In Nahum 2:10–12 Nahum sees the aftermath of Nineveh’s defeat in his vision. It is a scene of complete defeat and the people of Nineveh cry out in despair because of what they see. The words desolate
and ruin
mean to empty something. The fallen city has been emptied and laid to waste.1 In the Hebrew, these first three words in this verse are progressively longer, building to a climax that emphasizes the total ruin of Nineveh.2
10 Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!