Nahum 2:3 (ASV)

Passage

The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots flash with steel in the day of his preparation, and the cypress [spears] are brandished.

Nearby Context

Nahum 2:1 He that dasheth in pieces is come up against thee: keep the fortress, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.

Nahum 2:2 For Jehovah restoreth the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out, and destroyed their vine-branches.

Nahum 2:3 The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots flash with steel in the day of his preparation, and the cypress [spears] are brandished.

Nahum 2:4 The chariots rage in the streets; they rush to and fro in the broad ways: the appearance of them is like torches; they run like the lightnings.

Nahum 2:5 He remembereth his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shield", "mighty", "valiant", "scarlet", "chariots", "flash", "steel", and "preparation". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shield" and "mighty", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "For Jehovah restoreth the excellency of Jacob..." into verse 4's "The chariots rage in the streets they...", so "shield" and "mighty" belong inside that flow. In Nahum context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shield" and "mighty" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.