Nahum
God raised up certain "prophets" who were His mouthpieces.
They would speak out against their sin and idolatry and would
continually warn of God's judgment. Some of the prophets spoke
out in the North and some in the South, but God was faithfully
warning them of certain catastrophe if they would not turn to
him.
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The book of Nahum is a book in the Hebrew Bible. It stands
seventh in order among what are known as the twelve Minor
Prophets. Nahum prophesied, according to some, in the
beginning of the reign of Ahaz (740s BC). Others, however,
think that his prophecies are to be referred to the latter
half of the reign of Hezekiah (700s BC). Probably the book was
written in Jerusalem, where he witnessed the invasion of
Sennacherib and the destruction of his host (2 Kings 19:35).
And still others support the idea that the "book of vision"
was written shortly before the fall of Nineveh (612 BCE). This
theory is evidenced by the fact that the oracles must be dated
after the Assyrian destruction of Thebes in 663 BCE as this
event is mentioned in Nah 3:8...
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LITERATURE
I. Authorship and Date.
1. The Name:
The name Nahum (nachum; Septuagint and New Testament Naoum;
Josephus, Naoumos) occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament;
in the New Testament it is found in Lk 3:25. It is not
uncommon in the Mishna, and it has been discovered in
Phoenician inscriptions. It means "consolation," or
"consoler," and is therefore, in a sense, symbolical of the
message of the book, which is intended to comfort the
oppressed and afflicted people of Judah.
2. Life and Home of Nahum:
Of the personal life of Nahum, practically nothing is known.
In Nah 1:1 he is called "the Elkoshite," that is, an
inhabitant of Elkosh. Unfortunately, the location of this
place is not known.
The Four Traditions
One tradition, which cannot be traced beyond the 16th
century AD, identifies the home of Nahum with a modern
village Elkush, or Alkosh, not far from the left bank of the
Tigris, two days' journey North of the site of ancient
Nineveh. A second tradition, which is at least as old as the
days of Jerome, the latter part of the 4th century, locates
Elkosh in Galilee, at a place identified by many with the
modern El-Kauze, near Ramieh. Others identify the home of
the prophet with Capernaum, the name of which means "Village
of Nahum." A fourth tradition, which is first found in a
collection of traditions entitled "Lives of the Prophets,"
says "Nahum was from Elkosh, beyond Bet Gabre, of the tribe
of Simeon." A place in the South is more in harmony with the
interest the prophet takes in the Southern Kingdom, so that
the last-mentioned tradition seems to have much in its
favor, but absolute certainty is not attainable...
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na'-hum (Naoum; the King James Version Naum): An ancestor of
Jesus in Luke's genealogy, the 9th before Joseph, the husband
of Mary (Lk 3:25).
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(consolation). Nahum, called "the Elkoshite," is the seventh
in order of the minor prophets. His personal history is
quite unknown. The site of Elkosh, his native place, is
disputed, some placing it in Galilee, others in Assyria.
Those who maintain the latter view assume that the prophet's
parents were carried into captivity by Tiglath-pileser and
that the prophet was born at the village of Alkush, on the
east bank of the Tigris, two miles north of Mosul. On the
other hand, the imagery of his prophecy is such lie would be
natural to an inhabitant of Israel, Na 1:4 to whom the rich
pastures of Bashan the vineyards of Carmel and the blossoms
of Lebanon were emblems of all that was luxuriant and
fertile. The language employed in ch. Na 1:15; 2:2 is
appropriate to one who wrote for his countrymen in their
native land. (McClintock and Strong come to the conclusion
that Nahum was a native of Galilee that at the captivity of
the ten tribes he escaped into Judah, and prophesied in the
reign of Hezekiah, 726-698.--ED.) Prophecy of Nahum. --The
date of Nahum a prophecy can be determined with as little
precision as his birthplace. It is, however, certain that
the prophecy was written before the final downfall of
Nineveh and its capture by the Medes and Chaldeans, cir.
B.C. 625. The allusions to the Assyrian power imply that it
was still unbroken. ch. Na 1:12; 2:8,13; 3:16-17 It is most
probable that Nahum flourished in the latter half of the
return of Hezekiah, and wrote his prophecy either in
Jerusalem or its neighborhood. The subject of the prophecy
is, in accordance with the superscription, "the burden of
Nineveh," the destruction of which he predicts. As a poet
Nahum occupies a high place in the first rank of Hebrew
literature. His style is clear and uninvolved, though
pregnant and forcible; his diction sonorous and rhythmical,
the words re-echoing to the sense. Comp. Na 2:4; 3:3
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Nahum prophesied, according to some, in the beginning of the
reign of Ahaz (B.C. 743). Others, however, think
that his
prophecies are to be referred to the latter half of
the reign of
Hezekiah (about B.C. 709). This is the more probable
opinion,
internal evidences leading to that conclusion.
Probably the book
was written in Jerusalem (soon after B.C. 709),
where he
witnessed the invasion of Sennacherib and the
destruction of his
host (2 Kings 19:35).
The subject of this prophecy is the approaching
complete and
final destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the
great and at
that time flourishing Assyrian empire. Assur-bani-
pal was at the
height of his glory. Nineveh was a city of vast
extent, and was
then the centre of the civilzation and commerce of
the world, a
"bloody city all full of lies and robbery" (Nah.
3:1), for it
had robbed and plundered all the neighbouring
nations. It was
strongly fortified on every side, bidding defiance
to every
enemy; yet it was to be utterly destroyed as a
punishment for
the great wickedness of its inhabitants.
Jonah had already uttered his message of warning,
and Nahum
was followed by Zephaniah, who also predicted (Zeph.
2:4-15) the
destruction of the city, predictions which were
remarkably
fulfilled (B.C. 625) when Nineveh was destroyed
apparently by
fire, and the Assyrian empire came to an end, an
event which
changed the face of Asia. (See NINEVEH -T0002735.)
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consolation, the seventh of the so-called minor prophets, an
Elkoshite. All we know of him is recorded in the book
of his
prophecies. He was probably a native of Galilee, and
after the
deportation of the ten tribes took up his residence in
Jerusalem. Others think that Elkosh was the name of a
place on
the east bank of the Tigris, and that Nahum dwelt
there.
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"consolation" and "vengeance", to Israel and Israel's foe
respectively. The two themes alternate in Nahum 1; as the
prophecy advances, vengeance on Assyria predominates.
Country. "The Elkoshite" (Nahum 1:1), from Elkosh or
Elkesi a village of Galilee pointed out to Jerome (Preface
in Nahum). Capernaum, "village of Nahum," seemingly takes
its name from Nahum having resided in the neighbourhood,
though born in Elkosh. The allusions in Nahum indicate local
acquaintance with Israel (Nahum 1:4; Nahum 1:15; Nahum 2:2)
and only general knowledge of Nineveh (Nahum 2:4-6; Nahum
3:2-3). This confutes the notion that the Alkush (resembling
the name Elkosh), E. of the Tigris and N. of Mosul, is
Nahum's place of birth and of burial, though Jewish pilgrims
visit it as such.
DATE. Hezekiah's time was that in which trust in
Jehovah and the observance of the temple feasts prevailed as
they did not before or after. So in Nahum 1:7; Nahum 1:15,
"Jehovah is a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He
knoweth (with approval) them that trust in Him ... O Judah,
keep thy solemn feasts." Moreover Nahum has none of the
reproofs for national apostasy which abound in the other
prophets. Nahum in Elkosh of Galilee was probably among
those of northern Israel, after the deportation of the ten
tribes, who accepted Hezekiah's earnest invitation to keep
the Passover at Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30). His graphic
description of Sennacherib and his army (2 Chronicles 1:9-
12) makes it likely he was near or in Jerusalem at the time.
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