The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.

NAHUM 2:6KJV
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Nahum 2:6 (KJV)

What does Nahum 2:6 mean?

Nahum 2:6 describes a moment when the defenses of a city—specifically, the gates by the rivers—will be opened, causing the palace to collapse or melt away. This verse is picturing a sudden disaster, likely through flooding, that leads to the destruction of the royal residence.

Nahum is speaking a prophecy against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, warning of its coming downfall. The verse uses vivid language to show how the city’s strongholds, thought to be secure, will fail dramatically. The opening of the river gates and the dissolving of the palace suggest a catastrophe that overwhelms even the most protected places.

The Hebrew behind Nahum 2:6

  • gates (שַׁעַר, shaʿar): This word refers to city gates, often the main point of defense. Here, it highlights that even the strongest barriers will be breached.
  • rivers (נָהָר, nahar): This term points to actual waterways around Nineveh, which were part of its defenses. The mention of rivers suggests that water itself, not just enemy armies, plays a role in the city’s fall.
  • opened (פָּתַח, patach): This word means to open, implying that something previously closed and secure is now exposed. It adds to the sense of vulnerability.
  • palace (הֵיכָל, heikal): This word means a grand building or temple, but here it refers to the royal palace. Its destruction signals the collapse of royal authority.
  • dissolved (מוּג, mug): This word can mean to melt, dissolve, or collapse. It paints a picture of the palace being undone, not just physically but as a symbol of power.

Why Nahum 2:6 matters

  • Nahum 2:6 clears up that Nineveh’s destruction is not just from invading armies but also involves natural forces, like flooding, which would have seemed impossible for such a fortified city.
  • The verse emphasizes how even the most secure and impressive human achievements, like city gates and palaces, can be undone suddenly.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by showing that the fall of Nineveh is thorough and unstoppable, fulfilling Nahum’s prophecy of judgment against a proud and oppressive empire.

Where else these words appear

“dissolved” Hebrew H4127 · used in 17 verses

  • Exodus 15:15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
  • Psalms 46:6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
  • Isaiah 64:7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

“palace” Hebrew H1964 · used in 76 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
  • Ezekiel 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

“rivers” Hebrew H5104 · used in 109 verses

  • Genesis 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
  • Ezra 8:31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
  • Isaiah 42:15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

“opened” Hebrew H6605 · used in 133 verses

  • Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
  • Nehemiah 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
  • Isaiah 5:27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: