The Prophecy of Nahum

The prophet Nahum prophesied sometime between the fall of the Egyptian capital city of Thebes, which is dated to 663 BC,¹ and the later fall of the city of Nineveh, which is dated to 612 BC. Many Jewish scholars think that Nahum prophesied in the days of King Manasseh, which again would place him in the first half of the seventh century.²A date around 630 BC is probably reasonably accurate, that is, some eighteen years before the fall of Nineveh. This suggests that God allowed a period for repentance, hence Nahum could write in chapter 1 verse 3 that, ‘The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked’,³ which is similar to the thrust of Jonah’s earlier prophecy against Nineveh, cp. Jonah 3. 4-10. Clearly, though, their repentance was short lived, as God now raises up a second prophet, and later Zephaniah, Zeph. 2. 13-15, to pronounce judgement against Nineveh.

The city of Nineveh was the main city of the Assyrian Empire, which was the most powerful empire in the world for the period from 900 BC to its fall in 612 BC. The ruins of Nineveh stand on the east bank of the Tigris River opposite today’s city of Mosul, which is located approximately 250 miles north of Baghdad, in northern Iraq. Nineveh was at the height of its power under the Assyrian kings Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal.

The brutality of the Assyrians was legendary, and their treatment of Israel and Judah had been particularly harsh. The Assyrians had destroyed the northern nation of Israel and its capital, Samaria, in 722 BC, 2 Kgs. 17, leaving the tribes of Judah under its subjection, 2 Kgs. 18. 17 - 19. 37.

Understanding the prophecy of Nahum depends on knowing its particular setting in time and place, since without this understanding Israel and God appear harsh and vengeful. It was not Assyrian imperialism as such that was problematic to Nahum, but rather the cruelty with which it was wedded - see Nahum 3. 1, Nineveh ‘the city of bloods’. For example, Sennacherib, the Assyrian king who invaded Judah in 701 BC, v. 13; 2 Chr. 32. 1-19; Isa. 36. 1-22, recorded his siege of Lachish in carved walls in Nineveh, which included depictions of flaying and impaling some of his captives. Such brutality terrorised Assyria’s enemies and angered God, Nahum 1. 2-6. The book of Nahum predicts the defeat and destruction of Nineveh. These prophecies were fulfilled when a coalition of Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians overthrew the city in 612 BC.

The prophecy

The prophecy has a double title and is described in verse 1 of chapter 1 as ‘The book of the vision of Nahum’. This identifies the method of revelation from God to the prophet, which is subsequently made available to a wider audience through a book. The term ‘vision’ or ‘oracle’ is a technical term in Hebrew, which, in most contexts, may be rendered ‘war oracle against a foreign nation’. We are thus prepared for what follows, a prophetic utterance against an enemy of Judah.

The name of the prophet, ‘Nahum’, means ‘comforted’ and is derived from a Hebrew root word that conveys the idea of ‘one who comforts’. An apt name perhaps for a prophet whose raison d’etre was principally to bring judgement upon Nineveh, but, at the same time, to provide comfort to the oppressed. So, Nahum did not simply hail the fall of Nineveh, he set this event within the context of the biblical teaching of the retributive justice of God. Nahum reminded his readers that God is just and that the evil nations of the world cannot, and will not, escape His judgement. The present events in the Ukraine are very much in point here.

Nahum is described as the Elkoshite, but the actual location of his hometown is uncertain. What is certain, however, is that his prophecy comes to pass in 612 BC, and once again demonstrates the accuracy of the word of God.

Before we analyze the major sections of the prophecy, it should be noted that it starts with what is often referred to as a hymn in honour of a divine warrior who comes out to battle against His enemies - note that the word ‘rebuketh’ in verse 4 has a militaristic context here. As Chisholm writes, ‘it more likely refers to a battle cry that terrifies and paralyzes the enemy’.⁴ Nahum may be viewed as a watchman on the walls of the city of Nineveh warning the people against an imminent attack from this divine warrior, but, at the same time, prophesying the demise of the city. The hymn in chapter 1 verses 2 to 11 describes the person and attributes of God that constitute the basis of all His actions towards mankind. It draws down heavily on the imagery in Exodus chapter 34 verses 6 and 7, where God passes His presence before Moses. Not only is God slow to anger,⁵ but He is a just God, and will punish the guilty. The words ‘jealous’, ‘avenge’ (NKJV) and ‘vengeance’ used in this hymn to describe God’s actions should not be viewed as something arbitrary or based on revenge. They simply reflect how zealous or full of rage God is for that which is just, cp. our Lord’s actions in the cleansing of the temple, John 2. 13-22, as He fulfilled Psalm 69 verse 9. The reason why God was jealous was because His people flirted with other gods. He demanded exclusivity in His relationships with His people. Notice that in quoting Exodus chapter 34 verse 6, Nahum in chapter 1 verse 3 changes the emphasis from the God who abounds in steadfast love to the God who is ‘great in power’. This suggests that God had been patient with Nineveh, but His steadfast love and willingness to forgive were now exhausted with them. When those who had been subjected to the tyranny of the Assyrians, however, took time to reflect upon the attributes and power of their God then they would find hope for the future - ‘The Lord is good to those who hope in Him, a haven on a day of distress; He is mindful of those who seek refuge in Him‘, Nahum 1. 7 Tanakh translation. The hymn is not satisfied with simple objective description, but becomes much more personal, closing by confronting the king of Nineveh directly as ‘you’ are facing God’s wrath, v. 11.

There are various ways of analysing the book of Nahum from chapter 1 verse 12 onwards, but one that is perhaps the easiest to see is its chiastic or inverted structure.⁶This structure is found in the Bible particularly in the Old Testament in the Psalms, and in the New Testament in the Epistle of James. Early paragraphs are matched by later paragraphs but in reverse order. The central section then stands out as an emphasis of the whole book. Nahum’s structure is as shown in the table below.⁷

• A Assyrian king taunted/Judah urged to celebrate, 1. 12-15
• B Dramatic call to alarm, 2. 1-10
• C Taunt, 2. 11, 12
• D Announcement of judgement, 2. 13
• E Woe oracle, 3. 1-4
• D Announcement of judgement, 3. 5-7
• C Taunt 3. 8-13
• B Dramatic call to alarm, 3. 14-17
• A Assyrian king taunted as others celebrate, 3. 18, 19
  

The imagery throughout the prophecy is that of a court scene where God addresses both Judah and Nineveh through alternating pronouns (he/his/you/them/their). God acknowledges that Judah’s troubles were directly from His hand - their sin is not mentioned here, but it is clear from Isaiah chapter 10 verses 5 to 10 that the immediate cause of their punishment and captivity by the Assyrians, who acted as proxy for God - ‘the Assyrian, the rod of my anger … I send him against a godless nation’ NIV - was because they had provoked Him and turned away from Him like any pagan, godless nation. The time had now come, though, to liberate Judah - ‘I will break off his yoke from you, and burst your bonds apart’ NKJV - and punish the Assyrians through the coming might of the Babylonians. Here again it is God who is behind Babylon’s actions, as the author indicates by using the term ‘attacker’ NIV in chapter 2 verse 1. The same word is used elsewhere of God.⁸Whilst God allowed the Assyrians to destroy the northern kingdom of Israel, eventually bringing it to an end, Judah survived so that the Messianic line through David was preserved.

Some miscellaneous points

1. Notice the play on the Hebrew word for blood in chapter 2 verse 3. Nahum describes in vivid colours (‘red’ and ‘scarlet’) the shields and armour of the soldiers that are drenched in blood, cp. 2 Kgs. 3. 22.
2. The name Huzzab in chapter 2 verse 7 may be the name of the queen of Nineveh or could simply be a reference to a queen.
3. ‘Woe to the bloody [or blood stained] city’, Nahum 3. 1 - The Assyrian king Ashurbanipal records his actions against a captured city in a royal inscription as follows, ‘I captured many soldiers alive. The rest I burnt … I built a pile of live (men and) heads before their gate. I burnt their adolescent boys and girls’, Millard.⁹
4. Notice the play on words in respect of Nahum’s name in chapter 3 verse 7. Judah could take comfort from Nahum’s (‘the comforter’s’) message, but there was no comfort for Assyria in the same message.

Key themes in the Book of Nahum

1. The sovereignty of God in the universe as well as in world history, as He controls the rise and fall of the nations of the earth.
2. His focus on salvation history, preserving a remnant for the future blessing of mankind -good tidings.
3. The attributes of God reflected in His care and compassion for His people - those who trust in Him can find comfort in his protection.
4. A God who is slow to anger and long-suffering yet demonstrates a zeal for justice, who will always bring the guilty/godless to account - the punishment will always fit the crime.