Nahum 1:9-11, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
Nahum 1:9-11
Plots against the LORD End Like Dry Stubble
What they plot against the LORD cannot rise twice
The hymn becomes a question: what do ye imagine against the LORD? He will make an utter end. Affliction shall not rise up the second time. In this oracle that means this oppressive campaign is finished, not that a believer is promised a life of only one sorrow.
The images pile up: entangled thorns, drunkards, dry stubble. Strength that looks tangled and confident becomes fuel. The poetry is mockery of imperial planning, not a field diagram of how to burn opponents.
A worthless counsellor comes out of the city, still unnamed
From the addressed city comes one that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor. The same planning language that asked the plural question now focuses on a singular plotter. The book does not name Sennacherib, Ashurbanipal, or any other king here.
Counsel is judged by what it organizes against justice, not by how large or clever it is. The heading's Nineveh still orients the accusation, even where pronouns are hard.
How this should shape us
Test a plan by the harm it intends, not by its coordination or swagger. Do not turn 'not a second time' into a guarantee that you will suffer only once, and do not treat opponents as stubble you are licensed to consume.
Teach it back
Explain Nahum 1:9-11 in your own words. Include its place in the Nineveh-facing oracle, the unit's movement, one material uncertainty, and one use the context rules out.
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Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Where do careful interpreters disagree?
Best judgment: The antecedents of 'you' and 'they,' the syntax of verse 10, and the identity of the counselor are disputed. The heading and following Assyria-Judah contrast make Nineveh or Assyria the strongest contextual referent, while the personal identity remains uncertain.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Nahum 1:9-11, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew words, morphology, clause relationships, repeated roots, names, and the base wording behind translation discussion.
Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Nah.xml, 1:9-11
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, text-critical, poetic, historical, and uncertainty notes.
NET Bible Nahum PDF, printed pp. 1755-1756, translation and notes on 1:9-11
Supports: Literary movement, textual and historical alternatives, ethical criticism, gendered rhetoric, atrocity language, and reader responsibility.
O'Brien, Nahum, Second Edition, pp. 37-49
Supports: Compact book outline, dating and compositional alternatives, verse-level difficulties, and ethical framing.
O'Brien, 'Nahum,' Oxford Bible Commentary, printed pp. 599-601
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: Nahum 1:9-11, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Nahum
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew words, morphology, clause relationships, repeated roots, names, and the base wording behind translation discussion.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Nah.xml, 1:9-11
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Nahum with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, text-critical, poetic, historical, and uncertainty notes.
Exact location: NET Bible Nahum PDF, printed pp. 1755-1756, translation and notes on 1:9-11
Open source ↗scholarly commentary
Nahum, Second Edition
Julia M. O'Brien
Sheffield Phoenix Press, Readings: A New Biblical Commentary, 2009
Supports: Literary movement, textual and historical alternatives, ethical criticism, gendered rhetoric, atrocity language, and reader responsibility.
Exact location: O'Brien, Nahum, Second Edition, pp. 37-49
Open source ↗scholarly commentary article
Nahum
Julia M. O'Brien
Oxford University Press, in The Oxford Bible Commentary, edited by John Barton and John Muddiman, 2001
Supports: Compact book outline, dating and compositional alternatives, verse-level difficulties, and ethical framing.
Exact location: O'Brien, 'Nahum,' Oxford Bible Commentary, printed pp. 599-601
Open source ↗