Horsemen with Bright and Glittering Swords Nahum 3:3

As Nahum continued to describe the fierceness of the invading army of Babylon against the city of Nineveh, he wrote about “the noise of a whip, the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots” that were to come upon “the bloody city” that was “full of lies and robbery” whose “prey” did not depart. In chapter three and verse three of his prophesy, Nahum shared more about the invading army as he wrote concerning “horsemen with bright and glittering swords” where we read:

The horseman lifts up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcasses; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:

The verse begins, “The horseman lifts up both the bright sword and the glittering spear:” Nahum began with the reference to “the horseman” which means “steed or warhorse” “lifts up” or “ascends, climbs and comes up” “both the bright” or “flaming, glittering and polished blade or point of a spear”“sword” or “knife, dagger, ax or mattocks” “and the glittering” which means “lightning flashes or bright flashes of arrow-heads” “spear” or “spearhead of javelin”. In addition to the “whip, prancing horses and jumping chariots” the enemy of Nineveh would encounter “horsemen” wielding “bright and shining swords and spears”.

The verse goes on to say, “and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcasses; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:” Nahum added, “and there is a multitude” or “abundance, great and numerous amount” “of slain” which means “fatally wounded, pierced and killed”, “and a great number of carcasses” which refers to “corpses and dead bodies”; “and there is none end” or “no extreme, border, outskirt, coast or utmost” “of their corpses” which means “carcasses and dead bodies”; “they stumble” which is the repetitive word for emphasis “kashal, kashal” which means “to stagger, totter as feeble and weak” “upon their corpses” which means “carcasses and dead bodies”. The result of these “horsemen” with “swords and spears” would be such a “multitude” and “extreme amount” of people killed they would “stumble” over their “dead bodies”.

When we consider these words of Nahum, we learn just how graphic and thorough the scriptures can be at times. We imagine the horror of these “horsemen” coming upon city and slaughtering people everywhere. What if this were our own country? What if we were the recipients of the wrath of God? This should provide an ample warning to everyone who considers rejection of God's plan of Salvation through Jesus Christ His Son. Because they are stubborn and refuse protection and peace against the “enemy of our soul”, satan, they shall encounter a more horrific onslaught than that of these “horsemen”. May all who read, take heed.

Next time Nahum shares about “the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favored harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts ”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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