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
God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. ​
3
The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD 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 burned 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 fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
7
The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. ​
8
But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. ​

Judgment Against God's Adversaries

9
What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. ​
10
For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry. ​
11
There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor. ​

Deliverance and Restoration for Judah

12
Thus saith the LORD; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. ​
13
For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
14
And the LORD hath given a 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! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked 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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