Nahum 3:16You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the skies. The grasshopper strips, and flees away.
The setting
Ancient Nineveh, Iraq, ~612 BC. The prophet describes how Assyria's vast merchant network will abandon them when judgment comes...
The emotion here: disgusted by Assyria's exploitation of conquered peoples for profit
The original word
sachar (סָחַר) — to trade, go about as merchant, seeking profit
Why it matters
Assyria controlled trade routes from India to Egypt, making them incredibly wealthy
Read with care
What most readers miss in Nahum 3:16
The grasshopper/locust strips everything bare then flees - exactly what mercenaries do
Common misconceptionPeople think this condemns all business, but it's specifically about exploitative commerce that strips nations bare like locusts, then abandons them.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Nahum 3:16
Bible Genome reading
Nahum 3:16 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Nahum 3:16 comes from the book of Nahum, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Nahum. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include commerce, fleeting prosperity, divine judgment. Notable phrases: merchants more than stars; grasshopper strips and flees. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Nahum 3:16 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "anxious"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.