Nahum 2:13 (DBY)

Passage

Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts: and I will burn her chariots into smoke; and the sword shall devour thy young lions, and I will cut off thy prey from the earth; and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

Nearby Context

Nahum 2:11 Where is [now] the den of the lions, and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion, the lioness, [and] the lion's whelp walked, and none made them afraid?

Nahum 2:12 The lion tore in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

Nahum 2:13 Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts: and I will burn her chariots into smoke; and the sword shall devour thy young lions, and I will cut off thy prey from the earth; and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "against", "thee", "saith", "jehovah", "hosts", "burn", and "chariots". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "against", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "The lion tore in pieces enough for...", giving immediate footing for "behold" and "against". In Nahum context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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