Nahum 2:12 (LSB)

Passage

The lion tore enough for its cubs And strangled enough for its lionesses And filled its lairs with torn up prey And its dens with torn up flesh.

Nearby Context

Nahum 2:10 She is emptied! Yes, she is emptied out and eviscerated! Hearts are melting and knees knocking! Also anguish is in all their loins, And all their faces turn pale!

Nahum 2:11 Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub prowled, With nothing to make them tremble?

Nahum 2:12 The lion tore enough for its cubs And strangled enough for its lionesses And filled its lairs with torn up prey And its dens with torn up flesh.

Nahum 2:13 “Behold, I am against you,” declares Yahweh of hosts. “And I will burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; and I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lion", "tore", "enough", "cubs", "strangled", "lionesses", and "filled". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lion" and "tore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Where is the den of the lions..." into verse 13's "Behold I am against you declares Yahweh...", so "lion" and "tore" 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 "lion" and "tore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.