Nahum

Composition

The Book of Nahum is a religious text found in both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Nahum is one of the minor prophets, a group of religious writings that are commonly shorter than those of the four major prophets. In the Hebrew Bible, the works of the minor prophets are collected into one large book, commonly called The Twelve. In the Old Testament, each minor prophet is granted his own independent book. The Book of Nahum is the seventh book of the minor prophets in the Old Testament, located after the Book of Micah and before the Book of Habakkuk.

Some events discussed in the Book of Nahum can be used to date parts of the text. Notably, the first chronological event in the text is the Assyrian attack on the city of Thebes, which took place in 667 BCE. From this, scholars assume that the oldest parts of the Book of Nahum are not older than that event. Later in the work, Nahum discusses the fall of the city of Nineveh, which took place in 612 BCE.

Traditionally, the text of Nahum is attributed to the biblical figure Nahum, an Abrahamic prophet. Because the Book of Nahum is a particularly short work and Nahum is referenced nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament, scholars know very little about him. The name Nahum translates to “comfort” or “consolation,” so some biblical scholars propose that Nahum’s name is an indicator that the text is meant to serve as a comfort to the nations oppressed by the city Nineveh, which is destroyed during the events of the text. Within the Book of Nahum, the prophet states that he was raised in the town of Elkosh, but no town by that name survived into the modern era. Some biblical scholars suggest that Nahum was raised in the town of Capernaum, which was located near Galilee, because the Hebrew name for the town translates to “Village of Nahum.” However, it is also possible that the people of Capernaum later changed the name of their town to honor the teachings of the famous prophet.

Nahum was likely far more popular with the people of his time than many of the other minor prophets because they preached messages that were difficult to hear, such as telling Israelites that terrible events will befall them as punishment for their sins and they must change their ways to earn Yahweh’s forgiveness. Several minor prophets foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the removal of its leaders from power, making them unpopular with both the wealthy and the poor. However, Nahum preached against the oppressive Assyrian Empire, not Judah. The people of Judah feared the large and powerful Assyrian army. They paid regular tribute to the Assyrians to convince the larger empire not to invade Jerusalem. For these reasons, the people would likely rally behind messages that condemned the Assyrians.

During this era, the Assyrian city of Nineveh was one of the largest in the world. The city was surrounded by substantial defenses, and the Assyrian Empire was certain that its walls could not be breached by any of its neighbors. When Nineveh was destroyed during a civil war, its destruction marked the downfall of the Assyrian Empire.

Summary

Nahum’s prophecies begin by declaring that Yahweh is a God of justice. He is very concerned with how people conduct themselves on Earth. Though God is slow to anger and patient with humans, he punishes those who refuse to repent from evil ways. The prophet then discusses the terrible nature of God’s justice. He compares God’s anger to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tornadoes, discussing the terrible devastation it causes. Nahum states that if God wills it, he can destroy the entire Earth by killing all the plants and drying the sea. To Nahum, God is an unstoppable force, and intentionally angering him is foolish.

Nahum notes that God’s ultimate power is held back by his divine love. He loves those who trust in him and live according to his laws. Yahweh will use his ultimate power to preserve those people and even reward them for their moral choices. In some cases, this may take the form of rewards and safety on Earth. In others, it may take the form of rewards in Heaven after death.

God has decided that the people of Nineveh are evil and must be punished. Nineveh has declared war on God’s people, killing his followers and oppressing the people of Judah. To restore Judah and Jerusalem to their well-deserved glory, Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire must be destroyed. Unlike God’s punishments for the Jewish people, which have included revoking his protections against attacks by foreign empires, God’s acts toward Nineveh are not intended to guide the people on a righteous path. They are intended to destroy the city, making way for the oppressed to rise.

Nahum describes the great battle in which Nineveh falls. He notes that God has caused Nineveh’s enemies, the Babylonians, the Scythians, and the Medes to arrive together, unified against the Assyrian foe. The armies of Nineveh’s enemies approach the city with red shields and uniforms, marching through the streets toward the city walls. Nineveh’s walls are impressive and might keep out the powerful invading armies. However, they are unable to withstand the wrath of God.

God causes the nearby river to flood as a representation of his anger. He caves in the walls of Nineveh, shattering its defenses and opening the way to the invaders. As the enemy soldiers march into Nineveh, the Assyrian army flees, surrendering the city. God allows the invaders to plunder Nineveh, as the Assyrian armies have looted the homes and temples of Yahweh’s chosen people. So much treasure is in Nineveh that the invaders do not bother to pursue the fleeing Assyrian army and instead steal much treasure as they can carry.

Nahum then expands on why Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire were punished by God. Rather than make money virtuously, the Assyrian Empire grew wealthy by conquering and plundering nearby lands, stealing the hard work of others. They taxed nearby nations heavily to ensure that the Assyrians would not invade them. They acted immorally, believing that their powerful military and many oppressed vassal states would stop any nation from retaliating against them. However, they were helpless before the power of Yahweh, who ensured that justice was served.

Themes

God’s judgment is a common theme throughout the Book of Nahum. God sees all that occurs on Earth and wants people to act in a just, moral way. Though God is slow to anger, repeated patterns of behavior may cause him to act. Without God’s help, the people of Nahum’s era would have been unable to stop the pillaging and exploitation of the Assyrian Empire, which had grown wealthy and powerful through immoral means. However, the Assyrians’ continued mistreatment of the nations around them, especially God’s chosen people, had grown too offensive to tolerate. God decided that judgment must be carried out against Assyria, and Nineveh must be destroyed. Additionally, Nahum is clear that God’s judgment is final and unquestionable. God created Earth, and all nations on Earth are beholden to God. His wisdom is greater than that of any human leader, and all humans should trust in the will and judgment of Yahweh.

Coupled with God’s judgment are continued references to the power of Yahweh. The armies that surrounded Assyria were unable to match the Assyrian army in open battle. However, the power of mortals is nothing compared to the power of Yahweh. Nahum states that if God wished it, he could drain the oceans, wither the plants, and kill all life on Earth. When Yahweh decides that judgment is to be carried out or a particular event must happen, his will cannot be resisted. Just as it is pointless for the Jewish people to resist their punishments at the hands of invaders, it is pointless for the invaders to resist their punishment from God.

Nahum repeatedly discusses God’s relationship with his faithful. God loves those who act morally and will defend them. He has a special love for his chosen people, the Jews. Though the Jews continually defy the covenant, forcing God to punish them, he grants the Jews endless mercy and forgiveness when they repent. This mercy is not always offered to other nations. The people of Assyria were not shown mercy or given chances to repent. Instead, as punishment for their crimes, their city was destroyed, and their empire was shattered. In doing this, God has also protected his faithful, removing the burden of tribute from the people of Judah and allowing them to flourish without the threat of continued attacks.

Bibliography

“Book of Nahum.” Oxford Bibliographies, 2022, www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195393361/obo-9780195393361-0239.xml. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.

“Books of the Bible.” BibleStudyTools, 2022, www.biblestudytools.com/books-of-the-bible/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.

Emanuel, Sarah. “Nahum: A Prophet Looking Backward.” My Jewish Learning, 2022, www.myjewishlearning.com/article/nahum-a-prophet-looking-backward/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.

“Key Themes in Nahum.” IVP, 2022, ivpbooks.com/blog/key-themes-in-nahum.html. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.

“Introduction to Nahum.” ESV, 2022, www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/introduction-to-nahum/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.

“Intro to Nahum.” The International Bible Society, 2022, www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-nahum/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.

“Nahum.” Bible.org, 2022, bible.org/seriespage/7-nahum. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.