1 The pronouncement a concerning Nineveh. b The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
God’s Vengeance
2 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
the LORD takes vengeance
and is fierce in wrath.
The LORD takes vengeance against his foes; c
he is furious with his enemies. d
3 The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;
the LORD will never leave the guilty unpunished. e
His path is in the whirlwind and storm, f
and clouds are the dust beneath his feet. g
4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up,
and he makes all the rivers run dry. h
Bashan and Carmel wither; i
even the flower of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him,
and the hills melt;
the earth trembles , at his presence—
the world and all who live in it. j
6 Who can withstand his indignation?
Who can endure his burning anger? k
His wrath is poured out like fire; l
even rocks are shattered before him.
Destruction of Nineveh
7 The LORD is good,
a stronghold in a day of distress;
he cares for those who take refuge m in him.
8 But he will completely destroy Nineveh
with an overwhelming flood, n
and he will chase his enemies into darkness.
9 Whatever you plot against the LORD,
he will bring it to complete destruction; o
oppression will not rise up a second time.
10 For they will be consumed
like entangled thorns, p
like the drink of a drunkard
and like straw that is fully dry.
11 One has gone out from you,
who plots evil against the LORD,
and is a wicked counselor.
Promise of Judah’s Deliverance
12 This is what the LORD says:
Though they are strong and numerous,
they will still be mowed down,
and he will pass away.
Though I have punished you, ,q
I will punish you no longer. r
13 For I will now break off his yoke from you
and tear off your shackles.
The Assyrian King’s Demise
14 The LORD has issued an order concerning you:
There will be no offspring
to carry on your name. ,s
I will eliminate the carved idol and cast image
from the house of your gods; t
I will prepare your grave,
for you are contemptible.
15 Look to the mountains—
the feet of the herald, u
who proclaims peace.
Celebrate your festivals, Judah;
fulfill your vows.
For the wicked one will never again
march through you;
he will be entirely wiped out.
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).
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.