The first three verses of chapter 3 continue to picture the fall of Nineveh begun in chapter 2. They are very vivid and very abrupt, and in fact do not form full sentences in Hebrew. They are mainly phrases strung together without formal connection. Their effect is to reinforce the impression of confusion and panic, and translators should try to create a similar effect in their own language. Some may be able to use a string of phrases like the Hebrew, while for others, this may result in nonsense. Some languages have special grammatical constructions to express a series of dramatic descriptive phrases such as those in verse 2. Each translator has to make the decision how best to achieve an effect equivalent to that of the Hebrew in the receptor language.
Good News Translation varies in its approach, using short but complete sentences in verses 1 and 3, and a string of separate phrases in verse 2.
The Hebrew in verse 1 consists of two parts, the first describing the characteristics of the city at the height of its power, and the second the riches for its conqueror to plunder.
Woe to the bloody city: Woe to here is a statement rather than a wish, as it sometimes is elsewhere. “Doomed is the … city” (Good News Translation) may also be rendered as “The … city will certainly be destroyed” or “There is no escape for the … city.” In some cultures there are no human settlements which are the equivalent of cities, but people live in villages or small groups of houses, sometimes without any walls for protection. In such cases it will be necessary to refer to a city as “a large group of houses surrounded by a strong wall,” or perhaps as “the large (or, chief) village.”
The word bloody is used here in its original meaning, “causing bloodshed,” and is not to be misunderstood as the common swear word used in many dialects of English.
The city is called bloody and full of lies, referring to the cruelty of its armies toward the people they had conquered, and to the deceitfulness of the rulers in making false promises. Good News Translation reverses the order of these statements and says “Doomed is the lying, murderous city.” Since murder is generally reckoned to be more serious than telling lies, this sequence forms a better climax in English. “Murderous city” can also be phrased as “city full of murderers.” Another translation model for these first two clauses is: “The city full of liars and murderers will certainly be destroyed.”
The second half of the verse says the city is full of … booty—no end to the plunder. The Hebrew word translated plunder is the same word as that used for “prey” in 2.12, 13 and thus gives a hint that the comparison of Nineveh with a den of lions is still in the prophet’s mind. Good News Translation expresses the Hebrew nouns as verbs and says “full of wealth to be looted and plundered.” Nineveh was full of rich and luxurious goods of all kinds, many of which the Assyrians had previously taken from other cities which they had captured. Languages which do not use the passive will need to restructure this sentence. One possible translation model is: “full of wealth that your enemies will loot and plunder.” See also 2.2 and 2.9 on translation choices for plunder. The word “looted” in Good News Translation is used as a synonym for “plundered.”
It is also possible to understand the second half of the verse as parallel to the first half and continuing the description of the Assyrians in the days of their power. Thus Jerusalem Bible has “stuffed with booty, whose plunderings know no end!” and New International Version has “full of plunder, never without victims!” It does not really matter much which interpretation the translator follows, because, as has already been pointed out, the most important feature of this passage is its overall effect rather than its details.
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A . A Handbook on the Book of Nahum. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .