Nahum

Definition and Meaning

Nahum is the seventh of the twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. The term "Minor Prophets" refers to the shorter prophetic books. Nahum follows Micah and precedes Habakkuk, and it consists of three chapters. The book takes its name from the prophet introduced in 1:1 as "Nahum the Elkoshite." The Hebrew name Nahum is understood to mean "comfort." The location of Elkosh is not known with certainty.

Biblical and Historical Background

The entire book proclaims the coming fall of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Chapter 1 portrays God as "jealous" and as one who "revengeth," yet also as "slow to anger" (Nahum 1:2–3). Chapters 2 and 3 depict the capture of Nineveh in vivid poetry.

Nahum 3:8 refers to the fall of No-amon (Thebes) in Egypt as an event already past. No-amon fell around 663 BC, and Nineveh fell in 612 BC. Scholars therefore generally date the book to the period between these two events.

Nahum is often read alongside Jonah, which concerns Nineveh's repentance and God's forgiveness. The two books stand in contrast: concerning the same city, Jonah speaks of forgiveness, while Nahum speaks of judgment. Nahum 1:15 contains the image of the feet of one who brings good tidings and publishes peace upon the mountains. This verse closely resembles Isaiah 52:7, a passage that Paul quotes in Romans 10:15.

Practice in the Korean Church

Because Nahum is brief and centers on pronouncements of judgment, it is seldom used as a text for Sunday sermons. It is most often treated in reading through the Bible or in expository series on the Minor Prophets.

The most widely quoted verse is Nahum 1:7, cited in Korean churches from the Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong). In the King James Version it reads, "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him." This verse is frequently used as a memory verse (a key verse to be memorized or taken to heart) or as a word of comfort during pastoral visits.

There is no disagreement among denominations about accepting Nahum as part of the canon, that is, as a book included in Scripture. The emphasis of interpretation, however, varies among preachers and scholars.

• The book is generally read as centering on the justice of God, who will surely judge the proud oppressor, and on the comfort it offers to Judah, which had suffered under Assyria.
• Views differ on how to understand expressions that seem to rejoice over the destruction of an enemy nation. Some hold that they should be read against the background of ancient Near Eastern war literature, while others hold that they should be read as the language of faith confessing God's justice against evil.