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NAHUM 1

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS *

* Although they are not inspired, paragraph divisions are the key to understanding and following the original author's intent. Each modern translation has divided and summarized the paragraphs. Every paragraph has one central topic, truth, or thought. Each version encapsulates that topic in its own distinct way. As you read the text, ask yourself which translation fits your understanding of the subject and verse divisions.

In every chapter we must read the Bible first and try to identify its subjects (paragraphs), then compare our understanding with the modern versions. Only when we understand the original author's intent by following his logic and presentation can we truly understand the Bible. Only the original author is inspired - readers have no right to change or modify the message. Bible readers do have the responsibility of applying the inspired truth to their day and their lives.

Note that all technical terms and abbreviations are explained fully in the following documents: Hebrew Grammatical Tems, Textual Criticism, and Glossary.

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:1
  ¹The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

The MT has "oracle" (BDB 672 III). The same root also means "Lord," "burden," or "tribute" (BDB 672 II). But in this context, "oracle" fits best (cf. 2 Kgs. 9:25; 2 Chr. 24:27; Isa. 13:1; 14:28; 15:1; Jer. 23:33,34,36,38; Ezek. 12:10; Hab. 1:1; Zech. 9:1; 12:1; Mal. 1:1).

▣ "book" Probably better translated "scroll" (BDB 706, cf. Jer. 25:13; 30:2; 36:2; Dan. 12:4).

▣ "vision" This is the only OT Prophecy that has a double introduction. This term (BDB 302, #4) is a title (cf. 2 Chr. 32:32; Isa. 1:1; Obad. 1). It is related to the title of a prophet, "seer," BDB 302.

This message was not the invention or fabrication of a person, but a revelatory message from YHWH (cf. Nah. 1:12a) in visual scenes of the fall of Nineveh.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT)

▣ "Nahum" This name (BDB 637) means "comfort." It is related to the name "Nehemiah" (BDB 637, i.e., YHWH comforts).

▣ "the Elkoshite" See Introduction, IV. B.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:2-8
  ²A jealous and avenging God is the Lord;
 The Lord is avenging and wrathful.
 The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries,
 And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
 ³The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
 And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
 In whirlwind and storm is His way,
 And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
 ⁴He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
 He dries up all the rivers.
 Bashan and Carmel wither;
 The blossoms of Lebanon wither.
 ⁵Mountains quake because of Him
 And the hills dissolve;
 Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence,
 The world and all the inhabitants in it.
 ⁶Who can stand before His indignation?
 Who can endure the burning of His anger?
 His wrath is poured out like fire
 And the rocks are broken up by Him.
 ⁷The Lord is good,
 A stronghold in the day of trouble,
 And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
 ⁸But with an overflowing flood
 He will make a complete end of its site,
 And will pursue His enemies into darkness.

1:2 "A jealous and avenging God is the Lord"

1. "jealous" ‒ BDB 888, KB 1110, ADJECTIVE denoting
   1. zeal (i.e., Ezek. 39:25; Joel 2:18)
   2. jealousy (BDB 888, only here and Jos. 24:9)
   3. the sense of anger (i.e., Deut. 32:16-22)

   Here it denotes a covenant of love and fidelity but that love when violated turns to zealous judgment.

2. "avenging" ‒ BDB 667, KB 721, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE; it is used
   1. three times in this verse
   2. in an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB (emphatic form) in verse 3

   YHWH used Assyria to judge His faithless people (cf. Isa. 7:17; 8:7; 10:5), but they went too far and now they will be judged (cf. Exod. 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 32:21,35,41,43).

3. "God" ‒ This is the general term for God in the ANE, El. See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, A.
4. "Lord" ‒ This is the covenant name for Deity, first revealed in Gen. 2:4; see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

   For a good brief discussion of "a jealous God" see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 338-339.

▣ "wrath" Literally "wrathful" (BDB 404). This is anthropomorphic language (cf. Deut. 4:24).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE

▣ "His adversaries. . .His enemies" These could be any human beings who opposed His will. In some contexts it can refer to faithless Israel but here it refers to Assyria.

YHWH, in His covenant with Israel, promised to defeat her enemies (cf. Deut. 32:34-43). YHWH is a God of justice and holiness. When His own people violated His covenant they also experienced His judgement (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; 30:1,15,19).

1:3 "The Lord is slow to anger" This is a key phrase in the description of YHWH's character, found first in Exod. 34:6-7, and it became a liturgical description of YHWH.

What a contrast occurs between the description of Deity in Nah. 1:3 compared to 1:2.

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD (OT)

▣ "and great in power" Notice that the expected phrase found in Exod. 34:6-7 ("abundant in lovingkindness") is modified in this judgment against Assyria. YHWH's power, not His mercy, is center stage (cf. Num. 14:17,18).

This very word for "power" (BDB 470) is used of the King of Assyria as he exiled Israel (cf. Isa. 10:12-14) but the real power in the universe is YHWH (cf. 2 Chr. 14:11-12; Ps. 147:5)!

I am so glad YHWH's power is clothed in mercy and forgiveness (i.e., Isa. 50:2; 59:1; Jer. 32:17-21).

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD (OT)

▣ "the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished" This is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB of the same root (BDB 667, KB 720) for emphasis. YHWH's gracious character should not be seen as "soft" on sin and rebellion. He is patient but there is a day of reckoning, Exod. 34:7; Num. 14:18). The imagery that follows is from a violent storm (cf. Isa. 29:60).

▣ "clouds" See NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 465.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COMING ON THE CLOUDS

1:4-5 "In whirlwind and storm is His way" Often in the Psalms YHWH is depicted as the immanent Creator who is present in natural weather events (cf. Ps. 18:7-15; 77:16-19; 97:1-5; 104:3-4; Mic. 1:3-4). Weather awed the ancient world!

Notice the parallelism of Nah. 1:4, where the first two lines have different VERBS for "dry" (BDB 386, KB 384 and BDB 351, KB 349) and the next two lines repeat the VERB (BDB 51, KB 63, Pulal) "feeble," here translated "wither."

1:4 One way the Bible shows God's power is His control of water.

1. in creation dividing the waters
2. in crossing the Red Sea, Jordan River
3. in rain/drought

Nineveh will be made vulnerable by water.

SPECIAL TOPIC: WATERS

▣ "Bashan and Carmel wither" These were very fertile, well known sites in Palestine, but now are drought stricken (cf. Isa. 33:9).

1:5 YHWH's visitation (for blessing or judgment) is accompanied by convulsions in nature (i.e., Ps. 98:7-9).

Notice the universal, worldwide language appropriate for the one Creator God (Nah. 1:5d). Both nature and humans tremble before their Creator!

1. earth ‒ BDB 75
2. world ‒ BDB 385

▣ "and the hills dissolve" This is imagery describing a theophany (cf. Ps. 46:6; 97:5; Mic. 1:4). Nature convulses at the presence of her creator!

The MT has "lifts" (BDB 669, KB 724, Qal IMPERFECT with waw), which the UBS Text Project gives a "B" rating (some doubt). It has three suggestions.

1. אשׂתו ‒ "lifted up" (UBS Text Project suggests "lifts up its voice")
2. אשׁתו ‒ "was laid waste" (Peshitta, Vulgate, BDB 980 I, cf. Isa. 6:11; 17:12-13)
3. השׂתו ‒ "it broke down"

1:6 Notice the repeated words for YHWH's judgment.

1. indignation (BDB 276, cf. Isa. 10:5; Jer. 10:10)
2. burning of His anger (BDB 354 CONSTRUCT BDB 601, cf. Exod. 15:7; 32:12)
3. wrath is poured out like fire (VERB often used of YHWH's anger, cf. Jer. 7:70; 42:18; 44:6; note Isa 51:17-20)
4. rocks broken up by Him

The rhetorical question emphasizes the transcendence of YHWH's holiness (cf. Ps. 24:3; Mal. 3:2).

1:7 This verse is in contrast to Nah. 1:6 and 7. His positive qualities are extolled (cf. Nah. 1:3a).

1. He is good (cf. 1 Chr. 16:34; 2 Chr. 5:13; Ps. 25:7-8; 31:19; 69:16; 86:5; 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 118:1,29; 135:1; 136:1; 145:7,8,9; Jer. 33:11)
2. He is protection (cf. Isa. 25:4; Jer. 16:19a-b)
3. He is a refuge

YHWH knows those who trust (cf. Isa. 26:3-4) in Him (LXX)!

SPECIAL TOPIC: REFUGE (OT)

SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW

1:8 This verse reflects the Neo-Babylonian use of the Tigris River to destroy a large portion of the city of Nineveh's walls. See Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, 2.26-27; and Zenophon, Anabasis III. 4:7,12.

The flood imagery is used in a figurative way in Isa. 43:2;66:12; Dan. 9:26.

▣ "He will make a complete end" When YHWH judged His people, there was always hope of forgiveness and restoration, but for Israel's enemies, when YHWH judged them, it was to extinction (cf. Jer. 30:11; 46:28; Mal. 1:2-5).

The UBS Text Project, vol. 5, p. 339, gives "her place" a "C" rating (considerable doubt). It suggests that "her" refers to Nineveh, which has not yet been named.

Some scholars suggest an emendation to parallel "enemies" (cf. Deut. 28:7; Mic. 7:6).

1. MT ‒ מקומה, her place (i.e., Neneveh)
2. LXX, Targums, Peshitta ‒ מקומיו, his adversaries

See NET Bible, p. 1634, #5.

▣ ""darkness" This is imagery for death/Sheol.

Although in this context of an invasion by night, it could be literal.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SHEOL

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:9-13
  ⁹Whatever you devise against the Lord,
 He will make a complete end of it.
 Distress will not rise up twice.
 ¹⁰Like tangled thorns,
 And like those who are drunken with their drink,
 They are consumed
 As stubble completely withered.
 ¹¹From you has gone forth
 One who plotted evil against the Lord,
 A wicked counselor.
 ¹²Thus says the Lord,
 "Though they are at full strength and likewise many,
 Even so, they will be cut off and pass away.
 Though I have afflicted you,
 I will afflict you no longer.
 ¹³So now, I will break his yoke bar from upon you,
 And I will tear off your shackles."

1:9 "you" This refers to Nineveh (Nah. 1:1) or her gods.

▣ "devise" Evil forces may plot and plan (BDB 362, KB 359, Piel IMPERFECT, cf. Nah. 1:11), but YHWH will defeat all comers. He is the One true God, the God of Israel.

▣ "distress" The MT (BDB 865 II) is given a "B" rating (some doubt) by the UBS Text Project, p. 339.

The NRSV, NJB, JPSOA suggest an emendation from "distress" ‒ צרה, to "his adversaries" ‒ צריו (BDB 865 III), which seems a better fit with "will not rise up twice."

1:10 Notice the powerful images of YHWH's judgment.

1. drunkenness
2. fire

From historical records of the fall of Nineveh, the soldiers were mostly drunk at night (see James M. Freeman, Manners and Customs of the Bible, p. 333, #614), and it was then that the Neo-Babylonian and Medians began their surprise attack.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ALCOHOL ‒ ALCOHOLISM

SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE

1:11 "One who plotted evil against the Lord" This refers to the King of Assyria (cf. Nah. 1:9a).

This VERB (BDB 362, KB 359, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) denotes a purposed plan against someone (cf. Gen. 50:20; 2 Sam. 14:13; Esther 8:3; Jer. 11:19; 18:11,18; Hos. 7:15).

▣ "A wicked counselor" This term "wicked" is literally belial (BDB 116), which means "worthless" or "good-for-nothing" (cf. Nah. 1:15e, where it refers to Assyria). It is used of

1. Ashurbanipal's domination of Manasseh, cf. 2 Chr. 33:11-13
2. Sennacherib's attack on Jerusalem, cf. 2 Kgs. 18:13-19:37; Isaiah 36-37
3. the current king at the time of Nineveh's fall, Sin-Shar-Ishkun
4. belial later became a title for Satan in Judaism, cf. 2 Cor. 6:15

SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF ASSYRIA

SPECIAL TOPIC: SATAN

1:12-13 These verses address captive Judah, as does Nah. 1:15.

1:12 The Assyrians had

1. powerful fortifications
2. large, well armed, well trained army
3. years of experience in war

Nineveh will fall and be totally destroyed (cf. Nah. 1:14).

YHWH used Assyria but no longer! He will forgive and restore His people (cf. Lam. 5:21).

1:13 "yoke bar. . .shackels" These were symbols of dominance of one nation over another (i.e., Lev. 26:13; Isa. 10:27; Jer. 30:8; Ezek. 34:27).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:14
  ¹⁴The Lord has issued a command concerning you:
 "Your name will no longer be perpetuated.
 I will cut off idol and image
 From the house of your gods.
 I will prepare your grave,
 For you are contemptible."

1:14 "you" This refers to the King of Assyria.

▣ "I will cut off idol and image
 From the house of your gods" It is known from Assyrian records that they loved to destroy the Temple of the conquered people and to carry the venerated idols off to the city of Nineveh and place them in the temples of their gods. The Assyrian pantheon is made up of the main gods: Ashur, Ishthar, Nabu, Sin, Shamash, Abad, Bel, Ninurta, Nergal, and Nusku. YHWH is the only true God.

SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM

▣ "idol" An idol was usually carved from stone or wood. Often they were overlaid with gold or silver.

▣ "image" The images were made by pouring heated metal into a mold.

▣ "I will prepare your grave" See the prophecy of Ezek. 32:22-23.

The VERB "prepare" (BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal IMPERFECT) is found in NASB, NRSV, TEV, JPSOA, but NJB emends יםשׂא to שמם (BDB 1030, KB 1563, Hiphil PERFECT), which means "to make desolate."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:15
  ¹⁵Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news,
 Who announces peace!
 Celebrate your feasts, O Judah;
 Pay your vows.
 For never again will the wicked one pass through you;
 He is cut off completely.

1:15 (MT 2:1) God allowed Assyria to take Israel captive (fall of Samaria, 722 B.C.), but He protected Judah from them.

This may be an allusion to Isa. 52:7, which is quoted in Rom. 10:15. In this context it would be the messenger who brought news of the fall of Nineveh.

▣ "on the mountains" This could mean

1. the messenger crossed many mountains to being the wonderful message
2. the messenger came to "the" mountain of Judah (i.e., Jerusalem, the Temple), which was, in Jewish theology, the highest place on earth

▣ "peace" See SPECIAL TOPIC: PEACE (OT).

Because of the fall of Nineveh (cf. Nah. 1:15e-f) some normalcy can return to Jerusalem.

1. feasts restored (cf. Exodus 23; Leviticus 23)
2. vows paid (cf. Deut. 23:21-23); here, probably vows in connection to a defeated Assyria

Both #1 and #2 are IMPERATIVES. Restoration is not just declared forgiveness but the restoration of the cultus. Temple worship began again in all its fullness.

▣ "the wicked one" See note at Nah. 1:11. Assyria was one of the most vicious conquerors of the ANE.

Their methods of exile and control were brutal.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why are Nah. 1:3a and 1:7 such important statements?
2. Define "theophany." What verses in this chapter describe a theophany?
3. Who devises plans against YHWH?
4. Explain Nah. 1:12d-e. How do these lines relate to Isa. 10:5?
5. Who is Nah. 1:15 (MT 2:1) speaking about?
6. What "good news" does the messenger bring?

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