Nahum 1:3

Nahum 1:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet.

Context of Nahum 1:3

1This message concerning Nineveh came as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh. 2The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies! The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet. 4At his command the oceans dry up, and the rivers disappear. The lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade, and the green forests of Lebanon wither. 5In his presence the mountains quake, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles, and its people are destroyed.

Nahum 1:3 word by word

יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וּגְדָל כֹּ֔חַ וְנַקֵּ֖ה לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֑ה יְהוָ֗ה בְּסוּפָ֤ה וּבִשְׂעָרָה֙ דַּרְכּ֔וֹ וְעָנָ֖ן אֲבַ֥ק רַגְלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• slowאָרֵךְ'ârêk · slowH750
• to angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
• and greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• in powerכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
• and will not at allנָקָהnâqâh · to clearH5352
• his wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• in the whirlwindסוּפָהsûphâh · whirlwindH5492
• and in the stormשְׂעָרָהώe‛ârâh · stormH8183
• and the cloudsעָנָן‛ânân · cloudH6051
• the dustאָבָק'âbâq · dustH80
• of his feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272

Cross-references for Nahum 1:3

• Exodus 34:6The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
• Nehemiah 9:17They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them,
• Psalms 103:8The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
• Psalms 145:8The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
• Joel 2:13Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
• Jonah 4:2So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.
• James 1:19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
• Job 9:4For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully?
• Psalms 62:11God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you;
• Psalms 66:3Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.
• Psalms 147:5How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!
• Ephesians 1:19I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power
• Numbers 14:18‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’
• Job 10:14was to watch me, and if I sinned, you would not forgive my guilt.
• Exodus 19:16On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled.
• Deuteronomy 5:22“The Lord spoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

Commentaries on Nahum 1:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The Lord is slow to anger - He exercises much longsuffering towards his enemies, that this may lead them to repentance. And it is because of this longsuffering that vengeance is not speedily executed on every evil work. Great in power - Able at all times to save or to destroy. The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm - These are the effects of his power; and when they appear unusual, they may be considered as the immediate effects of his…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The Lord is slow to anger - Nahum takes up the words of Jonah Jonah 4:2 as he spoke of God‘s attributes toward Nineveh, but only to show the opposite side of them. Jonah declares how God is “slow to anger,” giving men time of repentance, and if they do repent, “repenting Him also of the evil;” Nahum, that the long-suffering of God is not “slackness,” that “He is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3slow to anger: God's patience with disobedience is linked to his faithful love (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 103:8; Joel 2:13). This trait disappointed Jonah, who wanted Nineveh destroyed immediately (Jonah 4:2). Because God is patient, he sometimes delays the deserved punishment of sinners (Nehemiah 9:29–30; Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9), but those who continue to sin will ultimately face God's judgment (Exodus 34:7; Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. slow to anger, and great in power--that is, but great in power, so as to be able in a moment, if He pleases, to destroy the wicked. His long-suffering is not from want of power to punish (Ex 34:6, 7). not at all acquit--literally, "will not acquitting acquit," or treat as innocent. Lord hath his way in the whirlwind--From this to Na 1:5, inclusive, is a description of His power exhibited in the phenomena of nature, especially when He is wroth. His…Read the comment

Topics related to Nahum 1:3

• Anger
• God
• God Continued...
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena
• Power

In the dictionaries

• Adversary
• Lightning
• Vengeance
• Cloud
• Job, Book of
• Longsuffering
• Nahum; the Book of
• Whirlwind
• Wrath, (anger)

Commentaries on Nahum 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings