Matthew Poole and continuators on Nahum 3:4

4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts , that selleth nations through her whoredoms , and families through her witchcrafts.

God is just, Nineveh hath deserved all this.

Her crafts and her policies are in which she resembled those lewd Women, as they by their wiles abuse, and deceive men; so did Nineveh or the Assyrian Kingdom deceive, impoverish, and enslave Nations by state policies, so Isa. 23.17. and Revel. 17.2. or else, by Whoredoms here may be meant Idolatries which were multiplyed by the many people that served the Assyrian Idols, or by their multiplying of Idols which probably they did by taking into the Muster-Roll of their Gods those Idols which the conquered Nations worshipt, or Whoredoms literally understood; for this sin undoubtedly did abound where Wealth, Luxury, Ease, and long continuance of these were to be found.

The Glory of their State and Government, or the splendour of their Idols, Temples, and Sacrifices, or the comeliness and beauty of the lewd, and whorish Women among them.

Bewitching Policies, and enchanting Counc[illegible: 1 letter]ls confederacies, and promised Favours, or it may be literally taken for Witchcrafts or Necromancies, which sin abounded no doubt among the Assyrians

disposeth of them as imperiously, and absolutely as men do slaves which they buy, or else drawing them into the Wars for pay, exposed them to slaughter by the Enemies sword, as if they had bought their persons to sell their lives, that thereby their own Country m [illegible: 1 letter]n and Citizens might be spared, and escape. Or selleth, i. e. [illegible: 1 span] them to abound in sin, for which God in his just judgment selleth them into the Enemies hand.

Whole Kingdoms.

See let. y.

Either 'tis an elegant illustration of the former passage, or perhaps it may intimate the seducing of some particular and eminent Families to ingage themselves in an hereditary and perpetual service to the Assyrian Idols, or to Witchcrafts, in which the Devil imitated God's institution, in taking a Family to his service, so the chief Families had the Authority of Ruling, and the burthen of an Idolatrous Priesthood, Or. [illegible: 1 word]. de Rep. lib. 4. Sect. 9. and lib. 8. c. 2. Sect. 6, and 8.