Nahum 2:8 (GNV)

Passage

But Nineueh is of olde like a poole of water: yet they shall flee away. Stande, stande, shall they crie: but none shall looke backe.

Nearby Context

Nahum 2:6 The gates of the riuers shalbe opened, and the palace shall melt.

Nahum 2:7 And Huzzab the Queene shalbe led away captiue, and her maides shall leade her as with the voyce of doues, smiting vpon their breastes.

Nahum 2:8 But Nineueh is of olde like a poole of water: yet they shall flee away. Stande, stande, shall they crie: but none shall looke backe.

Nahum 2:9 Spoyle ye the siluer, spoyle the golde: for there is none ende of the store, and glorie of all the pleasant vessels.

Nahum 2:10 She is emptie and voyde and waste, and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and sorowe is in all loynes, and the faces of the all gather blackenesse.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nineueh", "olde", "like", "poole", "water", "shall", "flee", and "away". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "nineueh" and "olde", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "And Huzzab the Queene shalbe led away..." into verse 9's "Spoyle ye the siluer spoyle the golde...", so "nineueh" and "olde" 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 "nineueh" and "olde" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.