控告在其身上：杀人（鸿3:1）、淫乱与邪术（鸿3:4），以及罪恶的普遍蔓延（鸿3:19）。II. 审判在此向它宣告：以血还血（鸿3:2-3），以羞辱报可羞辱之罪（鸿3:5-7）。III. 列举别处因同样之罪所受的同样荒废为例（鸿3:8-11）。IV. 他们所倚靠、所信赖之物的倾覆被预言（鸿3:12-19）。