John Gill Commentary Nahum 3:6

"And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazing-stock." — Nahum 3:6 (ASV)

And I will cast abominable filth upon thee As dirt and dung, or any or everything that is abominable and filthy; and which is thrown at harlots publicly disgraced, and as used to be at persons when carted. The meaning is, that this city and its inhabitants should be stripped of everything that was great and glorious in them, and should be reduced to the utmost shame and ignominy:

and make thee vile mean, abject, contemptible, the offscouring of all things; rejected and disesteemed of all; had in no manner of repute or account, but in the utmost abhorrence:

and I will set thee as a gazingstock to be looked and laughed at: or, "for an example" ^F5 ; to others, that they may shun the evils and abominations Nineveh had been guilty of, or expect the same disgrace and punishment. Kimchi interprets it "as dung" ^F6 ; to be no more reckoned of than that, or to be made a dunghill of; and so many others interpret it; or, "for a looking glass" ^F7 ; that others may look into, and take warning, and avoid the sins that have brought on such calamities.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F5: (yawrk) (eiv paradeigma) , Sept.; "in exemplum", Drusius, Tarnovius; "sicut spectacalum", Burkius.
• F6: "Tanquam stercus", Munster, Montanus, Vatablus, Calvin, Cocceius.
• F7: "Ut speculum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Quistorpius.