Nahum (person)

Biblical Record

Nahum appears only in the first verse of the Book of Nahum: "The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite" (Nahum 1:1). Here "vision" refers to revelation received from God. Scripture records only his name and his place of origin, Elkosh. It gives no information about his family, where he ministered, or any other events of his life. His name is generally understood to mean "comfort" in Hebrew.

The Book of Nahum proclaims the fall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. Nahum 3:8 mentions No-Amon (Thebes), an Egyptian city that had already been conquered. For this reason, many scholars date the book between about 663 BC, when No-Amon fell, and 612 BC, when Nineveh was destroyed. The exact date, however, varies among scholars.

A man named Nahum also appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:25, but he is a different person who simply shares the name.

Significance Within Scripture

The Book of Nahum is one of the twelve Minor Prophets. It is distinctive in making the fall of a Gentile city its central theme. Because it describes judgment coming upon Nineveh, the city that had once repented at the warning of Jonah, the two books are often read together. The New Testament does not mention Nahum by name. The expression in Nahum 1:15, "the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace," has a close parallel in Isaiah 52:7. Romans 10:15, which quotes this expression, is usually regarded as citing Isaiah.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• Location of Elkosh: Scripture does not say where Elkosh was. Proposed sites include Alqosh in present-day northern Iraq, the region of Galilee, and southern Judah. One tradition interprets "Capernaum" as "village of Nahum," but this is not an established fact.
• Date of composition: Some place the book shortly after the fall of No-Amon, while others place it shortly before the fall of Nineveh.
• Rejoicing over the enemy's downfall: Interpreters differ over the book's tone of rejoicing at the destruction of an enemy. Some question how this should be read ethically. Others explain it as the proclamation of God's justice as comfort to an oppressed people.

In the Korean Church

The Book of Nahum is not frequently treated in sermons or Sunday school. It is usually introduced alongside the Book of Jonah as part of the story of Nineveh, either in expository series on the Minor Prophets or in through-the-Bible reading programs. Verses such as "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble" (Nahum 1:7) are sometimes cited in devotions and sermons.