Nahum 2:6 — Word Study
WLCשַׁעֲרֵ֥י הַנְּהָר֖וֹת נִפְתָּ֑חוּ וְהַֽהֵיכָ֖ל נָמֽוֹג׃
BSAto rememberzâkar greatʼaddîyr to stumblekâshal walkhălîykâh walkhălîykâh to hastenmâhar wallchôwmâh to establishkûwn to fenceçâkak
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שַׁעֲרֵ֥י | [the] gates of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| הַנְּהָר֖וֹת | the rivers | Particle, noun common feminine plural absolute |
| נִפְתָּ֑חוּ | they have been opened | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person common plural |
| וְהַֽהֵיכָ֖ל | and the palace | Conjunction, particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| נָמֽוֹג׃ | it has melted away | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses. |
| KJV | The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved. |
| ASV | The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved. |
| YLT | Gates of the rivers have been opened, And the palace is dissolved. |
| WEB | The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved. |
| BBE | The river doorways are forced open, and the king's house is flowing away. |
Where they part company is נִפְתָּ֑חוּ — see How Translations Differ.
The structure features two main clauses connected by a conjunction, illustrating the simultaneous actions of the gates opening and the palace collapsing.
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 2:6
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 Fall of Ninevehgenerated
Nahum 2:6 describes the moment of Nineveh's downfall, where the river gates are opened, leading to the collapse of the palace. This verse illustrates the complete destruction of the city, emphasizing the power of the enemy forces. The surrounding verses highlight the chaos and despair as Nineveh's defenses fail, leading to its inevitable demise.
The Key Word — נִפְתָּ֑חוּ, nif.Ta.chugenerated
The verb נִפְתָּ֑חוּ (nif.Ta.chu) is a Niphal perfect form, meaning 'they have been opened'. It signifies an action completed by an outside force, indicating that the gates were opened not by their own will but by the enemy's assault.
This word is built from the root פָּתַח (pathach), which means 'to open'. In this context, it conveys a sense of vulnerability and defeat, as the gates of the city, typically a symbol of strength and security, are thrown open, allowing for invasion and destruction.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs נִפְתָּ֑חוּ (they have been opened) and נָמֽוֹג (it has melted away) govern the structure of the verse. The first part describes the opening of the gates, while the second part details the collapse of the palace.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the actions of opening and collapsing, placing the focus on the catastrophic events unfolding in Nineveh.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נִפְתָּ֑חוּ as ἐν (in), suggesting a focus on the state of being opened rather than the action itself. This choice may reflect a different interpretative angle on the event's significance.
The lack of a direct equivalent for נָמֽוֹג in the LXX indicates a potential gap in conveying the full impact of the palace's collapse, emphasizing the unique weight of the Hebrew expression.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nahum 2:6 describes the gates of the rivers being opened and the palace collapsing. This shows the destruction of Nineveh as it faces an overwhelming enemy force, emphasizing the city's vulnerability and the end of its power.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies the city's defenses being breached, leading to its downfall.
The palace's collapse represents the loss of power and stability for the city.
Melting conveys a sense of vulnerability and the irreversible nature of Nineveh's destruction.
They illustrate the fulfillment of prophecy and God's sovereignty over nations, as seen in the context of Nahum's message.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the opening of the gates symbolize in terms of vulnerability and defeat?
- How can we see parallels in our lives when defenses seem to crumble?
- In what ways does the imagery of melting resonate with personal experiences of loss or change?
- How does this verse challenge our understanding of power and security?
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
The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses.
The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.
The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses.
The sluice gates are opened; the royal palace is deluged and dissolves.
Tyndale line
The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.
The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.
The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.
The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.
The gates of the riuers shalbe opened, and the palace shall melt.
Strictly literal
The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace melteth away.
Gates of the rivers have been opened, And the palace is dissolved.
Gates of the rivers have been opened, || And the palace is dissolved.
(2:7) The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.
The gates at the rivers are forced open, and the palace falls to ruins.
From the Latin
The gates of the rivers are opened, and the temple is thrown down to the ground.
Simplified
The river gates are opened; the palace washes away.
The river doorways are forced open, and the king's house is flowing away.
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 reads שַׁעֲרֵ֥י הַנְּהָר֖וֹת נִפְתָּ֑חוּ וְהַֽהֵיכָ֖ל נָמֽוֹג׃, and it is consistent with the Dead Sea Scrolls, which partially restore the same content, though with some variations in wording. The Septuagint, however, does not fully match the Hebrew text.
שַׁעֲרֵ֥י הַנְּהָר֖וֹת נִפְתָּ֑חוּ וְהַֽהֵיכָ֖ל נָמֽוֹג׃
1 of the 5 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.
יזכר אדירי׳ו יכשלו בהלכות׳ם ימהרו חומת׳ה והכן [הסכך]
4 words on the leather — 3 partly restored, 1 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 2:6
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.
שַׁ֫עַר (sha'ar) means 'gate' and is derived from a root that signifies an opening. It encompasses various types of gates, including those of cities, palaces, and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like 'gate of heaven.' The entries consistently highlight its role as an entrance or threshold.
שַׁ֫עַר 373 n.m. gate
base
H8179 שַׁ֫עַר gate
8179 sha`ar shah'-ar
from 8176 in its original sense; an opening, i.e. door or
gate:--city, door, gate, port (X -er).
see HEBREW for 08176
שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate.
: gate
1) gate
1a) gate (of entrance)
1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)
1b1) city, town
1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)
1d) heaven
שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate: town.
: town
1) gate
1a) gate (of entrance)
1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)
1b1) city, town
1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)
1d) heaven
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
נָהָר (nahar) means 'stream' or 'river' and can refer to various water bodies, including the Nile and Euphrates. It also has a figurative sense of prosperity. The word is derived from a root meaning related to flowing water and has an Aramaic equivalent, נְהַר (ne.har).
נָהָר 120 n.m. stream, river
base
H5104 נָהָר stream, river
5104 nahar naw-hawr'
from 5102; a stream (including the sea; expec. the Nile,
Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity:--flood, river.
see HEBREW for 05102
נָהָר (na.har) — River.
This name means stream, river
Another name of pe.rat (פְּרָת "Euphrates" H6578)
נָהָר (na.har) — river.
1) stream, river
1a) stream, river
1b) (underground) streams
Aramaic equivalent: ne.har (נְהַר "river" H5103H)
HTd/Ncfpa — Particle · noun common feminine plural absoluteHTd/Ncfpa
פָּתַח (pathach) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to open' and can refer to various actions such as opening doors, loosening restraints, or engraving. It has different forms, including Qal (to open), Niphal (to be opened), and Piel (to engrave). The entries highlight its literal and figurative uses, but there is some overlap in meaning regarding its applications in opening and engraving.
פָּתַח vb. open
Qal open sack
Niph. be opened
Pi. be opened
free, i.e. ungird, camels
loosen (and remove) sack-cloth
open gates, doors
Hithp. loosen thee the fetters of thy neck
base
[פָּתַח] vb. Pi. engrave
Pu. stones engraved with the engravings of a signet.
base
H6605a פָּתַח open .open sack
. be opened
. be opened . free, i.e. ungird, camels
. loosen (and remove) sack-cloth
. open gates, doors
. loosen thee the fetters of thy neck
H6605b פָּתַח Pi. engrave
6605 pathach paw-thakh'
a primitive root; to open wide (literally or figuratively);
specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carve:--appear, break
forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-)grave(-n), loose (self),
(be, be set) open(-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.
פָּתַח (pa.tach) — to open.
1) to open
1a) (Qal) to open
1b) (Niphal) to be opened, be let loose, be thrown open
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to free
1c2) to loosen
1c3) to open, open oneself
1d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself
Aramaic equivalent: pe.tach (פְּתַח "to open" H6606)
פָּתַח (pa.tach) — to engrave.
1) to carve, engrave
1a) (Piel) to engrave
1b) (Pual) to be engraved
HVNp3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common pluralHVNp3cp
הֵיכָל (heykal) refers to a large public building, primarily a palace or temple. It encompasses various meanings, including the palace of God as king and specific structures like the nave of Ezekiel's temple. The entries suggest a focus on both earthly and heavenly temples, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
הֵיכָל n.m. palace, temple
rather seld. (royal) palace
of palace of God considered as king, = house of God or of י׳, temple
base
H1964 הֵיכָל palace, temple
1964 heykal hay-kawl'
probably from 3201 (in the sense of capacity); a large public
building, such as a palace or temple:--palace, temple.
see HEBREW for 03201
הֵיכָל (he.khal) — temple.
: temple
1) palace, temple, nave, sanctuary
1a) palace
1b) temple (palace of God as king)
1c) hall, nave (of Ezekiel's temple)
1d) temple (of heavenly temple)
הֵיכָל (he.khal) — temple: palace.
: palace
1) palace, temple, nave, sanctuary
1a) palace
1b) temple (palace of God as king)
1c) hall, nave (of Ezekiel's temple)
1d) temple (of heavenly temple)
הֵיכָל (he.khal) — temple: nave.
: nave/hallway
1) palace, temple, nave, sanctuary
1a) palace
1b) temple (palace of God as king)
1c) hall, nave (of Ezekiel's temple)
1d) temple (of heavenly temple)
HC/Td/Ncmsa — Conjunction · particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Td/Ncmsa
pal'-as: In Hebrew chiefly 'armon, in the Revised Version (British and American) text translated "castle" in 1Ki 16:18; 2Ki 15:25; birah, hekhal, the same word often rendered "temple"; in Greek aule, in the Revised Version (British and American) translated "court" (Mt 26:3,18,69; Mr 14:54,66; Lu 11:21; Joh 18:15). On the other hand, "palace" takes the place in the Revised Version (British and American) of the King James Version "common hall" or "judgment hall" (praitorion, Mt 27:27;
Palace
Used now only of royal dwellings, although originally meaning simply (as the Latin word palatium, from which it is derived, shows) a building surrounded by a fence or a paling. In the Authorized Version there are many different words so rendered, presenting different ideas, such as that of citadel or lofty fortress or royal residence (Neh. 1:1; Dan. 8:2). It is the name given to the temple fortress (Neh. 2:8) and to the temple itself (1 Chr. 29:1). It denotes also a spacious building or a great house (Dan. 1:4; 4:4, 29: Esther 1:5; 7:7), and a fortified place or an…
Palace in the Bible, in the singular and plural, is the rendering of several words of diverse meaning. (1 Chronicles 29:1; Ezra 4:14; Amos 4:3) etc. It often designates the royal residence, and usually suggests a fortress or battlemented house. The word occasionally included the whole city as in (Esther 9:12) and again, as in (1 Kings 16:18) it is restricted to a part of the royal apartments. It is applied, as in (1 Chronicles 29:1) to the temple in Jerusalem. The site of the palace of Solomon was almost certainly in the city itself on the brow opposite to the temple…
מוּג (muwg) is a Hebrew verb meaning to melt. It can refer to the literal act of melting or softening, as well as figuratively to describe feelings of fear or helplessness. The entries indicate various forms, including causing something to melt and melting away. There is a slight variation in the nuances of its figurative meanings across the lexicons.
מוּג vb. melt
Qal
melt
trans. cause to melt
Niph. melt away, fig. for be helpless, disorganized
Po‛l. soften, dissolve
Po‛. Hithpo‛l. mely; hyperb. for flow
base
H4127 מוּג melt .. melt
. trans. cause to melt
. melt away, fig. for be helpless, disorganized
. soften, dissolve
. mely; hyperb. for flow
4127 muwg moog
a primitive root; to melt, i.e. literally (to soften, flow
down, disappear), or figuratively (to fear, faint):--consume,
dissolve, (be) faint(-hearted), melt (away), make soft.
מוּג (mug) — to melt.
1) to melt, cause to melt
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to melt, faint
1a2) to cause to melt
1b) (Niphal) to melt away
1c) (Polel) to soften, dissolve, dissipate
1d) (Hithpolel) to melt, flow
HVNp3ms — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person masculine singularHVNp3ms