Nahum 1 · The Lantern

THE BURDEN of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

(Chapter I—Verse 1.) God, zealous and avenging Lord. The voice of the prophet praising God for avenging the injury done to his people by the Assyrians. Or, in a deeper understanding, that he hears the groaning of his saints and will make his adversaries feel punishment at the end of the world.

Something of this kind is the meaning of the word oracle: in his wish to give the prophets an insight often productive of rapture, God caused a sudden transformation of their mind so that while in this condition they might receive the knowledge of the future with deeper fear.

The burden of Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. First, he defines the purpose of the prophecy, and usefully clarifies what and where it looks to; then he makes clear who is speaking and from where.

HaShem is a jealous and avenging G-d, HaShem avengeth and is full of wrath; HaShem taketh vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies.

HaShem is long-suffering, and great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty; HaShem, in the whirlwind and in the storm is His way, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

And again: "I will reestablish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am Lord, that you may remember and be confounded and may no more open your mouth because of your confusion, when I shall be pacified toward you for all that you have done, says the Lord God." Thus it is clearly indicated by these divine words what was meant in another place by the statement "And thou…

The Lord's way is in destruction and in shaking, and clouds are the dust of his feet. As the Prophet is about to proclaim beforehand the capture of Nineveh for the comfort of those who have suffered, and to make clear to the wronged that it will be shaken down by God, he usefully recounts first the all-powerful nature of the divine, and that for it, when it chooses to accomplis…

"The Lord is longsuffering, great is his power, and he will certainly not clear the guilty." He does not suddenly and all at once inflict punishment, but only after exercising extreme longsuffering. You Ninevites are witnesses to this, practicing repentance and finding salvation, and then guilty of extreme wickedness and for a time not paying the penalty for it.

He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers; Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.

If it is [Marcion's] Christ that is meant, he will not be stronger than the servants of the Creator. I would have been content with the examples I have shown you without adding anything further. But here a prediction of [Christ] walking on the water precedes his advent as well. The words of the psalm are, in fact, accomplished by Christ's crossing over the lake.

(Verse 4) Rebuking the sea, and drying it up, and leading all the rivers to the desert. It is described according to the power of God, who will avenge Israel's adversaries, showing that it is not difficult for Him to destroy the Assyrians, whose majesty even includes the ability to change the elements.

And the Prophet said, "He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers;" and again, "He looketh on the earth and it trembleth; He rebuketh the mountains, and they smoke." And again the prophet Isaiah saith, "All the nations are accounted as nothing by Him." Now these things the Spirit of God spake concerning the power of God, that those things which were no…

The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at His presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

Who can stand before His indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder before Him.

HaShem is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that take refuge in Him.

But with an overrunning flood He will make a full end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue His enemies.

What do ye devise against HaShem? He will make a full end; trouble shall not rise up the second time.

For though they be like tangled thorns, and be drunken according to their drink, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

Out of thee came he forth, that deviseth evil against HaShem, that counselleth wickedness.

Thus saith HaShem: Though they be in full strength, and likewise many, even so shall they be cut down, and he shall pass away; and though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.

And now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.

And HaShem hath given commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown; out of the house of thy god will I cut off the graven image and the molten image; I will make thy grave; for thou art become worthless.

Nahum1