The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.
made.
Isaiah 63:1-3 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save…
Zechariah 1:8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
Zechariah 6:2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
in scarlet.
Isaiah 14:8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.
Zechariah 11:2 Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.
the valiant warriors are dressed in scarlet.
Scarlet clothing was often associated with wealth and power, but in a military context, it could also signify readiness for battle. The use of scarlet here emphasizes the preparedness and valor of the attacking forces. Historically, the Medes and Babylonians, who were instrumental in the fall of Nineveh, were known for their formidable armies. This phrase underscores the divine orchestration of events leading to Nineveh's downfall, as prophesied by Nahum.
The fittings of the chariots flash like fire on the day they are prepared,
Chariots were a crucial component of ancient warfare, symbolizing speed and strength. The description of the chariots flashing like fire suggests both the brilliance and the destructive power of the invading forces. This imagery conveys the swift and overwhelming nature of the attack. The "day they are prepared" indicates a specific time appointed by God for Nineveh's judgment, aligning with the prophetic theme of divine retribution found throughout the book of Nahum.
and the spears of cypress have been brandished.
Cypress wood was valued for its durability and strength, making it an ideal material for crafting weapons. The brandishing of spears signifies the readiness and aggression of the attackers. This detail highlights the thorough preparation and determination of the forces coming against Nineveh. The use of cypress also connects to the broader biblical theme of God's sovereignty over nations, as He uses various peoples and means to accomplish His purposes, as seen in other prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Nahum opens the scene of Nineveh’s downfall with an arresting splash of color. The “mighty men” belong to the invading coalition (Medes and Babylonians), not to Assyria itself. God lets us see what the besieged city will see peering over its walls.
• Red can be literal—copper-plated or leather-dyed shields gleaming in the sun. Ezekiel 23:14 pictures Babylonian warriors “portrayed… in vermilion,” the same hue.
• Red also foreshadows bloodshed. Isaiah 63:2–3 asks, “Why is Your apparel red…? I have trodden the winepress alone,” a vivid image of divine judgment that fits the theme of the book.
• The color underlines certainty: this is not a distant threat but a physical army already equipped and advancing. Revelation 6:4 speaks of a “fiery red horse” that removes peace from the earth—another glimpse of war ordained by God.
The prophet’s lens zooms in on the soldiers themselves. Their scarlet garments match their shields, forming an intimidating and unified spectacle.
• Scarlet, a costly dye, signals elite status and overwhelming resources; the attackers lack nothing (compare Jeremiah 46:4 where Egypt is told, “Harness the horses… take your positions with helmets polished”).
• The scene is meant to sober Nineveh’s citizens—no ragtag rebels here but seasoned fighters. Joel 2:4 compares an invading host to “war horses,” emphasizing discipline and ferocity.
• Scarlet doubles as a visual warning that the day of repayment for Assyria’s cruelty (Nahum 3:1, “Woe to the city of blood”) has arrived. God’s justice is as visible as the invaders’ uniforms.
The camera widens to take in the war machines. Chariots were the ancient equivalent of armored vehicles.
• Polished metal “flashing like fire” recalls lightning-fast judgment. Isaiah 66:15 says, “For the LORD will come with fire, and His chariots like a whirlwind.” What the Assyrians face is ultimately the LORD’s advance.
• “On the day they are prepared” stresses timing. God’s plan has a calendar; the date is fixed (see Habakkuk 2:3, “The vision awaits an appointed time”).
• Nahum 2:4 continues, “The chariots dash madly in the streets.” The blazing fittings foreshadow the chaotic, unstoppable surge that will soon roar through Nineveh’s avenues.
Finally, we notice individual weapons raised and ready.
• Cypress wood, prized for strength and flexibility, shows the attackers come well supplied. Jeremiah 50:42 describes similar foes who “hold the bow and spear… cruel and without mercy.”
• “Have been brandished” means the spears are already swinging; battle is imminent, not theoretical.
• Each detail—red shields, scarlet tunics, flashing chariots, lifted spears—builds layer upon layer of certainty that the LORD’s word through Nahum is unfolding exactly. The God who earlier sent Jonah to offer mercy now sends armies to execute justice.
Nahum 2:3 paints a vivid, literal snapshot of the forces God unleashes against Nineveh: crimson shields and uniforms signal blood-soaked judgment, gleaming chariots underscore unstoppable momentum, and cypress spears poised to strike announce the immediacy of the assault. Every detail affirms that the LORD’s prophesied reckoning is not poetic exaggeration but concrete reality—evidence that when God says a proud empire will fall, its fall is as certain as red armor glinting in the sun.
(3) His mighty men.--That is, those of the besieger of Nahum 2:1.Made red.--That is, with blood; not with reference to the bright red copper, which was the material of the shield, for the word usually means "dyed red."
In scarlet.--Red was the favourite colour, not only of the Medes, from whom Xenophon says the Persians obtained their purple tunics, but also of the Babylonians; compare the description in Ezekiel 23:14-15, and Layard's Nineveh, p. 347. Both Medes and Babylonians were engaged in the present siege. The rest of the verse runs, the chariots are [equipped] with flashing steel in the day of his preparation, and the cypress lances are brandished. The "flashing steel" may refer to ornaments of this material attached to the chariot, or, as we incline to think, to scythes or sharp instruments fastened to the wheels. Some form of this weapon may well have been in use long before the present date. Xenophon relates that Cyrus was the first to introduce the scythe-chariot. Ctesias, however, speaks of it as of much earlier origin. The older Hebrew commentators render this word p'ladoth, "torches," as in the Authorised Version. With this rendering, the swiftly-moving war-chariots are likened to flashing torches, as they are in the next verse.
Nahum 2:4-5 describe the state of the city while sustaining this siege. There is a slight contrast between this portraiture and that of Nahum 2:3, which has been made the most of by Kleinert. "Without, God arranges His hosts; within is the disorder of wild terror: without, a steady approach against the city; within, a frantic rushing hither and thither: without, a joyful splendour; within, a deadly paleness, like torch-light." The last part of Nahum 2:4 is thus made a description of the aspect of the Ninevites, not their chariots. This appears to us a fanciful interpretation. In its behalf, the description of a panic in Isaiah 13:8 has been adduced: "They shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames." But it is obviously better to restrict the reference throughout to the chariots of the besieged city, darting hither and thither in wild undisciplined attempts to resist the invader's onset. . . .
Verse 3. - The prophet describes, as though himself an eyewitness, the army advancing against Nineveh. The shield of his mighty men is made red. "His heroes" may be either God's heroes, as sent by him to war against the evil city, or those of the "dasher in pieces" of ver. 1. The shields of the early Assyrians were usually circular or oval in shape, formed of wicker work, with a central boss of wood or metal. In the latest period they were made straight at bottom and rounded only at top (Rawlinson's 'Anc. Mon.,' 1:440). Some bronze shields have been brought to England from Nineveh; these are circular, about two feet and a half in diameter, the rim bending inwards, and forming a deep groove round the edge. The handles are of iron, and fastened by six bosses or nails, the heads of which form an ornament on the outer face of the shield (Layard, 'Discoveries,' p. 194). There were used also in sieges tall oblong shields, sufficient to protect the entire body, constructed of wicker work or the hides of animals (Bonomi, 'Nineveh and its Discoveries,' p. 320, etc.). The shields are said to be "made red," either because they were really so coloured (though the monuments have not confirmed this opinion), or else because of the polished copper with which they were sometimes covered (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 13:12. 5). Septuagint, pointing differently, ὅπλα δυναστείας αὐτῶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, "the arms of their power from among men." Are in scarlet. The word rendered "scarlet" is found nowhere else. Septuagint, mistaking the word, ἐμπαίζοντας ἐν πυρί, "sporting in fire:" Vulgate, in coccineis. It is derived from the term applied to the coccus, or worm which was used in dyeing to give to cloth a deep scarlet colour (Henderson). Some have seen in the colour of the soldiers' garments an emblem of the Divine wrath of which they were the appointed ministers. This colour was much affected by combatants in old times as in modern days. Professor Edwards quotes Aelian, 'Var. Hist.' 6:6, "it was necessary to enter into battle clothed in purple, that the colour might denote a certain dignity, and if drops of blood from wounds were sprinkled on it, it became terrible to the enemy" (comp. Xen., 'Cyrop.,' 1:3, 2). Red or purple seems to have been the favourite colour of the Medea and Babylonians (Ezekiel 23:14), blue or violet that of the Assyrians (Ezekiel 23:6; Ezekiel 28:23, etc.) (Orelli). The chariots shall be with flaming torches; literally, are with fire of steels; i.e. flash with steel, and so the clause should be translated, as in the Revised Version. Commentators generally refer the description to the steel bosses of the wheels; but the Assyrian chariots (and those of the Medes and Chaldeans were not dissimilar) were conspicuous for shining metal, hung round with gleaming weapons and figures of the heavenly bodies, carrying bright armed warriors, the homes covered with trappings, which flashed under the sunshine, and fastened to poles of glittering steel. There is no trace in the monuments of chariots armed with scythes, which seem to have been unknown before the time of Cyrus. They are first mentioned in 2 Macc. 13:2 (see Livy, 37:41). The word peladoth, translated "torches," is an ἅπαξ λεγόμενον. The LXX. renders it, αἱ ἡνίαι, "the reins," whence Jerome obtained his version, igneae habenae curruum; but it means, "things made of iron or steel,"and by critics uninstructed in monumental discoveries was naturally referred to the scythes with which chariots were armed in later times, instead of to the gleaming metal with which they were adorned. In the day of his preparation. When the Lord marshals the host for battle, as Isaiah 13:4. The fir trees shall be terribly shaken, i.e. the spears with their fir or cypress shafts are brandished. So Homer often calls the spear "the ash," from the material of which the handle was made (comp. 'Il.,' 16:143; 22:225, etc.). The Septuagint rendering is very far from the present text, Οἱ ἱππεῖς θορυβηθήσονται, "The horsemen shall be thrown into confusion." Nor is the Vulgate any better, Agitatores cosopiti sunt, which is explained to mean that the invaders are so carried away by their courage and fury, that they act as if intoxicated. "Sensus utique non spernedus," says a Roman Catholic commentator, "at unum desidero, ut scil. ex verbo ipso fluat" - which is certainly not the case. The text is possibly corrupt, and might be corrected from the Septuagint. Certainly there seems to be no other passage in the Hebrew Scriptures where the metaphor of "cypress" is used for "a spear." After the mention of the chariots, it is not unnatural that the writer should proceed, "and the riders are in active motion," urging their horses with hand and whip and gesture (see Knabenbauer, in loc.).