Nahum 1 · ESV Study Bible

NAHUM 1 [†] a An oracle concerning b Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.

2[†] c The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;

the LORD is avenging and wrathful;

d the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries

and e keeps wrath for his enemies.

3[†] f The LORD is slow to anger and g great in power,

and h the LORD will by no means clear the guilty.

i His way is in whirlwind and storm,

and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

4[†] j He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;

he dries up all the rivers;

k Bashan and l Carmel wither;

the bloom of k Lebanon withers.

5 m The mountains quake before him;

n the hills melt;

the earth heaves before him,

o the world and all who dwell in it.

6[†] p Who can stand before his indignation?

Who can endure the heat of his anger?

His wrath q is poured out like fire,

and r the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

7[†] s The LORD is good,

t a stronghold in the day of trouble;

u he knows those who take refuge in him.

8[†] But v with an overflowing flood

he will make a complete end of the adversaries, [1]

and w will pursue his enemies into darkness.

9[†] What x do you plot against the LORD?

y He will make a complete end;

trouble will not rise up a second time.

10[†] For they are z like entangled thorns,

like drunkards as they drink;

a they are consumed like stubble fully dried.

11[†] From you came one

b who plotted evil against the LORD,

a worthless counselor.

12 Thus says the LORD,

“Though they are at full strength and many,

c they will be cut down and pass away.

d Though I have afflicted you,

I will afflict you no more.

13[†] And now e I will break his yoke from off you

and will burst your bonds apart.”

14[†] The LORD has given commandment about you:

f “No more shall your name be perpetuated;

from g the house of your gods I will cut off

the carved image and the metal image.

h I will make your grave, i for you are vile.”

15[^][†] [2] j Behold, upon the mountains, k the feet of him

who brings good news,

who publishes peace!

l Keep your feasts, O Judah;

m fulfill your vows,

n for never again shall the worthless pass through you;

he is utterly cut off.

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:7 The Lord Delivers Those Who Take Refuge in Him. In contrast to his anger, God is good to his people, blessing those who trust in him. stronghold. The Lord is the never-failing protector of his people. He will keep them safe and rescue them from human and spiritual enemies (e.g., Ps. 27:1; 37:39; Isa. 17:10; Jer. 16:19). God knows his people with love and affection, which results in his benevolent actions.

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:3b whirlwind and storm. A possible polemic against the storm-god(s) theology of many ancient Near Eastern religions.

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:13 His yoke refers to the burdensome rule of the Assyrian monarchs (cf. v. 11) over Judah. About 734/733 B.C., during the reign of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:7–8), the southern kingdom had become a vassal state of Assyria. This involved paying heavy tribute to the Assyrians (cf. 2 Kings 18:13–16) and other oppressive measures. When Judah revolted under Hezekiah, the Assyrians in 701 B.C. devastated the land (2 Kings 18:13; Isa. 7:18–25; 8:5–8) and took away many people and much plunder. break … burst. The vassalage of Judah lasted until the reign of Josiah (640–609 B.C.), when Assyria began to decline rapidly and finally ceased to be a nation (see Introduction: Date).

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:10 Entangled thorns can be thrown en masse into the fire, just as the Assyrians as a whole will be wiped out. Like drunkards, the Assyrians will be unable to defend themselves successfully against their attackers. The image of burning dry stubble, a frequent one in the OT, conveys the sense of quick extermination.

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:4–5 rebukes the sea … dries up … rivers. Cf. the exodus (Exodus 14) and conquest (Joshua 3–4). Bashan, a northern Transjordanian region, was famous for its rich pasturelands. Carmel, a mountain next to the Mediterranean Sea and close to Lower Galilee, was well known for its beauty and luxuriant countryside. Lebanon, a mountainous region just to the north of Israel, was noted for its forests. For a similar reference to these three regions, see Isa. 33:9. Hills and mountains are symbols of permanence and immovability, but even they cannot stand before God.

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:11 You is feminine singular in Hebrew and thus refers to the city of Nineveh (see v. 9). one who … worthless counselor. Either a reference to a particular wicked Assyrian king or to the series of evil Assyrian kings who reigned in Nineveh after Sennacherib made that city the capital (see Introduction: Purpose, Occasion, and Background).

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:9–12a The Destruction of Wicked, Plotting Nineveh. God addresses Nineveh, saying that in spite of her plots and might, she will fall.

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:9 You is masculine plural in Hebrew, presumably addressing the Assyrians (cf. the superscription in v. 1, “concerning Nineveh,” the capital of Assyria). plot. Plots to harm God’s people are ultimately against the LORD himself. complete end. See v. 8; here it is specifically applied to Nineveh. Trouble (cf. v. 7) is what Judah experienced because of oppressive Assyria.

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:9–15 The Lord’s Coming Judgment on Nineveh and Deliverance of Judah. The preceding section (vv. 2–8) presented in a general way the omnipotent cosmic monarch’s attitude toward, and action with, his enemies and his people. In this section (vv. 9–15) the focus turns to Nineveh and Judah, alternating between the Lord’s coming judgment on Nineveh and his deliverance of Judah.

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:8 The Lord Destroys His Adversaries. A striking contrast to v. 7. This alternation at the end of the first major section (vv. 2–8) sets the pattern for a similar alternation in the next section (vv. 9–15). The description in v. 8 of God dealing with his “enemies” echoes v. 2. Like an overflowing flood, God’s judgment is overwhelming; Nineveh was to be destroyed by a flood (see 2:6, 8). complete end … darkness. God’s judgment will culminate with removal from this life and everlasting damnation.

NAHUM—NOTE ON 1:1 Introduction. The double title in this superscription for the book is unique in the OT: oracle (Hb. massa’) denotes a prophetic utterance or proclamation (see note on Hab. 1:1), and vision (Hb. khazon) indicates how God communicated the contents of the book to Nahum. In Nahum, the name Nineveh occurs again only in 2:8 and 3:7.