Category:Book of Nahum

THE PROPHECY OF NAHUM

'''NAHUM, whose name signifies A COMFORTER, was a native of Elcese, or Elcesai, supposed to be a little town in Galilee. He prophesied, after the ten tribes were carried into captivity, and foretold the utter destruction of Nineveh, by the Babylonians and Medes: which happened in the reign of JOSIAH.'''

Nahum Chapter 1


The majesty of God, his goodness to his people, and severity to his enemies.

'''1:1. The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum, the Elcesite.'''

1:2. The Lord is a jealous God, and a revenger; the Lord is a revenger, and has wrath; the Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He is angry with His enemies.

'''1:3. The Lord is patient, and great in power, and will not cleanse and acquit the guilty. The Lord's ways are in a tempest, and a whirlwind, and clouds are the dust of His feet.'''



'''1:4. He rebukes the sea and dries it up: and brings all the rivers to be a desert. Basan languishes with Carmel: and the flower of Lebanon fades away.'''

1:5. The mountains tremble at Him, and the hills are made desolate: and the earth has quaked at His presence, and the world, and all that dwell therein.

'''1:6. Who can stand before the face of His indignation, and who shall resist in the fierceness of His anger? His indignation is poured out like fire, and the rocks are melted by Him.'''

1:7. The Lord is good, and gives strength in the day of trouble: and knows those who hope in Him.

1:8. But with a flood that passes by, He will make an utter end of the place thereof: and darkness shall pursue His enemies.

Of the place thereof. . .Viz., of Nineveh.

'''1:9. What do you devise against the Lord? He will make an utter end; there shall not rise a double affliction.'''

1:10. For as thorns embrace one another: so while they are feasting and drinking together, they shall be consumed as stubble that is fully dry.

1:11. Out of you shall come forth one that imagines evil against the Lord, contriving treachery in his mind.

1:12. Thus says the Lord: Though they were perfect, and many of them so, yet thus shall they be cut off, and he shall pass: I have afflicted you, and I will afflict you no more.

Though they were perfect, etc. . .That is, however strong or numerous their forces may be, they shall be cut off; and their prince or leader shall pass away and disappear.

1:13. And now I will break in pieces his rod with which he struck your back, and I will burst your bonds asunder.

1:14. And the Lord will give a commandment concerning you, that no more of your name shall be sown; I will destroy the graven and molten thing out of the house of your god, I will make it your grave, for you are disgraced.

Will give a commandment. . .That is, a decree, concerning you, O king of Nineveh, your seed shall fail, etc.



1:15. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that brings good tidings, and that preaches peace; O Judah, keep your festivals and pay your vows, for Belial shall no more pass through you again; he is utterly cut off.

Belial. . .The wicked one, viz., the Assyrian.

Nahum Chapter 2
God sends His armies against Nineveh to destroy it.

2:1. He has come up that shall destroy before your face, that shall keep the siege: watch the way, fortify your loins, strengthen your power exceedingly.

2:2. For the Lord has rendered the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel: because the spoilers have laid them waste, and have marred their vine branches.

Has rendered the pride of Jacob, etc. . .He has punished Jacob for his pride; and therefore Nineveh must not expect to escape. Or else, rendering the pride of Jacob means rewarding, that is, punishing Nineveh for the pride they exercised against Jacob.

2:3. The shield of his mighty men is like fire, the men of the army are clad in scarlet, the reins of the chariot are flaming in the day of his preparation, and the drivers are stupefied.



Of his mighty men, etc. . .He speaks of the Chaldeans and Medes sent to destroy Nineveh.--Ibid. Stupefied. . .consopiti. That is, they drive on furiously like men intoxicated with wine.

2:4. They are in confusion in the ways, the chariots jostle one against another in the streets: their looks are like torches, like lightning running to and fro.

2:5. He will muster up his valiant men, they shall stumble in their march; they shall quickly get upon the walls thereof, and a covering shall be prepared.

Stumble in their march. . .By running hastily on.

2:6. The gates of the rivers are opened, and the temple is thrown down to the ground.

2:7. And the soldier is led away captive, and her bondwomen were led away mourning as doves, murmuring in their hearts.

'''2:8. And as for Nineveh, her waters are like a great pool, but the men flee away. They cry, "Stand, stand," but there is none that will return back.'''

2:9. Take the spoil of the silver, take the spoil of the gold: for there is no end of the riches of all the precious furniture.

2:10. She is destroyed, and rent, and torn: the heart melts, and the knees fail, and all the loins lose their strength: and the faces of them all are as the blackness of a kettle.

2:11. Where is now the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, to which the lion went, to enter in thither, the young lion, and there was none to make them afraid?

2:12. The lion caught enough for his whelps, and killed for his lionesses: and he filled his holes with prey, and his den with rapine.

2:13. Behold I come against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots even to smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions: and I will cut off your prey out of the land, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more.



Nahum Chapter 3
The miserable destruction of Nineveh.

3:1. Woe to you, O city of blood, all full of lies and violence: rapine shall not depart from you.

3:2. The noise of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the neighing horse; and of the running chariot, and of the horsemen coming up,



3:3. And of the shining sword, and of the glittering spear, and of a multitude slain, and of a grievous destruction: and there is no end of carcasses, and they shall fall down on their dead bodies.

3:4. Because of the multitude of sins of the evil woman that was beautiful and agreeable, and that made use of demon worship, that sold nations through her sinfulness, and families through her worship of the evil ones.

3:5. Behold I come against you, says the Lord of hosts: and I will reveal your shame to your face, and will expose your shame to the nations, and your shame to kingdoms.

3:6. And I will cast abominations upon you, and will disgrace you, and will make an example of you.



'''3:7. And it shall come to pass that every one that shall see you, shall flee from you, and shall say: Nineveh is laid waste; who shall bemoan you? whence shall I seek a comforter for you?'''

'''3:8. Are you better than the populous Alexandria, that dwells among the rivers? waters are round about it: the sea is its riches: the waters are its walls.'''

Populous Alexandria. . .No-Ammon. A populous city of Egypt destroyed by the Chaldeans, and afterwards rebuilt by Alexander, and called Alexandria. Others suppose No-Ammon to be the same as Diospolis.



3:9. Ethiopia and Egypt were the strength thereof, and there is no end; Africa and the Libyans were your helpers.

3:10. Yet she also was removed and carried into captivity: her young children were dashed in pieces at the top of every street, and they cast lots upon her nobles, and all her great men were bound in fetters.



3:11. Therefore you also shall be made drunk, and shalt be despised: and you shalt seek help from your enemies.

3:12. All your strongholds shall be like fig trees with their green figs; if they are shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.

3:13. Behold your people in the midst of you are women; the gates of your land shall be set wide open to your enemies, fire shall devour your bars.



3:14. Draw water for the siege, build up your bulwarks; go into the clay, and tread, work it and make brick.

3:15. There shall the fire devour you; you shall perish by the sword, it shall devour you like the bruchus; assemble together like the bruchus, make yourself many like the locust.

3:16. You have multiplied your merchandises above the stars of heaven: the bruchus has spread himself and flown away.

3:17. Your guards are like the locusts, and your little ones like the locusts of locusts which swarm on the hedges in the day of cold; the sun arose, and they flew away, and their place was not known where they were.

Locusts of locusts. . .The young locusts.

3:18. Your shepherds have slumbered, O king of Assyria, your princes shall be buried; your people are hid in the mountains, and there is none to gather them.

3:19. Your destruction is not hidden, your wound is grievous; all that have heard the fame of you, have clapped their hands over you: for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?