Nahum 2:5 — Word Study
WLCיִזְכֹּר֙ אַדִּירָ֔יו יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ בַּהֲלִֽיכָתָ֑ם יְמַֽהֲרוּ֙ חֽוֹמָתָ֔הּ וְהֻכַ֖ן הַסֹּכֵֽךְ׃
BSAoutsidechûwts to shinehâlal chariotrekeb to rushshâqaq street/plazarᵉchôb appearancemarʼeh torchlappîyd to use lightningbârâq to runrûwts
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יִזְכֹּר֙ | he remembers | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| אַדִּירָ֔יו | nobles his | Suffix |
| יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ | they stumble | Verb, Niphal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בַּהֲלִֽיכָתָ֑ם | on journey their | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| יְמַֽהֲרוּ֙ | they hurry | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| חֽוֹמָתָ֔הּ | wall its | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| וְהֻכַ֖ן | and it is prepared | Verb, Hophal, sequential perfect third person masculine singular |
| הַסֹּכֵֽךְ׃ | the cover | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He summons his nobles; they stumble as they advance. They race to its wall; the protective shield is set in place. |
| KJV | 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. |
| ASV | He remembereth his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared. |
| YLT | He doth remember his honourable ones, They stumble in their goings, They hasten [to] its wall, and prepared is the covering. |
| WEB | He summons his picked troops. They stumble on their way. They dash to its wall, and the protective shield is put in place. |
| BBE | He takes the record of his great men: they go falling on their way; they go quickly to the wall, the cover is made ready. |
Where they part company is יִזְכֹּר֙ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around a main action with multiple clauses describing the nobles' actions and the state of their defenses.
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Nahum 2:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Siege of Ninevehgenerated
Nahum 2:5 describes the scene of impending doom for Nineveh, where the nobles are called to action but find themselves stumbling as they rush to defend the city. This reflects the disarray and panic that accompanies the threat of invasion. The imagery of nobles and walls evokes the urgency of their situation, as they scramble to prepare for the oncoming attack, paralleling the chaos often seen in moments of crisis.
The Key Word — יִזְכֹּר֙, yiz.Korgenerated
The verb זָכַר (zakar) means 'to remember' and is built from a primitive root implying recognition. It covers a range of meanings, including recalling thoughts and commemorating important events. In this context, it suggests that the nobles are being summoned to remember their duty and act accordingly.
The parsing indicates it is a verb in the imperfect tense, third person masculine singular, which implies ongoing action. This suggests that the act of remembering is not just a one-time event but a continuous call to action for the nobles.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse uses summons for יִזְכֹּר֙, while the KJV and ASV use remember, which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִזְכֹּר֙ governs the main clause, indicating the action of summoning. The structure includes several phrases describing the actions of the nobles as they stumble and hurry towards the wall.
The syntax reflects a sequence of actions: the nobles are summoned, they stumble, they hurry, and the shield is prepared, which emphasizes the urgency and chaos of the situation.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יִזְכֹּר֙ as ἐν (in), which suggests a different nuance, focusing on the location or situation rather than the act of remembering.
This choice may indicate a broader interpretation of the nobles' actions, emphasizing their presence in the moment rather than their recollection of duty.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nahum 2:5 describes how the nobles of Nineveh are called to action but stumble as they hurry to defend the city. The verse highlights the chaos and urgency of their situation as they race to prepare for the siege.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The nobles stumbling indicates confusion and weakness in the face of impending danger, suggesting that even the strong are not prepared for the crisis.
The protective shield symbolizes the measures taken for defense, highlighting the urgency of preparation as the city faces an attack.
Summoning the nobles implies a call to action, urging them to remember their roles and responsibilities in defending the city.
This verse reflects Nahum's message of impending judgment against Nineveh, emphasizing the chaos and disarray that accompany their downfall.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I feel unprepared for challenges, like the nobles in this verse?
- How can I better remember my responsibilities when faced with urgent situations?
- What does this passage teach about the importance of preparation in times of crisis?
- How can I support those around me who may be stumbling in their own challenges?
The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He summons his nobles; they stumble as they advance. They race to its wall; the protective shield is set in place.
He summons his picked troops. They stumble on their way. They dash to its wall, and the protective shield is put in place.
He summons his nobles; they stumble as they advance. They race to its wall; the protective shield is set in place.
The commander orders his officers; they stumble as they advance; they rush to the city wall and they set up the covered siege tower.
Tyndale line
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.
He remembereth his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared.
He remembereth his worthies: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared.
He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defense shall be prepared.
He shall remember his strong men: they shall stumble as they goe: they shall make haste to the walles thereof, and the defence shall bee prepared.
Strictly literal
He bethinketh him of his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the shelter is prepared.
He doth remember his honourable ones, They stumble in their goings, They hasten [to] its wall, and prepared is the covering.
He remembers his majestic ones, || They stumble in their goings, || They hurry [to] its wall, || And the covering is prepared.
(2:6) He will summon his valiant men, they shall stumble in their walk: they hasten to her walls, and the covering for defence is prepared.
The one who will dash you to pieces calls his officers; they stumble over each other in their march; they hurry to attack the city wall. The large shield is made ready to protect these attackers.
From the Latin
He will muster up his valiant men, they shall stumble in their march: they shall quickly get upon the walls thereof: and a covering shall be prepared.
Simplified
He shouts orders to his officers. They stumble as they rush to attack the wall. The battering ram is set up.
He takes the record of his great men: they go falling on their way; they go quickly to the wall, the cover is made ready.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint align closely, with all words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some variations, with one word partially restored and others supplied by an editor, indicating some loss of text.
יִזְכֹּר֙ אַדִּירָ֔יו יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ בַּהֲלִֽיכָתָ֑ם יְמַֽהֲרוּ֙ חֽוֹמָתָ֔הּ וְהֻכַ֖ן הַסֹּכֵֽךְ׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[בחוצות] [יתהוללו] [הרכב] ישתקשקו׳ן ברחבות מראי׳הן [כלפידם] [כברקים] [ירוצצו]
1 word on the leather — 2 partly restored, 6 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Nahum 2:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word זָכַר (zakar) means 'to remember' and is built from a primitive root implying recognition. It covers a range of meanings, including recalling thoughts, commemorating days, and causing others to remember. The entries also note its use in various grammatical forms, such as being remembered or making a memorial.
זָכַר vb. remember
Qal
Human subj.
remember, recall, call to mind, usu. as affecting present feeling, thought or action
remember persons (human subj.)
remember י׳
remember
think of or on, call to mind something present or future
remember a day, to observe, commemorate it
remember, with implied mention of, obj.
Subj. י׳ (אלהִם)
remember persons
remember the distress of his servants
their devotion
remember his own covenant (with them)
his mercy
extenuating circumstances
remember sins, idolatries
Niph.
be brought to remembrance, remembered, thought of, usu. c. neg.
neg. be not remembered = no longer exist, of name of Israel, as nation
be remembered, of particular days, in order to be observed, commemorated
Hiph.
cause to remember, remind
cause to be remembered, keep in remembrance
mention
record, only pt.
of sacrifice, make a memorial
base
H2142 זָכַר remember .. Human subj. . remember, recall, call to mind, usu. as affecting present feeling, thought or action
. remember persons (human subj.)
. remember י׳
. remember
. think of or on, call to mind something present or future
. remember a day, to observe, commemorate it
. remember, with implied mention of, obj.
. Subj. י׳ (אלהִם) . remember persons
. . remember the distress of his servants
. their devotion
. . remember his own covenant (with them)
. his mercy
. extenuating circumstances
. remember sins, idolatries
. . be brought to remembrance, remembered, thought of, usu. c. neg.
. neg. be not remembered = no longer exist, of name of Israel, as nation
. be remembered, of particular days, in order to be observed, commemorated
. . cause to remember, remind
. cause to be remembered, keep in remembrance
. mention
. record, only pt.
. of sacrifice, make a memorial
2142 zakar zaw-kar'
a primitive root; properly, to mark (so as to be recognized),
i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; also (as
denominative from 2145) to be male:--X burn (incense), X
earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount,
record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call,
come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, X still, think on, X
well.
see HEBREW for 02145
זָכַר (za.khar) — to remember.
1) to remember, recall, call to mind
1a) (Qal) to remember, recall
1b) (Niphal) to be brought to remembrance, be remembered, be thought of, be brought to mind
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to remember, remind
1c2) to cause to be remembered, keep in remembrance
1c3) to mention
1c4) to record
1c5) to make a memorial, make remembrance
HVqi3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
אַדִּיר (addiyr) means majestic and conveys a sense of greatness or power. It can describe large entities like the sea or trees, as well as kings, nations, and noble figures. The word is built from a root meaning wide or large, with a range that includes excellent, glorious, and noble.
אַדִּיר adj. majestic
base
H117 אַדִּיר majestic
117 'addiyr ad-deer'
from 142; wide or (generally) large; figuratively,
powerful:--excellent, famous, gallant, glorious, goodly,
lordly, mighty(- ier one), noble, principal, worthy.
see HEBREW for 0142
אַדִּיר (ad.dir) — great.
1) great, majestic
1a) of waters of sea
1b) of a tree
1c) of kings, nations, gods
2) great one, majestic one
2a) of nobles, chieftains, servants
HAampc/Sp3ms — SuffixHAampc/Sp3ms
כָּשַׁל (kashal) means to stumble or totter, often due to weakness. It can refer to physical stumbling, as well as metaphorical weakness or failure. The verb has various forms, including causing others to stumble or making them weak. The entries suggest a range of meanings from literal stumbling to broader implications of ruin and weakness.
כָּשַׁל vb. stumble, stagger, totter
Qal
stumble at, over, something (lit. by means of)
totter
Niph.
stumble
be tottering, feeble
Pi. only apparent
Hiph.
cause to stumble
make feeble, weak
Hoph. either and let them be ones who have stumbled before thee, i.e. regard them as such, or and let them be ones overthrown before thee
base
H3782 כָּשַׁל stumble, stagger, totter .. stumble at, over, something (lit. by means of)
. totter
. . stumble
. be tottering, feeble
. only apparent
. . cause to stumble
. make feeble, weak
. either and let them be ones who have stumbled before thee, i.e. regard them as such, or and let them be ones overthrown before thee
3782 kashal kaw-shal'
a primitive root; to totter or waver (through weakness of the
legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter,
stumble, faint or fall:--bereave (from the margin), cast down,
be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall
(down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown,
(cause to) stumble, X utterly, be weak.
כָּשַׁל (ka.shal) — to stumble.
1) to stumble, stagger, totter
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to stumble
1a2) to totter
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to stumble
1b2) to be tottering, be feeble
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to stumble, bring injury or ruin to, overthrow
1c2) to make feeble, make weak
1d) (Hophal) to be made to stumble
1e) (Piel) bereave
HVNi3mp — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVNi3mp
הֲלִיכָה (haliykah) is a feminine noun derived from the root word for walking. It encompasses meanings related to movement, such as a way, a march, or a travelling company. The term can refer to various forms of movement or procession, including a caravan.
[הֲלִיכָה] n.f. a going, way, travelling-company
base
H1979 הֲלִיכָה
1979 haliykah hal-ee-kaw'
feminine of 1978; a walking; by implication, a procession or
march, a caravan:--company, going, walk, way.
see HEBREW for 01978
הֲלִיכָה (ha.li.khah) — walk.
1) going, doing, travelling company, way
1a) going, walk, marching, doings
1b) travelling company, caravan
HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp
מָהַר (mahar) primarily means to hasten or hurry, conveying a sense of urgency or quickness. It can describe being anxious or impetuous, as well as the act of preparing or bringing something quickly. Additionally, it has a secondary meaning related to acquiring something by payment. The lexicons agree on these definitions without notable disagreement.
[מָהַר] vb. hasten
Niph. be hurried = anxious, disturbed; hasty, precipitate; impetuous
Pi.
hasten, make haste = go or come quickly
hasten vb.
trans. hasten, = prepare quickly; = bring quickly; = do quickly
base
מָהַר vb. denom. acquire by paying purchase-price
base
H4116a [מָהַר] hasten . be hurried = anxious, disturbed; hasty, precipitate; impetuous
. . hasten, make haste = go or come quickly
. hasten vb.
. trans. hasten, = prepare quickly; = bring quickly; = do quickly
H4116b מָהַר vb. denom. acquire by paying purchase-price
4116 mahar maw-har'
a primitive root; properly, to be liquid or flow easily, i.e.
(by implication); to hurry (in a good or a bad sense); often
used (with another verb) adverbially, promptly:--be carried
headlong, fearful, (cause to make, in, make) haste(-n, -ily),
(be) hasty, (fetch, make ready) X quickly, rash, X shortly,
(be so) X soon, make speed, X speedily, X straightway, X
suddenly, swift.
מָהַר (ma.har) — to hasten.
1)(Qal) to hasten
1a) (Niphal) to be hurried, be anxious
1a) hasty, precipitate, impetuous
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to hasten, make haste
1b2) hasten (used as adverb with another verb)
1b3) to hasten, prepare quickly, do quickly, bring quickly
מָהַר (ma.har) — to buy.
acquire by paying purchase-price
HVpi3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVpi3mp
חוֹמָה (chowmah) refers to a wall, typically understood as a protective barrier. It is derived from a root meaning to join, and is often used to describe city walls or the walls of buildings. The term can also be applied figuratively, such as in reference to the waters of the Red Sea.
חוֹמָה 133 n.f. wall (as protection)
usu. term for wall of city
wall of a building
fig. of waters of Red Sea
base
H2346 חוֹמָה wall (as protection)
2346 chowmah kho-maw'
feminine active participle of an unused root apparently
meaning to join; a wall of protection:--wall, walled.
חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — wall.
wall
חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — (Broad) Wall.
wall
Combined with ra.chav (רָחָב "Broad" H7342)
HNcfsc/Sp3fs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3fs
כּוּן (kuwn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to establish or prepare. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to be firm, to fix, to direct, and to be ready, with applications in both literal and figurative contexts. The entries indicate various forms of the verb, such as Niph'al (to be established) and Hiph'il (to establish), but there is a note on a noun form, נָכוֹן (nakhon), meaning 'blow'.
[כּוּן] 218 vb. prob. be firm, only in der. conj.
Niph.
be set up, established, fixed
in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways
prepare, be ready
pass. be prepared, of judgments
Hiph.
establish, set up
fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift
provide for, provide, furnish
direct one's face toward
arrange, order
Hoph.
be established, of throne
be prepared for
Po‛lēl.
set up, establish
constitute, make, a man (in womb)
fix, so as to be ready
direct
Po‛lal. be established
Hithpo‛l. be established
base
נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow Jb 12:5
ref
H3559a כּוּן prob. be firm, only in der. conj. . . be set up, established, fixed
. in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways
. prepare, be ready
. pass. be prepared, of judgments
. . establish, set up
. . fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift
. provide for, provide, furnish
. direct one's face toward
. arrange, order
. . be established, of throne
. be prepared for
. . set up, establish
. constitute, make, a man (in womb)
. fix, so as to be ready
. direct
. be established
. be established
H3559b נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow
3559 kuwn koon
a primitive root; properly, to be erect (i.e. stand
perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great
variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix,
prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper
or prosperous):--certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness,
fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet,
ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self),
provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright,
fast, forth), be stable, (e-)stablish, stand, tarry, X very
deed.
כּוּן (kun) — to establish: prepare.
: prepare/direct
1) to be firm, be stable, be established
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be set up, be established, be fixed
1a1a) to be firmly established
1a1b) to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring
1a1c) to be fixed, be securely determined
1a2) to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast (moral sense)
1a3) to prepare, be ready
1a4) to be prepared, be arranged, be settled
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm
1b2) to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish
1b3) to direct toward (moral sense)
1b4) to arrange, order
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be established, be fastened
1c2) to be prepared, be ready
1d) (Polel)
1d1) to set up, establish
1d2) to constitute, make
1d3) to fix
1d4) to direct
1e) (Pulal) to be established, be prepared
1f) (Hithpolel) to be established, be restored
נָכוֹן (na.khon) — blow.
Hc/VHq3ms — Verb · Hophal · sequential perfect third person masculine singularHc/VHq3ms
The Hebrew word סוּךְ (*sukh*) and its variants relate to the concepts of covering, protecting, and weaving together. It encompasses meanings such as to hedge in, overshadow, and screen, with implications of defense and joining. The entries reference various forms and usages, including a noun for 'protector' and verbs that describe actions of covering and weaving. Notably, the word appears in Exodus 33:22.
[סוּךְ, סִיךְ] vb. hedge, or fence about, shut in
base
[סָכַךְ] vb. overshadow, screen, cover
Qal
screen, cover
reflex. cover oneself
Hiph. screen, cover
Pilp. denom.
base
[סָכַךְ] vb. weave together;—Qal ψ 139:13
ref
סֹכֵךְ n. [m.] protector;—term. techn. of structure shielding stormers of city Na 2:6
H5526a סוּךְ, סִיךְ hedge, or fence about, shut in H5526b סָכַךְ overshadow, screen, cover H5526c סָכַךְ weave together H5526d סֹכֵךְ n. [m.] protector H5526e שָׂכַךְ cover, lay over, so as to screen H5526f שָׂכַךְ weave
5526 cakak saw-kak'
or sakak (Exod. 33:22) {saw-kak'}; a primitive root;
properly, to entwine as a screen; by implication, to fence in,
cover over, (figuratively) protect:--cover, defence, defend,
hedge in, join together, set, shut up.
סוּךְ (sukh) — to fence.
(Qal) to hedge, fence about, shut in
סָכַךְ (sa.khakh) — to cover.
1) to block, overshadow, screen, stop the approach, shut off, cover
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to screen, cover
1a2) to cover oneself
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to screen, cover
סָכַךְ (sa.khakh) — to weave.
1) to weave together
4a) (Qal) to weave together
1b) (Pilpel) to weave, weave together
סֹכֵךְ (so.kh) — protector.
protector (participle)
שָׂכַךְ (sa.khakh) — to cover.
(Qal) to cover, lay over
שָׂכַךְ (sa.khakh) — to weave.
1) to weave together
1a) (Qal) to weave together
1b) (Pilpel) to weave, weave together
HTd/Ncmsa — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa