Nahum

1. THE ZEAL AND POWER OF GOD (1:1–2:2)

A. The principle underlying divine judgment (1:1–6). 1:1. The prophecy of Nahum is described as an oracle or “pronouncement” and a vision, showing that it is an official message from God.

1:2–3a. Though God has seemingly overlooked Assyria’s sins, this is not due to either weakness or lack of zeal on God’s part. God does not treat sin lightly. Although not mentioned by name here, Nineveh serves as an example of how God generally deals with his enemies (1:2). Earlier, Nineveh experienced God’s grace. Now Nineveh will experience his vengeance (in the OT “vengeance” is a juridical term that involves the righting of wrongs). The outpouring of God’s wrath has been delayed because he is patient and slow to anger (1:3a). But “he will not leave the guilty unpunished.” This quote from Ex 34:7 forms the necessary counterpoint to God’s grace described in Ex 34:6. Those who reject God’s forgiving grace will experience his wrath.

1:3b–6. The most powerful forces of nature are at God’s disposal to be used as instruments of judgment or redemption (cf. Pss 18:7–19; 106:9; Is 50:2). All of nature is at God’s command. He uses the whirlwind and the storm to accomplish his purpose (1:3b). He dries up the sea and makes rivers run dry to remove them as obstacles to the deliverance of his people (1:4a). Bashan, Carmel, and Lebanon were all noted for their fertility, but when God pours out his wrath, even these wither and fade (1:4b). Even the mountains and hills cannot stand before God’s power (1:5). How much less can humans, themselves subject to the forces of nature, hope to withstand God’s judgment (1:6)!

B. Destruction and deliverance contrasted (1:7–2:2). 1:7–8. “The LORD is good” (1:7)—this is one of the most frequent declarations about God’s character in the OT. Here God’s goodness is specifically seen in terms of his being a refuge in times of trouble. God is the ultimate stronghold, the place of safety. For those who trust in him there is peace and security (see Ps 46). But for God’s enemy there is only the prospect of sudden and overwhelming defeat like a flood (1:8). Though historical sources indicate Nineveh flooded at the time of its downfall, the expression here describes an overwhelming, crushing defeat, just as a huge wall of water wipes away everything before it. God also pursues his foes into darkness. Nineveh’s downfall serves as an example of the destruction awaiting God’s enemies in the day of the Lord (cf. Zph 1:14–18; 3:8–20).

1:9–11. The futility of opposing God is here set forth (1:9; cf. Is 8:9–10). However grand and well conceived the plans of Nineveh, they are doomed to fail. The opponents of God will be thoroughly routed. They will be as ineffective as one caught in a thornbush, as futile as a staggering drunk. Finally, they will be consumed like dry stubble (1:10).

Though not mentioned in 1:11, Nineveh is likely in view. The one plotting evil may be Sennacherib (2 Kg 18–19), or it may refer to the evil kings of Nineveh. In any case, Nineveh is a center of evil and rebellion against God that stands in the line of world powers energized by Satan.

1:12–15. Nahum 1:12–13 is addressed to Judah in the form of assurance that Nineveh’s yoke will be removed. These verses look beyond the temporary relief brought about by Nineveh’s downfall to the Messiah’s eschatological deliverance. Nahum 1:14 addresses Nineveh and announces its utter destruction. After the fall of Nineveh, no trace was left of the power and influence of the mighty kingdom. Though Nineveh’s kings assumed that their kingdom would stand indefinitely because of the protection of their idols, God buried Nineveh.

Nahum 1:15, addressed to Judah, declares the delight with which God’s messenger will be received when he comes with the news that God has redeemed his people. The enemy has fallen, and God alone reigns. The victory celebration glorifies God, who alone is worthy of praise. [Herald]

2:1–2. Nahum 2:1–2 marks a transition. Nahum 2:1 begins the description of Nineveh’s fall that is taken up again in verse 3 and developed in the rest of the book. Nahum 2:2 concludes the promises of the benefits that Israel will enjoy because of the defeat of its enemies. The attack on Nineveh will result in a scattering of her inhabitants (cf. 3:18). “Man the fortifications” (2:1) are likely ironic words that emphasize the futility of any defense. Nineveh’s destruction and Israel’s restoration (2:2) are sure.

The reference to Israel (2:2) may indicate all twelve tribes. In Nahum’s time this seemed very unlikely; the northern kingdom had been scattered throughout the Assyrian Empire for more than sixty years. But now Nineveh will be scattered and Israel exalted.

2. THE SIEGE AND DESTRUCTION OF NINEVEH (2:3–13)

2:3–4. Nineveh has lived and prospered by the sword and will now die by the sword. The assault on Nineveh is relentless, swift, fierce, and irresistible. Nahum 2:3 describes the invader’s dread-inspiring appearance. The soldiers’ shields are red. This, along with the scarlet dress of warriors, when taken with Ezk 23:14, seems to indicate that red characterized Babylonian armies at the time.

“The streets” and “the plazas” (2:4) refer to the area outside the fortified central city. The outer defenses have already been breached, and the assault on the inner city is now imminent. The assault takes place with speed and fury. There is no stopping the onrushing chariots.

2:5–6. The subject of 2:5 is uncertain. It could refer to the commander in Nineveh in his last measures to shore up the city’s defenses; “they stumble as they advance” thus points to the defenders’ ineffectual efforts to prepare for the final onslaught. Alternatively, if this refers to the attackers’ actions, then 3:3 explains the stumbling: the corpses of the defenders are so numerous that the attackers stumble over them in their progress to the city wall.

The “protective shield,” or mantelet, is a shield put up to protect the attackers (2:5). The “river gates” are sluice gates used to control the flow of the Tebiltu and Khosr Rivers to and through Nineveh (2:6). Apparently the gates were first shut to cut off drinking water; then when the reservoirs were full, they were opened so that the onrushing waters undermined part of the wall and even the palace. In light of this verse, 1:8 might well be a double entendre.

2:7–10. The city is emptied of its inhabitants and material wealth. Nahum 2:7 describes the captivity and grief of the inhabitants, 2:8 the flight of the defenders. The suffering echoes the suffering that Assyrian armies inflicted on others. Nineveh has been a reservoir, collecting people and wealth. Now the flow is reversed. The pungency of expression and terseness of this passage capture the drastic, unexpected, and rapid turn of events. The spoil was a quantity beyond counting (2:9).

2:11–13. Nineveh, like a lion’s lair, has been a place of security for its people and a repository filled with the plunder of conquered nations (2:11–12). Now Nineveh will be destroyed and robbed. The climax of this section relates the awful and unalterable declaration of the Lord of Armies: “I am against you” (2:13). This expression is used when God is set to act against an obdurate people. These words spell certain doom. But for those who trust God and seek refuge in him, 1:7 applies. The messengers will never again be heard. God has the last word.

3. THE CAUSE AND CERTAINTY OF NINEVEH’S DOWNFALL (3:1–19)

3:1–4. Nahum 3:1–7, with its terse, powerful phrases, depicts Nineveh in a typical battle, overwhelming another victim. The woe is here a divine pronouncement of judgment. Nahum 3:1 depicts the character of Nineveh and the source of its prosperity and greatness. It was built on bloodshed and deceit and can maintain itself and continue to grow only by devouring more. Its appetite is insatiable.

The graphic, staccato phrases of 3:2–3 evoke the image of a ruthless, grinding military machine. Many understand these verses as describing the downfall of Nineveh, yet they likely refer to Nineveh’s past conquests. Nineveh’s means of empire building is likened to the rapaciousness and greed of a prostitute (3:4). Cruel yet seductive, Assyria enslaved other nations, gaining permanent advantage by offering them temporary benefits.

While the prophets use the metaphor of prostitution to describe Israel’s promiscuity with other gods (e.g., Jr 2:20; 3:1–3; Ezk 16), at times other nations are also metaphorically identified as prostitutes, such as Tyre (Is 23:15–17), Nineveh (Nah 3:4–5), and Babylon (Rv 17:1, 15–16; 19:2).

3:5–7. The repetition of “I am against you” (3:5a) from 2:13 emphasizes the implacability of God’s purpose to destroy Nineveh; in 2:13 the words relate to Nineveh as a predatory lion (2:11–13), while in 3:5 they relate to the never-ending demands of the prostitute Nineveh for more spoils. Nineveh will receive the same treatment she gave others (cf. 2:3–10).

Further, Nineveh will be exposed to public disgrace, just as in the case of the judicial exposure of the nakedness of a prostitute (3:5b; cf. Ezk 16:37–42; Hs 2:3; Mc 1:11). Nineveh is no longer the proud queen of prostitutes (see also Rv 17:3–6). Now she is a public object of scorn and contempt (3:6–7).

3:8–11. Thebes (Hb No-amon, “City of the God Amon”) was one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. The rhetorical question “Are you better than Thebes?” (3:8) relates to strategic location rather than moral superiority. Asshurbanipal defeated Thebes in 663, in typically cruel Assyrian fashion, despite its favorable location, numerous allies, and strong defenses. The seemingly impossible will also happen with Nineveh. [Libya]

“You also will become drunk” (3:11) may refer to the drunkenness of many of Nineveh’s defenders, as described by some ancient Greek historians. But the expression is more likely used figuratively, describing Nineveh’s helplessness against attackers in terms of the reeling, tottering, and ineffectiveness associated with drunkenness. Nineveh will seek refuge, but there will be no place to go, no help.

3:12–17. Nineveh will be a choice object of plunder, easy to take, ripe for the plucking (3:12). There may be a subtle allusion as well to the fact that the time has come for Nineveh’s judgment, since being ripe for the harvest metaphorically refers to readiness for judgment (e.g., Jr 51:33; Jl 3:13). Nineveh’s weakness is depicted in terms of its defenders and fortifications (3:13). The formerly fierce and indomitable soldiers are described as being like women, indicating the loss of stalwart manliness due to loss of morale (cf. Is 19:16; Jr 50:37; 51:30). Because of the collapse of the defenders’ courage, the gates are wide open. The outer defenses will fall before the enemy, leaving Nineveh isolated and without protection.

An ample water supply was important in preparation for a protracted siege (3:14). During siege conditions extensive repairs would be necessary to fix breaches in the clay-brick walls. The ravages of fire and sword are compared to the terrible impact of a plague of locusts on a field (3:15). Assyria’s trading stations are represented as being numerous as locusts and harmful to the land, plundering and then leaving without making any helpful contribution (3:16). The guards and officials of Nineveh are also like locusts: numerous for a short time but then suddenly gone (3:17).

3:18–19. Nahum closes with an epitaph for the king of Assyria. With the demise of rulers (“shepherd”) and nobles, Nineveh’s people will be scattered on the mountains without a trace (3:18). Its passing will cause great rejoicing by those who have experienced Nineveh’s endless cruelty (3:19). Nineveh fell in 612 BC, and the kingdom’s last remnant disappeared in 609. With all the power and influence that Assyria wielded, nothing remained after its fall. It serves well as an example of the future for the kingdoms of this world. By contrast, though God’s people have been scattered, there is indeed a bright future as God raises up a Shepherd and gathers them to himself.