Nahum 1
PATThe burden of Nineveh is the title of this prophecy; being the chief subject of it: though this chapter is in the nature of a preface to the succeeding prophecy; setting forth God’s goodness to his people, and his severity towards his enemies. Concerning the sense of the word burden, see the note upon Jcr. xxiii. 33. Vcr. 1. JL HE book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.] The title of Elkoshite is probably taken from the place where he lived. St. Jerome informs us, that there was a village in Galilee called Elkegai; the ruins of which were shewed to him, when he travelled over those parts. (Sec the preface to his comment upon Nahum.) execute his judgment on those that affront &nd dishonour him: and though be doth not always punish sinners immediately, yet he will exercise his severity upon them in due time. nobles dwell in the dust.] By shepherds are meant captains or generals. (Compare Jer. vi. 3. xxv. 34.) These are said to slumber, as having lost their courage, or as being gone to their last sleep, are dead and buried. (Compare Psal. lxxvi. 5, G.) By the king of Assyria, Dr. Prideaux, in the place abovecited, understands Saracus, who was now vanquished by Nabupolassar (who had before possessed himself of tlio kingdom of Babylon), and Cyaxares the king of Media. (Seo the Argument of this prophecy.) The fall of this prince is elegantly described by Ezekiel, xxxi. 3, &c. The words of Jeremiah, 1. 18. J have punished the king of Assyria, are to be understood of the same person. Thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.] Their generals are called shepherds at the beginning of the verse: the same metaphor is here continued, and the people are said to be dispersed, now their leaders are fled or destroyed, as sheep are scattered where they have no shepherd. (Compare 1 Kings xxii. 17.)
Nahum 1:2
God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth, &c. As he is very jealous of his honour, so he will not fail to
Nahum 1:3
The Lord is sloiu to anger, and peat [rather, although he be great. in power, and [or, but] will not at all acquit the wicked.’] The last sentence runs in the Hebrew, nakkeh, loyenakkeh; which is capable of a double interpretation, either as our translation renders it, or else it may be translated, He will utterly destroy: in which sense it is taken, Exod. xxxiv. 7. Numb. xiv. 18. The sense which our interpreters follow agrees best with the context here. (See the note upon Jer. xxx. 11.) The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind, and the clouds are the diist of his feet.] An allusion to his coming down upon Sinai, when darkness and tempests surrounded him; (see Exod. xix. 16. 18. Deut. v. 22, 23. compare Psal. xviii. 7. xcvii. 2.) and he will come again in the same manner to the last judgment; of which, particular judgments are the earnest. (See Psal. I. 3. Dan. vii. 13.) Ver. A.’ He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, &c] The rivers and the sea itself are dried up at his rebuke, as the Red Sea and Jordan were of old; (compare Isa. 1. 2. Habak. iii. 8.) and the most pleasant and fruitful countries, such as Bashan, Carmel, and Lebanon, are parched up with drought when he is displeased. (See Isa. xxxiii. 9. xxxv. 2. Micah vii. 14.)
Nahum 1:5
The mountains quake at him, the hills melt, &c. This may likewise allude to God’s coming down upon Mount Sinai; (compare Exod. xix. 18. Judg. v. 4. Psal. lxviii. 8. xlvii. 5. Micah i. 4.) or else it may relate to the last judgment, as the following words plainly do. (See the note on ver. 3.) Vcr. 6. His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him,.] God is a consuming fire, when he comes to execute his judgments, Deut. iy. 24. and as fire is of a sufficient force to dissolve the hardest rocks, so God’s vengeance can humble the most obdurate siuners. Vcr. 7. He htoweth them that trust in him.’] i. e. He takes a particular care of them. (Compare Psal. i. 7. 2 Tim. ii. 19. and see the note upon Hos. xiii. 5.)
Nahum 1:8
But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof. An army’s overrunning a country is often compared to an inundation. (Sec Isa. viii. 7, 8. Dan. ix. 26. xi. 10. 20. 40.) Thus God will bring CHAP. I.] •UPON NAHUM. the great city of Nineveh to utter ruin, so that there shall be no remains thereof in after times. For the ruins which are to be seen of Mosul, are on the opposite side of the, river Tigris. The place thereof.’] The affix or relative plainly relates to Nineveh, against which city this prophecy is directed, vcr. 1. And darkness shall pursue his enemies.’]?. e. Ruin and destruction. (Compare Isa. viii. 22.)
Nahum 1:9
Adttrsity shall not rise tip the second time. I will make an utter destruction all at once: When J begin, I will also make an end, as it is expressed 2 Sam. iii. 12. The words maybe understood with relation to the destruction of Nineveh prophesied of in the following chapters; viz. that at the same time an end should be put to the family which then reigned over Assyria, and the seat of the empire should be translated to Babylon. (See the note upon iii. 18.)
Nahum 1:10
For while they be folden together as thorns. Or, For as they are folden together like thornsi The particle ad translated ivhile, may be a term of comparison. (See Noldius, p. 668.) The destruction of sinners is elsewhere compared to the burning of thorns. (See the note upon Isa. ix. 18.) And ivhile they are drunken as drunkards.] Compare iii. 11. God’s vengeance is often called the cup of his fury, because it deprives men both of strength and reason. (See the note upon Jer. xxv. 15.)
Nahum 1:11
There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil, &c. This probably is meant of Sennacherib, that uttered so many reproaches and blasphemies against the true God. (See ver. 14, 15.) Nineveh was one of his royal scats, at the time when Nahum delivered this prophecy.
Nahum 1:12
Though they be quiet [or rather, prosperous. , and likewise many, yet thus shall, they be ait down when he shall pass through.] Though the Assyrians be never so numerous, and puffed up with their prosperous success against Egypt; (see the note upon iii. 8.) which will encourage Sennacherib to march directly against Jerusalem; yet God shall cut them off at one stroke by his angel, who slewin one night in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eightyfive thousand, (2 Kings xix. 25.) The verb translated pass through, is often used of a hostile invasion. (See Isa. viii. 8. Dan. xi. 10. Joel iii. 17.) It is taken in that sense, ver. 15. of this chapter, and in both places is to be understood of Sennacherib, the enemy mentioned ver. 11. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.] Rather, no longer, by Sennacherib or his forces. (See ver. 13, 14.) So the particle nM is plainly taken, Ezek. xii. 28. Hos. i. 6. (See Noldius, p. 682.)
Nahum 1:13
For now I will break his yoke from off thee, &c. Hczekiah and his people shall no longer be tributaries to the king of Assyria, as they have been for a considerable time. (See 2 Kings xvi. 17. xviii. 14.) Vcr. 14. Tlie Lord liath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown.] God had decreed that Sennacherib’s family should not long preserve their royal state and dignity: his son and successor, Esarhaddon, was now prohably at man’s estate; for he succeeded his father in a little time after his defeat, (2 Kings xix. 37.) and reigned with great felicity almost forty years; but his next successor, or the next but one, was dispossessed of his kingdom by Nabupolassar, father to Nebuchadnezzar, whose family enjoyed the empire of Assyria, or Babylon, as it came then to be called, till the conquest by Cyrus. (See Dr. Prideaux, under the fifteenth and twenty-ninth years of Josiah.) Some ^explain the words thus: Tliou shalt do no more remarkable actions, whereby thy name may be remembered. So the Chaldee understands it. Out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image, and the molten image.] When God executes his judgments upon any heathen prince or nation, he is said to punish the idols of that people, because the conquerors triumph over their idols as well as their worshippers, and bring in their own idols into the room of those they vanquish. (See the notes upon Isa. xix. 1. xlvi. 1. Jer. 1. 2.) I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.] We may supply the sense from the former sentence. The house of thine idol shall become thy grave, when thou shalt be dishonour-’ ably slain by thine own sons, (2 Kings xix. 37.) as a just punishment for thy blasphemies against the God of Israel, (ibid. ver. 6. 16.)
Nahum 1:15
How beautiful are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that pub lisheth peace. The same words are to be found in Isaiah, Iii. 6. There they relate to the joyful news of the Jews’ return from Babylon, and in a more eminent sense to the glad tidings of the gospel: here they may be fitly understood of the good tidings of the miraculous defeat of Sennacherib’s army, and the raising of the siege of Jerusalem, which was the consequence of it; to which the following words do plainly relate. OJudah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows.] Thou hast now a free access to the temple, to keep the stated feasts with their usual solemnity, and particularly to perform the vows thou mad est to God in thy late distress. For the wicked [or, the wicked one] shall no more pass through thee.] Sec ver. 9. 12. 14.
There is no healing of thy wound. Thy destruction is unavoidable. The Chaldeo expounds it, None is sorry or grieved at thy destruction: which sense agroes very well with the original, and what follows: They that hear the bruit of thee [and thy fall] clap their hands over thee, as rejoicing over thy calamities. (Compare Lam. ii. 15. Ezek. xxv. G. Zeph. ii. 15.) For upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?] All the neighbouring countries have felt the effects of thy cruelties and oppressions.