“Behold, upon the mountains are the feet of one who brings good tidings.” This king sought to subjugate Judah, and its people were afraid of him, but news of his downfall came to them. According to the commentators who maintain that this event occurred in the days of Manasseh, Chronicles relates that the commanders of the king of Assyria captured Manasseh and brought him in chains to Babylon. Manasseh then entreated Hashem, who restored him to his kingdom. It is evident that he was captured by Belesys, the commander of the Babylonian army, who was then subordinate to the king of Assyria. Later, when the Babylonian commander rebelled against Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, he restored Manasseh to his kingdom. Chronicles further explains that Manasseh then made vows to serve Hashem. According to my interpretation, Psalm 66 was composed concerning this event, for it says, “I will fulfill to You my vows, which my lips uttered,” and so forth. Then messengers bearing good tidings went forth upon the mountains of Judah, proclaiming peace, for there was no longer any fear of the adversary. The prophet told them to “celebrate your festivals,” for the altar had been rebuilt and they had begun to worship Hashem, and to “fulfill your vows” that they had made in their time of distress. They need no longer fear the king of Assyria, whom the prophet previously called a counselor of wickedness, “for the wicked one shall no longer pass through you; he has been utterly cut off”—that is, both he and his household. Even according to my own view, that this event appears to have occurred earlier, the king intended to wage war against Judah and had already begun to harm the Ten Tribes. This was not mentioned in Scripture because his evil design was never carried out.

“He has come up.” “The one who scatters has already come up before you”—namely, the king of Assyria, who scattered Israel into exile, or intended to do so. Now, however, “he is confined within a fortress”: his own military commanders have besieged him, and he himself is under siege, as explained above (1:1). Therefore, “watch the road” for the arrival of good news concerning his downfall; “strengthen your loins and fortify your power exceedingly,” for you are about to hear good tidings.

“For Hashem has restored the pride of Jacob.” He also permitted the Ten Tribes, who had been exiled under his dominion, to return to their land, so that their glory would become like “the pride of Israel,” meaning the tribe of Judah, which had not been under his control. For until now, “plunderers had plundered them”: they resembled a vine whose fruit had been emptied out. Moreover, “they had destroyed their branches,” for they had ruined the branches of the vine itself. That is, besides plundering their possessions, they had exiled them from their land, leaving them unable to produce new branches or bear fruit. Even if we say that this event occurred in earlier times, we must conclude that the king of Assyria had already begun sending his armies against the Ten Tribes long before, although this is not mentioned in Scripture.

“The shield.” The prophet now returns to describe Nineveh’s first destruction in detail. At first, King Sardanapalus trusted in the multitude of his mighty warriors, who had prevailed in battle. “The shields of his mighty men” were “reddened,” dyed red as a sign that they would shed much blood and show no mercy. His “men of valor were clothed in scarlet”—they wore garments dyed with crimson as a symbol of bloodshed and murder. “The chariots were like fiery steel on the day they were prepared.” The chariots newly prepared for battle were treated with fiery steel—that is, with flames—so that they would appear new, as though they had been prepared that very day. “And the cypress spears were poisoned”—the spears made of cypress wood were smeared with poison and deadly venom.

“In the outer streets.” The outer streets are the areas behind the houses; there “the chariots rage wildly,” careening like madmen. “In the broad squares,” which are the open spaces before the houses, “they jostle together,” gathering in great numbers as people gather in a marketplace. Their appearance is like flaming torches, and they race with tremendous speed like flashes of lightning. Thus far, the prophet has described how the king prepared all his mighty warriors, chariots, and multitudes for battle.

“He remembers his nobles.” In addition, he recalls the mighty men—the army that came from Bactria to assist him, upon whom he relied to defeat the enemy. But “they stumbled as they advanced.” While traveling, they stumbled along the way; that is, a different spirit took hold of them, and they joined the rebels and turned against him. It was as though those who obstructed and enticed them away from going to his aid had caused them to stumble. Consequently, all the mighty warriors of his army faltered and fell in battle, as explained in the account that I cited at the beginning of the book. Then “they hastened to her wall”—they shut themselves within the city wall to seek protection from the adversary. “And the defensive covering was prepared”—they fortified the stronghold so that it would shelter them from the enemy.

“The gates of the rivers were opened.” Afterward, the Tigris River overflowed its bounds, its gates opened, and it inundated the city. Then “the palace melted away”—that is, the king and all the members of his royal household melted with fear, for his sorcerers had told him that when the river flooded the city, he would be delivered into the enemy’s hands.

“And Huzzab was uncovered and carried away.” A fiery pyre was then prepared to burn the queen and all the king’s concubines. “She was uncovered” refers to the queen, who was carried up to the pyre while covered within a canopied litter—the covered carriage in which nobles were borne. “Her maidservants” were likewise brought up to the fire. They moaned and lamented like the sound of doves, beating upon their hearts—striking their breasts in profound grief.

“And Nineveh was like a pool of water.” Through the Tigris River, which inundated it, Nineveh became like a pool filled with water. Yet “so it had been from ancient days”—had this not always been its condition, since the river had flooded it repeatedly from earliest times? Abravanel already wrote that Nineveh was always filled with water, so that its inhabitants had to build their homes upon elevated structures. Thus, this was a common occurrence there. Nevertheless, “they fled.” Fear came upon them because their diviners had given them a sign connected with the river’s flooding, and they all fled. “Stand! Stand!” We have already explained the account related in the ancient chronicles: the army that conquered Nineveh at that time assured the city’s inhabitants that they would do them no harm, for they had not come to wage war against the city but only to humble the pride of the wicked Sardanapalus. They therefore cried out to the inhabitants not to flee. This is the meaning of “Stand! Stand!”—thus they called to them, urging them not to flee. But “none turned back,” for trembling had seized them, and they fled though no one pursued them.

“Plunder!” It is further related in the historical chronicles that the victors did not wish to touch Nineveh’s spoils and did not lay their hands upon its plunder. The honor of victory and of having conquered the city was sufficient for them; they had not come for plunder or spoils. Accordingly, the prophet poetically addresses the victors: “Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!” There is abundant spoil, for “there is no end to the treasure,” and the city contains limitless riches. The victors reply, “Honor is greater than every precious vessel.” That is, the honor of victory is more valuable and important to us than any precious object. We came for honor, not for spoil.

“Empty.” The prophet depicts the condition of the city’s inhabitants: everything has been emptied out—“emptiness and desolation”—and everything has been destroyed—“devastation.” The hearts of the city’s inhabitants melt from overwhelming fear; their knees tremble as they flee and escape; and anguish seizes every waist because of their crushing calamity and grief.

“Where is it?” The prophet now directs his attention toward the royal palace, which has been destroyed and left desolate. He marvels at the cruelty of Sardanapalus, who burned his wives and mercilessly killed his children. He asks, “Where is the lions’ den?” This is the royal palace, where the kings—the old lions—dwelt. “And the feeding place of the young lions,” for around the king’s palace the young lions grazed—that is, the king’s sons. “Where the lion and lioness walked,” for the lion and lioness—the king and queen—continually walked there. The “lion’s cub” also walked there, referring to the young royal children, “with none to frighten them,” for they lived there in complete security.

“The lion.” How, then, could such cruelty now have occurred there, that the lion tore apart his own cubs? That is, the king killed his young children. And “the lion strangled his lionesses,” for he ordered his wives—the lionesses—to be strangled, since they were suffocated by the smoke. “He filled his lairs with prey and his dens with torn flesh.” What he tore from among his wives is called terefah, “torn flesh,” in the feminine form, while what he tore from among his cubs is called teref, “prey,” in the masculine form. The prophet depicts the females as dwelling in dens and the cubs as inhabiting small lairs, in keeping with the metaphor of the lion. That is, the children were in small chambers, which he filled with their remains, while his wives were in his palaces, which he filled with their slain bodies. Has such a thing ever been heard of?

“Behold.” He answers: “Behold, I am against you, declares Hashem.” That is, all this occurred by Hashem’s decree. “I will burn her chariot in smoke”—the queen was brought up to the pyre together with her carriage and covered litter, as it is written, “Huzzab was uncovered and carried away,” and she was suffocated by the smoke of the pyre. “And the sword will devour your young lions”—the enemy’s sword will also devour his remaining sons. The commentators have already noted that lion hunters customarily fill the lion’s den with smoke, causing the young lions to emerge from their lairs, whereupon the hunters kill them with the sword. Through this, “I will cut off your prey from the earth,” so that you will no longer prey upon many nations. Furthermore, “the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard”—the messengers through whom you blasphemed Hashem.