Book of nahum background

Nahum prophesied about gods vengeance and judgement, and the destruction that was going to come upon nineveh for her great wickedness and cruelty. The book was composed, therefore, between 664 and 612 b. It is called an oracle concerning nineveh and the book of the vision of nahum nah. Nahum also predicted a time of peace beyond this troubled world. Although god uses pagans to punish his peoples apostasy and sin, the tool itself is also liable to punishment.

The name nahum occurs in the new testament where it is found in lukes genealogy of our lord jesus christ. The book of nahum is a poem prophesying the downfall of nineveh, the capital of assyria, in 612bc. The book of nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the hebrew bible. Thus opens nahums prophecy, and this is the message of this book of the bible for the world today. The author of the book of nahum identifies himself as nahum in the hebrew consoler or comforter the elkoshite 1. Nahum describes jesus as a stronghold in the day of trouble we just have to come to him to find rest for our souls, for.

These three countriesempires afflicted gods people throughout their history. Though the book does not identify its author, tradition has ascribed it to the prophet himself, jonah son of amittai. Nineveh was conquered by the babylonians, medes, and scythians in 612 b. The book of nahum contains a prophecy that nineveh, the capital of assyria, would be destroyed because of its peoples wickedness. This volume demonstrates the intricate literary structure and high poetic quality of the book of nahum and represents a significant breakthrough in the study of hebrew prosody with important implications for understanding the formation of the canon of the hebrew bible. Authorship the author of this remarkably literary book is probably nahum. Nineveh, and the assyrian empire, was at its height of power. The prophet nahum wrote this book just before the fall of nineveh. Its purpose is to pronounce the final warning and judgment upon nineveh, and he also. Nahum means comfort or consolation and is a short form of nehemiah comfort of yahweh. The book of nahum comes some one hundred years after the prophecy of jonah.

While the book of jonah records ninevehs reprieve, nahum predicts its destruction. Summary of the book of nahum nahum began to prophesy in about 7 bc after the destruction of the northern kingdom of israel by the assyrians. The short book of nahum is largely a poem, a literary masterpiece, predicting the downfall of nineveh, the capital of assyria. In the first place, it is among the shortest of the minor prophets and is overshadowed by micah, which precedes it and contains some wellknown messianic prophecies. The book of habakkuk is a book of the tanakh the old testament and stands eighth in a section known as the 12 minor prophets in the masoretic and greek texts. Nahum is an early contemporary of habakkuk, zephaniah, and jeremiah. The assyrians had been cruel enemies of israel and judah, but nahum saw that the day of judgment for them was now approaching.

Travers exegesis that includes careful attention to internal matters theme and development, structure, and features of literary stylecan help resolve perennial problems of interpretation. Nahums announcement was a comfort and a consolation to the inhabitants of judah, as it predicted the downfall of assyria, a savage and cruel enemy of israel and judah. Summary of the book of nahum the story of the bible. Nahums book is a sequel to, and a dramatic contrast with, the book of jonah. He appears in the book as a sensitive and courageous person. The book of nahum introduction to the book of nahum in the bible nahum 1.

Avoiding the fierce punishment of the lord is not dependent on ethnicity, class, intelligence, skin color, or family history, but on repentance and faith. Nahum 1, new international version niv the bible app. Nahum is a biblical book that christians find easy to avoid. Others, however, think that his prophecies are to be referred to the latter half of the reign of hezekiah about b.

Though nahums context is distant, the holy spirit speaks again in a new context that of our modern listeners. The bible journey introduction to the book of nahum. This is book number 8 in the summary of the 12 minor prophets of the bible. The book contains the vision of nahum, whose name means comfort and is related to the name nehemiah, meaning the lord comforts or comfort of the lord. Ancient assyria stands as a sign of warning to any nation holding power on. This article provides helpful background not only on the book of nahum, but also jonah as well. The assyrians had brutally conquered and terrorized large areas of the near east in the eighth century b. Title the books title is taken from the prophet of gods oracle against nineveh, the capital of assyria.

Others are dedicated to the compositional history and the layers leading up nahums incorporation in, and connections to, the book of the. Ninevehs fall, which is nahums theme, would bring comfort to judah. The name of this prophet nahum means comfort, consolation. Nahum is not quoted in the new testament, although there may be an allusion to nahum 1. Therefore, the most plausible date for nahums prophecy would be between 660 and 650 b. The god of heaven is a god of mercy to the penitent, yet a god of doom to the impenitent. Book of nahum, the seventh of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets grouped together as the twelve in the jewish canon. Nahum prophesied, according to some, in the beginning of the reign of ahaz b. Below are scriptures in nahum that refer to endtime events. Book of nahum overview insight for living ministries. The central theme of the book of nahum is the overthrow of the greatest capital city of the ancient gentile world in the 7 th century bc. One such difficulty involves the unity and authorship of the book of nahum. During this time, nineveh had repented of its repentance, and had begun to do the same things again that called forth the threat of judgment through the prophet jonah. Transcribed and edited by david sielaff, august 20.

Intro to nahum biblica the international bible society. As the book nahum, the hebrew of this book is a literary masterpiece. The book of nahum kjv audio holy bible high quality and best speed book 34 duration. Nahum, theology of bakers evangelical dictionary of. A new translation with introduction and commentary. The coming defeat of assyria by the babylonians is seen by nahum as gods judgement on a wicked and godless nation who had conquered the northern kingdom of israels capital city of samaria in 722bc and had led ten of the twelve tribes of israel back to nineveh in slavery. There are many theories as to where that city was though there is no conclusive evidence. The book of nahum is a tiny little prophetic book in the old testament. Nothing is known about the prophet habakkuk except his name. The book of nahum mentions the recent fall of noamon, or thebes, which. Book of nahum biblical studies oxford bibliographies. It is a shortened form of nehemiah which means the comfort of yahweh. Nineveh, the arrogant capital of the assyrian empire, will be destroyed. Overview of the book of nahum third millennium ministries.

This is the more probable opinion, internal evidences leading to that conclusion. This article will seek to identify the overarching message purpose of the book from which the pericopes derive their unit purposes and outline the book by pericope. The prophecy of nahum, written by a hebrew against the capital of a gentile world power nineveh, is a denunciation of rampant militarism and tyranny, especially as it affects gods people. The books title is taken from the prophetofgods oracle against nineveh, the capital of assyria. Reading the chapter before looking at the notes, while working with the notes, and after finishing with the notes will give each researcher a powerful sense of the series of meanings within each chapter.

This prophet is only mentioned once in the entire bible nahum 1. In the masoretic listing, it follows nahum and precedes zephaniah, who are considered to be his contemporaries. He will use whatever means to persuade us to choose to come to him, to come into the arms of his love. It can be assume that the book was written before 612 bc because that is when nineveh was. Nahum begins by pronouncing that god is a jealous god. One such theory is that it refers to the city later called capernaum which literally means the village of nahum at the sea of galilee. Nineveh was the capital city of assyria, which in turn was the mighty empire that had destroyed northern israel and sent its inhabitants into exile. The book of nahum is introduced as an oracle concerning nineveh nahum 1. Nahum 1 background information with maps and images.

The title identifies the book as an oracle concerning nineveh and attributes it to the vision of nahum of elkosh. Nahum declared that nineveh would fall as did thebes, which the assyrians themselves had conquered in 663. Deal justly while it is your time to ride the high places of the earth, is gods message to the nations through nahum. In this book, nahum portrays the downfall of nineveh and assyria as an image of how god will confront and bring down all violent human empires. The book of nahum introduction to the book of nahum in the bible.

But for all of that, it is a piece of exceptionally beautiful poetry, written in. Yet the bible is a book of hope for the future when the prince of peace will secure lasting peace among all peoples and nations isaiah 9. Book of nahum, the seventh of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets grouped together as. The book is named after its principal character, whose name means dove. Most of the short book of nahum is concerned with the coming judgment of assyria, and particularly with the destruction of its capital, nineveh. The international standard bible encyclopaedia states about the style. Ormond odhner, in his notes on preadvent churches, says that nahums work is unmitigated gloating over the fierce wrath that jehovah has brought upon his enemies. It is attributed to the prophet nahum, and was probably written in jerusalem in the 7th century bc. Nahum intro to nahum biblica the international bible society. This summary of the book of nahum provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of nahum.