Nahum

Bible #34

by Anonymous

The Thirty-third book of the Bible

Genres: Religion, Christian, Nonfiction, Classics, Scripture, History, Christianity

3 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 613

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Warren Fournier]

The Christian Old Testament can be broken down into several parts. One of these parts is the Book of the Twelve, which consists of... well, 12 books! Each of these were written by what are known as "minor" prophets. This one was written by a man who called himself "Nahum" or "Consolation," because he foresaw the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire.

Now, this was a big deal to the Jews at the time because the Assyrians were really not very nice to them, having invaded Israel and Judah ruthlessly throughout the eighth and seventh centuries BC. The book contains a lot of flood imagery, which Christians today equate with early references to baptism. But appropriately enough, Nineveh, which was situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was destroyed by flooding. I guess in this case, where the "enemies of God" literally were washed away, the floods are an appropriate analogy for the baptismal sacrament.

So score one for Nahum! If he were looking upon us today, he'd may be offended as his status of "minor" prophet, but he can blame St. Augustine for that.

Despite the vindictive nature of this Book, this is really one of the most beautifully written of the Old Testament in terms of evoking poetic imagery. In 2:11, the author really drives home a devastating picture of flood survivors looking sadly on the ruins of their homes. Yep. The Old Testament is not about turning the other cheek, folks.

If you're familiar with the Bible, but have not heard of the Book of Nahum, you are not alone. It is not included in the Revised Common Lectionary used in many Protestant churches. It is read, along with Hosea, Micah, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk in weeks 22-29 of Ordinary Time in the Roman Rite liturgy. But it is not a commonly known or studied text of the Scriptures. Perhaps that is because the subject matter is, as I said, vindictive. Modern Christians may find the idea of "comfort" coming from gleefully wishing for the destruction of enemies as "uncomfortable," if not abhorrent. I would agree. But I think that it is human to wish for God to take an active stance against evil in the world. Historical records of the Assyrian behavior at the time were awful. Beheadings. Tearing apart children in front of their parents. Leaders having body parts cut off in front of their subjects. Don't we wonder today why it seems people who commit heinous crimes against others don't get their comeuppance? Isn't there a part of us that wants to see a person who has abused children, who has tortured and raped people, to suffer even just a little bit at the hands of a just God?

So I have a little more sympathy here for the violent sentiment than I did for earlier sections of the Old Testament regarding genocide and colonization committed by the Jews because they believed they were owed land by God. But this is all part of the record of transition between the aggressive extremes seen in books like "Joshua," to the hope for a divine justice seen in "Nahum," to the eventual culmination of peaceful harmony and sacrifice as seen in the New Testament.

Nahum serves as a reminder of that old part of us that thirsts for revenge as comfort. And I suppose it is our job to continue our journey beyond this stage to a greater harmony with the universe which is perfection we are not yet able to fully comprehend.

NOTE:
I have particular interest in these prophecies and will likely be leaving reviews on all the books of the "Twelve" at some point. But as usual, I will not be giving them a rating as I personally don't feel that a "score" is appropriate or necessary for religious texts of any faith. Commentaries and academic review books, now those are fair game!

[Ejayen · Rating 5 out of 5]

KJV tbh, but this was the first one up.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad to read this book of the Bible again. It isn't one I read frequently, but I plan to study it more soon. Very interesting reading. 1/10/16

Two books in the Bible are dedicated to warnings against Nineveh: Jonah and Nahum. I think I should study them in tandem sometime. Definitely books I want to come back to time and again. 10/17/18

[Hawley Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we are 140ish years after Jonah preached in the streets of Nineveh and the people repented and turned from their evil ways and guess what? Yea, just like the entire rest the world, they’ve returned to their wicked ways. Nahum comes and prophecies their judgement and I for one at not jealous of what the ninevites have headed their way 🙅🏻‍♀️

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nahum is another prophet. My conclusion is don't get on the wrong side of God!

In January 2015 I set myself the challenge to read the complete Bible within a year. I discovered that was an unrealistic challenge, and decided to pick up my Bible as and when I felt ready to read more of it. Here is a link to all the reviews in my Bible challenge so far:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Shantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet." Nahum 1:3 NIV

[AmdynReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 chapters
Book 34 out of 39 in the OT

This one was pretty dark and basically spoke of the destruction & fall of Nineveh.

To quote from the BibleProject summary video:
“Nahum is portraying Nineveh’s fall as an example of how God won’t allow violent empires to endure. (The book of Nahum) addresses the tragedy of violent oppression & human suffering in history.
God is grieved by the deaths of the innocent. God’s goodness & justice compel him to orchestrate the downfall of oppressive nations.”

Verses I highlighted (these aren’t so gloomy):
“The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.”
‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/116/nam.1.3.NLT

“The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.”
‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/116/nam.1.7.NLT

BibleProject Summary Video: https://youtu.be/Y30DanA5EhU?si=W1pbI...

[Alex]

Like Obadiah, this is an extraordinarily short 'book' and its theme centers up on the condemnation of an evil nation, though in this case it is Assyria rather than Edom.

Assyria was one of the world powers, and like with all world powers, there were likely people who believed it would last forever.

Here however is a promise of justice, “the Lord is slow to anger, yet great in power, and the Lord never leaves the guilty unpunished” The power of Assyria will not get in the way of this, “be they ever so many and so vigorous still they shall be mown down and disappear”

Egypt, another world power and its own fall are alluded to through the case of No-Amon and that city's destruction. “Ethiopia was her strength, and Egypt and others without end, Put and the Libyans were her Auxilaries. Yet even she went captive into exile”

It is the reality that people tend to be overawed by the power, prestige, and apparent invincibility of whatever civilization or culture is predominant at the time. They too often sell out their own convictions in a desire to take part in these worldly gains or even out of outright cowardice, as the Jewish people did too many times to count throughout the Bible.

Here, one is reminded that everything on Earth even the most powerful nations fade away, and to cast your lot with any worldly culture, is to invite the same destruction upon yourself. “Your nobles have gone to rest; your people are scattered upon the mountains with none to gather them. There is no hearing for your hurt, your wound is mortal”

[Valentina Navarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was not the version I read but all goods I love this book of the bible it it just hard to understand.

[Wren (fablesandwren) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sidenote: The reason for such vague and short and "eh" words on each of these books, is because I wasn't challenging the study of the Bible when I read these. I was challenging myself to read the whole Bible in a year because I knew it would be discipline to keep at it daily. I do, however, plan to pick up a book and study what it is saying. Those will be longer reads and more notes.

So here is my review from my "Read the Bible in a Year" challenge. Usually just snippets of thoughts and random things I liked about the book itself. Nothing in-depth.

So here is my review of Nahum.

This was a very good read. Had some enlightening verses and some uplifting things. Very needed.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This statement in the first chapter strikes me as odd "The Lord will by no means clear the guilty." Guilty here must not mean "justly chargeable with a particular fault or error" because that includes all of us, and God does forgive repentant sinners and clear their record. So I'm not sure what to think of this... Maybe I'm taking it too literally, and I should consider the context more than I have.

[Angela R. Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

KJV.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nahum 1:9 What do you plot against the Lord?
He will make a complete end;
trouble will not rise up a second time.

That gives me genuine comfort.

[Dayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not very clear because there are three different historical dates when it could have been written:

[Lesley · Rating 1 out of 5]

These prophets basically throw one another in front of the bus claiming themselves true prophets. Much the same

[Jacob H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very poignant.

[Ella あいみ M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nahum gives us a look into how powerful and just God is and how absolute and pure His moral standards are. It teaches us to trust God and know that He will always stand with those who belong to Him, and it offers hope to those who are despised, downtrodden, and in despair. Nahum is only three chapters long and doesn't take much time to read. I encourage you to read it! 😊

[Marla Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!— how I describe this book!

[Cassie Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book of Nahum is the thirty-fourth book in the Bible, and it is found in the Old Testament. The author of the book is Nahum, who is only mentioned in the first chapter of this book and is found nowhere else. Nahum probably prophesied between 663 BC and 654 BC, which is the time period suggested by historical clues found in the text. Nahum is a book of prophecy.

Nahum prophesied during the reign of Manasseh, one of the most evil kings in the history of Judah. Nahum’s focus was on the impending judgement of Nineveh, which suggests a continuation from the book of Jonah. Though God granted mercy in Jonah’s time, the changes and repentance of the Ninevites didn’t last long. Thus, Nineveh’s judgement is foretold by Nahum, and that is the only topic he covers in his prophecies.

The coming judgement of Nineveh would have given hope to Judah, who had been oppressed for years by the Assyrians. The overwhelming darkness at the time of this prophecy, with Judah being oppressed both by the Assyrians and wicked King Manasseh, is a key feature of this book. Though God’s willingness to punish those who are guilty is a prevalent theme, there is hope for those who are discouraged by terrible circumstances as well.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize/remember that this book was written to Ninevah.

Nahum begins saying that God is VENGEFUL. There are a few lines saying the same thing in different ways and are pretty scary. Once you are sufficiently scared, there is a BUT.
...The Lord is slow to anger.

So it seems that these problems with Ninevah had been brewing for a loooong time.

Nahum continues with an absolutely terrifying portrayal of the power of God. TER.RI.FY.ING.

Then when you are absolutely dying in fear from this description of the Power of God, there is an extreme about-face in the description of God.

"He is a refuge"

Oh my goodness...

That...absolutely terrifying God can be my REFUGE? It literally brings me to tears. And the Lord is good.

But, Ninevah does not abide in the refuge of God. They are "vile."

Which side do you want to be on?

There is good news for Judah. They will no more be in shackles.

The captor will become the captive.

[Dennis Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of people have been critical over over the way YHWH is portrayed in the First or Old Testament... When compared to Jesus, people like to complain & say things like: "The God of the OT was so angry and mean."

For me, reading OT books like this gives us information that refutes these claims... We must understand the context of the Ancient & Biblical world.

Many many nations were extreme in their cruelty towards all the other peoples surrounding them. Enslavement, human sacrifice, sexual slavery, this list of horrors goes on and on.

YHWH was slow to anger, long suffering with people in their terrible acts & wishing them to turn from their sin. Eventually, God would punish these nations so that innocent people would be spared of their wicked cruelty.

In this short book, one can clearly discover how evil Nineveh was. It should blow our minds the evil that humanity can inflict on one another.

[John Stanifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nahum is mostly a series of judgments on Nineveh--yes, THAT Nineveh, the same Nineveh that God told Jonah to preach to--and if there's anything that sets it apart, that's probably the most obvious point to a casual observer.

It makes an interesting companion piece to Jonah. As far as I can tell, Nahum is supposed to be set in a period several decades after the book of Jonah, which suggests that after repenting as a result of Jonah's preaching, at some point Nineveh took a step backward.

It's sad, but not surprising when you consider the record of Israel and Judah as recorded throughout much of the Old Testament. Most nations seem to have a hard time holding it together for more than a couple of lifetimes or so . . .

[Captmashpea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed that. So I think Nahum is included in the Minor Prophets but it should also be included in the poetry. It was so cool. It wasn't the same as the other prophecies, the layout was different, the flow was more succinct. It was very easy reading and the message was clear. The clarity really stands out when compared to the other books of prophecies. Many of those books very convoluted messages and it was nice to read a prophetic book that was much more straightforward.
(ebook with kindle dictation)

[Liora Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prose-poetry that feels a bit like political propaganda but also could be an inspiring hope speech. It's a bit hard to tell which it is because of the violent metaphors. The timeline is unclear - is this before or after the fall of Assyria? I feel like I can see this dude standing up on a podium reading these speeches and the crowd cheering and electing him to the opposition. But I guess the Assyrians were the oppressors so I guess I can get behind this. Anyway, reads pretty smoothly, look up words you don't know.

[Christina Sinisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a page in the Bible every day (at least). I didn't think (before now) to keep track...so this doesn't reflect what I've read all year.

I would never presume to rate God's Word. I simply want to acknowledge that the Bible is the first thing I read every day.

By the way, this particular book is depressing. We'd like to think God won't punish us, that He will always be merciful, but even He may decide punishment is warranted. So, I can only try to live up to the righteousness gifted me through Baptism.

[Wesley Scarbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nahum Review

Nahum is a book of the Bible that serves as a warning similar to Obadiah. This book tells us that God is slow to anger but you will have consequences if you do not listen to him and repent. This book also shows us examples of how not to act. Nahum is a pretty good book of the Bible that more people should read. I give Nahum 4/5 stars.

[Em (Makenna) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him!" - Nahum 1:7

Ok this was a reminder to me that God can speak to you using anything! Even a three chapter book of the bible that seemed unnecessary. It was kind of hard to read for me, but definitely worth it!!

[Sean Chick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of a series where I am reading the Bible in chronological order. I am not doing this for reasons of faith, as I am agnostic, but because of my interest in mythology, ancient literature, and history. I chose the NRSV because I used to be Catholic and still have sympathies there. More importantly, this version seeks a balance between an accurate translation and the literary qualities of the King James Bible. So it seems you get the best of two worlds.

This is a long poem on the fall of Ninevah and the destruction of the Assyrian Empire. While not quite having the punch of Hosea and Amos, this is still an excellent and evocative work. So far I like The Bible best when it turns to poetry of destruction. The stuff about God's love is hard swallow after he twice considered wiping out the Israelites.

[Dean Ryan Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

NAHUM was the minor prophet who accurately visualized the destruction of the City of Nineveh. | Figuratively, Nahum's vision is coming true. Mother Nature is getting older. She can no longer protect us from the heat wave, occasional floods and pandemic. Do we think Planet Earth is still livable in 50 years?

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*read as a part of reading the whole Bible in a Year through the Bible App’s plan with The Bible Project. The plan itself is so far superior to any other Bible reading plan that I’ve tried. The videos that go along with the reading are academic, but incredibly thoughtful, understandable, relatable, and also artistic. Highly recommend!