Bible History
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9. What do ye imagine against the Lord?--abrupt address to the
Assyrians. How mad is your attempt, O Assyrians, to resist so powerful
a God! What can ye do against such an adversary, successful though ye
have been against all other adversaries? Ye imagine ye have to
do merely with mortals and with a weak people, and that so you will
gain an easy victory; but you have to encounter God, the protector of
His people. Parallel to
Isa 37:23-29;
compare
Ps 1:1.
he will make an utter end--The utter overthrow of Sennacherib's host,
soon about to take place, is an earnest of the "utter end" of Nineveh
itself.
affliction shall not rise up the second time--Judah's "affliction"
caused by the invasion shall never rise again. So
Na 1:12.
But CALVIN takes the "affliction" to be that of
Assyria: "There will be no need of His inflicting on you a second
blow: He will make an utter end of you once for all"
(1Sa 3:12; 26:8;
2Sa 20:10).
If so, this verse, in contrast to
Na 1:12,
will express, Affliction shall visit the Assyrian no more, in a sense
very different from that in which God will afflict Judah no more. In
the Assyrian's case, because the blow will be fatally final; the
latter, because God will make lasting blessedness in Judah's case
succeed temporary chastisement. But it seems simpler to refer
"affliction" here, as in
Na 1:12,
to Judah; indeed destruction, rather than affliction,
applies to the Assyrian.
JFB.
The Book of Nahum
Nahum 1:7 - The LORD [is] good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Nahum 1:14-15 - And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, [that] no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.
The Old Testament - A Brief Overview
Bible Survey - Nahum
Hebrew Name -
Nachoum
"Consulation"
Greek Name - Naoum (Greek form of the Hebrew)
Author - Nahum (According to Tradition)
Date - 713 BC Approximately
Theme - The Destruction of Assyria
Types and Shadows - In Nahum Jesus is the Avenger
Nahum began to prophesy in about 713 BC after the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians. Nahum prophesied about God's vengeance and judgement, and the destruction that was going to come upon Nineveh for her great wickedness and cruelty. The name Nahum means "consolation" or "consoler", and this is a fitting name for the man who was chosen to comfort the oppressed people of the southern kingdom of Judah. Nahum told them to rejoice because Nineveh will be justly punished. - The above text is © Rusty Russell - Bible History Online and must be sourced for use on a website.
There is very little known about Nahum, he is called the "Elkoshite" in Nahum 1:1, yet the location of this place is uncertain. Some scholars place it in the Galilee region, and others place it in Judah or Assyria. One believe is that Nahum's home was Capernaum which means "Village of Nahum", and that Elkosh was just the place of his birth. In any case Nahum's message was the final decimation and downfall of Nineveh.
In Nahum 1 God is seen as the one who triumphs over his enemies, regardless of how strong they are. The following chapters speak of the reasons for Nineveh's impending doom. There are two primary sins that the prophet mentions about Nineveh:
1. They had no mercy with all their great strength, they just killed destroyed and plundered with no remorse.
2. Their greed and lustful pleasures cause them to be corrupt in all their dealings with the nations.
Nahum's prophecy is the cry of an oppressed and outraged people of Judah, for all the suffering that the Assyrians bring. The thought of the Assyrian empire coming to an end brought a joyful satisfaction of a punishment that is justly due.
Interesting Note: In a book of utter judgement stands one verse like the eye in a hurricane. Nahum 1:7 - The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Outline of the Book of Nahum
Nahum 1:1 Introduction to the prophet Nahum and his "burden"
Nahum 1:2-11 God's holy judgment
Nahum 1:12-15 The fall of Nineveh is proclaimed
Nahum 2:1-12 The siege and overthrow of Nineveh
Nahum 2:13 The reason for Nineveh's destruction
Nahum 3:1-17 Nineveh was an example of sin reaping God's judgment
Nahum 3:18-19 The king of Assyria's destruction brings great joy
Nahum Resources
The Divided Kingdom
The
Northern Kingdom of Israel
The
Southern Kingdom of Judah
The Assyrian Captivity
The Babylonian Captivity
The Return From Babylon
The Prophets
The Messiah
The Book of Nahum
More About the Book of
Nahum
Nahum in the Picture
Study Bible
Chart of the Prophets of Israel and Judah
Timeline of the Ancient
World
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