Nahum

Introduction to Nahum

Nahum’s name means “compassionate” or “consolation.” This is one of the great ironies of this book, because it describes God’s judgment over the Assyrians. God is compassionate through his judgment, however, because he is showing compassion on weak people who were harmed by the Assyrians—namely, Israel. While many have speculated where Nahum grew up (1:1 “the Elkoshite”), this isn’t certain. It could be anywhere from Elkosh in Iraq (a town near Galilee) to Capernaum (“Town of Nahum”).

Nahum has a strong dependency on the book of Isaiah. He shows that God will not just judge his people, but all people. Remember, this book was written a couple of generations after the destruction of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) in 722 BC. The people were probably wondering if God was only going to punish Israel, and not the bloodthirsty Assyrians. As Habakkuk asked, “How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and You will not hear? I cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ Yet You do not save” (Hab. 1:2). God answers this question in Nahum 1:12.

Date

Nahum wrote the book sometime between 663 and 612 BC. Nahum refers to the fall of Thebes as a past event (663 BC), but he predicts the fall of Nineveh (1:8; 2:6; 3:8) as a future event (612 BC). Since Jonah preached to Nineveh in the 8^th century and the people repented (Jon. 3:6-7), this means that God spared the Assyrians from judgment for over a hundred years.

Historical background

The historical background for the book is the occupation and oppression of Israel by the Assyrians. The Assyrians had invaded in 722 BC, and they were a vicious and sadistic nation. God used the Assyrians to judge Israel, but now God speaks about the judgment for Assyria.