Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• Jerusalem's incurable wickedness 13:20-27
  13:20 The Lord called Jerusalem to look north and she would see people coming.238The city was about to lose the flock of special people over whom the Lord had made her responsible, namely, His people of Judah.13:21 What would...
• The judgment of Jerusalem 16:35-43
  16:35-37 Yahweh announced the judgment that He would mete out to Jerusalem because of all her unnatural and rebellious unfaithfulness, idolatry, and bloodshed. He would bring all the nations that Jerusalem had opened her legs...
• Unity
  Some scholars have tried to prove that someone other than Nahum wrote sections of the book (1:1; 1:1-2:3; 1:2-10; 2:4-3:19), but their arguments are largely speculative. Jewish and Christian authorities have long held that Na...
• Outline
  I. Heading 1:1II. Nineveh's destruction declared 1:2-14A. The anger and goodness of Yahweh 1:2-8B. Yahweh's plans for Nineveh and Judah 1:9-141. The consumption of Nineveh 1:9-112. The liberation of Judah 1:12-133. The termin...
• II. Nineveh's destruction declared 1:2-14
  The rest of chapter 1 declares Nineveh's destruction in rather hymnic style, and chapters 2 and 3 describe its destruction. Each of these major parts of the book opens with a revelation of Yahweh....
• 2. The second description of Nineveh's fall 2:8-13
  The second description of Nineveh's fall is more philosophical than the first one and ends with a statement by Yahweh that gives the reason for its fall (v. 13).2:8 Nineveh had been as placid as the waters around the city for...
• 3. The third description of Nineveh's fall 3:1-7
  This description explains further the "why"for Nineveh's fall whereas the first two descriptions in the previous chapter gave more of the actual events, the "what"of it. There is much similarity between the descriptions of th...
• 4. Judgment coming on Assyria 2:13-15
  2:13 Zephaniah also prophesied the destruction of Assyria to Judah's north (really northeast) and her capital Nineveh (cf. Isa. 13:1-14:27; 21:1-10; Jer. 50-51). Since Nineveh fell to the combined forces of Babylonia, Media, ...
• 8. The sixth bowl 16:12-16
  The final three bowl judgments all have political consequences.16:12 The problem that this judgment poses for earth-dwellers is not a result of the judgment itself but its consequences, namely, war. It does not inflict a plag...
• Further revelation of the beast 17:7-14
  17:7 The angel promised to interpret these revelations that were so baffling to John, particularly the mystery concerning the woman and the beast. More information about the beast follows in verses 7-14 and more about the wom...
• The first angelic announcement of judgment 18:1-3
  18:1 John next saw another scene on earth (Gr. Meta tauta eidon, "After these things I saw,"cf. 4:1). Another angel of the same kind as in 17:1 (i.e., one who descends from heaven to fulfill a special mission; cf. 10:1; 20:1)...
• The second angelic announcement of judgment 18:21-24
  18:21 The angelic act of throwing the millstone into the sea is symbolic of Babylon's fate (cf. Jer. 51:63-64). As it is impossible for that huge stone to rise to the surface, so the economic system that has driven this world...