Nahum 3 · Verse 9

Nahum 3:9

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
Nahum 3:9, King James Version

Nahum 3:9 in other translations

BSBCush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies.
WEBCush and Egypt were her boundless strength. Put and Libya were her helpers.
ASVEthiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
YLTCush her might, and Egypt, and there is no end. Put and Lubim have been for thy help.
DARBYEthiopia was her strength, and Egypt, and it was infinite; Phut and the Libyans were her helpers.
BBEEthiopia was her strength and Egyptians without number; Put and Lubim were her helpers.
WebsterCush and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

What does Nahum 3:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Ethiopia--Hebrew, Cush. Ethiopia is thought at this time to have been mistress of Upper Egypt. Egypt--Lower Egypt. her strength--her safeguard as an ally. it was infinite--The resources of these, her allies, were endless. Put--or Phut (Ge 10:6); descended from Ham (Eze 27:10). From a root meaning a bow; as they were famed as archers [Gesenius]. Probably west of Lower Egypt. Josephus [Antiquities, 1:6.2] identifies it with Mauritania (compare Jr 46:9, Margin; Eze 38:5). Lubim--the Libyans, whose capital was Cyrene; extending along the Mediterranean west of Egypt (2Ch 12:3; 16:8; Ac 2:10). As, however, the Lubim are always connected with the Egyptians and Ethiopians, they are perhaps distinct from the Libyans. The Lubim were probably at first wandering tribes, who afterwards were settled under Carthage in the region of Cyrene, under the name Libyans. thy--No's. helpers--literally, "in thy help," that is, among thy auxiliaries.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength - The land of Cush, not far from Diospolis; for it was in Arabia, on the Red Sea. Put and Lubim - A part of Africa and Libya, which were all within reach of forming alliances with No-Ammon or Diospolis.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Nahum 3:8-19

Strong-holds, even the strongest, are no defence against the judgments of God. They shall be unable to do any thing for themselves. The Chaldeans and Medes would devour the land like canker-worms. The Assyrians also would be eaten up by their own numerous hired troops, which seem to be meant by the word rendered "merchants." Those that have done evil to their neighbours, will find it come home to them. Nineveh, and…

Read the full comment on Nahum 3:8-19 →

Nahum 3:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כּ֥וּשׁkushCushH3568
עָצְמָ֛ה'a.tze.Mah[was] strength itsH6109
וּמִצְרַ֖יִםu.mitz.Ra.yimand EgyptH4714
וְאֵ֣יןve.'Einand there notH369
קֵ֑צֶהKe.tzeh[was] an endH7097
פּ֣וּטputPutH6316
וְלוּבִ֔יםve.lu.Vimand [the] LibyansH3864
הָי֖וּha.Yuthey wereH1961
בְּעֶזְרָתֵֽךְ\׃be.'ez.ra.Tekh<in> help yourH5833

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Nahum 3:9

  • Ezekiel 30:5

    Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.

  • Ezekiel 27:10

    They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.

  • Genesis 10:6

    And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

  • Isaiah 20:5

    And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.

  • Ezekiel 38:5

    Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:

  • Jeremiah 46:9

    Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

  • 2 Chronicles 12:3

    With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

  • 1 Chronicles 1:8

    The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ethiopia.
Isa 20:5; Jer 46:9
Put.
Ge 10:6; 1Ch 1:8; Eze 27:10; 30:5; 38:5
thy helpers. Heb. in thy help.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Nahum 3:8

    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?

  • Nahum 3:9

    Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

  • Nahum 3:10

    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.

Read all of Nahum 3

Nahum 3:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Etiopía era su fortaleza, y Egipto sin límite; Put y Libia fueron en tu ayuda.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		L’Éthiopie était sa force, et l’Égypte, et il n’y avait pas de fin; Puth et les Libyens étaient parmi ceux qui l’aidaient.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Äthiopien war ihre Stärke und Ägypter in zahlloser Menge Put und Libyen waren zu ihrer Hülfe.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Æthiopia fortitudo ejus, et Ægyptus, et non est finis; Africa et Libyes fuerunt in auxilio tuo.