Nahum 3:19

3:19 Your destruction is like an incurable wound; ¹ 

your demise is like a fatal injury! ² 

All who hear what has happened to you ³  will clap their hands for joy, ⁴ 

for no one ever escaped your endless cruelty! ⁵ 

[3:19]  ¹ tc The MT reads the hapax legomenon כֵּהָה (kehah, “relief, alleviation”). On the other hand, the LXX reads ἴασις (iasi", “healing”) which seems to reflect a reading of גֵּהָה (gehah, “cure, healing”). In the light of the LXX, the BHS editors suggest emending the MT to גֵּהָה (gehah) – which occurs only once elsewhere (Prov 17:22) – on the basis of orthographic and phonological confusion between Hebrew כ (kaf) and ג (gimel). This emendation would produce the common ancient Near Eastern treaty-curse: “there is no cure for your wound” (e.g., Hos 5:13); see HALOT 461 s.v. כֵּהָה; K. J. Cathcart, “Treaty-Curses and the Book of Nahum,” CBQ 35 (1973): 186; D. Hillers, Treaty-Curses and the Old Testament Prophets, 64-66.

[3:19]  tn Heb “There is no relief of your fracture.”

[3:19]  ² tn Heb “your injury is fatal.”

[3:19]  ³ tn Heb “the report of you.”

[3:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “will clap their hands over you.”

[3:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “For who ever escaped…?”