The book of nahum explained

The hebrew name nahum means comfort or consolation. The book of nahum shortly before the fall of nineveh, the capital of assyria, in 612 b. However, as we read the book of nahum, it is obvious that he was writing about the same time as did micah and isaiah, during the reign of hezekiah. The insights tom has gained from memorizing the entire book of nahum and the great contributions they offer to bible students. It is not uncommon in the mishna, and it has been discovered in phoenician inscriptions. Free bible version and commentary on the book of nahum in. Watch our overview video on the book of nahum, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. It may be that elkosh was in the region of galilee because.

Nahum, a prophet in the 600s bc, came from a small village on the banks of the tigris known as elkosh. The theme of the prophecy is the fate and destruction of nineveh, the onetime capital city of the. With this backdrop of assyrias dominance and threats, nahum addresses this book to both judah and assyria. Just 100 years earlier, the prophet jonah had been instructed to warn nineveh to repent. His conclusions are balanced and well aimed with regard to the particulars of the immediate historical situation as well as with regard to the overall canonical stance of the ongoing drama of revelation.

An analysis of each book as a distinct literary unit demonstrates that. The author of the book of nahum identifies himself as nahum in the hebrew consoler or comforter. Summary of nahum the book of nahum is prophecy concerning the city of nineveh and reveals a powerful message about gods care for his elect. Sometime around 760 bc, god sent jonah to nineveh to preach repentance and hope to the assyrian people, a message they heard and adoptedat least for a time. Nahum complete bible book chapters and summary new. Summary of the book of nahum the story of the bible. Nineveh had turned from its repentant attitude shown during times of jonah and had taken the northern kingdom of israel into captivity. In the masoretic listing, it follows nahum and precedes zephaniah, who are considered to be his contemporaries. The author of this remarkably literary book is probably nahum. If you enjoyed this video it would be fantastic if you would just take a few seconds to like, comment and subscribe if you havent already. The lord takes revenge against his foes and is furious with his adversaries.

Book of nahum was written for the decline of assyria sometime between 660620 b. One such theory is that it refers to the city later called capernaum which literally means the village of nahum at the sea of galilee. The burden of nineveh was what the prophet plainly foresaw, for it was his vision, and what he left upon record it is the book of the vision, that, when he was gone, the event might be compared with the prediction and might confirm it. The poor prophet by whom the word of the lord is here delivered. The title identifies the book as an oracle concerning nineveh and attributes it to the vision of nahum of elkosh.

The book could be seen as an allusion to the history as described by moses. Because this is a vision, in some way nahum saw it. Nahum makes clear that the one true god is the real cloudrider, not some false god. When we see the vivid, descriptive way nahum writes we understand that the book records what he saw in his vision. Very little is known for certain about nahum, except that he came from elkosh 1.

The book of habakkuk is a book of the tanakh the old testament and stands eighth in a section known as the 12 minor prophets in the masoretic and greek texts. Intro to nahum biblica the international bible society. Palmer robertsons work on nahum, habakkuk, and zephaniah is a firstclass theological commentary with unique applications to the present day. The book of nahum reveals that god will punish all evil empires. In chapter 1, nahum warns of judgment, and describes the awesome power of god, mountains quake because of him and the. Jonah had to prophecy over nineveh as well but he lived around 150 years earlier. Nineveh, and the assyrian empire, was at its height of power. This was more than a message communicated to nahum in words or phrases from god. To understand the prophets exultant outburst of joy over the impending destruction it is necessary to recall the savage cruelty of assyria, which had made it the scourge of the ancient near east for almost three centuries.

It is the conjecture of the learned huetius that the two other chapters of this book were delivered by nahum some years after, perhaps in the reign of manasseh, and in that reign the jewish chronologies generally place him, somewhat nearer to the time when nineveh was conquered, and the assyrian monarchy reduced, by cyaxares and nebuchadnezzar. However, as we read the book of nahum, it is obvious that he was writing about the same time as. The book of definition and meaning bible dictionary. Nahum means comfort or consolation and is a short form of nehem iah comfort of yahweh. The lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. To begin with, we know very little about nahum personally, and he has just one theme. Feb 21, 2012 the book of nahum is prophecy concerning the city of nineveh and reveals a powerful message about gods care for his elect. The book of nahum is a collection of poems announcing the downfall of assyria, one of israels worst oppressors. Nahums singular focus on the impending judgment of nineveh offers a continuation of the story that began in jonah. Given the limited amount of information that we know about nahum, the best we can do is narrow the timeframe in which the book of nahum was written to between 663 and 612 b. This all came to pass exactly as nahum had predicted. Extensive verse by verse explanation, illumination and clarification of this prophetic book seen though the lens of middle east culture and the ancient near east.

C, merely before their downfall at the hands of the babylonians and almost 150 years after the events in the book of jonah. The book of nahum presents a sobering graphical depiction of the unleashing of gods wrath against the wickedness of nineveh. Book of nahum explained discover books of the bible. Nahum received a divine vision that revealed a condemning judgment against nineveh and assyria nahum 3. Nahum is the book that jonah wished he could write. In the remaining part of the chapter i will explain on which theory of. Some have attributed this place as a small village in galilee, where jesus ended up for part of his ministry. About a hundred years before, at jonahs preaching, the ninevites repented, and were spared, yet, soon after, they became worse than ever. Chapters two and three describe the fall of nineveh, which later took place in 612 bc. The book of nahum reveals that god will punish all evil. Theodicy and the nature of god in nahum and jonah concept. Prophet nahum, the city of nineveh must fall, vengeance for bloodshed. Zephaniah, nahum, and habakkuk book summaries, test.

David guzik commentary on nahum 2, which is a description of the battle of nineveh, who is brought low and spoiled, and conquered by god. The book of the vision of nahum the elkoshite nahum 1. Nineveh is compared to thebes, the egyptian city that assyria itself had destroyed in 663 bc. Nahum, gods oracle against nineveh, destruction in 612 bc. Nahum can be identified as prophecy based on nahum 1. Because this was a vision, in some way nahum saw it. Commentary of nahum second chapter was equivalent to a modern war movie with sound effects amid the ferocious attack on nineveh and their desperate defensive attempt. The lord takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserves wrath for his enemies. Of the thirty roman emperors and governors who persecuted christians, not one came to a peaceful end. Nahum envisions god as a mighty warrior coming to conquer the enemies of his people and protect them from any other wouldbe oppressor. The lords anger against nineveh the lord is a jealous and avenging god. Some scholars have tried to prove that someone other than nahum wrote sections of the book. Chapter 23, nahum predicts the annihilation of nineveh, and it will come about that all who see you will shrink from. The book of nahum is a stark reminder that, those who plot against the lord, will be brought to complete destruction.

Heaps of human bodies would be piled up in the streets, including children dashed to pieces. Nahum, in vivid and dramatic detail, describes the battle scenes and subsequent destruction 2. He pronounces judgment by the total destruction of assyria, nineveh being the capital of that nation. What we do have in the book of nahum is a remarkable prophecy, but one which seems very much outofdate.

It is the book of the vision of nahum the elkoshite. First, this book is seen as a sequel of sorts to jonah. He was a poet who possessed a remarkable style of writing and who described in unforgettable language the fall of nineveh, the capital of the assyrian empire, in 612 b. Nahum can be translated to mean consolation, and the roll of nahum does indeed seem to be that of a comforter to israel, and the nations that assyria had oppressed. Hi im james, bestselling author of the bible brief and the 12 minor prophets on amazon. Nahum opened his prophecy by announcing that the lord is a jealous god who takes vengeance on his enemies and is fierce in his anger. The book of nahum summary online bible nwt american. Chapters 5 and 6 contain the exegetical explication of the book of nahum.

Nahum describes the siege and frenzied activity of ninevehs troops as they try in vain to halt the invaders. The subject of nahums prophecy is the judgment over nineveh. Nahum needed a singlehearted courage and a full persuasion of the truth of his mission to denounce the crimes of this flourishing kingdom, and to proclaim its coming downfall. Nahum 1 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. The name nahum is an abbreviated form of the name nehemiah, which means comfort of yahweh. It is the conjecture of the learned huetius that the two other chapters of this book were delivered by nahum some years after, perhaps in the reign of manasseh, and in that reign the jewish chronologies generally place him, somewhat nearer to the time when nineveh was. It can be assume that the book was written before 612 bc because that is when nineveh was destroyed and since nahum is predicting the destruction of nineveh that would be a safe assumption.

Nahum 1 nahum explains that the lord will burn the earth at his second coming but will show mercy to the righteous. Now, we are not helped with nahum, as far as identity, any place else in the bible. Although we know practically nothing about nahum as a person, we can judge from the contents of his book that he was not a prophet in the true sense of the word. Reading the chapter before looking at the notes, while working with the notes, and after finishing with the notes will give each researcher a powerful sense of the series of meanings within each chapter. But after ashurbanipals reign ended, assyrias power waned and they ultimately succumbed to the babylonians, as predicted in this book. Just 100 years earlier, the prophet jonah had been instructed to. It means consolation, or consoler, and is therefore, in a sense. Chapters two and three describe the fall of nin eve h, which later took place in 612 bc. The authors description of the life and times of the 3. While the book as a whole clearly shows gods concern over sin, his willingness to punish those guilty of wickedness, and his power to carry out his desire for.

Nahum prophesied about gods vengeance and judgement, and the destruction that was going to come upon nineveh for her great wickedness and cruelty. Book of nahum overview insight for living ministries. The books title is taken from the prophetofgods oracle against nineveh, the capital of assyria. May 02, 2020 one such theory is that it refers to the city later called capernaum which literally means the village of nahum at the sea of galilee. The author of the book of nahum identifies himself as nahum in the hebrew consoler or comforter the elkoshite 1. Gods use of assyria as a punishment for israels sin was over, as was his patience with assyrias own evils. The mercy of jehovah is triumphing in the book of jonah whereas nahum only announces the just fury of god and the unalterable destruction of this godless city. Book of nahum, the seventh of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets grouped together as the twelve in the jewish canon. Nahum was a prophet in judah after the 722 bc fall of israel, but before the 587 bc fall of jerusalem. Survivors would be led away into captivity verse 10. Nahum 1 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. Nothing is known about him except his hometown elkosh, and even its general location is uncertain. Nahum is an oracle against the assyrian capital of nineveh, and scholars debate the.