Nah 1:1
Introduction
The oracle against Nineveh;1
the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:2
(Guzik)
Nah 1:1-15
NAHUM 1 – COMING JUDGMENT ON NINEVEH
A. The character of the God who brings judgment.
1. (Nah_1:1) The burden of Nahum.
The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of
Nahum the Elkoshite.
a. The burden: In the prophets, a burden is a “heavy”
message of weighty importance, heavy in the sense that it
produces sorrow or grief.
i. “Massa comes from the verb ‘to lift up’ ( nasa), and so it
can mean ‘to carry’ or ‘to lift up the voice.’ From the first
meaning comes the translation ‘burden,’ or ‘load’; and from
the second meaning we get the translation ‘oracle,’ or
‘utterance.’“ (Wolf, in his commentary on Isaiah)
Grammatically, we may be able to say “oracle,” but since
these are heavy oracles, we are justified in calling them
burdens.
ii. “Massa not only signifies a burden, but also a thing lifted
up, pronounced, or proclaimed; also a message. It is used by
the prophets to signify the revelation which they have
received from God to deliver to any particular people.”
(Clarke) b. Against Nineveh: The capital of the Assyrian
Empire was Nineveh, the city that heard the preaching of
Jonah a hundred years before and repented. Nahum will
address a city that has slipped back into sin, and is again
ripe for judgment.
i. Among other things, the Prophecy of Nahum shows us that
God not only deals with individuals as individuals, He also
deals with nations as nations. “This is the prophecy which
sets forth, more clearly than any other, the truth concerning
the wrath of God, in its national application.” (Morgan)
Nations will be held to account by God.
ii. Nineveh was an ancient, famous city. It was founded by
the first world dictator, Nimrod (Gen_10:11) “From Nineveh’s
walls, temples, palaces, inscriptions, and reliefs, mute yet
elaborate witness is given to a city that flourished up to its
destruction in 612 B.C. Accordingly, the magnificent
buildings, artistic designs, and water-supply projects of
Nineveh have resulted in its being likened to ancient
Versailles.” ( Major Cities of the Biblical World) c. The book
of the vision: This was more than a message
communicated to Nahum in words or phrases from God.
Because this is a vision, in some way Nahum saw it. When
we see the vivid, descriptive way Nahum writes we
understand that the book records what he saw in his
vision.
i. Isa_2:1 says: The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw
concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah saw a word, and in
some sense Nahum also did.
d. Nahum the Elkoshite: We don’t know anything else
about Nahum or the city of Elkosh. The name Nahum is an
abbreviated form of the name Nehemiah, which means
“Comfort of Yahweh.” It may be that Elkosh was in the region
of Galilee, because the city of Capernaum (Mat_4:13,
Mar_9:33, Joh_2:12) was named after Nahum ( Kephar-
Nahum, “City of Nahum”).
i. We don’t know exactly when Nahum gave this prophecy.
He mentions the destruction of the Egyptian city No Amon
(Thebes) in Nah_3:8 and Thebes fell to the Assyrians in 663
B.C., so Nahum must have been written after that. Nineveh
was destroyed 50 years after No Amon (612 B.C.).
ii. It is likely that Nahum was written during the height of
Nineveh’s power. “It was concerned with Nineveh, and was
delivered almost certainly when she was at the height of her
power.” (Morgan) 2. (Nah_1:2-8) The judgments of a merciful
God.
God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the LORD avenges
and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His
adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; the
LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all
acquit the wicked. The LORD
has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the
clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and
makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel
wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains
quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth heaves at His
presence, yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can
stand before His indignation? And who can endure the
fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and
the rocks are thrown down by Him. The LORD is good, a
stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who
trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an
utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies.
a. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and
will not at all acquit the wicked: Nahum begins his
prophecy by considering the character of the God who
brings judgment.
·
God is jealous: How can it be said that God is jealous?
“God’s jealousy is love in action. He refuses to share the
human heart with any rival, not because He is selfish and
wants us all for Himself, but because He knows that upon
that loyalty to Him depends our very moral life . . . God is
not jealous of us: He is jealous for us.” (Redpath in Law and
Liberty) ·
The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries:
Man needs to understand that he can’t fight against God
and hope to prevail. Everyone who sets themselves against
God will end up receiving His vengeance.
·
The LORD is slow to anger: God is far more patient than
man. Though there is a time and place where He does
display His anger, it doesn’t come quickly or capriciously.
“God’s sword of justice is in its scabbard: not rusted in it – it
can be easily withdrawn – but held there by that hand that
presses it back into its sheath, crying, ‘Sleep, O
sword, sleep; for I will have mercy upon sinners, and will
forgive their transgressions.’“ (Spurgeon) ·
And great in power: Knowing God’s power should make us
trust in His help (because He is able to help) and to fear His
judgment (knowing that He judges with power).
·
Will not at all acquit the wicked: God is not like an
unjust judge who simply lets the guilty go out of a false
sense of compassion. We can’t just figure that God will say,
“Let’s let bygones be bygones” when we get to heaven.
Sin must be accounted for, because He will not acquit the
wicked. Every sin will be paid for – either in hell or at the
cross – but God will not acquit the wicked. “Never once
has he pardoned an unpunished sin; not in all the years of
the Most High, not in all the days of his right hand, has he
once blotted out sin without punishment.”
(Spurgeon)
·
The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the
storm: God’s power is so great that it controls the mightiest
forces known to man. A huge whirlwind or storm is nothing
to God, because He has His way in them.
·
His fury is poured out like fire: When God is resisted
long enough and rejected strongly enough, eventually His
judgment comes. He is slow to anger, but when it does
come His fury is poured out like fire.
Understanding this should make man quick to repent and
wary of presuming on God’s patience.
·
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble:
Those who love Him and trust Him see the goodness of God,
and find protection in His stronghold – which is the LORD
Himself. “Remember that it is only a day; it is not a week,
nor a month, and God will not permit the devil to add an
extra hour to that day; it is a ‘day of trouble.’
There is an end to all our griefs.” (Spurgeon)
·
He knows those who trust in Him: Not only does He
know them in the sense of identification, but also in the
sense of relationship. Trust implies relationship, and God
knows those who trust in Him. “Once more, dear friends,
this word ‘know’ here means loving communion . . . God
knows us; he knows our prayers and tears, he knows our
wishes, he knows that we are not what we want to be, but he
knows what we do desire to be. He knows our aspirations,
our sighs, our groans, our secret longings, our own
chastenings of spirit when we fail; he has entered into it all.
He says, ‘Yes, dear child, I know all about you; I have been
with you when you thought you were alone. I have read
what you could not read, the secrets of your own heart that
you could not decipher I have known them all, and I still
know them.’“ (Spurgeon) b. How important it is to know that
the LORD is good!
· God is good in His very being – it is His very nature to be
good · God is good independently – no one must help Him be
good · God is eternally and unchangeably good
· God is good in each one of His Divine Persons
· God is good in all His acts of grace
· God is good in all His plans and purposes for our life
c. With an overflowing flood He will make an utter
end of its place: Taking into account the character of God,
though His slow to anger and good, He cannot forever
overlook the sin and rebellion of the Assyrians. Their end in
judgment will come like an overflowing flood.
i. The overflowing flood was fulfilled both figuratively and
literally. “According to secular accounts, during the final
siege of Nineveh by a rebel army of Persians, Medes,
Arabians, and Babylonians, unusually heavy rains caused
the rivers to flood and to undermine the city’s walls, which
then collapsed . . . the invading armies entered the city
through this breach in its defenses.” (Boice) ii. The utter
end of its place was also literally fulfilled. “Not only were
these people lost from history, even the city was lost until it
was discovered by archaeologists, beginning in the 1840’s.”
(Boice) iii. “The author is not expressing some personal
feeling of vindication over some hurt by the oppressor, nor
even a nationalistic chauvinism that pagan nations must be
punished. Rather, Yahweh is applying his universal standard
against evil, no matter who is responsible.” (Baker)
B. Nineveh destroyed, Judah delivered.
1. (Nah_1:9-11) The destruction of Nineveh.
What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an
utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. For
while tangled like thorns, and while drunken like drunkards,
they shall be devoured like stubble fully dried. From you
comes forth one who plots evil against the LORD, a wicked
counselor.
a. He will make an utter end of it: Nineveh was ripe for a
devastating judgment. This was not a harsh chastening; this
was utter destruction to come upon the city. The promise
“Affliction will not rise up a second time” sounds
encouraging, until we realize that it will not rise up a
second time because the judgment will be so severe the
first time.
b. They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried: The
dry leftover stalks of grass are ready to be devoured by the
smallest flame. This is how ripe Nineveh is for judgment, and
how complete the fire of judgment will be when it comes.
2. (Nah_1:12-13) The deliverance of Zion.
Thus says the LORD: “Though they are safe, and likewise
many, yet in this manner they will be cut down when he
passes through.
Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; for now
I will break off his yoke from you, and burst your bonds
apart.”
a. Though they are safe: The enemies of Zion looked
mighty; they were safe and many. Yet they will be
devastated by the judgment that the LORD promised.
b. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no
more: God’s people looked weak and afflicted; yet God
promises that they will be strengthened and restored. The
power of their oppressors will be broken (I will break off
his yoke from you).
i. Could not the believer today, who is trapped or oppressed
by sin, ask God to break the yoke of sin? It must be done
with a complete willingness to walk in the freedom God
gives, but only God can break off the power of the things
that bind us.
3. (Nah_1:14) The end of the wicked in Assyria.
The LORD has given a command concerning you: “Your
name shall be perpetuated no longer. Out of the house of
your gods I will cut off the carved image and the molded
image. I will dig your grave, for you are vile.”
a. Your name shall be perpetuated no longer: The city
of Nineveh was once instantly recognized as one of the great
“power cities” of the world. God promises to bring this
wicked city so low that they lose their legacy and name
among the nations.
b. I will dig your grave, for you are vile: In this vivid –
almost extreme – imagery, God warns Nineveh of its coming
judgment and destruction.
4. (Nah_1:15) Blessing in Judah.
Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good
tidings, who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed
feasts, perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more
pass through you; he is utterly cut off.
a. Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who
brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! The
contrast between the fate of the godly and wicked is nothing
but good news to Nahum and the people of God.
i. Isa_52:7 uses a similar expression, but Isaiah marvels at
the beauty of the feet of him who brings good news.
Nahum would certainly agree, because those who bring
good tidings have beautiful feet; they partner with God for
the salvation of men. The feet speak of activity, motion, and
progress, and those who are active and moving in the work
of preaching the gospel have beautiful feet.
ii. In Isaiah, the good news is the coming of the Messiah. In
Nahum, the good news is the defeat of the enemies of God’s
people. Revelation 17, 18 describe the fall of Babylon,
representing the world system and all of its support
structure. Rev_18:9-19 shows how the kings and merchants
of the earth mourned the fall of Babylon, but Rev_18:20
through 19:6 shows how heaven rejoiced over the fall of the
world system. What was mourned on earth was applauded in
heaven, and the same principle applies in Nahum’s
prophecy of Nineveh’s fall.
iii. “Rejoicing is not in this context gleeful gloating at the
misfortune of others . . . Rather it is pleasure at the
vindication of God and his promises.” (Baker) b. O Judah,
keep your appointed feasts, perform your vows:
Knowing the grace and mercy of God to His people should
not make the believer careless in obedience, it should make
the believer more careful to obey every word of the LORD.
Nah 1:2 God Takes Vengeance against His Enemies
The LORD is a zealous3 and avenging4 God;
the LORD is avenging and very angry.5
The LORD takes vengeance6 against his foes;
he sustains his rage7 against his enemies.
Nah 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger8 but great in power;9
the LORD will certainly not10 allow the wicked11 to go
unpunished.
The Divine Warrior Destroys His Enemies but Protects
His People
He marches out12 in the whirlwind and the raging storm;
dark storm clouds billow like dust13 under his feet.14
Nah 1:4 He shouts a battle cry15 against the sea16 and
makes it dry up;17
he makes all the rivers18 run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither;19
the blossom of Lebanon withers.
Nah 1:5 The mountains tremble before him,20
the hills convulse;21
the earth is laid waste22 before him,
the world and all its inhabitants23 are laid waste.24
Nah 1:6 No one can withstand25 his indignation!26
No one can resist27 his fierce anger!28
His wrath is poured out like volcanic fire,
boulders are broken up29 as he approaches.30
Nah 1:7 The LORD is good31 —
indeed,32 he is a fortress33 in time of distress,34
and he protects35 those who seek refuge36 in him.
Nah 1:8 But with an overwhelming flood37
he will make a complete end of Nineveh;38
he will drive39 his enemies into darkness.
Nah 1:9 Denunciation and Destruction of Nineveh
Whatever40 you plot41 against the LORD, he will
completely destroy!42
Distress43 will not arise44 a second time.
Nah 1:10 Surely they will be totally consumed45
like46 entangled thorn bushes,47
like the drink of drunkards,48
like very49 dry stubble.
Nah 1:11 From you, O Nineveh,50 one has marched forth
who plots evil against the LORD,
a wicked military strategist.51
Nah 1:12 Oracle of Deliverance to Judah
This is what the LORD says:52
“Even though53 they are powerful54 —
and what is more,55 even though their army is numerous56
—
nevertheless,57 they will be destroyed58 and trickle
away!59
Although I afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more.60
Nah 1:13 And now,61 I will break Assyria’s62 yoke bar63
from your neck;64
I will tear apart the shackles65 that are on you.”66
Nah 1:14 Oracle of Judgment against the King of
Nineveh
The LORD has issued a decree against you:67
“Your dynasty will come to an end.68
I will destroy the idols and images in the temples of your
gods.
I will desecrate69 your grave — because you are
accursed!”70
Nah 1:15 Proclamation of the Deliverance of Judah
(2:1)71 Look! A herald is running72 on the mountains!
A messenger is proclaiming deliverance:73
“Celebrate your sacred festivals, O Judah!
Fulfill your sacred vows to praise God!74
For never again75 will the wicked76 Assyrians77 invade78
you,
they79 have been completely destroyed.”80
Nah 2:1 Proclamation of the Destruction of Nineveh
(2:2) The watchmen of Nineveh shout:1
“An enemy who will scatter you2 is marching out3 to attack
you!”4
“Guard5 the rampart!6
Watch the road!
Prepare yourselves for battle!7
Muster your mighty strength!”8
(Guzik)
Nah 2:1-13
NAHUM 2 – NINEVEH CONQUERED
“This chapter is a masterpiece of ancient literature,
unsurpassed for its graphic portrayal of a military assault.”
(James Montgomery Boice) A. The battle of Nineveh.
1. (Nah_2:1-2) A call to battle.
He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort!
Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power
mightily.
For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob like the
excellence of Israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out
and ruined their vine branches.
a. He who scatters: In his vision (Nah_1:1), now the
prophet sees a mighty army coming against the city of
Nineveh.
b. For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob:
In this case, part of God’s restoration for His people is
connected to judgment and destruction on their enemies,
those who have emptied them out and ruined their
vine branches. They now will face destruction from he
who scatters.
2. (Nah_2:3-7) The battle decided
The shields of his mighty men are made red, the valiant men
are in scarlet. The chariots come with flaming torches in the
day of his preparation, and the spears are brandished. The
chariots rage in the streets, they jostle one another in the
broad roads; they seem like torches, they run like lightning.
He remembers his nobles; they stumble in their walk; they
make haste to her walls, and the defense is prepared. The
gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved. It
is decreed: she shall be led away captive, she shall be
brought up; and her maidservants shall lead her as with the
voice of doves, beating their breasts.
a. The chariots come with flaming torches: Nahum can
see it all in his vision. The battle for Nineveh is fierce and
bloody, and though the defense is prepared they will be
conquered.
i. The chariots rage in the streets, they jostle one
another in the broad roads; they seem like torches,
they run like lightning: Chuck Smith notes that some
have taken this – erroneously – as a prophecy of the
automobile and traffic congestion.
b. She shall be led away captive: The prophet not only
sees the battle, he sees the outcome – Nineveh will fall
before this mighty army, and she will be humbled and led
away captive even as the Assyrians led other nations in
captivity.
B. Nineveh in defeat.
1. (Nah_2:8-12) Nineveh brought low and spoiled.
Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, now they
flee away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry; but no one turns back. Take
spoil of silver! Take spoil of gold! There is no end of treasure,
or wealth of every desirable prize. She is empty, desolate,
and waste! The heart melts, and the knees shake; much pain
is in every side, and all their faces are drained of color.
Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of
the young lions, where the lion walked, the lioness and lion’s
cub, and no one made them afraid?
The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, killed for his
lionesses, filled his caves with prey, and his dens with flesh.
a. Nineveh of old was like a pool of water: Nahum says
the troops defending Nineveh are like a pool of water that
drains away to no use. They are useless in defending the
city.
b. Take spoil of silver! Take spoil of gold! “An
impressive confirmation of this prophecy is that nothing of
all this gold and silver has been discovered in the ruins of
Nineveh by archaeologists. Nineveh was indeed stripped
bare.” (Boice) c. Where is the dwelling of the lions: The
lion was one of the national emblems of the Assyrian
Empire, and they crushed and plundered other nations like
lions destroying prey. Now Nahum asks, “Where is the
dwelling of the lions?” God has brought them low, who
once were so mighty.
2. (Nah_2:13) The LORD vows to conquer Nineveh.
“Behold, I am against you,” says the LORD of hosts, “I will
burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour
your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and
the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more.”
a. Behold, I am against you: What a terrible thing to hear
from God! The principle of Rom_8:31 is true for the believer:
If God is for us, who can be against us? Accordingly, the
opposite is also true – if God is against you, then who can
be for you?
i. Says the LORD of hosts: It is bad when God is against
you; it is even worse when the LORD of hosts is against
you. This title refers to God’s place as Commander in Chief
over all the armies of heaven.
b. The voice of your messengers shall be heard no
more: Nineveh enjoyed its status as a power-center of the
world, and relished the fact that the voice of her
messengers commanded attention in palaces all over the
world. That day would come to an end under the judgment
of God.
Nah 2:2 For the LORD will restore9 the majesty10 of Jacob,
as well as11 the majesty of Israel,
though12 their enemies have plundered them13
and have destroyed their fields.14
Nah 2:3 Prophetic Vision of the Fall of Nineveh
The shields of his warriors are dyed red;15
the mighty soldiers are dressed in scarlet garments.16
The metal fittings17 of the chariots18 shine
like19 fire20 on the day of battle;21
the soldiers brandish22 their spears.23
Nah 2:4 The chariots24 race madly25 through the streets,
they rush back and forth26 in the broad plazas;
they look27 like lightning bolts,28
they dash here and there29 like flashes of lightning.30
Nah 2:5 The commander31 orders32 his officers;
they stumble33 as they advance;34
they rush to the city wall35
and they set up36 the covered siege tower.37
Nah 2:6 The sluice gates38 are opened;
the royal palace is deluged39 and dissolves.40
Nah 2:7 Nineveh41 is taken into exile42 and is led
away;43
her slave girls moan44 like doves45 while they beat46 their
breasts.47
Nah 2:8 Nineveh was like a pool48 of water49 throughout
her days,50
but now51 her people52 are running away;53
she cries out:54 “Stop! Stop!” —
but no one turns back.55
Nah 2:9 Her conquerors cry out:56
“Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!”
There is no end to the treasure;
riches of every kind of precious thing.
Nah 2:10 Destruction, devastation, and desolation!57
Their hearts faint,58
their knees tremble,59
each stomach churns,60 each face61 turns62 pale!63
Nah 2:11 Taunt against the Once-Mighty Lion
Where now is the den of the lions,64
the feeding place65 of the young lions,
where66 the lion, lioness,67 and lion cub once prowled68
and no one disturbed them?69
Nah 2:12 The lion tore apart as much prey as his cubs
needed70
and strangled prey to provide food71 for his lionesses;
he filled72 his lairs with prey
and his dens with torn flesh.
Nah 2:13 Battle Cry of the Divine Warrior
“I am against you!” declares73 the LORD who commands
armies:74
“I will burn your chariots75 with fire;76
the sword will devour your young lions;77
you will no longer prey upon the land;78
the voices of your messengers79 will no longer be heard.”
Nah 3:1 Reason for Judgment: Sins of Nineveh
Woe to the city guilty of bloodshed!1
She is full of lies;2
she is filled with plunder;3
she has hoarded her spoil!4
(Guzik)
Nah 3:1-19
NAHUM 3 – NINEVEH, THE WICKED CITY
A. The sin within Nineveh.
1. (Nah_3:1-4) The violence and immorality in Nineveh.
Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its
victim never departs. The noise of a whip and the noise of
rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots!
Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear.
There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies,
countless corpses; they stumble over the corpses; because
of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the
mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through her
harlotries, and families through her sorceries.
a. Woe to the bloody city! In his prophetic vision, Nahum
takes a tour of the city of Nineveh and observes how ripe it
is for judgment. He sees it is a busy city, full of the noise of
a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping
horses, of clattering chariots. Yet it is busy with
violence, deception, and idolatry.
i. Not only where the rulers of Assyria terribly cruel, they
boasted of the cruelty on monuments that exist in museums
to this day. Boice quotes some of the choice boasts from
various monuments: · “I cut off their heads and formed them
into pillars”
· “Bubo, son of Buba, I flayed in the city of Arbela and I
spread his skin upon the city wall”
· “I flayed all the chief men who had revolted, and I covered
the pillar with their skins”
· “Many within the border of my own land I flayed, and
spread their skins upon the walls”
· “I cut off the limbs of the officers, the royal officers who had
rebelled”
· “3,000 captives I burned with fire”
· “Their corpses I formed into pillars”
· “From son I cut off their hands and their fingers, and from
other I cut off their noses, their ears, and their fingers, of
many I put out their eyes”
· “I made one pillar of the living, and another of heads, I
bound their heads to posts round about the city”
b. Who sells the nations through her harlotries: It was
bad enough that Nineveh indulged in this sin for herself; it
was worse that she led the nations into violence, deception,
and idolatry. For this, the judgment of God was coming.
i. “Thousands of tablets uncovered in the Mesopotamian
valley show abysmal superstition. Hundreds of sorcery
incantations have been brought to light.” (Maier, cited in
Boice)
2. (Nah_3:5-7) The wicked city is humbled.
“Behold, I am against you,” says the LORD of hosts; “I will lift
your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your
nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame. I will cast
abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a
spectacle. It shall come to pass that all who look upon you
will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will
bemoan her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”
a. I am against you: Nahum repeats this phrase, first
mentioned in Nah_2:13. In the first mention, the emphasis
was on the military defeat of Nineveh. Now, the emphasis is
on the humbling of city.
i. This reminds us the principle of 1Pe_5:5 : Be clothed with
humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the
humble.” Nineveh walked in pride, and as a result had the
LORD against them. How much better to be humble and
receive the grace of God!
b. I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you
vile, and make you a spectacle: The strength of the word
of the LORD almost surprises us here. He will take the idols
of Nineveh (abominable filth, the Hebrew word shiqquts
often translated “abomination”) and throw them back in
their face.
c. Make you vile: The idea behind the Hebrew word for vile
( nabel) is that something is made weak, foolish, and
contemptible. Nineveh walked high in their pride, but will
certainly be brought low – with no one to comfort them
(Where shall I seek comforters for you? ).
i. Again, this was literally fulfilled The ancient Greek
historian Diodorus Siculus wrote of the destruction of
Nineveh: “So great was the multitude of the slain that the
flowing stream, mingled with their blood, changed its color
for a considerable distance . . . They plundered the spoil of
the city, a quantity beyond counting.” (Boice) ii. Adam
Clarke, writing before the discovery of the ruins in Nineveh
in 1840, quotes an author commenting on the
disappearance of the city: “What probability was there that
the capital city of a great kingdom, a city which was sixty
miles in compass, a city which contained so many thousand
inhabitants, a city which had walls a hundred feet high . . .
And yet so totally was it destroyed that the place is hardly
known where it was situated . . . Great as it was formerly, so
little of it is remaining, that authors are not agreed even
about its situation.”
B. Nineveh is ripe for judgment.
1. (Nah_3:8-11) Because of the way God judged other cities,
Nineveh is ripe.
Are you better than No Amon that was situated by the River,
that had the waters around her, whose rampart was the sea,
whose wall was the sea? Ethiopia and Egypt were her
strength, and it was boundless; Put and Lubim were your
helpers. Yet she was carried away, she went into captivity;
her young children also were dashed to pieces at the head of
every street; they cast lots for her honorable men, and all
her great men were bound in chains. You also will be drunk;
you will be hidden; you also will seek refuge from the enemy.
a. Are you better than No Amon: No Amon is the
Hebrew name for the Egyptian city of Thebes. Thebes was
another wealthy, mighty city that was destroyed completely.
The Assyrians in Nineveh knew this well, because it was
their armies that destroyed Thebes. Nahum says,
“Remember what you did to No Amon? The same is coming
on you.”
b. You also: We are like the Ninevites. We see empires and
nations judged in our own day and in history, just like the
Assyrians saw Thebes destroyed. Yet we, like the Ninevites,
somehow think that we will be spared, despite our sinful
arrogance and rebellion.
2. (Nah_3:12-15) Because of her own weakness, Nineveh is
ripe.
All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: If they
are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. Surely, your
people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are
wide open for your enemies; fire shall devour the bars of
your gates. Draw your water for the siege! Fortify your
strongholds! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Make
strong the brick kiln! There the fire will devour you, the
sword will cut you off; it will eat you up like a locust. Make
yourself many; like the locust! Make yourself many; like the
swarming locusts!
a. Your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: As
easily as ripe fruit falls from a shaken tree, so will the
strongholds of Nineveh fall before the judgment of God.
We often have our strongholds of sin and pride that we put
great confidence in, but they are ready to be shaken and fall
to the ground.
b. Fire shall devour the bars of your gates:
Archaeologists document the burning of Nineveh. “The
excavators of Nineveh have remarked on the large deposits
of ash, which are evidence of a gigantic conflagration.”
(Boice) c. Draw your water for the siege: Nahum
practically mocks the people of Nineveh, cheering them on
to do the best they can in light of the coming judgment.
They can prepare as many provisions and people they
please, but it will all come to nothing against the judgment
of God.
3. (Nah_3:16-19) Because her leaders are weak, Nineveh is
ripe.
You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of
heaven. The locust plunders and flies away. Your
commanders are like swarming locusts, and your generals
like great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges on a cold
day; when the sun rises they flee away, and the place where
they are is not known. Your shepherds slumber, O king of
Assyria; your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are
scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them. Your
injury has no healing, your wound is severe. All who hear
news of you will clap their hands over you, for upon whom
has not your wickedness passed continually?
a. Merchants . . . commanders . . . generals . . .
shepherds . . . nobles: Each of these classes of leaders
were numerous in Nineveh, but they all would be ineffective
and come to nothing in the day of judgment. Despite their
numbers, still your people are scattered on the
mountains, and no one gathers them. The sinful and
rebellious leadership of Nineveh will be powerless against
the judgment of God.
b. All who hear news of you will clap their hands over
you: Nahum ends his prophecy with a view of the righteous
and their triumph over the unrighteous. This is something
that the people of God need to be often reminded of,
because it often goes against present appearances.
i. Because Nineveh was so known – even renowned – for its
violence and cruelty, no wonder Nahum sees the nations
applauding when the city is judged and destroyed.
ii. In Psalms 73, Asaph dealt with this same problem. It
seemed to him that the wicked constantly prospered and
lived at ease. It troubled him so much that he doubted his
own walk with God, Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery
places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are
brought to desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly
consumed with terrors. (Psa_73:17-19) iii. For Nahum,
Asaph, and for us today, we take comfort in knowing that
the judgments of the LORD are faithful and true. We don’t
need to envy the unrighteous or seek vengeance against
them ourselves. Nahum and Asaph each show us that God is
more than able to take care of them and us, each according
to His promise.
Nah 3:2 Portrayal of the Destruction of Nineveh
The chariot drivers will crack their whips;5
the chariot wheels will shake the ground;6
the chariot horses7 will gallop;8
the war chariots9 will bolt forward!10
Nah 3:3 The charioteers11 will charge ahead;12
their swords13 will flash14
and their spears15 will glimmer!16
There will be many people slain;17
there will be piles of the dead,
and countless casualties18 —
so many that people19 will stumble over the corpses.
Nah 3:4 Taunt against the Harlot City
“Because20 you have acted like a wanton prostitute21 —
a seductive mistress who practices sorcery,22
who23 enslaves24 nations by her harlotry,25
and entices peoples by her sorcery26 —
Nah 3:5 I am against you,” declares the LORD who
commands armies.27
“I will strip off your clothes!28
I will show your nakedness to the nations
and your shame to the kingdoms;
Nah 3:6 I will pelt you with filth;29
I will treat you with contempt;
I will make you a public spectacle.
Nah 3:7 Everyone who sees you will turn away from you in
disgust;
they will say, ‘Nineveh has been devastated!
Who will lament for her?’
There will be no one to comfort you!”30
Nah 3:8 Nineveh Will Suffer the Same Fate as Thebes
You are no more secure31 than Thebes32 —
she was located on the banks of the Nile;
the waters surrounded her,
her33 rampart34 was the sea,
the water35 was her wall.
Nah 3:9 Cush36 and Egypt had limitless strength;37
Put and the Libyans38 were among39 her40 allies.41
Nah 3:10 Yet she went into captivity as an exile;42
even her infants were smashed to pieces43 at the head of
every street.
They cast lots44 for her nobility;45
all her dignitaries were bound with chains.
Nah 3:11 You too will act like drunkards;46
you will go into hiding;47
you too will seek refuge from the enemy.
Nah 3:12 The Assyrian Defenses Will Fail
All your fortifications will be like fig trees48 with first-ripe
fruit:49
If they are shaken,50 their figs51 will fall52 into the mouth
of the eater!53
Nah 3:13 Your warriors will be like women in your midst;
the gates of your land will be wide open54 to your enemies;
fire will consume55 the bars of your gates.56
Nah 3:14 Draw yourselves water for a siege!57
Strengthen your fortifications!
Trample the mud58 and tread the clay!
Make mud bricks to strengthen your walls!59
Nah 3:15 There the fire will consume60 you;
the sword will cut you down;
it will devour61 you like the young locust would.
The Assyrian Defenders Will Flee
Multiply yourself62 like the young locust;
multiply yourself like the flying locust!
Nah 3:16 Increase63 your merchants more than the stars
of heaven!
They are like64 the young locust which sheds65 its skin and
flies away.
Nah 3:17 Your courtiers66 are like locusts,
your officials67 are like a swarm of locusts!
They encamp in the walls on a cold day,
yet when the sun rises, they68 fly away;69
and no one knows where they70 are.71
Nah 3:18 Concluding Dirge
Your shepherds72 are sleeping, O king of Assyria!
Your officers73 are slumbering!74
Your people are scattered like sheep75 on the mountains
and there is no one to regather them!
Nah 3:19 Your destruction is like an incurable wound;76
your demise is like a fatal injury!77
All who hear what has happened to you78 will clap their
hands for joy,79
for no one ever escaped your endless cruelty!80