נחום, פרק ג׳, פסוק ט׳

A massive military and political alliance is no guarantee of survival. The fall of the powerful city of No-Amon serves as proof that even the largest coalitions cannot prevent a destruction decreed by God. The city relied heavily on Cush, roughly identified as modern-day Ethiopia, which acted as its primary source of power and strength [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. Cush and Egypt maintained a tight relationship of shared rule and support [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. In addition to Cush, the city enjoyed the backing of Egypt, a nation whose power, territory, and population seemed endless [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. Alongside these major powers stood Put, possibly the ancient land of Punt, and the Lubim, representing neighboring nations and kingdoms that added to the defense [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

There are different perspectives on who is being addressed when recalling this vast network of helpers. One approach suggests the message is directed at No-Amon itself, reminding the city of how these various nations once joined its army to protect it from enemies like Sennacherib [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל].

Conversely, another perspective maintains that the warning is aimed directly at the city of Nineveh. In this view, Nineveh is cautioned that the exact same nations serving as its current allies were once the defenders of No-Amon [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. The message is that just as this military aid failed to save No-Amon, these alliances will ultimately fail to protect Nineveh [רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. Because prophetic visions often see events from different periods at once, the destruction of these distinct empires is woven together, delivering a unified warning across different historical eras [אברבנאל].