Author

The book is “the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite” (1:1). The name “Nahum” means “comforter.” Nahum’s prophecy brought comfort to Judah.

Date

Nahum wrote after the destruction of No Amon, the ancient Egyptian city known in secular history as Thebes (3:8). Assyria destroyed Thebes in 663 BC. But, since Nahum prophesied the overthrow of Nineveh, capital of Assyria, he composed his book before 612 BC, the date Nineveh fell. Thus, Nahum was written between 663 and 612 B.C.

Theme

Nahum’s prophecy is “The burden against Nineveh” (1:1). The theme of Nahum is the destruction of Nineveh.

Two prophets dealt with Nineveh: Jonah and Nahum. “The prophecy of Nahum is both the complement and the counterpart of the Book of Jonah” (Barnes).The Lord is both merciful and just (Exodus 34:6-7). Jonah extended mercy to Nineveh (cf. Jonah 3:10; 4:2); Nahum decreed divine justice in Nineveh’s destruction (Nahum 1:2, 8). “The office of Nahum is to pronounce its sentence. That sentence is fixed” (Ibid; Nahum 3:19). Thus God deals with nations and individuals: He demands repentance, offers mercy, and destroys those who do not repent.

The great sin of Nineveh, of which she repented at the preaching of Jonah, was violence (Jonah 3:8). By the time of Nahum, Nineveh had fully returned to its violent ways. “Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage; Her prey never departs” (Nahum 3:1). The primary evil for which the Lord God destroyed the world before the Flood was violence (Genesis 6:11-13). The Lord will not tolerate the shedding of innocent blood and will eventually bring just destruction on the nation that kills the innocent (2 Kings 24:3-4).

Background

Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, the greatest world power at the time of Nahum. The Assyrians were a military state, their chief God, Assur, was the warrior-god, supposed to rule over all other gods, including Yahweh (the Lord; cf. Isaiah 36:13-20), and they were in a constant state of war. Their barbaric cruelty is sickening to recount. They boasted of piling up the heads of their enemies, of skinning them alive, of chopping off their hands. They were the Nazi Germany, the scourge and tyrant, of the ancient world.

At the time of Nahum’s prophecy, Nineveh was queen city of the earth, mighty and brutal beyond imagination, head of a warrior state built on the loot of nations.... Nahum likens it to a den of ravaging lions, feeding on the blood of nations (2:11-13).
Greater Nineveh was about 30 miles long and about 10 miles wide.... It was protected by 5 walls and 3 moats (canals) built by the forced labor of thousands of foreign captives.... The inner city of Nineveh proper, about 3 miles long and 1½ miles wide, was built at the junction of the Tigris and Khoser rivers, was protected by walls 100 feet high, and broad enough at the top to hold 4 chariots driven abreast, 8 miles in circuit (Henry H. Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook. 369).

Fulfillment

Within about 20 years after Nahum’s prediction an army of Babylonians and Medes closed in on Nineveh. After 2 years of siege a sudden rise of the river washed away part of the walls. Nahum had predicted that the 'river gates would be opened’ for the destroying army (2:6). Through the breach thus made the attacking Babylonians and Medes swept in to their work of destruction (Ibid. 368).

Outline

I. Doom Decreed - chapter 1
II. Destruction Described - chapter 2
III. Deeds Demand Doom - chapter 3

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