Tyndale Open Study NotesNahum 1

• burden … vision: This opening, like those in other prophetic books (compare Obadiah 1:1; Habakkuk 1:1; Malachi 1:1), identifies Nahum as a prophet who delivered messages from God.

• Nineveh became the capital of the Assyrian Empire shortly after 705 BC and stayed so until its destruction in 612 BC.

• The name Nahum means “comfort” or “encouragement.” A key theme of his prophecy is that God will encourage his people through Nineveh’s downfall (Nahum 1:12–15; see Isaiah 40:1).

This short hymn (a song of praise about God) has two stanzas (1:2–6, 7–11). It speaks about God’s supreme power and authority.

The hymn's first stanza uses biblical texts about Israel's exodus from Egypt. It teaches that everything in creation is under God's power. God will punish those who oppose him.

• jealous (or zealous): God jealously protects the well-being of his people and strongly desires their faithfulness (see Exodus 20:4–5; Deuteronomy 4:23–24; 6:4; Jeremiah 2:1–3:5).

• God’s vengeance and anger are different from how people seek revenge or try to harm others in return. God’s actions come from his:

  • holiness (Jeremiah 50:28–29),

  • justice (Isaiah 63:1–9), and

  • faithfulness to the covenant with his people (Leviticus 26:23–25; Isaiah 1:24–26).

  His vengeance is never random or without purpose.

• slow 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; Revelation 14:6–7).

• the whirlwind and storm: This imagery describes the fury of God's judgment against the wicked (see also Isaiah 29:6).

• Like clouds (Nahum 1:3) and mountains (1:5), oceans and rivers are under God's control. The Old Testament prophets often recall God's actions against the seas and rivers during the exodus (Exodus 15:8–10; 2 Samuel 22:16; Psalms 66:6; 77:16; Habakkuk 3:15). God's power over the waters challenged the myths of the ancient Canaanites, who believed the sea-god Yam controlled the oceans and rivers.

• Bashan, east of the Sea of Galilee, was known for its rich grasslands, ideal for raising cattle (compare Micah 7:14).

• Carmel, a mountain region on the Mediterranean coast in central Canaan, was well known for its beauty and rich farmland (Song of Solomon 7:5; Jeremiah 50:19).

• Lebanon was famous for its great cedars (1 Kings 5:6–18). Nahum lists these areas to show that even the most fertile and productive places on earth cannot withstand God's judgment.

Poetry in the Old Testament often describes the earth shaking. This language remembers the time of the exodus, when God showed his power as he rescued Israel from Egypt (for example, Psalm 18:7; Habakkuk 3:6; see Exodus 19:18).

The Hebrew word translated "wrath" appears again from Nahum 1:2. This repetition marks Nahum 1:2–6 as one poetic section.

This second stanza (see study note on Nahum 1:2–11) focuses on God’s rule, righteousness, and justice in the way he deals with all people.

The LORD is good: God judges the wicked fairly. He also offers refuge to those who trust in him. He accepts and protects them during life's challenges (Psalms 18:2; 62:5–7). God's abundant goodness can inspire people to repent (Romans 2:2–4).

overwhelming flood: This is a metaphor for the strong nature of God's judgment (see Nahum 2:6).

Whatever you plot against the LORD: No human plan can succeed against God. Human plans are worthless if they do not align with God's plans (Psalm 2; Isaiah 14:26–27; 23:9).

The counselor of wickedness refers to the Assyrian king. God also addressed the arrogance of an Assyrian king during Hezekiah’s time (around 701 BC; see 2 Kings 19:35–36). Assyria’s counselor of wickedness contrasts with the coming Messiah, the king who is a "Wonderful Counselor" (Isaiah 9:6).

• The Assyrians' allies were vassal or subordinate kingdoms, including Egypt, which was once powerful. Ironically, a group of former allies gradually brought down the great Neo-Assyrian Empire between 625 and 605 BC.

• God had punished Judah earlier when the Assyrian king Sennacherib, who ruled from 704 to 681 BC, launched a campaign in 701 BC against the western states of the Near East. Although Sennacherib failed to capture Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:32–36), he claimed in his records that he took Jerusalem’s tribute and a large amount of spoils from 46 cities in Judah.

  Even though Judah had become a vassal state and lived under the constant threat of Assyria, Assyria did not destroy the southern kingdom. Instead, Babylon defeated Judah in 586 BC.

  Sadly, neither Israel nor Judah listened to God’s many warnings. They did not turn back to him, even though he warned that refusing to repent would bring judgment (Hosea 11:5; Joel 2:1–27).

• no descendants: Nineveh would be completely destroyed. Cutting off a person's name and leaving him without descendants meant total destruction (1 Samuel 24:21; Job 18:17; Isaiah 14:22).

• None of Assyria’s respected gods could save Nineveh from God's death sentence.

• God was already preparing a grave for Nineveh and guiding Assyria’s enemies to destroy the city. Assyria’s proud cities fell one by one to the combined attacks of the Chaldeans, the Medes, and the Ummanmanda. Nineveh itself fell in 612 BC.

Nahum adds to his prophecy about Judah's freedom from bondage (Nahum 1:13) by predicting a messenger will bring news of peace (see also Isaiah 52:7). The peace message was that Assyria's control over Judah would end, freeing God's people from its burden. This happened during King Josiah's reign from 640 to 609 BC, after Assyrian King Ashurbanipal died in 626 BC.

This political message hints at God's final victory over evil. It foretells the release from sin through the Messiah's saving work, granting eternal peace (Zephaniah 3:13; Luke 2:10–14; Acts 10:34–43; Romans 10:15; Ephesians 2:14–18).