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Texts -- Nahum 1:1-14 (NET)

Context
Introduction
1:1 The oracle against Nineveh ; the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite :
God Takes Vengeance against His Enemies
1:2 The Lord is a zealous and avenging God ; the Lord is avenging and very angry . The Lord takes vengeance against his foes ; he sustains his rage against his enemies .
The Divine Warrior Destroys His Enemies but Protects His People
1:3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power ; the Lord will certainly not allow the wicked to go unpunished . He marches out in the whirlwind and the raging storm ; dark storm clouds billow like dust under his feet . 1:4 He shouts a battle cry against the sea and makes it dry up ; he makes all the rivers run dry . Bashan and Carmel wither ; the blossom of Lebanon withers . 1:5 The mountains tremble before him, the hills convulse ; the earth is laid waste before him, the world and all its inhabitants are laid waste. 1:6 No one can withstand his indignation ! No one can resist his fierce anger ! His wrath is poured out like volcanic fire , boulders are broken up as he approaches. 1:7 The Lord is good – indeed, he is a fortress in time of distress , and he protects those who seek refuge in him. 1:8 But with an overwhelming flood he will make a complete end of Nineveh ; he will drive his enemies into darkness .
Denunciation and Destruction of Nineveh
1:9 Whatever you plot against the Lord , he will completely destroy ! Distress will not arise a second time . 1:10 Surely they will be totally consumed like entangled thorn bushes , like the drink of drunkards , like very dry stubble . 1:11 From you, O Nineveh, one has marched forth who plots evil against the Lord , a wicked military strategist .
Oracle of Deliverance to Judah
1:12 This is what the Lord says : “Even though they are powerful – and what is more, even though their army is numerous – nevertheless , they will be destroyed and trickle away ! Although I afflicted you, I will afflict you no more . 1:13 And now , I will break Assyria’s yoke bar from your neck; I will tear apart the shackles that are on you.”
Oracle of Judgment against the King of Nineveh
1:14 The Lord has issued a decree against you: “Your dynasty will come to an end . I will destroy the idols and images in the temples of your gods . I will desecrate your grave – because you are accursed !”

Pericope

NET
  • Nah 1:1 -- Introduction
  • Nah 1:2 -- God Takes Vengeance against His Enemies
  • Nah 1:3-8 -- The Divine Warrior Destroys His Enemies but Protects His People
  • Nah 1:9-11 -- Denunciation and Destruction of Nineveh
  • Nah 1:12-13 -- Oracle of Deliverance to Judah
  • Nah 1:14 -- Oracle of Judgment against the King of Nineveh

Bible Dictionary

  • Wine

    [ebd] The common Hebrew word for wine is yayin, from a root meaning "to boil up," "to be in a ferment." Others derive it from a root meaning "to tread out," and hence the juice of the grape trodden out. The Greek word for wine is ...

  • Prophecy

    [ebd] or prediction, was one of the functions of the prophet. It has been defined as a "miracle of knowledge, a declaration or description or representation of something future, beyond the power of human sagacity to foresee, disce...

  • Nineveh

    [ebd] First mentioned in Gen. 10:11, which is rendered in the Revised Version, "He [i.e., Nimrod] went forth into Assyria and builded Nineveh." It is not again noticed till the days of Jonah, when it is described (Jonah 3:3; 4:11)...
    [isbe] NINEVEH - nin'-e-ve (nineweh; Nineue, Nineui; Greek and Roman writers, Ninos): I. BEGINNINGS, NAME, POSITION 1. First Biblical Mention 2. Etymology of the Name 3. Position on the Tigris II. NINEVEH AND ITS SURROUNDINGS 1. It...
    [smith] (abode of Ninus), the capital of the ancient kingdom and empire of Assyria. The name appears to be compounded from that of an Assyrian deity "Nin," corresponding, it is conjectured, with the Greek Hercules, and occurring in t...
    [nave] NINEVEH Capital of the Assyrian empire, Gen. 10:11, 12. Contained a population of upwards of one hundred and twenty thousand when Jonah preached, Jonah 4:11. Extent of, Jonah 3:4. Seacherib in, 2 Kin. 19:36, 37; Isa. 37:3...

  • Nahum

    [smith] (consolation). Nahum, called "the Elkoshite," is the seventh in order of the minor prophets. His personal history is quite unknown. The site of Elkosh, his native place, is disputed, some placing it in Galilee, others in Assy...
    [nave] NAHUM, one of the minor prophets. Prophesies against the Assyrians; declares the majesty of God and his care for his people, Nah. 1. Foretells the destruction of Nineveh, Nah. 2, 3.

  • NAHUM; THE BOOK OF

    [isbe] NAHUM; THE BOOK OF - na'-hum: I. AUTHORSHIP AND DATE 1. The Name 2. Life and Home of Nahum The Four Traditions 3. Date, as Related to Assyrian History (1) The Revolt of Shamash-shumukin (2) The Invasion of 625 BC (3) The Fin...

  • Media

    [ebd] Heb. Madai, which is rendered in the Authorized Version (1) "Madai," Gen. 10:2; (2) "Medes," 2 Kings 17:6; 18:11; (3) "Media," Esther 1:3; 10:2; Isa. 21:2; Dan. 8:20; (4) "Mede," only in Dan. 11:1. We first hear of this peop...

  • Lightning

    [ebd] frequently referred to by the sacred writers (Nah. 1:3-6). Thunder and lightning are spoken of as tokens of God's wrath (2 Sam. 22:15; Job 28:26; 37:4; Ps. 135:7; 144:6; Zech. 9:14). They represent God's glorious and awful m...

  • IMAGINE

    [isbe] IMAGINE - i-maj'-in (chashabh; meletao): The word most frequently translated "to imagine" in the Old Testament, only in the King James Version and the English Revised Version, not in the American Standard Revised Version, is...

  • FORECAST

    [isbe] FORECAST - for-kast'; (vb.) (chashabh): To forecast is both to plan or scheme beforehand and to consider or see beforehand. It is in the first sense that it is used in Dan 11:24,25 (the King James Version) as the translation...

  • FOLD; FOLDING

    [isbe] FOLD; FOLDING - fold fold'-ing (verb; chabhaq, sabhakh; helisso): The verb occurs only 3 times in the King James Version, and in each instance represents a different word; we have chabhaq "to clasp" (Eccl 4:5), "The fool fol...

  • FLOWERS

    [isbe] FLOWERS - flou'-erz (BLOOM, BLOSSOM, etc.): (1) gibh`ol, literally, "a small cup," hence, calyx or corolla of a flower (Ex 9:31, "The flax was in bloom"). (2) nets (Gen 40:10, nitstsah, "a flower" or "blossom"; Job 15:33; Is...

  • Earthquake

    [ebd] mentioned among the extraordinary phenomena of Palestine (Ps. 18:7; comp. Hab. 3:6; Nah. 1:5; Isa. 5:25). The first earthquake in Palestine of which we have any record happened in the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 19:11, 12). Anoth...

  • ENTANGLE

    [isbe] ENTANGLE - en-tan'-g'-l: Found but 5 times in the Scriptures (the King James Version), once in the Old Testament, yet most significant as illustrating the process of mental, moral and spiritual confusion and enslavement. (1)...

  • ELKOSH

    [ebd] God my bow, the birth-place of Nahum the prophet (Nah. 1:1). It was probably situated in Galilee, but nothing definite is known of it.
    [smith] (God my bow), the birthplace of the prophet Nahum, hence called "the Elkoshite." (Nahum 1:1) This place is located at the modern Alkush , a village on the east bank of the Tigris, about two miles north of Mosul. Some think a ...

  • CLOUD

    [isbe] CLOUD - kloud (`anan, `abh; nephele, nephos): I. Clouds in Palestine. In the Bible few references are found of particular clouds or of clouds in connection with the phenomena of the weather conditions. The weather in Palesti...

  • CARMEL

    [isbe] CARMEL - kar'-mel (karmel, or, with article, ha-karmel, "fruit garden"; Josephus, ho Karmelos, Karmelion oros): (1) A beautifully wooded mountain range running for about 13 miles in a south-easterly direction from the promon...

  • BURDEN

    [isbe] BURDEN - bur'-dn. 1. In the Old Testament: In the Old Testament more than one word is rendered "burden." (1) massa', from a root nasa' "he lifted up." Thus literally any load is called massa' (Ex 23:5; Nu 4:15,24,27 ff; 2 Ki...

  • BAND

    [isbe] BAND - The English word has two generic meanings, each shading off into several specific meanings: (1) that which holds together, binds or encircles: a bond; (2) a company of men. The second sense may philologically and logi...

  • Atonement

    [ebd] This word does not occur in the Authorized Version of the New Testament except in Rom. 5:11, where in the Revised Version the word "reconciliation" is used. In the Old Testament it is of frequent occurrence. The meaning of t...

  • Assyria

    [nave] ASSYRIA An empire founded by Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-12; Mic. 5:6. It extended from east of the Tigris, Gen. 2:14; 10:11; possibly to Egypt, Gen. 25:18. Its armies invade the land of Israel under Pul, 2 Kin. 15:19; 1 Chr. 5:26; ...

Arts

Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • [Nah 1:3] Adore And Tremble, For Our God
  • [Nah 1:3] Great Ruler Of All Nature’s Frame
  • [Nah 1:7] God Knows
  • [Nah 1:7] Thou Hidden Source Of Calm Repose

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 97:2-5 These verses reveal the appearance of the Lord in terms similar to other visions God gave His prophets (cf. Isa. 6:1-4; Ezek. 1; Rev. 1). The psalmist's words describe God's glory in figurative language. Clouds and thi...
  • There are several thematic connections between this chapter and chapter 28.298The general structure of the chapter is chiastic."AContemporary events: Egypt no help (1-7)BComing human events: the refusal of the word, the way o...
  • Having given a true prophecy about the future, Jeremiah proceeded to announce God's judgment on the false prophets who were misleading His people with false prophecies (cf. v. 1). This section consists of six different messag...
  • This verse contains the title of the book, the shortest title of any Old Testament prophetical book, as well as a summary of the Lord's decree against Edom. This revelation came as a vision (Heb. hazon; cf. 1 Sam. 3:1; Isa. 1...
  • Prophetic revelation from Yahweh came to Micah concerning Samaria (the Northern Kingdom) and Jerusalem (the Southern Kingdom). These capital cities represent their respective nations and the people in them. These capital citi...
  • The title of the book comes from the name of its writer.We know nothing about Nahum ("consolation"or "comfort") other than what we read in this book. His name proved significant since he brought comfort and consolation to the...
  • 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...
  • Nahum mentioned the fall of the Egyptian city of Thebes (3:8), so we know he wrote after that event, which took place in 663 B.C. The Assyrian king Ashurbanipal conquered it. The prophet predicted the fall of the Assyrian cap...
  • Nahum was a Jewish prophet and wrote primarily for the Jewish people. While the main subject of his prophesying was Nineveh, his message was for the Jews.This book claims to be an oracle (1:1, an uplifting and or threatening ...
  • The story that Nahum told is a story of the utter and irrevocable destruction of a great city and a great people. Nahum told the story as prophecy, but what he predicted is now history. Nahum lived when Assyria was threatenin...
  • 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...
  • 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....
  • "The opening verses of Nahum form a prologue dominated by the revelation of God's eternal power and divine nature in creation (cf. Rom 1:20). As in Romans 1:18-32, this revelation is characterized preeminently by God's justic...
  • Whereas the previous section assured Nineveh's doom, the primary focus of attention in it was the character of Yahweh and His ability to destroy His enemies. Now the focus shifts more directly to Nineveh. Three sections revea...
  • 1:9 Yahweh will frustrate and destroy all attempts to thwart His will. Even though they may appear to succeed at first, they will not endure. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, had besieged Jerusalem once (1 Kings 18), but the...
  • Emphasis now shifts from Assyria to Judah.1:12 Yahweh declared that even though the Assyrians were powerful and numerous, He would cut them off and they would pass off the stage of history. This must have been hard for many I...
  • This second major part of Nahum contains another introduction and four descriptions of Nineveh's destruction. Having revealed general statements about Yahweh's judgment, Nahum next communicated more specific descriptions of N...
  • This section, evidently another message that Nahum delivered concerning Nineveh's fall, begins by comparing it to the fall of another great city. Nahum proceeded to use many figures of speech to describe how various segments ...
  • 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, ...
  • Before Messiah can reign in peace, He must destroy all enemies and deliver and restore His people (cf. Ps. 110).9:11 As for the Israelites (Zion), the Lord promised to set free those of them whom their enemies would hold pris...
  • The name of the writer is the title of this book."Malachi"means "my messenger."We know nothing of the prophet's parentage, ancestral or tribal roots, geographical origin, or other vocation. All we know is that he received and...
  • This title verse explains what follows as the oracle of Yahweh's word that He sent to Israel through Malachi. The Hebrew word massa', translated "oracle,"occurs 27 times in the Prophets (e.g., Isa. 13:1 Nah. 1:1; Hab. 1:1; Ze...
  • The writer proceeded to explain the superiority of the New Covenant by comparing it with the Old Covenant using the figure of two mountains: Sinai and Zion.12:18-21 These verses describe the giving of the Old Covenant at Mt. ...
  • The scene now shifts back to earth."The entire passage in every clause utilizes well known prophetic anticipations of the day of the Lord, and by his use of these images John identifies the day for his readers. One may check ...
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