King James Version

Nahum 3:16

Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

הִרְבֵּית֙hirbeytincreaseרָבָהverb, hiphil, perfect, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “increase”, a completed actionH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…רֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְrokhelayikhmerchantרָכַלverb, qal, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “merchant”, a verb used as a describing wordH7402to travel for trading(spice) merchant.מִכּוֹכְבֵ֖יmikokhevefrom starכּוֹכָבpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “from star”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3556a star (as round or as shining); figuratively, a princestar(-gazer).הַשָּׁמָ֑יִםhashamayimthe heavenשָׁמַיִםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the heaven”, the ordinary formH8064the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).יֶ֥לֶקyeleqcankerwormיֶלֶקnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “cankerworm”, the ordinary formH3218a devourer; specifically, the young locustcankerworm, caterpillar.פָּשַׁ֖טpashatflayפָּשַׁטverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “flay”, a completed actionH6584to spread out (i.e. deploy in hostile array); by analogy, to strip (i.e. unclothe, plunder, flay, etc.)fall upon, flay, invade, make an invasion, pull off, put off, make a road, run upon, rush, set, spoil, spread selves (abroad), strip (off, self).וַיָּעֹֽףvayaofand flyעוּףconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and fly”, the next action in the storyH5774to fly; also (by implication of dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning)brandish, be (wax) faint, flee away, fly (away), [idiom] set, shine forth, weary.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven; the canker-worm spreadeth itself, and flieth away.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the canker-worm ravageth, and fleeth away.

Young’s Literal Translation

Multiply thy merchants above the stars of the heavens, The cankerworm hath stripped off, and doth flee away.

World English Bible

You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the skies. The grasshopper strips and flees away.

Darby Translation

Thou hast multiplied thy merchants more than the stars of the heavens; the cankerworm spreadeth himself out and flieth away.

Douay-Rheims

Thou hast multiplied thy merchandises above the stars of heaven: the bruchus hath spread himself and flown away.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven; the canker-worm spreadeth itself, and flieth away.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Thou hast multiplied thy merchandise beyond the stars of heaven: the palmerworm has attacked it , and has flown away.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐπλήθυνας τὰς ἐμπορίας σου ὑπὲρ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· βροῦχος ὥρμησε, καὶ ἐξεπετάσθη.