Nahum 2:12

2:12 The lion tore apart as much prey as his cubs needed

and strangled prey to provide food for his lionesses;

he filled his lairs with prey

and his dens with torn flesh.


tn Heb “as much as he needs.” The term בְּדי (bÿdi, “as much as he needs”; HALOT 219 s.v. 2a) is composed of the preposition בְּ (bet) and the noun דַּי (day, “enough, what is required”). This idiom means” to satisfy the hunger of [something]” (cf. Jer 51:58; Hab 2:13).

tn The words “to provide food” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

tn The Piel verb וַיְמַלֵּא (vayÿmalle’) is a preterite with vav (ו) consecutive which depicts a sequence of events.