The Book of
NAHUM
Author: Nahum
Date: Shortly Before 612 B.C.
Theme: God’s Judgment on the City of Nineveh
Key Words: Evil, Cut Off, “I am against you”
Author. Nahum, whose name means “Comforter” or “Full of Comfort,” is unknown except for the brief caption that opens his prophecy. His identification as an “Elkoshite” does not help greatly, since the location of Elkosh is uncertain. Capernaum, the city in Galilee so prominent in the ministry of Jesus, means “Village of Nahum,” and some have speculated, but without solid proof, that its name derives from the prophet. He prophesied to Judah during the reigns of Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah. His contemporaries were Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah.
Date. In Nahum 3:8–10, the prophet recounts the fate of the Egyptian city of Thebes, which was destroyed in 663 B.C. Nineveh’s fall, around which the entire book revolves, occurred in 612 B.C. Nahum’s prophecy must date between these two events, since he looks backward to one and forward to the other. Most likely, his message was delivered shortly before the destruction of Nineveh, perhaps as Assyria’s enemies were marshalling their forces for the final attack.
Background. The kingdom of the Assyrians, with their capital at Nineveh, had been a thriving nation for centuries by the time the prophet Nahum appeared on the scene. Their territory, which changed over the years with the conquests and defeats of various rulers, lay north of Babylonia, between and beyond the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Ancient documents attest the cruelty of the Assyrians against other nations. Assyrian kings boast of their savagery, celebrating the abuse and torture they inflicted on conquered peoples.
In 722–721 B.C., the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. At that time they also severely threatened Judah, the southern kingdom. Only divine intervention prevented the desecration of Jerusalem a few years later in 701 B.C. (see 1 Kin. 7–19). Now, over a century later, the empire whose atrocities made the world tremble and who acted as God’s instrument against a sinful Israel, teetered on the verge of divine destruction.
The fall of the Assyrian Empire, climaxed by the destruction of the capital city of Nineveh in 612 B.C., is the subject of the prophecy of Nahum. The doom about to descend upon the world’s great oppressor is the single occasion for Nahum’s pronouncement. Consequently, the prophecy is judicial in style, incorporating ancient “judgment oracles.” The language is poetic, forceful, and figurative, underscoring the intensity of the topic with which Nahum wrestles.
While the judgment of Assyria is the overwhelming theme of Nahum, the book is primarily a message of comfort to the people of Judah. News of the destruction of the world’s great tyrant would come as welcome relief to people shuddering with apprehension and anxiety. Political bondage was always a theological problem for the people of Israel, because this was one of the curses God had promised for disobedience (Deut. 28:33, 36, 37, 49–52). Release from the terror of Assyrian domination would bring with it a renewed sense of God’s good favor. Nahum’s two-pronged proclamation of condemnation and comfort is well summarized in 1:7–9. Unfortunately, Judah failed to heed the warning seen in Assyria’s fall and the subsequent rise to power of Babylon. She continued in moral rebellion, which would result in her fall to Babylon in 586 B.C.
Content. The Book of Nahum focuses on a single concern: the fall of the city of Nineveh. Three major sections, corresponding to the three chapters, comprise the prophecy. The first describes God’s great power and how that power works itself out in the form of protection for the righteous but judgment for the wicked. Though God is never quick to judge, His patience cannot forever be taken for granted. All the Earth is under His control; and when He appears in power, even nature shrinks before Him (1:1–8). In her state of distress and affliction (1:12), Judah could easily doubt God’s goodness and even question His power. But the Lord promises to restore peace (1:15), to defeat the enemies of His people (1:13–15), and to remove the threat of renewed affliction (1:9). The prediction of Nineveh’s doom forms a message of consolation to Judah (1:15).
The second major section of the prophecy describes the coming destruction of Nineveh (2:1–13). Attempts to defend the city against her attackers will be in vain because the Lord has decreed the fall of Nineveh and the rise of Judah (2:1–7). Floods will inundate the city, sweeping away all the mighty, man-made structures (2:6). Nineveh’s citizens will be carried away captive (2:7); others will flee in terror (2:8). Precious treasures will be plundered (2:9); all strength and self-confidence will melt away (2:10). The mighty lion’s den will be reduced to desolation, because “"I am against you,’ says the LORD of hosts” (2:11–13).
The third chapter forms the final section of the book. God’s judgment may seem overly harsh, but He is justified in His condemnation. Nineveh was a “bloody city” (3:1), a city guilty of shedding the innocent blood of other people. She was a city known for deceit, falsehood, theft, and debauchery (3:1, 4). Such vice was an offense to God, so His verdict of judgment was inevitable (3:2, 3, 5–7). Like No Amon, an Egyptian city that fell despite numerous allies and strong defenses, Nineveh cannot escape divine judgment (3:8–13). All efforts to survive prove futile (3:14, 15). Troops scatter, leaders perish, and the people run for the hills (3:16–18). God’s judgment has fallen, and the peoples Assyria once victimized so mercilessly rejoice and celebrate in response to the news (3:19).
Personal Application. Nahum graphically portrays the seriousness of sin in the sight of God. Though His mercy and patience may cause Him to withhold judgment for a season, God will ultimately announce a day of reckoning. When His righteous judgment is unleashed, no human or superhuman power can withstand its force. His dominion extends over all that exists, and He sits on the bench as Judge over both individuals and nations.
Nahum calls us to serious self-examination and warns against the subtle sin of believing that life can be lived apart from the will and the ways of God. He chides us for becoming overly smug and secure in our faith, for Assyria, once used as God’s instrument (Is. 10:5, 6), now becomes the object of His wrath. The most frightening words anyone could ever experience are those directed toward Nineveh by the Lord: “Behold, I am against you” (2:13). With such prospects in view, serious self-examination should lead us into wholehearted repentance.
Misuse and abuse of other people is sin in God’s sight. Assyria built an empire by raping and plundering others, but national or personal kingdoms founded on deceit and tyranny also are displeasing to the Lord and will be judged by Him. A life of wickedness eventually will lead to isolation, not only from other people, but also from God. Others will withdraw from you, and God will finally be forced to judge (3:19).
Graciously, His judgment against the sinful is offset by His mercy toward the faithful. To the proud, the arrogant, and the rebellious He comes with condemnation. To the humble, the devoted, and the faithful He comes with comfort.
Assyria’s long-awaited doom teaches that God’s goodness and justice will prevail, though circumstances may seem contradictory. His concern for His people is unceasing, though He may sometimes seem slow to act or far removed. The antidote for discouragement among believers is a revitalized vision of the person and power of God. It is a renewed understanding that vengeance is the work of God, not of ourselves. True faith leaves judgment in the hands of God.
The truth of God’s judgment upon sin and the sinner should prompt believers to a renewed evangelistic mission. Those we fail to reach with the saving message of the gospel will indeed suffer the wrath of God.
Christ Revealed. The Book of Nahum pronounces God’s judgment on sin and evil, personified in the wickedness of the Assyrians. Nineveh was indeed destroyed, but that partial and temporary defeat of evil awaited the complete and permanent conquest that would come only through Jesus Christ. Nahum’s prophecy proclaims that God cannot countenance evil, that sin must be cut off from the Earth. At the crucifixion of Christ, God drove the final nail into sin’s coffin by cutting off His own Son. See Matt. 27:46; 2 Cor. 5:21. God’s final judgment on wickedness and evil took place at the Cross. That is surely reason for even greater celebration than that prompted by the fall of Nineveh (Nah. 3:19).
But the counterpart, God’s greatest demonstration of His goodness, is also revealed in Jesus Christ. Nahum proclaims that God is good, but His goodness was brought to its climax only in Christ (Rom. 5:6–11). God’s goodness was enfleshed in Jesus, a living declaration of the good tidings of peace. Now humanity has a way to return to its God-appointed tasks and calling (Nah. 1:15). The wicked lioness (Nah. 2:11, 12) has been defeated and replaced by the righteous Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). God’s vengeance against sin has been satisfied through the sacrifice of His Son.
The Holy Spirit at Work. No specific references to the Holy Spirit occur in the Book of Nahum. However, the Spirit’s work in the production of the prophecy and in the direction of the events depicted in the book must be assumed.
The heading of the book describes it as “the vision of Nahum” (1:1). The Holy Spirit functions here as the Revealer, the One who opens to Nahum the drama that unfolds before him and imparts the message from the Lord he is commissioned to deliver.
The Holy Spirit must also function as the Great Instigator in the downfall of Nineveh. Enemies, among them the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians, gather forces against the Assyrians and sack the city. God uses human agents to carry out His judgment, but behind it all is the working of His Spirit, prompting, pushing, and punishing according to the will of God. By the work of the Spirit, the Lord mustered His troops and led them into victorious battle.
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
NAHUM
Author: Nahum
Date: Shortly Before 612 B.C.
Theme: God’s Judgment on the City of Nineveh
Key Words: Evil, Cut Off, “I am against you”
Author. Nahum, whose name means “Comforter” or “Full of Comfort,” is unknown except for the brief caption that opens his prophecy. His identification as an “Elkoshite” does not help greatly, since the location of Elkosh is uncertain. Capernaum, the city in Galilee so prominent in the ministry of Jesus, means “Village of Nahum,” and some have speculated, but without solid proof, that its name derives from the prophet. He prophesied to Judah during the reigns of Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah. His contemporaries were Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah.
Date. In Nahum 3:8–10, the prophet recounts the fate of the Egyptian city of Thebes, which was destroyed in 663 B.C. Nineveh’s fall, around which the entire book revolves, occurred in 612 B.C. Nahum’s prophecy must date between these two events, since he looks backward to one and forward to the other. Most likely, his message was delivered shortly before the destruction of Nineveh, perhaps as Assyria’s enemies were marshalling their forces for the final attack.
Background. The kingdom of the Assyrians, with their capital at Nineveh, had been a thriving nation for centuries by the time the prophet Nahum appeared on the scene. Their territory, which changed over the years with the conquests and defeats of various rulers, lay north of Babylonia, between and beyond the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Ancient documents attest the cruelty of the Assyrians against other nations. Assyrian kings boast of their savagery, celebrating the abuse and torture they inflicted on conquered peoples.
In 722–721 B.C., the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. At that time they also severely threatened Judah, the southern kingdom. Only divine intervention prevented the desecration of Jerusalem a few years later in 701 B.C. (see 1 Kin. 7–19). Now, over a century later, the empire whose atrocities made the world tremble and who acted as God’s instrument against a sinful Israel, teetered on the verge of divine destruction.
The fall of the Assyrian Empire, climaxed by the destruction of the capital city of Nineveh in 612 B.C., is the subject of the prophecy of Nahum. The doom about to descend upon the world’s great oppressor is the single occasion for Nahum’s pronouncement. Consequently, the prophecy is judicial in style, incorporating ancient “judgment oracles.” The language is poetic, forceful, and figurative, underscoring the intensity of the topic with which Nahum wrestles.
While the judgment of Assyria is the overwhelming theme of Nahum, the book is primarily a message of comfort to the people of Judah. News of the destruction of the world’s great tyrant would come as welcome relief to people shuddering with apprehension and anxiety. Political bondage was always a theological problem for the people of Israel, because this was one of the curses God had promised for disobedience (Deut. 28:33, 36, 37, 49–52). Release from the terror of Assyrian domination would bring with it a renewed sense of God’s good favor. Nahum’s two-pronged proclamation of condemnation and comfort is well summarized in 1:7–9. Unfortunately, Judah failed to heed the warning seen in Assyria’s fall and the subsequent rise to power of Babylon. She continued in moral rebellion, which would result in her fall to Babylon in 586 B.C.
Content. The Book of Nahum focuses on a single concern: the fall of the city of Nineveh. Three major sections, corresponding to the three chapters, comprise the prophecy. The first describes God’s great power and how that power works itself out in the form of protection for the righteous but judgment for the wicked. Though God is never quick to judge, His patience cannot forever be taken for granted. All the Earth is under His control; and when He appears in power, even nature shrinks before Him (1:1–8). In her state of distress and affliction (1:12), Judah could easily doubt God’s goodness and even question His power. But the Lord promises to restore peace (1:15), to defeat the enemies of His people (1:13–15), and to remove the threat of renewed affliction (1:9). The prediction of Nineveh’s doom forms a message of consolation to Judah (1:15).
The second major section of the prophecy describes the coming destruction of Nineveh (2:1–13). Attempts to defend the city against her attackers will be in vain because the Lord has decreed the fall of Nineveh and the rise of Judah (2:1–7). Floods will inundate the city, sweeping away all the mighty, man-made structures (2:6). Nineveh’s citizens will be carried away captive (2:7); others will flee in terror (2:8). Precious treasures will be plundered (2:9); all strength and self-confidence will melt away (2:10). The mighty lion’s den will be reduced to desolation, because “"I am against you,’ says the LORD of hosts” (2:11–13).
The third chapter forms the final section of the book. God’s judgment may seem overly harsh, but He is justified in His condemnation. Nineveh was a “bloody city” (3:1), a city guilty of shedding the innocent blood of other people. She was a city known for deceit, falsehood, theft, and debauchery (3:1, 4). Such vice was an offense to God, so His verdict of judgment was inevitable (3:2, 3, 5–7). Like No Amon, an Egyptian city that fell despite numerous allies and strong defenses, Nineveh cannot escape divine judgment (3:8–13). All efforts to survive prove futile (3:14, 15). Troops scatter, leaders perish, and the people run for the hills (3:16–18). God’s judgment has fallen, and the peoples Assyria once victimized so mercilessly rejoice and celebrate in response to the news (3:19).
Personal Application. Nahum graphically portrays the seriousness of sin in the sight of God. Though His mercy and patience may cause Him to withhold judgment for a season, God will ultimately announce a day of reckoning. When His righteous judgment is unleashed, no human or superhuman power can withstand its force. His dominion extends over all that exists, and He sits on the bench as Judge over both individuals and nations.
Nahum calls us to serious self-examination and warns against the subtle sin of believing that life can be lived apart from the will and the ways of God. He chides us for becoming overly smug and secure in our faith, for Assyria, once used as God’s instrument (Is. 10:5, 6), now becomes the object of His wrath. The most frightening words anyone could ever experience are those directed toward Nineveh by the Lord: “Behold, I am against you” (2:13). With such prospects in view, serious self-examination should lead us into wholehearted repentance.
Misuse and abuse of other people is sin in God’s sight. Assyria built an empire by raping and plundering others, but national or personal kingdoms founded on deceit and tyranny also are displeasing to the Lord and will be judged by Him. A life of wickedness eventually will lead to isolation, not only from other people, but also from God. Others will withdraw from you, and God will finally be forced to judge (3:19).
Graciously, His judgment against the sinful is offset by His mercy toward the faithful. To the proud, the arrogant, and the rebellious He comes with condemnation. To the humble, the devoted, and the faithful He comes with comfort.
Assyria’s long-awaited doom teaches that God’s goodness and justice will prevail, though circumstances may seem contradictory. His concern for His people is unceasing, though He may sometimes seem slow to act or far removed. The antidote for discouragement among believers is a revitalized vision of the person and power of God. It is a renewed understanding that vengeance is the work of God, not of ourselves. True faith leaves judgment in the hands of God.
The truth of God’s judgment upon sin and the sinner should prompt believers to a renewed evangelistic mission. Those we fail to reach with the saving message of the gospel will indeed suffer the wrath of God.
Christ Revealed. The Book of Nahum pronounces God’s judgment on sin and evil, personified in the wickedness of the Assyrians. Nineveh was indeed destroyed, but that partial and temporary defeat of evil awaited the complete and permanent conquest that would come only through Jesus Christ. Nahum’s prophecy proclaims that God cannot countenance evil, that sin must be cut off from the Earth. At the crucifixion of Christ, God drove the final nail into sin’s coffin by cutting off His own Son. See Matt. 27:46; 2 Cor. 5:21. God’s final judgment on wickedness and evil took place at the Cross. That is surely reason for even greater celebration than that prompted by the fall of Nineveh (Nah. 3:19).
But the counterpart, God’s greatest demonstration of His goodness, is also revealed in Jesus Christ. Nahum proclaims that God is good, but His goodness was brought to its climax only in Christ (Rom. 5:6–11). God’s goodness was enfleshed in Jesus, a living declaration of the good tidings of peace. Now humanity has a way to return to its God-appointed tasks and calling (Nah. 1:15). The wicked lioness (Nah. 2:11, 12) has been defeated and replaced by the righteous Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). God’s vengeance against sin has been satisfied through the sacrifice of His Son.
The Holy Spirit at Work. No specific references to the Holy Spirit occur in the Book of Nahum. However, the Spirit’s work in the production of the prophecy and in the direction of the events depicted in the book must be assumed.
The heading of the book describes it as “the vision of Nahum” (1:1). The Holy Spirit functions here as the Revealer, the One who opens to Nahum the drama that unfolds before him and imparts the message from the Lord he is commissioned to deliver.
The Holy Spirit must also function as the Great Instigator in the downfall of Nineveh. Enemies, among them the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians, gather forces against the Assyrians and sack the city. God uses human agents to carry out His judgment, but behind it all is the working of His Spirit, prompting, pushing, and punishing according to the will of God. By the work of the Spirit, the Lord mustered His troops and led them into victorious battle.
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
