Nahum 2:2 Commentary and Bible Study

Side by side with the theme of Nineveh’s destruction is this other theme of the mercy of God to his people. It is about why God punished Jacob and the children of Israel, and how after this he will punish those who afflict them also. ‘For the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob as the excellency of Israel.’ The KJV rendering of this verse is difficult to understand, because the first line actually means, ‘The Lord has turned round’, rather than ‘turned away’, ‘the excellency of Jacob’ with the fall of Nineveh. Thinking of what has happened to Israel at the hands of the Assyrians, Nahum says, ‘for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.’ The Children of Israel [Jacob] were like a vine which has been so badly damaged that it seemed as if it could never bear fruit again. But now God is going to restore at least part of the nation, and the Jewish people have a new moment of freedom, freedom from fear of oppression. They have been emptied of all their excellency because of Assyria, but now God will restore it to them. Now they have this opportunity to rebuild, but tragically they didn't take advantage of it.