Explain the book of nahum

Below are scriptures in nahum that refer to endtime events. Jonahs mission to nineveh was probably sometime in the first half of the eighth century b. Ninevehs fall, which is nahums theme, would bring comfort to judah. This would make nahum a prophet of the southern kingdom and may explain his interest in the triumph of judah nahum 1. The first two poems are macca bean, but the last two were written by a hebrew poet who presidents address at the annual meeting of the society of biblical literature and exegesis, new york, dec. 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. It is attributed to the prophet nahum, and was probably written in jerusalem in the 7th century bc. The author of the book of nahum identifies himself as nahum in the hebrew consoler or comforter the elkoshite 1.

However, nahum is a thrilling book to study because it reveals the other side of the attributes of god. Authorship the author of this remarkably literary book is probably nahum. Nahum can be identified as prophecy based on nahum 1. This is apropos because his message of the coming judgment on nineveh comforted judah after their suffering at assyrias hand. Watch our overview video on the book of nahum, which breaks down.

Nahum, who penned this book, was a relative unknown. The facts that the kingdom of the 10 tribes in which galilee lies was already in assyrian captivity at nahums time and that nahum directly speaks to the kingdom of judah chap. In our last message on this parable of the wedding feast, we discovered that jesus spoke this parable in the context of hostility. Jewish and christian authorities have long held that nahum was responsible for the whole work. Nahum describes the siege and frenzied activity of ninevehs troops as they try in vain to halt the invaders. To jonahs dismay, the ninevites listened to his message, repented, and were spared gods judgment. This commentary has been through advanced checking words in boxes are from the bible. Nahum 2 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Many have speculated the city of capernaum hebrew keparnahum, which means village of nahum, may have been the site of elkosh, and that the city was renamed in honor of. The people of the city of nineveh had been given the great honor of hearing the words of god through his spokesperson, the reluctant prophet, jonah, 100 years previously, but here is nahum the prophet, a. Nahum is primarily a book about gods justice, not about human vengeance, hatred, and military conquest. The name nahum occurs in the new testament where it is found in lukes genealogy of our lord jesus christ.

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. Nineveh to fall an attacker advances against you, nineveh. It is best read as a complement to the book of jonah. Book of nahum read, study bible verses online bible study tools. Whereas nahum focuses on the dark side of god, jonah portrays gods mercy and compassion toward the same wicked city. The announcement of god as the executioner of his wrath upon assyria is made in nah. Nahum 3 chapter 2 we now come closer to nineveh, that great city. Why did god judge nineveh so harshly in the book of nahum. Nahum also predicted a time of peace beyond this troubled world. This may explain nahums familiarity with things assyrian. He had entered jerusalem for the passover and was teaching the people and new testament gospels.

The lords willingness to send nahum, whose name means comfort, into such a hopeless situation evidences his unrelenting and overwhelming grace. The book contains the vision of nahum, whose name means comfort and is related to the name nehemiah, meaning the lord comforts or. Book of nahum bible survey what are the major prophets and minor prophets. 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 phrase good tidings in the verse quoted above has the same meaning as. His book is a message of destruction for nineveh, and that would have been a message of consolation for the nations she had oppressed. The book s title is taken from the prophetofgods oracle against nineveh, the capital of assyria. 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. Do we ever reach a point that we cannot be forgiven nahum 3. Book of nahum overview insight for living ministries. And her maids the ladies that waited on her in her state of royalty, shall now be her companions in her captivity. 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.

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 is not quoted in the new testament, although there may be an allusion to nahum 1. Its purpose is to pronounce the final warning and judgment upon nineveh, and he also. The challenge to contemporary theological readers is to reflect honestly on equivalent embodied possibilities. 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. The chief priests and pharisees were seeking to kill jesus. He was raised up to preach gods judgment for a second time to nineveh. A free bible version and commentary on the book of nahum in easyenglish. Both aspects are essential for an understanding of the divine nature. The book of nahum asserts that gods defeat of evil is embodied. This prophecy is so certain of fulfillment that a proleptic announcement of the good. Introduction the author the name nahum means comfort or consolation.

God revealed his name to moses as showing his twofold character. The prophecy of nahum is both the complement and the counterpart of the book of jonah dr. Some folk think the book of nahum should be called ho hum. In this book, nahum portrays the downfall of nineveh and assyria as an. Exact or approximate indications of time are totally missing in. Nahum wrote in poetic form, using imagery and symbolism. As most of the prophetical books the book of nahum is written in poetry in the hebrew as well. This study also includes a teaching outline at the end. The lord, the lord god, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and forgiving. Some of them consider the book as a piece of liturgy written for the israelites annual enthronement festival in jerusalem.

Nahums book is a sequel to, and a dramatic contrast with, the book of jonah. Nahum 2 nineveh conquered this chapter is a masterpiece of ancient literature, unsurpassed for its graphic portrayal of a military assault. Nahum free bible commentary in easy english easyenglish bible. Some scholars have tried to prove that someone other than nahum wrote sections of the book 1. The gates of the rivers shall be opened i have already referred to this, see the note on nahum 1. Watch our overview video on the book of nahum, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought.

About a hundred years before, at jonahs preaching, the ninevites repented, and were spared, yet, soon after, they became worse than ever. And huzzab shall be led away captive by huzzab the chaldee understands the queen, who, without due respect to her royal dignity, should be hurried away, among other captives, into a strange land. 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. Nahum means comfort or consolation and is a short form of nehemiah comfort of yahweh. No one, the book assumes, is able to stand against gods indignation and anger 1. The lord will restore the splendor of jacob like the splendor of israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines. The books title is taken from the prophetofgods oracle against nineveh, the capital of assyria.

Chapters two and three describe the fall of nineveh, which later took place in 612 bc. In the prophets, a burden is a heavy message of weighty importance, heavy in the sense that it produces sorrow or grief. This summary of the book of nahum provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of nahum. The book of nahum is not a prophecy, but a liturgical collection of four poems. 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. His wrath will not fall upon his own people, but upon their enemies nahum 1. Guard the fortress, watch the road, brace yourselves, marshal all your strength. The title identifies the book as an oracle concerning nineveh and attributes it to the vision of nahum of elkosh. Some scientists think to find the acrostic style in chap. But we dont know where that was because it is not mentioned elsewhere in. The book of nahum is prophecy concerning the city of nineveh and reveals a powerful message about gods care for his elect. 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.

An easyenglish commentary 2800 word vocabulary on the book of nahum. Many plead as an excuse for rapine and fraud, that they have families to provide for. Josephus places nahum during the reign of jotham, while others place him in the beginning of the reign of ahaz, judahs next king, or even the latter half of the. He will break the yoke of asshur from off the neck of his people, and destroy the assyrians nahum 1. Most scholars believe nahum s prophecy began about 620 b. The book of nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the hebrew bible. Nahum with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Notice how halleys bible handbook introduces the book of nahum.