Who does Nahum describe as a prostitute?

This verse takes the form of a metaphorical taunt.¹ Nahum compares Nineveh to an evil woman. There are two Hebrew words used to describe this woman. The first is the word zonah which is translated as the phrase, whorings of the prostitute. The second is the word kasap which is translated as charms but also carries the sense of sorcery.² Nineveh is therefore compared to an evil woman who is a sorceress-prostitute.

This verse begins with the words and all for. This metaphor of an evil woman is used to explain the reason for Nineveh’s cruelty that has already been described in Nahum 3:1. It was a city that has given itself over to both wanton pleasure and idolatry. In the Scriptures, faithfulness to God is often compared to the marriage relationship and so unfaithfulness is often spoken of in terms of prostitution. Nineveh is a city of excess that has turned its back on the Lord and worships false gods, which included sorcery and witchcraft. Nineveh’s offence as a sorceress-harlot was in following the gods of greed, sexuality, and power.³