The books title is taken from the prophetofgods oracle against nineveh, the capital of assyria. Most of the short book of nahum is concerned with the coming judgment of assyria, and particularly with the destruction of its capital, nineveh. Nineveh, the arrogant capital of the assyrian empire, will be destroyed. Nothing is known about the prophet habakkuk except his name.
This article will seek to identify the overarching message purpose of the book from which the pericopes derive their unit purposes and outline the book by pericope. The book of nahum introduction to the book of nahum in the bible. During this time, nineveh had repented of its repentance, and had begun to do the same things again that called forth the threat of judgment through the prophet jonah. Below are scriptures in nahum that refer to endtime events. Although god uses pagans to punish his peoples apostasy and sin, the tool itself is also liable to punishment. The book of nahum introduction to the book of nahum in the bible nahum 1. Nahum prophesied, according to some, in the beginning of the reign of ahaz b. Nothing is known about him except his hometown elkosh, and even its general location is uncertain.
Nineveh, and the assyrian empire, was at its height of power. Nahum begins by pronouncing that god is a jealous god. The book of nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the hebrew bible. It is attributed to the prophet nahum, and was probably written in jerusalem in the 7th century bc. 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 is an early contemporary of habakkuk, zephaniah, and jeremiah. Title the books title is taken from the prophet of gods oracle against nineveh, the capital of assyria. Ormond odhner, in his notes on preadvent churches, says that nahums work is unmitigated gloating over the fierce wrath that jehovah has brought upon his enemies. Transcribed and edited by david sielaff, august 20. 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. The bible journey introduction to the book of nahum. Thus opens nahums prophecy, and this is the message of this book of the bible for the world today. Nahum means comfort or consolation and is a short form of nehemiah comfort of yahweh.
The book of nahum is introduced as an oracle concerning nineveh nahum 1. Zephaniah contemporary of jeremiah preached around 625 bc king manasseh is dead after a reign of 55 years the most evil king in judah he was the exact opposite of his father king hezekiah. Nineveh was conquered by the babylonians, medes, and scythians in 612 b. The prophecy of nahum, written by a hebrew against the capital of a gentile world power nineveh, is a denunciation of rampant militarism and tyranny, especially as it affects gods people. It can be assume that the book was written before 612 bc because that is when nineveh was. The prophet nahum wrote this book just before the fall of nineveh. The book contains the vision of nahum, whose name means comfort and is related to the name nehemiah, meaning the lord comforts or comfort of the lord. The international standard bible encyclopaedia states about the style. He was raised up to preach gods judgment for a second time to nineveh. A new translation with introduction and commentary. Nahum 1, new international version niv the bible app.
Others, however, think that his prophecies are to be referred to the latter half of the reign of hezekiah about b. It is called an oracle concerning nineveh and the book of the vision of nahum nah. 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. Summary of the book of nahum nahum began to prophesy in about 7 bc after the destruction of the northern kingdom of israel by the assyrians. Nahum also predicted a time of peace beyond this troubled world. As the book nahum, the hebrew of this book is a literary masterpiece. Nahum is a biblical book that christians find easy to avoid. Its purpose is to pronounce the final warning and judgment upon nineveh, and he also. Nahum prophesied about gods vengeance and judgement, and the destruction that was going to come upon nineveh for her great wickedness and cruelty. In the first place, it is among the shortest of the minor prophets and is overshadowed by micah, which precedes it and contains some wellknown messianic prophecies. The book of nahum is a tiny little prophetic book in the old testament.
The book of nahum is a poem prophesying the downfall of nineveh, the capital of assyria, in 612bc. Summary of the book of nahum the story of the bible. 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. Authorship the author of this remarkably literary book is probably nahum. The book of nahum contains a prophecy that nineveh, the capital of assyria, would be destroyed because of its peoples wickedness.
The book was composed, therefore, between 664 and 612 b. Book of nahum, the seventh of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets grouped together as. He appears in the book as a sensitive and courageous person. Nahums announcement was a comfort and a consolation to the inhabitants of judah, as it predicted the downfall of assyria, a savage and cruel enemy of israel and judah. Nahums book is a sequel to, and a dramatic contrast with, the book of jonah. The assyrians had been cruel enemies of israel and judah, but nahum saw that the day of judgment for them was now approaching.
Ninevehs fall, which is nahums theme, would bring comfort to judah. It is a shortened form of nehemiah which means the comfort of yahweh. There are many theories as to where that city was though there is no conclusive evidence. Nahum describes jesus as a stronghold in the day of trouble we just have to come to him to find rest for our souls, for. Nahum 1 background information with maps and images. In the masoretic listing, it follows nahum and precedes zephaniah, who are considered to be his contemporaries. Overview of the book of nahum third millennium ministries. The book of nahum kjv audio holy bible high quality and best speed book 34 duration. These three countriesempires afflicted gods people throughout their history. He will use whatever means to persuade us to choose to come to him, to come into the arms of his love. The assyrians had brutally conquered and terrorized large areas of the near east in the eighth century b. This is the more probable opinion, internal evidences leading to that conclusion. The name of this prophet nahum means comfort, consolation. The name nahum occurs in the new testament where it is found in lukes genealogy of our lord jesus christ.
This article provides helpful background not only on the book of nahum, but also jonah as well. One such difficulty involves the unity and authorship of the book of nahum. Ancient assyria stands as a sign of warning to any nation holding power on. The book is named after its principal character, whose name means dove. Though the book does not identify its author, tradition has ascribed it to the prophet himself, jonah son of amittai. The author of the book of nahum identifies himself as nahum in the hebrew consoler or comforter the elkoshite 1. But for all of that, it is a piece of exceptionally beautiful poetry, written in. This is book number 8 in the summary of the 12 minor prophets of the bible. Avoiding the fierce punishment of the lord is not dependent on ethnicity, class, intelligence, skin color, or family history, but on repentance and faith. Nahum is not quoted in the new testament, although there may be an allusion to nahum 1. This volume demonstrates the intricate literary structure and high poetic quality of the book of nahum and represents a significant breakthrough in the study of hebrew prosody with important implications for understanding the formation of the canon of the hebrew bible. Others are dedicated to the compositional history and the layers leading up nahums incorporation in, and connections to, the book of the. Deal justly while it is your time to ride the high places of the earth, is gods message to the nations through nahum.
Nahum, theology of bakers evangelical dictionary of. This summary of the book of nahum provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of nahum. Yet the bible is a book of hope for the future when the prince of peace will secure lasting peace among all peoples and nations isaiah 9. The coming defeat of assyria by the babylonians is seen by nahum as gods judgement on a wicked and godless nation who had conquered the northern kingdom of israels capital city of samaria in 722bc and had led ten of the twelve tribes of israel back to nineveh in slavery. The god of heaven is a god of mercy to the penitent, yet a god of doom to the impenitent. In this book, nahum portrays the downfall of nineveh and assyria as an image of how god will confront and bring down all violent human empires.
The short book of nahum is largely a poem, a literary masterpiece, predicting the downfall of nineveh, the capital of assyria. Book of nahum overview insight for living ministries. Nineveh was the capital city of assyria, which in turn was the mighty empire that had destroyed northern israel and sent its inhabitants into exile. The book of nahum comes some one hundred years after the prophecy of jonah. Nahum intro to nahum biblica the international bible society. The central theme of the book of nahum is the overthrow of the greatest capital city of the ancient gentile world in the 7 th century bc.
The book of nahum mentions the recent fall of noamon, or thebes, which. Travers exegesis that includes careful attention to internal matters theme and development, structure, and features of literary stylecan help resolve perennial problems of interpretation. Book of nahum biblical studies oxford bibliographies. This prophet is only mentioned once in the entire bible nahum 1. Though nahums context is distant, the holy spirit speaks again in a new context that of our modern listeners. Therefore, the most plausible date for nahums prophecy would be between 660 and 650 b. Intro to nahum biblica the international bible society. Nahum declared that nineveh would fall as did thebes, which the assyrians themselves had conquered in 663.
36 983 1634 1526 197 924 770 241 1020 100 1316 1320 1403 1311 577 868 799 836 255 1095 661 934 1306 657 1007 1469 634 1167 1383 251 944 971 1310 972 1297