Nahum 1:1-3:19
Next page: Chapter 1a (1:1-10)
This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.
Contents
Summary
This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the book. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →
Nahum can be outlined as a series of four addresses or "chapters":
The first address, which is directed to both Judah and Assyria jointly (1:2-10), uses second person masculine plural forms of address. The two middle addresses, directed individually to Judah (1:11-15) and then to Assyria (2:1-17), each use second person feminine singular forms of address (except in 1:14). The last address, directed to the Assyrian king (3:5-17), uses second person masculine singular forms of address.[1] These shifts in audience help to identify breaks between major units of thought in Nahum.
The message of Nahum can be understood as: God is powerful and just (Chapter 1a, 1:2-10), he will deliver Judah (Chapter 1b, 1:11-15), and he will punish the Assyrian capitol Ninevah (Chapter 2-3a, 2:1-3:17) and its king (Chapter 3b, 3:18-19) for their harsh treatment of other nations including Israel.
Each of these four addresses is discussed separately on the following subpages: Chapter 1a (1:1-10), Chapter 1b (1:11-15), Chapter 2-3a (2:1-3:17), Chapter 3b (3:18-19)
Historical setting
This heading should be brief and explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand the book. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →
Israel spent much of its existence caught between two great powers, one to the south and another to the north. As these two great powers struggled for supremacy, Israel and its small neighbors struggled just to survive. The great power to the south was always Egypt, which benefited from the Nile River's annual floods. During the time that Israel was divided into two kingdoms, the great power to the north was Assyria with its capitol at Ninevah. The Assyrians were particularly cruel and were very much feared.
During about the reign of king Jeroboam II over the Northern Kingdom of Israel (793-753 BC),[2] Jonah warned Ninevah to repent in order to avoid destruction. The city did repent and was spared (Jonah 1:1-2; 3:5-10). In the latter part of Jeroboam II's reign, during 768-753 BC,[3] Amos likewise warned the Northern Kingdom to repent in order to avoid destruction (Amos 7:7-9). The Northern Kingdom did not repent, and in 723 BC Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom and scattered its Ten Tribes so that they became lost.[4] Sixty years later Assyria's reach had grown sufficiently to briefly conquer the great Egyptian city and sometimes capitol at Thebes (now Luxor) in 663 BC.[5] At some point after the fall of Thebes (scholars disagree as to exactly when),[6] Nahum simply announced that Ninevah would likewise fall. Although Nahum explained the causes of Ninevah's impending destruction, he did not, as Jonah did, expressly call upon the city to repent of those causes. Nahum's prophecy was subsequently fulfilled in 612 BC, fifty years after the fall of Thebes, when the Assyrian capitol Ninevah was conquered by an army of Babylonians and Medes (Persians).[7]
A broader treatment of the history of ancient Israel, including Nahum, is found at Old Testament: Historical Overview.
Discussion
This heading is for more detailed discussions of all or part of a passage. Discussion may include the meaning of a particular word, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout the passage, insights to be developed in the future, and other items. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →
- Nahum ends with a pronouncement of woe upon Assyria. This differs from the usual pattern in which the promise of Israel's deliverance comes last.
Points to ponder
This heading is for prompts that suggest ways in which all or part of this passage can influence a person's life. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →
I have a question
This heading is for unanswered questions and is an important part of the continual effort to improve this wiki. Please do not be shy, as even a basic or "stupid" question can identify things that need to be improved on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →
Relation to other scriptures
This heading is for notes about the relationship of this book to other sections and passages. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →
Related scriptures
- The relationship of Nahum to the rest of the Old Testament in general is addressed at Old Testament: Organization.
- Nahum is one of the "Twelve Minor Prophets" (NEED TO ADD page for discussion of minor prophets as a group).
- It has been noted that Obadiah prophesied the destruction of Edom; Amos, the Northern Kingdom of Israel; Zephaniah, the Southern Kingdom of Judah; Ezekiel, Egypt; Nahum, Assyria; Jeremiah, Babylon; and Daniel the rise and fall of several world powers including Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, followed by the eventual setting up of the kingdom of God.
Parallel passages
- Nahum 1:3 • Exodus 34:6-7 (clear reference)
- Nahum 1:15 • Romans 10:15 (allusion)
- Nahum 3:4 • Revelation 18:3 (allusion)
Text transmission
The consonantal Masoretic Text (MT) of Nahum is well preserved, as attested by the Dead Sea Scrolls, with possible corruptions of the Masoretic Text only at 1:4b and 3:18. The canonicity of Nahum is well attested, and there is no significant scholarly debate on this point.[8]
Joseph Smith Translation
The Joseph Smith Translation made no changes to the book of Nahum.[9]
Resources
This heading is for listing links and print resources, including those cited in the notes. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →
Translations
- Amplified • The Amplified Bible, 1987 update
- NASB • New American Standard Bible, 1995 update
- NIV • New International Version
- NRSV • New Revised Standard Version
- RSV • Revised Standard Version
Cited references
- Patterson, Richard D. Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah: The Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991. (ISBN 0737500190) BS1635.3 .P37 1991.
- Steinmann. Andrew E. From Abraham to Paul: A Biblical Chronology. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2011. (ISBN 0758627998). BS637.3 .S74 2011.
- Sweeney, Marvin A. The Twelve Prophets: Berit Olam Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry, Vol. 2. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 2000. (ISBN 0814650910) BS1560 .S94 2000.
- Wayment, Thomas A., ed. The Complete Joseph Smith Translation of the Old Testament. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2009. (ISBN 1606411314) BX8630 .A2 2009.
Other resources
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Nahum: The Burden of Ninevah." In Old Testament: First Kings to Malachi (Institute Manual), vol. 2, third ed. (PDF version), ch. 20, p. 219-20. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2003.
Notes
Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves, such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word. In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources are preferable to footnotes.
- ↑ Sweeney, The Twelve Prophets, p. 422, 426.
- ↑ 2 Kgs 14:25; Steinmann, From Abraham to Paul, 141.
- ↑ Steinmann, From Abraham to Paul, 151.
- ↑ The date of the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom is often stated to be 721 BC or 722 BC, but the date of 723 BC appears to be more accurate. Steinmann, From Abraham to Paul, 136, 141, 156.
- ↑ Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, p. 3; Sweeney, The Twelve Prophets, p. 421.
- ↑ Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, p. 5-7; Sweeney, The Twelve Prophets, p. 425.
- ↑ Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, p. 5; Sweeney, The Twelve Prophets, p. 419, 424.
- ↑ Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, p. 13-14.
- ↑ Wayment, The Complete Joseph Smith Translation of the Old Testament, p. 218-19.
