Verse 1

Woe to the bloody city! it [is] all full of lies [and] robbery; a the prey departeth not;

(a) It never ceases to spoil and rob.

Verse 2

The noise of a whip, b and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

(b) He shows how the Chaldeans will hasten, and how courageous their horses will be in beating the ground when they come against the Assyrians.

Verse 4

Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured c harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

(c) He compares Nineveh to a harlot, who by her beauty and subtilty entices young men, and brings them to destruction.

Verse 8

Art thou better than populous d 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?

(d) Meaning Alexandria, which had a compact of peace with so many nations, and yet was now destroyed.

Verse 15

There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the e cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.

(c) Signifying that God's judgments would suddenly destroy the Assyrians, as these vermin do with rain or change of weather.

Verse 18

Thy f shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell [in the dust]: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth [them].

(f) Your princes and counsellors.

Verse 19

[There is] no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon g whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

(g) Meaning that the Assyrians had done hurt to all people.