John Trapp on Nahum 1:12

Verſe 12. Thus ſaith the Lord] To thee, O Jeruſalem, and for thy comfort. The Lord will ſpeak peace to his people: and Miniſters are charged to ſpeak to their hearts, Eſay 40 1.

though they be quiet] Or, ſtill, well diſciplined (as the Turkiſh Army is, to the wonder of all that paſſe thorow it:)Turcae perpepetuum ſilentium tenent ut muti. Cuſpin. de Caeſar. p. 475. there was no falling out, nor complaining in the Aſſyrian hoſts: therefore, and by this means, did their king march on, p[illegible: 1 letter]ſſe throw.

and likewiſe many] How great an Army they were, may bee gathered from the many thouſands of them that were ſlain by the Angel, Eſay 37.36. It is all, one with God, whether it be done againſt a nation, or againſt a man onely, Job 34.29. he ſtands not upon multitudes, who taketh up the Iſles, as a very little thing, Eſay 40.15.

yet thus ſhall. [illegible: 2 letters]ey be cut down] Heb. ſhorn; with as little ado as one would ſhear a ſheep, mow down a meddow, or ſhave off hair with a ſharp raſor. The Prophet ſeemeth to allude to that Text in Eſay (with whom, as his contemporary, he hath many things common) chap. 7.20. and to threaten the Aſſyrian, that he ſhall bee payd home in his own coyn: and that as he had done to Iſrael, ſo ſhould it bee done again to him. God loveth to retaliate.

when he ſhall paſſe thorow] Heb. and he paſſeth, or away he goeth, ſe, to his own countrey, after the loſſe of his Army, ſlain by the Angel, ſo Hierom. Others, they ſhall be cut down, ſc. by the hand of a mighty One, as Eſay 10.34. or of an Angel, when he, that is Sennacherib, and every one of his Army hath paſſed thorow, ſc. the land without reſtraint, or controul, and now maketh account that hee is maſter of all.

Though I have afflicted thee, yet I will afflict thee no more] ſc. by theſe Nineviten no, nor by any other enemies, unleſſe there be very great need, 1 Pet. 1.6. The Church hath ever had her Halcyous, her interchanges of proſperity and adverſity. God will not alwayes chide, Pſal. 103.9. he delighteth in the proſperity of his ſervants, Pſal. 35.27. and wiſheth, Oh that this people were wiſe, &c. O that my people had hearkened, &c Pſal. 81.13, 14, 15. There is another reading of the words, as may be ſeen in the margent. This is Iunius. the Chaldee paraphraſ[illegible: 3 letters]. thus; Although the Ninevites enjoy great peace, and by peace are ſo m[illegible: 3 letters]plied, that they are very numerous, yet ſhall they be ſhorn and cut down.