There is some doubt whether this verse is to be linked more closely with those that precede or those that follow. In some respects it seems to continue the picture of Nineveh as a den of lions, which would link it with verses 11 and 12. On the other hand, the opening words, Behold, I am against you, says the LORD of hosts, are repeated in 3.5, which may suggest that in both places a new paragraph is beginning. This analysis would link verse 13 with 3.1-4.
The uncertainty is reflected in the paragraph divisions of the various versions. Revised Standard Version begins a new paragraph with verse 13 and continues it into chapter 3, and New English Bible includes 2.13–3.6 under one section heading. The majority of versions (Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) join verse 13 to the preceding verses. Good News Translation makes it a separate paragraph from the surrounding verses by printing it as prose instead of poetry. In view of the uncertainties, perhaps this is the most practical solution.
The word translated Behold is a way of attracting the attention of the hearer or reader (compare 1.15; 3.5; Hab 2.13, 19; Zeph 3.19). It is hardly used in modern English, and a number of modern versions (New American Bible, New English Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible) simply omit it here. Good News Translation tries to give the effect of the Hebrew word by translating the rest of the phrase as a separate sentence with an exclamation mark: “I am your enemy!” However, many languages have words or phrases similar to the Hebrew that are used to attract the attention of the hearer or reader. Such terms should certainly be used here and elsewhere. Examples are “Look!” “Think carefully!” or “Hear this!”
The words “I am your enemy!” are simply a modern way of saying I am against you. For other ways to translate enemy, see 1.8 and comments. The speaker here is the LORD of hosts. This title for the LORD emphasizes his military help in the history of his people and is very appropriate here in a passage dealing with the downfall of Judah’s greatest enemy. The exact meaning of hosts is not certain but definitely includes a reference to the LORD’s power. Thus Good News Translation translates “the LORD Almighty” (compare Hab 2.13; Zeph 2.9-10). “Almighty” may also be rendered “all-powerful,” “the one who has the greatest power,” and so on. In some languages translators may need to place the phrase says the LORD of hosts at the beginning of this sentence for stylistic reasons: “The LORD, the all-powerful one, says, ‘I am your enemy.’ ”
I will burn your chariots in smoke: for the translation of chariots see comments on verse 3. To speak of burning something in smoke sounds odd in English, so Good News Translation simply says “I will burn up your chariots.” The ancient Greek Septuagint translators understood a different word instead of chariots, and some scholars today prefer to change the Hebrew. Thus New English Bible has here “I will smoke out your pride.” “Pride” is intended in its normal sense, not as a technical term meaning a family of lions. The picture of the lions in the previous verses is found again in the next line, and the sword shall devour your young lions. But as this picture is not carried through to the end of the verse, Good News Translation drops the figurative language and expresses the meaning in nonfigurative speech, “Your soldiers will be killed in war.” In some languages it may be possible to retain the picture language of sword referring to “killing” or “war.” In such cases one may say “The sword shall eat up your soldiers.” In languages which do not use the passive, and where translators wish to drop the picture language, this clause may be rendered as “Your enemies will kill your soldiers in war.”
The picture of the lions occurs again in the next clause, I will cut off your prey from the earth. The prey here refers to the plunder which the Assyrians had taken from the nations they had defeated. Good News Translation again expresses this in nonfigurative language as “I will take away everything that you took from others.”
The last line, the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard, refers to the envoys sent by the Assyrians to other nations, to threaten them or to demand from them submission or tribute. An example of this is found in Isaiah 36.1-22; compare 2 Kings 18.13-37. Nineveh would never again send out such messengers. Good News Translation translates this with modern diplomatic terms as “The demands of your envoys will no longer be heard.” One may also restructure this sentence and say “You will no longer send envoys to make demands on other nations” or “Your envoys (or, messengers) will no longer go to other nations to make demands.” When an envoy makes demands, he is using the authority of the person who sent him to ask for or require others to do certain things.
The term translated your messengers is changed by some scholars to “your feeding” (New English Bible). If this change is accepted, this is a further reference to the lions in their den. However, the majority of modern versions do not accept the change, and since the Hebrew makes perfectly good sense as it is, translators are recommended to follow the traditional text.
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A . A Handbook on the Book of Nahum. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .