Nahum1

Nahum 1 introduces God as a jealous, avenging, and powerful deity who reserves wrath for His adversaries, yet is slow to anger and good to those who trust Him. The chapter declares the impending, utter destruction of Nineveh due to its wickedness and defiance against the Lord. Simultaneously, it offers a promise of deliverance and peace to Judah, assuring them that their affliction will cease and their oppressor will be cut off.
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Superscription and Oracle Title

1
The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. ​

The Character of the Avenging Lord

2
Jehovah is a jealous God and avengeth; Jehovah avengeth and is full of wrath; Jehovah taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. ​
3
Jehovah is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty: Jehovah hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. ​
4
He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel; and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. ​
5
The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
6
Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by him.
7
Jehovah is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that take refuge in him. ​
8
But with an over-running flood he will make a full end of her place, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. ​

Judgment Against God's Adversaries

9
What do ye devise against Jehovah? he will make a full end; affliction shall not rise up the second time. ​
10
For entangled like thorns, and drunken as with their drink, they are consumed utterly as dry stubble. ​
11
There is one gone forth out of thee, that deviseth evil against Jehovah, that counselleth wickedness. ​

Deliverance and Restoration for Judah

12
Thus saith Jehovah: Though they be in full strength, and likewise many, even so shall they be cut down, and he shall pass away. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. ​
13
And now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
14
And Jehovah hath given commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image; I will make thy grave; for thou art vile. ​
15
Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! Keep thy feasts, O Judah, perform thy vows; for the wicked one shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off. ​

Study Notes for Nahum 1

Verse 1

The word 'burden' (Heb. *massa'*) often signifies a prophetic oracle, usually one of judgment. Nahum means 'comfort' or 'consolation,' ironically introducing a book focused on the terrifying judgment of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.

Verse 2

This section (V. 2-8) is a powerful theological statement, possibly an incomplete acrostic psalm in the original Hebrew, establishing God’s nature as a zealous (jealous) and terrible avenger, necessary context before declaring Nineveh’s fate.

Verse 3

God is characterized by paradox: He is 'slow to anger,' yet possesses irresistible power. The imagery of the 'whirlwind and in the storm' emphasizes His absolute sovereignty over nature, often associated with divine judgment (cf. Job 38:1).

Verse 4

The drying up of the sea and rivers, and the languishing of fertile regions (Bashan, Carmel, Lebanon), uses hyperbolic language to demonstrate that creation itself cannot withstand the manifestation of God’s power.

Verse 7

This pivotal verse shifts focus, providing comfort amidst the terrifying description of divine wrath. God’s power is not random; He is a 'strong hold' (refuge) and knows those who rely on Him, contrasting the fate of His enemies with the security of the faithful.

Verse 8

The 'overrunning flood' is a vivid metaphor for the total, catastrophic destruction awaiting Nineveh (the 'place thereof'), providing the practical application of God’s avenging power described in V. 2-6.

Verse 9

This rhetorical question challenges the Assyrians’ continuous plotting against the Lord. The promise that 'affliction shall not rise up the second time' provides assurance that the destruction of Nineveh will be permanent, ending the threat to Judah forever.

Verse 10

The enemies are compared to tangled thorns and drunken men—weak, disorganized, and destined to be consumed quickly like dry stubble when divine judgment falls.

Verse 11

This refers specifically to the Assyrian king (perhaps Sennacherib or Ashurbanipal), who imagined evil and counseled rebellion against Yahweh, thereby sealing the fate of his own city.

Verse 12

The Lord addresses Judah directly. He acknowledges that He used Assyria to afflict His people, but declares that the period of divine discipline is now over, promising permanent relief from the Assyrian yoke.

Verse 14

This verse pronounces a curse of dynastic extinction upon the Assyrian ruler: his line will end ('no more of thy name be sown'), his gods will fail, and his burial place will be a mark of his utter disgrace ('for thou art vile').

Verse 15

The imagery of the 'feet of him that bringeth good tidings' is a direct echo of prophetic themes of salvation (cf. Isaiah 52:7). The decree of peace confirms Judah’s security and calls for the immediate resumption of religious duties, free from external threats.

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