Albert Barnes Commentary Nahum 3:1

"Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and rapine; the prey departeth not." — Nahum 3:1 (ASV)

Woe to the bloody city—Literally, "city of bloods," that is, of manifold bloodshedding, built and founded in blood (Habakkuk 2:12; Jeremiah 22:13), as the prosperity of the world always is.

Murder, oppression, perversion of justice, war out of covetousness, and the oppression or neglect of the poor make it "a city of bloods." Nineveh, or the world, is a city of the devil, as opposed to the "city of God."

For it is said: "Two sorts of love have made two sorts of cities: the earthly, love of self even to contempt of God; the heavenly, love of God even to contempt of self. The one glories in itself, the other in the Lord."

And also: "Amid the manifold differences of the human race—in languages, habits, rites, arms, dress—there are but two kinds of human society, which, according to our Scriptures, we may call two cities. One is of those who wish to live according to the flesh; the other of those who wish to live according to the Spirit."

Furthermore: "Of these, one is predestined to live forever with God; the other, to undergo everlasting torment with the devil."

Of this city, or evil world, Nineveh, the city of bloods, is the type.

It is all full of lies and robbery—Better, "it is all lie; it is full of robbery" (rapine). "Lie" includes all falsehood—in word or act, denial of God, hypocrisy; toward man, it speaks of treachery and treacherous dealing, in contrast with open violence or rapine.

The whole being of the wicked is one lie, toward God and man: deceiving and deceived; leaving no place for God who is the Truth; seeking through falsehood things which fail.

Man loves vanity and seeks after leasing (Psalms 4:2). All were gone out of the way. A commentator (Alb.) notes: "There were none in so great a multitude, for whose sake the mercy of God might spare so great a city."

It is full, not so much of booty as of rapine and violence. The sin remains when the profit is gone.

Yet it does not cease, but perseveres to the end; the prey departs not; they will neither leave the sin, nor will the sin leave them; they neither repent nor are weary of sinning.

Avarice especially gains vigor in old age and grows by being fed. The prey departeth not, but continues as a witness against it, as a lion’s lair is defiled by the fragments of his prey.