CHAPTER 1
. JEHOVAH'S
ATTRIBUTES AS A JEALOUS
JUDGE OF SIN,
YET MERCIFUL
TO HIS TRUSTING
PEOPLE, SHOULD
INSPIRE THEM
WITH CONFIDENCE. HE
WILL NOT
ALLOW THE ASSYRIANS
AGAIN TO ASSAIL
THEM, BUT WILL
DESTROY THE FOE.
1. burden of Nineveh—the
prophetic doom of Nineveh. Nahum prophesied against that city
a hundred fifty years after Jonah.
2. jealous—In this there is
sternness, yet tender affection. We are jealous only of those we
love: a husband, of a wife; a king, of his subjects' loyalty. God is
jealous of men because He loves them. God will not bear a rival in
His claims on them. His burning jealousy for His own wounded honor
and their love, as much as His justice, accounts for all His fearful
judgments: the flood, the destruction of Jerusalem, that of Nineveh.
His jealousy will not admit of His friends being oppressed, and their
enemies flourishing (compare Exodus 20:5;
1 Corinthians 16:22; 2 Corinthians 11:2).
Burning zeal enters into the idea in "jealous" here
(compare Numbers 25:11; Numbers 25:13;
1 Kings 19:10).
the Lord revengeth . . . Lord
revengeth—The repetition of the incommunicable name JEHOVAH,
and of His revenging, gives an awful solemnity to the
introduction.
furious—literally, "a
master of fury." So a master of the tongue, that is,
"eloquent." "One who, if He pleases, can most readily
give effect to His fury" [GROTIUS].
Nahum has in view the provocation to fury given to God by the
Assyrians, after having carried away the ten tribes, now proceeding
to invade Judea under Hezekiah.
reserveth wrath for his
enemies—reserves it against His own appointed time (1 Kings 19:10). After long waiting for their repentance in vain, at length
punishing them. A wrong estimate of Jehovah is formed from His
suspending punishment: it is not that He is insensible or dilatory,
but He reserves wrath for His own fit time. In the case of the
penitent, He does not reserve or retain His anger (Psalms 103:9;
Jeremiah 3:5; Jeremiah 3:12;
Micah 7:18).
3. slow to anger, and great in
power—that is, but great in power, so as to be able in a
moment, if He pleases, to destroy the wicked. His long-suffering is
not from want of power to punish (Exodus 34:6;
Exodus 34:7).
not at all acquit—literally,
"will not acquitting acquit," or treat as innocent.
Lord hath his way in the
whirlwind—From this to Nahum 1:5,
inclusive, is a description of His power exhibited in the phenomena
of nature, especially when He is wroth. His vengeance shall sweep
away the Assyrian foe like a whirlwind (Nahum 1:5).
clouds are the dust of his
feet—Large as they are, He treads on them, as a man would on
the small dust; He is Lord of the clouds, and uses them as He
pleases.
4. rebuketh the sea—as Jesus
did (Matthew 8:26), proving Himself
God (compare Isaiah 50:2).
Bashan languisheth—through
drought; ordinarily it was a region famed for its rich pasturage
(compare Joel 1:10).
flower of Lebanon—its
bloom; all that blooms so luxuriantly on Lebanon (Joel 1:10). As Bashan was famed for its pastures, Carmel for its corn
fields and vineyards, so Lebanon for its forests (Joel 1:10). There is nothing in the world so blooming that God cannot
change it when He is wroth.
5. earth is burned—so GROTIUS.
Rather, "lifts itself," that is, "heaveth"
[MAURER]: as the Hebrew
is translated in Psalms 89:9;
Hosea 13:1; compare Hosea 13:1, Margin.
6. fury is poured out like fire—like
the liquid fire poured out of volcanoes in all directions (see ).
rocks are thrown down—or,
"are burnt asunder"; the usual effect of volcanic fire
(Jeremiah 51:25; Jeremiah 51:56).
As Hannibal burst asunder the Alpine rocks by fire to make a passage
for his army [GROTIUS].
7. Here Nahum enters on his
special subject, for which the previous verses have prepared the way,
namely, to assure his people of safety in Jehovah under the impending
attack of Sennacherib (Nahum 1:7),
and to announce the doom of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian foe
(Nahum 1:8). The contrast of
Nahum 1:7; Nahum 1:8
heightens the force.
he knoweth—recognizes
as His own (Hosea 13:5; Amos 3:2);
and so, cares for and guards (Psalms 1:6;
2 Timothy 2:19).
9. What do ye imagine against the
Lord?—abrupt address to the Assyrians. How mad is your attempt,
O Assyrians, to resist so powerful a God! What can ye do against such
an adversary, successful though ye have been against all other
adversaries? Ye imagine ye have to do merely with
mortals and with a weak people, and that so you will gain an easy
victory; but you have to encounter God, the protector of His people.
Parallel to Isaiah 37:23-29;
compare Psalms 1:1.
he will make an utter end—The
utter overthrow of Sennacherib's host, soon about to take place, is
an earnest of the "utter end" of Nineveh itself.
affliction shall not rise up
the second time—Judah's "affliction" caused by the
invasion shall never rise again. So Psalms 1:1. But CALVIN takes
the "affliction" to be that of Assyria: "There
will be no need of His inflicting on you a second blow: He will make
an utter end of you once for all" (1 Samuel 3:12;
1 Samuel 26:8; 2 Samuel 20:10).
If so, this verse, in contrast to 2 Samuel 20:10, will express, Affliction shall visit the Assyrian no more,
in a sense very different from that in which God will afflict Judah
no more. In the Assyrian's case, because the blow will be fatally
final; the latter, because God will make lasting blessedness in
Judah's case succeed temporary chastisement. But it seems simpler to
refer "affliction" here, as in 2 Samuel 20:10, to Judah; indeed destruction, rather than
affliction, applies to the Assyrian.
10. while they are folden together
as thorns—literally, "to the same degree as thorns"
(compare 1 Chronicles 4:27, Margin).
As thorns, so folded together and entangled that they cannot be
loosed asunder without trouble, are thrown by the husbandmen all in a
mass into the fire, so the Assyrians shall all be given together to
destruction. Compare 2 Samuel 23:6;
2 Samuel 23:7, where also "thorns"
are the image of the wicked. As this image represents the speediness
of their destruction in a mass, so that of "drunkards,"
their rushing as it were of their own accord into it; for
drunkards fall down without any one pushing them [KIMCHI].
CALVIN explains, Although
ye be dangerous to touch as thorns (that is, full of rage and
violence), yet the Lord can easily consume you. But "although"
will hardly apply to the next clause. English Version and
KIMCHI, therefore, are to
be preferred. The comparison to drunkards is appropriate. For
drunkards, though exulting and bold, are weak and easily thrown down
by even a finger touching them. So the insolent self-confidence of
the Assyrians shall precipitate their overthrow by God. The Hebrew
is "soaked," or "drunken as with their own
wine." Their drunken revelries are perhaps alluded to,
during which the foe (according to DIODORUS
SICULUS [2]) broke into
their city, and Sardanapalus burned his palace; though the
main and ultimate destruction of Nineveh referred to by Nahum was
long subsequent to that under Sardanapalus.
11. The cause of Nineveh's
overthrow: Sennacherib's plots against Judah.
come out of thee—O
Nineveh. From thyself shall arise the source of thy own ruin. Thou
shalt have only thyself to blame for it.
imagineth evil—Sennacherib
carried out the imaginations of his countrymen () against the Lord and His people (2 Kings 19:22;
2 Kings 19:23).
a wicked
counsellor—literally, "a counsellor of Belial."
Belial means "without profit," worthless, and so bad
(1 Samuel 25:25; 2 Corinthians 6:15).
12-14. The same truths repeated
as in Nahum 1:9-11, Jehovah
here being the speaker. He addresses Judah, prophesying good to it,
and evil to the Assyrian.
Though they be quiet—that
is, without fear, and tranquilly secure. So Chaldee and
CALVIN. Or, "entire,"
"complete"; "Though their power be unbroken
[MAURER], and though they
be so many, yet even so they shall be cut down"
(literally, "shorn"; as hair shaved off closely by a
razor, Isaiah 7:20). As the
Assyrian was a razor shaving others, so shall he be shaven himself.
Retribution in kind. In the height of their pride and power, they
shall be clean cut off. The same Hebrew stands for "likewise"
and "yet thus." So many as they are, so many
shall they perish.
when he shall pass
through—or, "and he shall pass away," namely, "the
wicked counsellor" (Nahum 1:11),
Sennacherib. The change of number to the singular
distinguishes him from his host. They shall be cut
down, he shall pass away home (2 Kings 19:35;
2 Kings 19:36) [HENDERSON].
English Version is better, "they shall be cut down,
"when" He (Jehovah) shall pass through," destroying by
one stroke the Assyrian host. This gives the reason why they with all
their numbers and power are to be so utterly cut off. Compare "pass
through," that is, in destroying power (Ezekiel 12:12;
Ezekiel 12:23; Isaiah 8:8;
Daniel 11:10).
Though I have afflicted
thee—Judah, "I will afflict thee no more" (Isaiah 40:1;
Isaiah 40:2; Isaiah 52:1;
Isaiah 52:2). The contrast is
between "they," the Assyrians, and "thee," Judah.
Their punishment is fatal and final. Judah's was temporary and
corrective.
13. will I break his yoke—the
Assyrian's yoke, namely, the tribute imposed by Sennacherib on
Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:14).
from off thee—O Judah
(Isaiah 10:27).
14. that no more of thy name be
sown—that no more of thy seed, bearing thy name, as kings of
Nineveh, be propagated; that thy dynasty become extinct, namely, on
the destruction of Nineveh here foretold; "thee" means the
king of Assyria.
will I cut off . . . graven
image—The Medes under Cyaxares, the joint destroyers of Nineveh
with the Babylonians, hated idolatry, and would delight in destroying
its idols. As the Assyrians had treated the gods of other nations, so
their own should be treated (). The Assyrian palaces partook of a sacred character
[LAYARD]; so that "house
of thy gods" may refer to the palace. At Khorsabad
there is remaining a representation of a man cutting an idol to
pieces.
I will make thy grave—rather,
"I will make it (namely, 'the house of thy gods,' that is,
'Nisroch') thy grave" (2 Kings 19:37;
Isaiah 37:38). Thus, by
Sennacherib's being slain in it, Nisroch's house should be defiled.
Neither thy gods, nor thy temple, shall save thee; but the latter
shall be thy sepulchre.
thou art vile—or, thou
art lighter than due weight (Isaiah 37:38; compare Job 31:6)
[MAURER].
15. This verse is joined in the
Hebrew text to the second chapter. It is nearly the same as
Isaiah 52:7, referring to the
similar deliverance from Babylon.
him that bringeth good
tidings—announcing the overthrow of Sennacherib and deliverance
of Jerusalem. The "mountains" are those round Jerusalem, on
which Sennacherib's host had so lately encamped, preventing Judah
from keeping her "feasts," but on which messengers now
speed to Jerusalem, publishing his overthrow with a loud voice where
lately they durst not have opened their mouths. A type of the far
more glorious spiritual deliverance of God's people from Satan by
Messiah, heralded by ministers of the Gospel (Isaiah 52:7).
perform thy vows—which
thou didst promise if God would deliver thee from the Assyrian.
the wicked—literally,
"Belial"; the same as the "counsellor of Belial"
(Nahum 1:11, Margin);
namely, Sennacherib.
CHAPTER 1
. JEHOVAH'S ATTRIBUTES AS A JEALOUS JUDGE OF SIN, YET MERCIFUL TO HIS TRUSTING PEOPLE, SHOULD INSPIRE THEM WITH CONFIDENCE. HE WILL NOT ALLOW THE ASSYRIANS AGAIN TO ASSAIL THEM, BUT WILL DESTROY THE FOE.
1. burden of Nineveh—the prophetic doom of Nineveh. Nahum prophesied against that city a hundred fifty years after Jonah.
2. jealous—In this there is sternness, yet tender affection. We are jealous only of those we love: a husband, of a wife; a king, of his subjects' loyalty. God is jealous of men because He loves them. God will not bear a rival in His claims on them. His burning jealousy for His own wounded honor and their love, as much as His justice, accounts for all His fearful judgments: the flood, the destruction of Jerusalem, that of Nineveh. His jealousy will not admit of His friends being oppressed, and their enemies flourishing (compare Exodus 20:5; 1 Corinthians 16:22; 2 Corinthians 11:2). Burning zeal enters into the idea in "jealous" here (compare Numbers 25:11; Numbers 25:13; 1 Kings 19:10).
the Lord revengeth . . . Lord revengeth—The repetition of the incommunicable name JEHOVAH, and of His revenging, gives an awful solemnity to the introduction.
furious—literally, "a master of fury." So a master of the tongue, that is, "eloquent." "One who, if He pleases, can most readily give effect to His fury" [GROTIUS]. Nahum has in view the provocation to fury given to God by the Assyrians, after having carried away the ten tribes, now proceeding to invade Judea under Hezekiah.
reserveth wrath for his enemies—reserves it against His own appointed time (1 Kings 19:10). After long waiting for their repentance in vain, at length punishing them. A wrong estimate of Jehovah is formed from His suspending punishment: it is not that He is insensible or dilatory, but He reserves wrath for His own fit time. In the case of the penitent, He does not reserve or retain His anger (Psalms 103:9; Jeremiah 3:5; Jeremiah 3:12; Micah 7:18).
3. slow to anger, and great in power—that is, but great in power, so as to be able in a moment, if He pleases, to destroy the wicked. His long-suffering is not from want of power to punish (Exodus 34:6; Exodus 34:7).
not at all acquit—literally, "will not acquitting acquit," or treat as innocent.
Lord hath his way in the whirlwind—From this to Nahum 1:5, inclusive, is a description of His power exhibited in the phenomena of nature, especially when He is wroth. His vengeance shall sweep away the Assyrian foe like a whirlwind (Nahum 1:5).
clouds are the dust of his feet—Large as they are, He treads on them, as a man would on the small dust; He is Lord of the clouds, and uses them as He pleases.
4. rebuketh the sea—as Jesus did (Matthew 8:26), proving Himself God (compare Isaiah 50:2).
Bashan languisheth—through drought; ordinarily it was a region famed for its rich pasturage (compare Joel 1:10).
flower of Lebanon—its bloom; all that blooms so luxuriantly on Lebanon (Joel 1:10). As Bashan was famed for its pastures, Carmel for its corn fields and vineyards, so Lebanon for its forests (Joel 1:10). There is nothing in the world so blooming that God cannot change it when He is wroth.
5. earth is burned—so GROTIUS. Rather, "lifts itself," that is, "heaveth" [MAURER]: as the Hebrew is translated in Psalms 89:9; Hosea 13:1; compare Hosea 13:1, Margin.
6. fury is poured out like fire—like the liquid fire poured out of volcanoes in all directions (see ).
rocks are thrown down—or, "are burnt asunder"; the usual effect of volcanic fire (Jeremiah 51:25; Jeremiah 51:56). As Hannibal burst asunder the Alpine rocks by fire to make a passage for his army [GROTIUS].
7. Here Nahum enters on his special subject, for which the previous verses have prepared the way, namely, to assure his people of safety in Jehovah under the impending attack of Sennacherib (Nahum 1:7), and to announce the doom of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian foe (Nahum 1:8). The contrast of Nahum 1:7; Nahum 1:8 heightens the force.
he knoweth—recognizes as His own (Hosea 13:5; Amos 3:2); and so, cares for and guards (Psalms 1:6; 2 Timothy 2:19).
8. with an overrunning flood—that is, with irresistible might which overruns every barrier like a flood. This image is often applied to overwhelming armies of invaders. Also of calamity in general (Psalms 32:6; Psalms 42:7; Psalms 90:5). There is, perhaps, a special allusion to the mode of Nineveh's capture by the Medo-Babylonian army; namely, through a flood in the river which broke down the wall twenty furlongs (see on Psalms 90:5; Isaiah 8:8; Daniel 9:26; Daniel 11:10; Daniel 11:22; Daniel 11:40).
end of the place thereof—Nineveh is personified as a queen; and "her place" of residence (the Hebrew for "thereof" is feminine) is the city itself (Daniel 11:40), [MAURER]. Or, He shall so utterly destroy Nineveh that its place cannot be found; Daniel 11:40 confirms this (compare Psalms 37:36; Daniel 2:35; Revelation 12:8; Revelation 20:11).
darkness—the severest calamities.
9. What do ye imagine against the Lord?—abrupt address to the Assyrians. How mad is your attempt, O Assyrians, to resist so powerful a God! What can ye do against such an adversary, successful though ye have been against all other adversaries? Ye imagine ye have to do merely with mortals and with a weak people, and that so you will gain an easy victory; but you have to encounter God, the protector of His people. Parallel to Isaiah 37:23-29; compare Psalms 1:1.
he will make an utter end—The utter overthrow of Sennacherib's host, soon about to take place, is an earnest of the "utter end" of Nineveh itself.
affliction shall not rise up the second time—Judah's "affliction" caused by the invasion shall never rise again. So Psalms 1:1. But CALVIN takes the "affliction" to be that of Assyria: "There will be no need of His inflicting on you a second blow: He will make an utter end of you once for all" (1 Samuel 3:12; 1 Samuel 26:8; 2 Samuel 20:10). If so, this verse, in contrast to 2 Samuel 20:10, will express, Affliction shall visit the Assyrian no more, in a sense very different from that in which God will afflict Judah no more. In the Assyrian's case, because the blow will be fatally final; the latter, because God will make lasting blessedness in Judah's case succeed temporary chastisement. But it seems simpler to refer "affliction" here, as in 2 Samuel 20:10, to Judah; indeed destruction, rather than affliction, applies to the Assyrian.
10. while they are folden together as thorns—literally, "to the same degree as thorns" (compare 1 Chronicles 4:27, Margin). As thorns, so folded together and entangled that they cannot be loosed asunder without trouble, are thrown by the husbandmen all in a mass into the fire, so the Assyrians shall all be given together to destruction. Compare 2 Samuel 23:6; 2 Samuel 23:7, where also "thorns" are the image of the wicked. As this image represents the speediness of their destruction in a mass, so that of "drunkards," their rushing as it were of their own accord into it; for drunkards fall down without any one pushing them [KIMCHI]. CALVIN explains, Although ye be dangerous to touch as thorns (that is, full of rage and violence), yet the Lord can easily consume you. But "although" will hardly apply to the next clause. English Version and KIMCHI, therefore, are to be preferred. The comparison to drunkards is appropriate. For drunkards, though exulting and bold, are weak and easily thrown down by even a finger touching them. So the insolent self-confidence of the Assyrians shall precipitate their overthrow by God. The Hebrew is "soaked," or "drunken as with their own wine." Their drunken revelries are perhaps alluded to, during which the foe (according to DIODORUS SICULUS [2]) broke into their city, and Sardanapalus burned his palace; though the main and ultimate destruction of Nineveh referred to by Nahum was long subsequent to that under Sardanapalus.
11. The cause of Nineveh's overthrow: Sennacherib's plots against Judah.
come out of thee—O Nineveh. From thyself shall arise the source of thy own ruin. Thou shalt have only thyself to blame for it.
imagineth evil—Sennacherib carried out the imaginations of his countrymen () against the Lord and His people (2 Kings 19:22; 2 Kings 19:23).
a wicked counsellor—literally, "a counsellor of Belial." Belial means "without profit," worthless, and so bad (1 Samuel 25:25; 2 Corinthians 6:15).
12-14. The same truths repeated as in Nahum 1:9-11, Jehovah here being the speaker. He addresses Judah, prophesying good to it, and evil to the Assyrian.
Though they be quiet—that is, without fear, and tranquilly secure. So Chaldee and CALVIN. Or, "entire," "complete"; "Though their power be unbroken [MAURER], and though they be so many, yet even so they shall be cut down" (literally, "shorn"; as hair shaved off closely by a razor, Isaiah 7:20). As the Assyrian was a razor shaving others, so shall he be shaven himself. Retribution in kind. In the height of their pride and power, they shall be clean cut off. The same Hebrew stands for "likewise" and "yet thus." So many as they are, so many shall they perish.
when he shall pass through—or, "and he shall pass away," namely, "the wicked counsellor" (Nahum 1:11), Sennacherib. The change of number to the singular distinguishes him from his host. They shall be cut down, he shall pass away home (2 Kings 19:35; 2 Kings 19:36) [HENDERSON]. English Version is better, "they shall be cut down, "when" He (Jehovah) shall pass through," destroying by one stroke the Assyrian host. This gives the reason why they with all their numbers and power are to be so utterly cut off. Compare "pass through," that is, in destroying power (Ezekiel 12:12; Ezekiel 12:23; Isaiah 8:8; Daniel 11:10).
Though I have afflicted thee—Judah, "I will afflict thee no more" (Isaiah 40:1; Isaiah 40:2; Isaiah 52:1; Isaiah 52:2). The contrast is between "they," the Assyrians, and "thee," Judah. Their punishment is fatal and final. Judah's was temporary and corrective.
13. will I break his yoke—the Assyrian's yoke, namely, the tribute imposed by Sennacherib on Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:14).
from off thee—O Judah (Isaiah 10:27).
14. that no more of thy name be sown—that no more of thy seed, bearing thy name, as kings of Nineveh, be propagated; that thy dynasty become extinct, namely, on the destruction of Nineveh here foretold; "thee" means the king of Assyria.
will I cut off . . . graven image—The Medes under Cyaxares, the joint destroyers of Nineveh with the Babylonians, hated idolatry, and would delight in destroying its idols. As the Assyrians had treated the gods of other nations, so their own should be treated (). The Assyrian palaces partook of a sacred character [LAYARD]; so that "house of thy gods" may refer to the palace. At Khorsabad there is remaining a representation of a man cutting an idol to pieces.
I will make thy grave—rather, "I will make it (namely, 'the house of thy gods,' that is, 'Nisroch') thy grave" (2 Kings 19:37; Isaiah 37:38). Thus, by Sennacherib's being slain in it, Nisroch's house should be defiled. Neither thy gods, nor thy temple, shall save thee; but the latter shall be thy sepulchre.
thou art vile—or, thou art lighter than due weight (Isaiah 37:38; compare Job 31:6) [MAURER].
15. This verse is joined in the Hebrew text to the second chapter. It is nearly the same as Isaiah 52:7, referring to the similar deliverance from Babylon.
him that bringeth good tidings—announcing the overthrow of Sennacherib and deliverance of Jerusalem. The "mountains" are those round Jerusalem, on which Sennacherib's host had so lately encamped, preventing Judah from keeping her "feasts," but on which messengers now speed to Jerusalem, publishing his overthrow with a loud voice where lately they durst not have opened their mouths. A type of the far more glorious spiritual deliverance of God's people from Satan by Messiah, heralded by ministers of the Gospel (Isaiah 52:7).
perform thy vows—which thou didst promise if God would deliver thee from the Assyrian.
the wicked—literally, "Belial"; the same as the "counsellor of Belial" (Nahum 1:11, Margin); namely, Sennacherib.