Nahum 1:1-8 NOTES

Nahum 1:1-9 - T. Constable Exposition Notes

I. HEADING 1:1: The pronouncement of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite: - The writer introduced this book as an oracle concerning Nineveh. An oracle is a message from Yahweh that usually announces judgment. It is sometimes called a "burden" because it frequently contains a message that lay heavy on the prophet's heart and came across as a "heavy" message. In this case it is a "war-oracle." [Note: Longman, pp. 771, 786.] This book records the vision that Nahum the Elkoshite received from the Lord.

▪ "Having been founded by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-12), Nineveh had a long history. It was located on the east bank of the Tigris River, which formed the western and southern boundaries of the city. A wall extended for eight miles around the northern and eastern boundaries. The section of the city within the walls was nearly three miles in diameter at its greatest width, and it held a population that has been estimated to have been as high as 150,000. The three days' walk required to traverse Nineveh (. . . Jonah 3:3) is no exaggeration." [Note: Charles H. Dyer, in The Old Testament Explorer, p. 796.]

▪ As noted above, the location of Elkosh is presently uncertain. The two most likely general locations are Mesopotamia or Canaan. I tend to think that Elkosh was in Judah since all the other Old Testament prophets were from Canaan, and Nahum prophesied during the history of the surviving kingdom of Judah (ca. 650 B.C.).

▪ Nahum evidently used "Nineveh," the capital of the Assyrian Empire, to stand for the whole empire in some places as well as for the city in others. In some texts the city is definitely in view, as is obvious from the fulfillment of the prophecy, but in others all of Assyria seems to be in view. It is common, especially in prophetical and poetical parts of the Old Testament, for the writers to use the names of prominent cities to represent their countries. The most frequent example is the use of Jerusalem in place of Judah or even all Israel. This is an example of the common figure of speech called metonymy in which a writer uses the name of one thing for that of another associated with or suggested by it.

A. The anger and goodness of Yahweh 1:2-8

v. 2: A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. - Nahum drew a picture of Yahweh as a God who is jealous for His chosen people (cf. Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 5:9). That is, He greatly desires their welfare (cf. Deuteronomy 6:15). He is also an avenging God who takes vengeance on all who violate His standards of righteousness (what is right), though not with human vindictiveness. Third, He is full of wrath against those who oppose Him and disregard His grace, those who set themselves up as His adversaries and enemies (cf. Deuteronomy 32:35; Deuteronomy 32:41). The repetition of avenging, vengeance, and wrathful in this verse creates a strong impression of an angry God. The word "wrath" (Heb. hemah) means "to be hot" and describes burning rage and intense fury. Why was God so angry? The rest of the oracle explains that it was the behavior of the Ninevites that had aroused His anger.

▪ "Verse 2 lays a foundation for the entire prophecy: all that follows is rooted in this revelation of the justice and burning zeal of the Lord exercised on behalf of his people." [Note: Chisholm, "A Theology . . .," p. 462.]

▪ "The opening verses of Nahum form a prologue dominated by the revelation of God's eternal power and

divine nature in creation (cf. Romans 1:20). As in Romans 1:18-32, this revelation is characterized preeminently by God's justice, expressed in retribution (Nahum 1:2) and wrath (Nahum 1:2-3; Nahum 1:6) that shake the entire creation (Nahum 1:3-6)." [Note: Carl E. Armerding, "Nahum," in Daniel-Malachi, vol. 7 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary, p. 460.]

▪ Armerding made much of the similarities between this section and the Exodus event, God's self-revelation at Mt. Sinai, His appearance to Elijah at Mt. Horeb, and parallels in Isaiah.

▪ "The seventh-century minor prophets focused on the justice of God as exhibited in powerful judgment on an international scale." [Note: Robert B. Chisholm Jr., "A Theology of the Minor Prophets," in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, p. 413.]

▪ "In the Book of Psalms there are three types of Divine Warrior hymns: those sung before a battle, calling on God's aid (Psalms 7); those sung during a battle, focusing on the Lord's protection (Psalms 92); and those celebrating the victory God has won for his people (Psalms 98). Nahum 1:2-8 bears a remarkable similarity to the last type of psalm, the original function of which was to sing the praises of Israel's Warrior God in the aftermath of a victory. What is significant, then, is the placement of Nahum's Divine Warrior hymn. The victory is celebrated before the battle is actually waged. The victory of God against Nineveh is certain. So much so, that the prophet could utter the victory shout years before the battle [cf. Revelation 5:9]." [Longman, p. 788.]

NOTE: NINEVEH'S DESTRUCTION DECLARED 1:2-14: The rest of chapter 1 declares Nineveh's destruction in rather hymnic style, and chapters 2 and 3 describe its destruction. Each of these major parts of the book opens with a revelation of Yahweh.

v. 3: The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In the gale and the storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. - However, Yahweh was not out of control in His anger. His anger was slow in coming to the boiling point (cf. Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18). He waited as long as possible to pour out His judgment (cf. 2 Peter 3:9). About a century before Nahum prophesied, God sent Jonah to warn the Ninevites. This is an evidence of His being slow to anger. God's patience accounts for His allowing the Assyrians to abuse the Israelites for so long. Patience is sometimes a sign of weakness, but not so with the Lord. He is also great in power, which makes the prospect of His releasing His anger terrifying (cf. Deuteronomy 8:17-18). He will not pass over any guilty person and leave him or her unpunished but will bring them to judgment eventually. Whirlwinds and storms manifest this angry aspect of God's character and His power (cf. Job 9:17). He is so great that the clouds are for Him what the dust on the ground is for humans (cf. 2 Samuel 22:10; Psalms 18:9). The great clouds overhead are like dust to the great God who resides in the heavens.

▪ Nahum 1:2-3 repeat "Yahweh" five times. This literary device has the effect of underlining the identity of Israel's covenant God. There should be no mistake whom Nahum was describing even though he drew attention to characteristics of the Lord that were not the ones that His people liked to think about. Nahum frequently used Yahweh's name throughout the book.

v. 4: He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, The blossoms of Lebanon wither. - A simple word from Yahweh can cause the humanly uncontrollable sea and the rivers to dry up. The Lord had demonstrated this power when He parted the Red Sea and stopped the Jordan River from flowing (Exodus 14:21; Joshua 3:16). It can make Bashan, Carmel, and Lebanon, which were normally lush, productive regions, wither away. The Lord had likewise sent many droughts on various parts of Canaan to encourage His people to return to Him (cf. 1 Kings 17-18). It is heat that causes bodies of water to dry up and bodies of land to wither away, but it is the heat of God's wrath in judgment that is sometimes behind this physical heat.

v. 5: Mountains quake because of Him, And the hills come apart; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.- Yahweh produces earthquakes and landslides, other evidences of His awesome power. Mountains are the most stable physical features on this planet, yet God can move them. Mt. Sinai quaked when God revealed Himself there (Exodus 19:18). His very presence can cause the entire earth and all its inhabitants to convulse and upheave. The vast Assyrian Empire, therefore, was not too much for Him to overthrow.

v. 6: Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath gushes forth like fire, And the rocks are broken up by Him. - No one can continue to exist if Yahweh is indignant with him or her. Nahum did not mean that the final destiny of God's enemies is annihilation. He meant that no one can survive His unchecked wrath. The Hebrew word translated "indignant," za'am, means to be enraged, like boiling water. No one can endure Yahweh's burning anger. Nahum made these points strongly by using two rhetorical questions.

▪ "Unlike a regular question, which is soliciting information, a rhetorical question assumes the answer is already known by both the asker and the asked. Instead of the statement which could have been used in its place, the rhetorical question forces the hearer to get actively involved in the discussion. . . . The technique is used elsewhere in Nahum (Nahum 2:11; Nahum 3:7-8) and in other prophetic texts." [Note: Baker, p. 29.]

▪ The Assyrians should have learned this truth when God destroyed their army, as it surrounded Jerusalem, in one night (2 Kings 18-19). Yahweh's wrath pours out like fire, and then even solid rocks break up (cf. 1 Kings 19:11). How much less will human flesh and manmade walls stand against His anger!

v. 7: The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him. - In contrast, Yahweh is also good, not just angry and vengeful (cf. Romans 11:22). He Himself is a more secure hiding place than any mountain, hill, or great city, like Nineveh, when people face trouble (cf. Psalms 27:1; Psalms 37:39; Psalms 43:2; Psalms 52:7). Furthermore He knows those who take refuge in Him by drawing near to Him and resting their confidence in Him. He takes note of those who trust in Him as well as those who incur His wrath. Whereas the previous revelations of God reflect His imminent dealings with the Assyrians, this aspect of His character (name) should have encouraged the Israelites to trust and obey Him.

v. 8: But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness. - Nahum returned to the wrathful aspect of God's character because that was the focus of his oracle. Without identifying Nineveh, the prophet described Yahweh destroying it totally and permanently, as with a tidal wave. Johnston showed that Nahum's maledictions are unique among the prophets and probably key off the Neo-Assyrian treaty curses, which were unusually brutal in the ancient Near East. [Note: Gordon H. Johnston, "Nahum's Rhetorical Allusions to Neo-Assyrian Treaty Curses," ] Nahum probably described an unrestrained army invasion (cf. Isaiah 8:7-8; Jeremiah 47:2; Daniel 9:26; Daniel 11:40). However, when her enemies overthrew Nineveh, its rivers overflowed and washed away part of Nineveh's walls.

▪ Using another figure, Yahweh said He would pursue His enemies until He caught up with them and killed them, even if it took all night. Normally battles ceased at nightfall and resumed at daybreak because fighting became so difficult at night. But the Lord would not let night stop Him from pursuing and slaying His enemies. They would not escape from Him simply because time passed. Darkness also has the metaphorical connotation of evil, spiritual lostness, and eternal judgment (e.g., Job 17:13; Ps. 82:5; Ps. 88:12; Prov. 4:19; Prov. 20:20; Isa. 8:22; Isa. 42:7; Jer. 23:12; Mt. 4:16; 8:12; Col. 1:13; 1 Pet. 2:9; Judges 1:6; Rev. 16:10).

▪ The Lord is angry with those who abuse others, especially those who abuse His people, and He will punish them. This section stresses the justice, power, and goodness of Yahweh.

▪ "We must keep in mind that the message of Nahum is not concretely applied to Assyria and Judah until later in the book. The psalm that occurs at the beginning of the book [Nahum 1:2-8] presents a picture of God applicable for all times-he is the Warrior who judges evil." [Note: Longman, p. 776. See idem, "The Divine Warrior: The New Testament Use of an Old Testament Motif," Westminster Theological Journal 44 (1982):290-307; and Kevin J. Cathcart, "The Divine Warrior and the War of Yahweh in Nahum," in Biblical Studies in Contemporary Thought: The Tenth Anniversary Commemorative Volume of the Trinity College Biblical Institute 1966-1975, pp. 68-76.]

▪ The first eight verses of Nahum are a partial acrostic.

▪ "If an entire acrostic conveys completeness, half an acrostic may well be a prophetic way of indicating completeness with still more to come. Assyria faces imminent judgment, but only half of what is eventually in store for her." [Note: Duane L. Christensen, "The Acrostic of Nahum Reconsidered," Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 87 (1975):25.]

Nahum 1:1-15 - EXPOSITION PULPIT COMMENTARY

Part I. THE JUDGMENT UPON NINEVEH DECREED BY GOD.

v. 1: § 1. The heading of the book. The book has a double title, the first giving the object of the prophecy, which otherwise would not be evident; the second, its author, added to give confidence in its contents. The burden; massa (Habakkuk 1:1)-a term generally used of a weighty, threatening prophecy (Isaiah 13:1), though translated by the LXX. λῆμμα here, and elsewhere ὄρασις, and ῥῆμα. Some prefer to render it "utterance," or "oracle." The word is capable of either meaning. It almost always (except, perhaps, in Zechariah 12:1) introduces a threat of judgment. Of Nineveh. The denunciation of this city is the object of the prophecy. The effect of Jonah's preaching had been only temporary; the reformation was partial and superficial; and now God's long suffering was wearied out, and the time of punishment was to come. (For an account of Nineveh, see note on Jonah 1:2.) Some critics have deemed one part of the title an interpolation; but the connection of the two portions is obvious, and without the former we should not know the object of the prophet's denunciation till Nahum 2:8. The book of the vision. This is the second title, in apposition with the former, and defining it more closely as the Book in which was written the prophecy of Nahum. It is called a "vision," because what the prophet foretold was presented to his mental sight, and stood plainly before him (comp. Isaiah 1:1). The Elkoshite; i.e. native of Elkosh, for which, see Introduction, § II.

Nahum 1:2-6: The prophet describes the inflexible justice of God, and illustrates his irresistible power by the control which he exercises over the material world.

v. 2: God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; better, Jehovah is a jealous and avenging God, as Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24; Joshua 24:19. The threefold repetition of the name of Jehovah and the attribute "avenging" gives a wonderful force to this sublime description of the Divine character. God is here called jealous anthropopothically, as ready to defend his honour against all who oppose him, as One who loves his people and punishes their oppressors. Is furious; literally, master of fury, as Gen. 37:19, "master of dreams." The Lord is full of wrath (comp. Prov. 10:12 :24; Prov. 29:22). The word used implies a permanent feeling, Hire the Greek μῆνις. He reserveth wrath. The Hebrew is simply "watching," "observing" for punishment. Septuagint, ἐξαίρων αὐτὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ, "himself cutting off his enemies;" Vulgate, irascens ipse inimicis ejus. God withholds his hand for a time, but does not forget. All this description of God's attributes is intended to show that the destruction of Assyria is his doing, and that its accomplishment is certain.

v. 3: Slow to anger (Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:7). Nahum seems to take up the words of Jonah (Jonah 4:2) or Joel (Joel 2:13). God is long suffering, not from weakness, but because he is great in power, and can punish when he will. Will not at all acquit the wicked; literally, holding pure will not hold pure; i.e. he will not treat the guilty as innocent. Ἀθωῶν [Alex; ἀθῶον] οὐκ ἀθωώσει; Mundans non faciet innocentem (comp. Exodus 20:7; Exodus 34:7). The Lord hath his way, etc. The prophet grounds his description of the majesty and might of God upon the revelation at the Exodus and at Sinai. (see Exodus 19:16-18; Psalms 18:1-50.; Psalms 97:0.). The clouds are the dust of his feet, Large and grand as the clouds look to us, they are to God but as the dust raised by the feet in walking. As an illustration of this statement (though, of course, the fact was utterly unknown to Nahum), it has been remarked that recent scientific discovery asserts that clouds owe their beauty, and even their very existence, to the presence of dust particles in the atmosphere. The aqueous vapour, it is said, condenses on these particles, and thus becomes visible.

v. 4: The great physical changes and convulsions in the world are tokens of God's wrath on sinful nations. He rebuketh the sea, as at the passage of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21; Psalms 106:9). This is a sign of omnipotence (comp. Luke 8:24). All the rivers. A generalization from the miracle at the Jordan (Joshua 3:1-17.; comp. Psalms 107:33; Isaiah 1:2). Septuagint, ποταμοὺς ἐξερημῶν, "making rivers desolate;" Vulgate, flumina ad desertum deducens. Bashan (see note on Amos 4:1). Carmel (see on Amos 1:2). Flower of Lebanon. This district was famous, not only for its cedars, but also for its vines and flowers (comp. Hosea 14:7; So Hosea 4:11). These three regions are mentioned as remarkable for their fertility, and they occur most naturally to the mind of a native of Galilee, as was Nahum. They also geographically are the eastern, western, and northern boundaries of the land. They are used here proverbially to express the truth that God can cause the most luxuriant regions to wither at his word.

v. 5: The mountains quake. The mountains, the very emblems of stability, tremble before him (Adios 8:8). The hills melt; Οἱ βουνοὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν, "The hills were shaken". The hills dissolve like wax or anew at his presence (see Amos 4:13; Micah 1:4). Burned; Septuagint, ἀνεστάλη, "recoils," "is upheaved," as by an earthquake. This rendering has the greatest authority. The world; i.e. the habitable world, and all living creatures therein (Joel 1:18-20). Nature animate and inanimate is represented as actuated by the terror of conscious guilt.

v. 5: Who can stand? (Psalms 76:7; Joel 2:11; Malachi 3:2; comp. Revelation 6:17). His fury is poured out like fire (Deuteronomy 4:24); like the brimstone and fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24), or like the molten lava that issues from a volcano (Jeremiah 7:20). Septuagint (reading differently), ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ τήκει ἀρχάς: consumit principatus (Jerome). Are thrown down; rather, are rent asunder. If such is tile power of God, how shall Assyria resist it?

Nahum 1:7-11: § 3. The prophet prepares the way for proclaiming the punishment of Nineveh lay deriding that the wrath of God falls not on those who trust in him, but is reserved for his enemies.

v. 7: The Lord is good. The Targum adds unnecessarily, "for Israel" (Psalms 25:8). He is "good," in that he is a stronghold in the day of trouble, as in the perilous time when the Assyrians attacked Judaea (comp. Psalms 27:1; Jeremiah 16:19). He knoweth; loves and cares for.

v. 8: but with an overrunning flood. This may be merely a metaphor to express the utter devastation which should overwhelm Nineveh, as the invasion of a hostile army is often thus depicted (comp. Isaiah 8:7; Daniel 11:26, Daniel 11:40); or it may be an allusion to the inundation which aided the capture of the city (see note on Nahum 2:6). Of the place thereof; i.e. of Nineveh, not named, but present to the prophet's mind, and understood from the heading (Nahum 1:1). (For the utter destruction of Nineveh, comp. Zephaniah 2:13, etc.) The LXX. has, τουνειρομένους ("those that rise up"). The Chaldee has a similar reading, with the meaning that God would exterminate those who rise up against him. Darkness shall pursue his enemies. So the Septuagint and Vulgate. But it is better rendered, He shall pursue his enemies into darkness, so that they disappear from the earth. If this is the meaning of the clause, it resembles the termination of many Assyrian inscriptions which record the defeat of a hostile chieftain: "and no one has seen any trace of him since."

EW Commentary Nahum 1:1-8

A. The character of the God who brings judgment.

1. (1:1) The burden of Nahum.

1 The pronouncement of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

a. The burden (pronouncement): In the prophets, a burden is a heavy message of weighty importance, heavy in the sense that it produces sorrow or grief.

i. "Massa comes from the verb 'to lift up' (nasa), and so it can mean 'to carry' or 'to lift up the voice.' From the first meaning comes the translation 'burden,' or 'load'; and from the second meaning we get the translation 'oracle,' or 'utterance.'" (Wolf, in his commentary on Isaiah). Grammatically, we may be able to say "oracle," but since these are heavy oracles, we are justified in calling them burdens.

ii. "Massa not only signifies a burden, but also a thing lifted up, pronounced, or proclaimed; also a message. It is used by the prophets to signify the revelation which they have received from God to deliver to any particular people." (Clarke)

b. Against Nineveh: The capital of the Assyrian Empire was Nineveh, the city that heard the preaching of Jonah a hundred years before and repented. Nahum's call was to address a city that had slipped back into sin and was again ripe for judgment.

i. Among other things, the Prophecy of Nahum shows us that God not only deals with individuals as individuals, He also deals with nations as nations. "This is the prophecy which sets forth, more clearly than any other, the truth concerning the wrath of God, in its national application" (Morgan). Nations will be held to account by God.

ii. Nineveh was an ancient and famous city. It was founded by the first world dictator, Nimrod (Genesis 10:11). "From Nineveh's walls, temples, palaces, inscriptions, and reliefs, mute yet elaborate witness is given to a city that flourished up to its destruction in 612 B.C. Accordingly, the magnificent buildings, artistic designs, and water-supply projects of Nineveh have resulted in its being likened to ancient Versailles" (Major Cities of the Biblical World).

c. The book of the vision: This was more than a message communicated to Nahum in words or phrases from God. Because this was a vision, in some way Nahum saw it. When we see the vivid, descriptive way Nahum writes we understand that the book records what he saw in his vision.

i. Isaiah 2:1 says: The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah saw a word, and in some sense Nahum also did.

d. Nahum the Elkoshite: We don't know anything else about Nahum or the city of Elkosh. The name Nahum is an abbreviated form of the name Nehemiah, which means "Comfort of Yahweh." It may be that Elkosh was in the region of Galilee because the city of Capernaum (Matthew 4:13, Mark 9:33, John 2:12) was named after Nahum (Kephar-Nahum, "City of Nahum").

i. We don't know exactly when Nahum gave this prophecy. He mentioned the destruction of the Egyptian city No Amon (Thebes) in Nahum 3:8 and Thebes fell to the Assyrians in 663 B.C., so Nahum must have been written after that. Nineveh was destroyed 50 years after No Amon (612 B.C.).

ii. It is likely that Nahum was written during the height of Nineveh's power. "It was concerned with Nineveh, and was delivered almost certainly when she was at the height of her power" (Morgan).

2. (2-8) The judgments of a merciful God.

2 A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. 3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In the gale and the storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. 4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, The blossoms of Lebanon wither. 5 Mountains quake because of Him, And the hills come apart; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it. 6 Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath gushes forth like fire, And the rocks are broken up by Him. 7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him. 8 But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness.

a. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: Nahum began his prophecy by considering the character of the God who brings judgment.

• God is jealous: How can it be said that God is jealous? "God's jealousy is love in action. He refuses to share the human heart with any rival, not because He is selfish and wants us all for Himself, but because He knows that upon that loyalty to Him depends our very moral life... God is not jealous of us: He is jealous for us." (Redpath in Law and Liberty)

• The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries: Man needs to understand that he can't fight against God and hope to prevail. Everyone who sets themselves against God will end up receiving His vengeance.

• The LORD is slow to anger: God is far more patient than man. Though there is a time and place where He does display His anger, it doesn't come quickly or randomly. "God's sword of justice is in its scabbard: not rusted in it - it can be easily withdrawn - but held there by that hand that presses it back into its sheath, crying, 'Sleep, O sword, sleep; for I will have mercy upon sinners, and will forgive their transgressions'" (Spurgeon).

• And great in power: Knowing God's power should make us trust in His help (because He is able to help) and to fear His judgment (knowing that He judges with power).

• Will not at all acquit the wicked: God is not like an unjust judge who simply lets the guilty go out of a false sense of compassion. We can't just hope that God will say, "All is forgiven" when anyone passes from this world to the next. Sin must be accounted for, because He will not acquit the wicked. Every sin will be paid for - either in hell or at the cross - but God will not acquit the wicked. "Never once has he pardoned an unpunished sin; not in all the years of the Most High, not in all the days of his right hand, has he once blotted out sin without punishment" (Spurgeon).

• The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm: God's power is so great that it controls the mightiest forces known to man. A huge whirlwind or storm is nothing to God, because He has His way in them.

• His fury is poured out like fire: When God is resisted long enough and rejected strongly enough, eventually His judgment comes. He is slow to anger, but when it does come His fury is poured out like fire. Understanding this should make man quick to repent and wary of presuming on God's patience.

• The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble: Those who love Him and trust Him see the goodness of God and find protection in His stronghold - which is the LORD Himself. "Remember that it is only a day; it is not a week, nor a month, and God will not permit the devil to add an extra hour to that day; it is a 'day of trouble.' There is an end to all our griefs" (Spurgeon).

• He knows those who trust in Him: Not only does He know them in the sense of identification, but also in the sense of relationship. Trust implies relationship, and God knows those who trust in Him. "Once more, dear friends, this word 'know' here means loving communion... God knows us; he knows our prayers and tears, he knows our wishes, he knows that we are not what we want to be, but he knows what we do desire to be. He knows our aspirations, our sighs, our groans, our secret longings, our own chastenings of spirit when we fail; he has entered into it all. He says, 'Yes, dear child, I know all about you; I have been with you when you thought you were alone. I have read what you could not read, the secrets of your own heart that you could not decipher I have known them all, and I still know them'" (Spurgeon).

b. The LORD is good: It is vitally important for everyone to know this.

• God is good in His very being - it is His very nature to be good.

• God is good independently - no one must help Him be good.

• God is eternally and unchangeably good.

• God is good in each one of His Divine Persons.

• God is good in all His acts of grace.

• God is good in all His plans and purposes for our life.

c. With an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place: Taking into account the character of God, though He is slow to anger and good, He could not forever overlook the sin and rebellion of the Assyrians. Their end in judgment would come like an overflowing flood.

i. The overflowing flood was fulfilled both figuratively and literally. "According to secular accounts, during the final siege of Nineveh by a rebel army of Persians, Medes, Arabians, and Babylonians, unusually heavy rains caused the rivers to flood and to undermine the city's walls, which then collapsed... the invading armies entered the city through this breach in its defenses" (Boice).

ii. The utter end of its place was also literally fulfilled. "Not only were these people lost from history, even the city was lost until it was discovered by archaeologists, beginning in the 1840's" (Boice).

iii. "The author is not expressing some personal feeling of vindication over some hurt by the oppressor, nor even a nationalistic chauvinism that pagan nations must be punished. Rather, Yahweh is applying his universal standard against evil, no matter who is responsible." (Baker)

Nahum 1:1-8 Extra Commentary

Nahum, who penned this book, was a relative unknown. He was from Elkosh in Judah. The name "Nahum" means full of comfort. Nahum prophesied about the time of Jeremiah. Most scholars believe Nahum's prophecy began about 620 B.C. His message is that Nineveh will fall. Soon after Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, they fell back into their old sinful ways.

Nahum 1:1 "The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite."

The prophecy is a message of doom. Nahum was only the messenger of this divine oracle of judgment on Nineveh.

"Nineveh" was the Assyrian capital situated on the Tigris River. It fell to Babylon (in 612 B.C.; see note on Jonah 1:1-3).

We immediately see that this message for Nineveh came to Nahum by a vision from God.

Verses 2-15: The destruction of Nineveh was announced.

Nahum 1:2 "God [is] jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and [is] furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth [wrath] for his enemies."

"Jealous": This attribute, often used of God's burning zeal for His wife, Israel, emphasizes His passionate reaction against anyone guilty of spiritual adultery. Possibly the captivity of the 10 northern tribes (722 B.C.), or the invasion of Sennacherib (701 B.C.) is in view here.

(Hebrew "qano", meaning "zealous," or "jealous"). Nahum is not ascribing human imperfection to God. Rather, the thought is that God is the One who embodies a burning zeal for righteousness and justice. He quickly arises to the defense of His own, and executes judgment on those who are not His own or who hurt those who are.

This one verse should be a great consolation to those who belong to God. He chastises His children, but the wrath of God is reserved for those who have totally rejected God. In the following Scripture, we see just how jealous God is.

Exodus 20:5 "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;"

Ex. 34:14 " For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a jealous God:"

God has repeated, over and over throughout the Bible, that vengeance is His.

Romans 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

Nahum 1:3 "The LORD [is] slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit [the wicked]: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds [are] the dust of his feet."

"Slow to anger": The jealously (of verse 2), should not suggest that God is quick to anger; rather He is longsuffering (Exodus 34:6; Num. 14:18). God had extended His forbearance to Nineveh at least a century earlier in response to their repentance at Jonah's preaching (Jonah 3:10; 4:2). But although patient, His justice will eventually punish the wicked.

"Whirlwind ... storm ... clouds": These figures frequently describe the Lord's appearances (theophanies), often in judgment (Exodus 19:9, 16; Psalm 83:15; Isa. 29:6; Joel 2:2; 1 Thess. 4:13). Nature is the theater in which His power and majesty is showcased.

God gives ample time to repent to everyone He is dealing with. We know He sent Jonah to warn Nineveh of their evil. Their repentance did not last, and they went right back into their evil lifestyle.

God controls all the elements of nature. He brings the earthquake, and the tornados, and hurricanes. God uses natural disasters to bring people to repentance. God will not always overlook the gross sins of the people. He will judge those who have totally rejected Him and His ways, and send His wrath upon them. I fear for our own country that has turned from their God.

Nahum 1:4 "He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth."

His mighty power is revealed when He rebukes the sea, as in the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-25), and when He withholds His rain from the fertile valleys and coastal highlands.

"Bashan ... Carmel", and "Lebanon" were all fertile, hilly areas. Bashan is in the Golan Heights. Mount Carmel is a long range between the valley of Jezreel and the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon is the forested region north of Israel's border. These areas are pictured by the prophet as being devastated by the coming of God in judgment.

Bashan, located below Mt. Hermon, east of the Jordan was known for her lush pastures (Mica 7:14). Carmel, along the coast of Canaan, became synonymous with fruitfulness (S.O.S. 7:5). Lebanon was renowned for her beautiful cedars (1 Kings 5:14-18). Yet, they too would wither before the infinite strength of the omnipotent Judge.

Just as God caused the Red Sea to part for Moses and the people of Israel, God can do with the sea as He wishes. Without water the flowers and trees, they were famous for, would dry up and die. God brings the flood, and He also, brings the drought. When God cuts off the water supply, plant life dies.

Verses 5-8: "The Lord" is pictured pouring out judgment "like fire. The mountains quake" and "the earth is burned at his presence." Yet, He is a "stronghold in the day of trouble" to all those who "trust in him." Like all the prophets, Nahum predicts both judgment and hope conditioned on man's response to God.

Nahum 1:5 "The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein."

The violent shaking of the earth provides another evidence of the Lord's awesome power, as even that which seems to be most stable quakes and trembles.

I could show many Scriptures which leave no doubt that God is in control of all the elements in the earth. He is

omnipotent, all powerful. The following is just one.

Exodus 19:18 "And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly."

God rained fire and brimstone down on Sodom and Gomorrah, and they were burned up. (Verse 5 above), speaks of earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and fire that falls from the heavens. All of this is speaking of the wrath of God on a sinful nation.

Nahum 1:6 "Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him."

This series of rhetorical questions summarizes verses 2-5; His power and resolve to spew His wrath on Nineveh is irresistible, melting all opposition before it.

The answer is no one. Assyria, or any other country that turns their back on God, can be destroyed by Him instantly. During the wrath of God upon the whole earth in the last 3 1/2 years of the great tribulation, just the type of things we have been reading here, do happen. The following is just a sample.

Revelation 16:1 "And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth."

Revelation 16:8 "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire."

Nahum 1:7 "The LORD [is] good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."

In contrast (to verse 6), Nahum eased the fury by adding that God was compassionate, a stronghold or fortress (Psalm 46:1), to those who put their hope in Him (Isa. 33:2-4; 37:3-7, 29-38). The verse foreshadowed the vindication of Judah (in verses 12b, 13, 15; 2:2).

Just as God's fury is poured out upon those who turn against God, His protection is on those who love Him.

Romans 11:22 "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

Nahum 1:8 "But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies."

"Flood ... darkness": Nahum described Nineveh's judgment metaphorically as an engulfing flood and darkness from which none can escape.

Nahum said Nineveh would end "with an overflowing flood" and it happened when the Tigris River overflowed to destroy enough of the walls to let the Babylonians through.

Darkness result from the absence of light. God is Light. When there is no light, it means that they are totally evil.

Nahum 1:1-8 - T. Constable Commentary

I. HEADING 1:1

HEADING (1:1): The writer introduced this book as an oracle concerning Nineveh. An oracle is a message from Yahweh that usually announces judgment. It is sometimes called a "burden" because it frequently contains a message that lay heavy on the prophet's heart and came across as a "heavy" message. In this case it is a "war-oracle." [Longman] This book records the vision that Nahum the Elkoshite received from the Lord.

▪ "Having been founded by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-12), Nineveh had a long history. It was located on the east bank of the Tigris River, which formed the western and southern boundaries of the city. A wall extended for eight miles around the northern and eastern boundaries. The section of the city within the walls was nearly three miles in diameter at its greatest width, and it held a population that has been estimated to have been as high as 150,000. The three days' walk required to traverse Nineveh (. . . Jonah 3:3) is no exaggeration." As noted above, the location of Elkosh is presently uncertain. The two most likely general locations are

▪ Mesopotamia or Canaan. I tend to think that Elkosh was in Judah since all the other Old Testament prophets were from Canaan, and Nahum prophesied during the history of the surviving kingdom of Judah (ca. 650 B.C.). Nahum evidently used "Nineveh," the capital of the Assyrian Empire, to stand for the whole empire in some places as well as for the city in others. In some texts the city is definitely in view, as is obvious from the fulfillment of the prophecy, but in others all of Assyria seems to be in view. It is common, especially in prophetical and poetical parts of the Old Testament, for the writers to use the names of prominent cities to represent their countries. The most frequent example is the use of Jerusalem in place of Judah or even all Israel. This is an example of the common figure of speech called metonymy in which a writer uses the name of one thing for that of another associated with or suggested by it.

v. 2: Nahum drew a picture of Yahweh as a God who is jealous for His chosen people (cf. Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 5:9). That is, He greatly desires their welfare (cf. Deuteronomy 6:15). He is also an avenging God who takes vengeance on all who violate His standards of righteousness (what is right), though not with human vindictiveness. Third, He is full of wrath against those who oppose Him and disregard His grace, those who set themselves up as His adversaries and enemies (cf. Deuteronomy 32:35; Deuteronomy 32:41). The repetition of avenging, vengeance, and wrathful in this verse creates a strong impression of an angry God. The word "wrath" (Heb. hemah) means "to be hot" and describes burning rage and intense fury. Why was God so angry? The rest of the oracle explains that it was the behavior of the Ninevites that had aroused His anger.

▪ This is the first of several rhetorical allusions to uniquely Neo-Assyrian conquest metaphors in the book. The figure of a destroyer of mountains and seas continues through Nahum 1:6, and the figure of the self-predicating warrior extends through Nahum 1:8. Other metaphors are the raging storm and the overwhelming dust cloud in Nahum 1:3, the overwhelming flood and the uninhabitable ruin in Nahum 1:8, the sheep slaughterer in Nahum 1:12, and the Assyrian yoke in Nahum 1:12-13. The metaphor of the mighty weapon appears in Nahum 2:1 and that of the consuming locust swarm in Nahum 3:16-17. [Note: See Gordon H. Johnston, "Nahum's Rhetorical Allusions to Neo-Assyrian Conquest Metaphors," Bibliotheca Sacra 159:633 (January-March 2002):21-45.]

A. The anger and goodness of Yahweh (1:2-8): "The opening verses of Nahum form a prologue dominated by the revelation of God's eternal power and divine nature in creation (cf. Romans 1:20). As in Romans 1:18-32, this revelation is characterized preeminently by God's justice, expressed in retribution (Nahum 1:2) and wrath (Nahum 1:2-3; Nahum 1:6) that shake the entire creation (Nahum 1:3-6)." [Note: Carl E. Armerding, "Nahum," in Daniel-Malachi, vol. 7 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary, p. 460.] Armerding made much of the similarities between this section and the Exodus event, God's self-revelation at Mt. Sinai, His appearance to Elijah at Mt. Horeb, and parallels in Isaiah.

NOTE: The rest of chapter 1 declares Nineveh's destruction in rather hymnic style, and chapters 2 and 3 describe its destruction. Each of these major parts of the book opens with a revelation of Yahweh.
v. 3: However, Yahweh was not out of control in His anger. His anger was slow in coming to the boiling point (cf. Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18). He waited as long as possible to pour out His judgment (cf. 2 Peter 3:9). About a century before Nahum prophesied, God sent Jonah to warn the Ninevites. This is an evidence of His being slow to anger. God's patience accounts for His allowing the Assyrians to abuse the Israelites for so long.

▪ Patience is sometimes a sign of weakness, but not so with the Lord. He is also great in power, which makes the prospect of His releasing His anger terrifying (cf. Deuteronomy 8:17-18). He will not pass over any guilty person and leave him or her unpunished but will bring them to judgment eventually. Whirlwinds and storms manifest this angry aspect of God's character and His power (cf. Job 9:17). He is so great that the clouds are for Him what the dust on the ground is for humans (cf. 2 Samuel 22:10; Psalms 18:9). The great clouds overhead are like dust to the great God who resides in the heavens.

NOTE 1:2-3: Repeats "Yahweh" five times. This literary device has the effect of underlining the identity of Israel's covenant God. There should be no mistake whom Nahum was describing even though he drew attention to characteristics of the Lord that were not the ones that His people liked to think about. Nahum frequently used Yahweh's name throughout the book.

v. 4: A simple word from Yahweh can cause the humanly uncontrollable sea and the rivers to dry up. The Lord had demonstrated this power when He parted the Red Sea and stopped the Jordan River from flowing (Exodus 14:21; Joshua 3:16). It can make Bashan, Carmel, and Lebanon, which were normally lush, productive regions, wither away. The Lord had likewise sent many droughts on various parts of Canaan to encourage His people to return to Him (cf. 1 Kings 17-18). It is heat that causes bodies of water to dry up and bodies of land to wither away, but it is the heat of God's wrath in judgment that is sometimes behind this physical heat.

v. 5: Yahweh produces earthquakes and landslides, other evidences of His awesome power. Mountains are the most stable physical features on this planet, yet God can move them. Mt. Sinai quaked when God revealed Himself there (Exodus 19:18). His very presence can cause the entire earth and all its inhabitants to convulse and upheave. The vast Assyrian Empire, therefore, was not too much for Him to overthrow.

v. 6: No one can continue to exist if Yahweh is indignant with him or her. Nahum did not mean that the final destiny of God's enemies is annihilation. He meant that no one can survive His unchecked wrath. The Hebrew word translated "indignant," za'am, means to be enraged, like boiling water. No one can endure Yahweh's burning anger. Nahum made these points strongly by using two rhetorical questions.

v. 7: In contrast, Yahweh is also good, not just angry and vengeful (cf. Romans 11:22). He Himself is a more secure hiding place than any mountain, hill, or great city, like Nineveh, when people face trouble (cf. Psalms 27:1; Psalms 37:39; Psalms 43:2; Psalms 52:7). Furthermore He knows those who take refuge in Him by drawing near to Him and resting their confidence in Him. He takes note of those who trust in Him as well as those who incur His wrath. Whereas the previous revelations of God reflect His imminent dealings with the Assyrians, this aspect of His character (name) should have encouraged the Israelites to trust and obey Him.

v. 8: Nahum returned to the wrathful aspect of God's character because that was the focus of his oracle. Without identifying Nineveh, the prophet described Yahweh destroying it totally and permanently, as with a tidal wave. Johnston showed that Nahum's maledictions are unique among the prophets and probably key off the Neo-Assyrian treaty curses, which were unusually brutal in the ancient Near East. [Note: Gordon H. Johnston, "Nahum's Rhetorical Allusions to Neo-Assyrian Treaty Curses," Bibliotheca Sacra 158:632 (October-December 2001):415-36.] Nahum probably described an unrestrained army invasion (cf. Isaiah 8:7-8; Jeremiah 47:2; Daniel 9:26; Daniel 11:40). However, when her enemies overthrew Nineveh, its rivers overflowed and washed away part of Nineveh's walls. [Note: "Nineveh," by D. J. Wiseman.]

▪ Using another figure, Yahweh said He would pursue His enemies until He caught up with them and killed them, even if it took all night. Normally battles ceased at nightfall and resumed at daybreak because fighting became so difficult at night. But the Lord would not let night stop Him from pursuing and slaying His enemies. They would not escape from Him simply because time passed. Darkness also has the metaphorical connotation of evil, spiritual lostness, and eternal judgment (e.g., Job 17:13; Psalms 82:5; Psalms 88:12; Proverbs 4:19; Proverbs 20:20; Isaiah 8:22; Isaiah 42:7; Jeremiah 23:12; Matthew 4:16; Matthew 8:12; John 3:19; Colossians 1:13; 1 Peter 2:9; Judges 1:6; Revelation 16:10).

▪ The Lord is angry with those who abuse others, especially those who abuse His people, and He will punish them. This section stresses the justice, power, and goodness of Yahweh.

NOTE: The first eight verses of Nahum are a partial acrostic."If an entire acrostic conveys completeness, half an acrostic may well be a prophetic way of indicating completeness with still more to come. Assyria faces imminent judgment, but only half of what is eventually in store for her." [Note: Duane L. Christensen, "The Acrostic of Nahum Reconsidered," Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 87 (1975):25.]