John Trapp on Nahum 3:19

Verſe 19. There is no healing of thy bruiſe] Clades & ſtrages tua irreparabilis eſt. Thy diſeaſe is deſperate, thy condition comfortleſſe: thou art utterly to be deſtroyed. When God ſmiteth his own people, it may well be asked as Eſay 27.7. Hath he ſmitten him, as he ſmot thoſe that ſmot him? Or, is he ſlain according to the ſlaughter of them that are ſlain by him? Surely no: there is a manifeſt difference. Hee hath torn, ſaith the Church, and he will heal us: hee hath ſmitten, and hee will bind us up, Hoſ. 6.1. Hence that diſtinction of puniſhment, or pain, in condemnantem, & corrigentem, in poenam vindictae, & poenam medelae. Afflictions, and temporall evils are in the nature, to the wicked of a curſe, to the godly of a cure; to the former, mortall; to the latter, medicinall, When the wicked ſpring as graſſe, and when all the workers of iniquity do flouriſh, it is not for any good will that God beareth to them: but it is, that they ſhall be deſtroyed for ever, Pſal. 92.7. See the Note on chap. 1.9.

thy wound is grievous] Not onely incurable, but full of anguiſh intolerable. Thus, many ſorrows ſhall be to the wicked, Pſal. 32.10. and yet all that they ſuffer here, is but as drops of wrath, fore-running the great ſtorme in hell: or as a crack, preceding the fall of the whole houſe upon them: The leaves only fall on them here; there, the whole tree.

all that hear the bruit of thee ſhall clap the hands, &c.] As rejoycing at thy ruine, and ſubſcribing to Gods juſt judgement upon thee: they ſhall take up this taunting ſpeech againſt thee, and ſay, How hath the oppreſſour ceaſed? the golden city ceaſed? The Lord hath broken the ſtaffe of the wicked, and the ſcepter of the rulers, &c. Eſay 14.4, 5, 6, 7.

For upon whom hath not thy wickedneſſe paſſed continually?] Thy wickedneſſe, that is, thy wicked counſels, edicts, enterprizes, have they not extended farre and near for miſchief to many Nations? and this not for a little while, but jugiter, continually? It hath been thy conſtant trade from thy youth up (neque enim nova eſt aut nupera haec tua crudelitas) to waſt and weary out other nations, with thine inrodes and hoſtilities. Thy deſtruction therefore is of thy ſelf, O Nineveh: the inſultations, and comploſions of others at thy miſery, is no more then thou haſt merited. Os quod in ſorte tua ceciderit, illud rodas, as the Arabian proverb hath it. Bear the reward of thy wickedneſſe, which is now come home to thee; Thy wickedneſſe is the root of thy wretchedneſſe: this the Prophet here repeateth, and inculcateth in the percloſe; that he may leave it as a ſting in the minds of his hearers, as Gualther well obſerveth.