Nahum #34

Nahum prophesies the destruction of Nineveh, capital of the Assyrian empire. It is a striking counterpart to Jonah: the city spared after Jonah’s preaching now faces judgment for its violence, as the book presents it.

Read Nahum in the King James Version →

Author and Date

The book is attributed to Nahum the Elkoshite (Nahum 1:1), about whom nothing else is recorded. The prophecy refers to the fall of Thebes (No-amon), which happened in 663 BC, and anticipates the fall of Nineveh, which occurred in 612 BC. Most scholars therefore place it in the mid-to-late 7th century BC, though the exact date within that window is debated.

Background and Audience

Assyria had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and threatened Judah, notably in Sennacherib’s campaign of 701 BC. Nahum’s oracle, addressed to Nineveh but preserved for Judah, assures a small kingdom long under Assyrian domination that the oppressor’s power is not permanent.

Outline

• Nahum 1:1: Title and author, “the burden of Nineveh”
• Nahum 1:2-8: A hymn to God as patient, powerful, just, and a refuge
• Nahum 1:9-15: Judgment on Nineveh’s schemes and good news of relief for Judah
• Nahum 2:1-10: The assault on Nineveh and the plundering of the city
• Nahum 2:11-13: A taunt over the lion’s den and God’s declaration against Nineveh
• Nahum 3:1-7: Woe to the city of violence, deceit, and exploitation
• Nahum 3:8-19: The comparison with Thebes, failing fortresses, and a final lament

Key Themes

• Divine justice: God does not overlook cruelty, and empires answer to him.
• Patience with limits: God is slow to anger, yet will not leave the guilty unpunished.
• Refuge: The God who judges Nineveh is a place of safety for those who trust him, and the tyrant’s end is good news for the oppressed.

Key Verses

• Nahum 1:3 — God is slow to anger and great in power, yet does not acquit the guilty
• Nahum 1:7 — the turn from judgment to comfort: God is good and knows those who trust him
• Nahum 1:15 — a messenger announcing peace, with wording close to Isaiah 52:7
• Nahum 2:13 — the LORD of hosts declares himself against Nineveh
• Nahum 3:19 — the closing verse: Nineveh’s wound is incurable and all who hear of it applaud

How It Fits the Bible

Nahum is the seventh of the twelve Minor Prophets, placed after Micah and before Habakkuk. It is the counterpart to Jonah: the same city, this time under announced judgment for its violence. Its portrait of God as patient yet just echoes Exodus 34:6-7.