Israel samaria being the capital city of the northern kingdom of israel. Nahum provided a detailed description of nineveh s collapse as the medobabylonian coalition attacked the city. Timeline of nahum nahum is an early contemporary of habakkuk, zephaniah, and jeremiah. Josephus places nahum during the reign of jotham, while others place him in the beginning of the reign of ahaz, judahs next king, or even the latter half of the reign of hezekiah, ahazs son. Nineveh s kingdom is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 4 times. Nahum intro to nahum biblica the international bible society. Was jonahs prophecy of ninevehs destruction fulfilled. The vision of nahum was composed after the fall of nineveh in 606, and the. The shields of his mighty men are made red, the valiant men are in scarlet. Concerning the man 1 his home was elkosh, of which little is known nah 1. He wrote from the southern kingdom of judah because the northern kingdom of israel had already fallen to the assyrians in 722 b. Highlights from the books of nahum, habakkuk, and zephaniah.
A wee study between the two ninevehs jonah and nahum parallels between the u. The noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots. The lord will restore the splendor of jacob like the splendor of israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines. However, nahum is a thrilling book to study because it reveals the other side of the attributes of god. Yet nineveh is presented as a large city faced with doom rather than a superpower threatening to swallow her neighbours. The assyrians were notorious for amputating hands and feet. The subject of nahums prophecy is the approaching complete and final destruction of nineveh, the capital of the great and at. The scholarly consensus is that the book of vision was written at the time of the fall of nineveh 3 at the hands of the medes and babylonians in 612 bc 4 5. Levy is the media resource specialist and a bible teacher for the friends of israel gospel ministry.
The second part of the title of the book of nahum, the vision of nahum the. Nineveh destroyed amazing bible timeline with world history. The book of jonah, set in the days of the assyrian empire, describes it 35 36 as an exceedingly great city of three days journey in breadth, whose population at that time is given as more than 120,000. Nahum overview james burton coffman commentaries on the. Rebelling against the assyrians, an allied army which combined the forces of medes and the babylonians, besieged nineveh and sacked 750 hectares of what was, at that time, the greatest city in the world. Nahum is one of three prophets who have prophesies against other nations. The book contains the vision of nahum, whose name means comfort and is related to the name nehemiah, meaning the lord comforts or.
This is apropos because his message of the coming judgment on nineveh comforted judah after their suffering at assyrias hand. This means that at the time of writing, the author already knew that the city was not destroyed. Nineveh is going to fall because israels god, yahweh, has declared it to be guilty, and he has arrived in his terrifying might to carry out its punishment. Review the description of the battle and the fall of nineveh by the armies of the medes and. He musters up before our eyes the number of her chariots and cavalry. Ancient nineveh background bible study bible history online. The assyrians were notorious for amputating hands and feet, gouging. The prophetic book of nahum is an israelite tauntsong over ninevehs destruction by the babylonians in 612 b. In fact, the whole book of nahum written about a hundred years later rails against assyria and predicts her downfall. The territory was not fully secured by the assyrians, however, until the reign of the great king adad nirari i r. The prophet nahum of judah has a word regarding the assyrian capital, nineveh.
Despite ninevehs great power, the city fell just as nahum had prophesied. This summary of the book of nahum provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of nahum. The prophet denounces a wo against nineveh for her perfidy and violence. The evil denounced in the book has not passed on the whole earth na. Because nineveh is a city wholly given up to the grossest superstition, and is an instructress of other nations in her. For the lord will restore the excellence of jacob like the excellence of israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches. For all nations that turn a deaf ear to gods warning will suffer a similar fate as nineveh. Both prophets speak gods word regarding the city of nineveh. Interesting facts about nahum biblical facts and comments. An elaborate historical treatise on the fall of nineveh and the writings of the prophet nahum, this work is divided into three chapters. A solar eclipse preceded this warning, they listened to jonahs warnings and repented. The southern kingdom of judah, who had also departed from the lord.
And thats another whole study to see how the assyrians migrated to europe. When god allowed the assyrians to conquer israel and harass judah, they did so with great cruelty. The judgment of nineveh and the comfort of judah both reveal the sovereignty, righteousness, and grace of yahweh. The book of nahum contains a prophecy that nineveh, the capital of assyria. Nahum needed a singlehearted courage and a full persuasion of the truth of his mission to denounce the crimes of this flourishing kingdom, and to proclaim its coming downfall.
God is love, but god is also holy and righteous and good. His book is a message of destruction for nineveh, and that would. The book of nahum comes some one hundred years after the prophecy of jonah. The prophet nahum predicts the fall of nineveh in the mid7th century bc, several decades before the city actually fell in 612 bc. If jonahs exceptional ministry to the assyrian capital city of nineveh was about 775 bc, then we have nahums pronouncement of her final doom here, at about 650 bc, or some 125 years later. Ninevehs kingdom crossword clue answer crossword heaven. Nahum prophesied, according to some, in the beginning of the reign of ahaz b. Ninevehs kingdom is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 4 times. It would not be until the 1800s that archaeologists would excavate portions of the ancient city. The name is in a sense symbolical of the message of the book, which was intended to comfort the oppressed and afflicted people of judah eiselen b. The gospel of the kingdom of god was the message christ preached. The battle of nineveh is conventionally dated between 6 and 611 bc, with 612 bc being the most supported date. According to the bible, it was gods doing, his judgment on assyrias pride isaiah 10. Exact or approximate indications of time are totally missing in nahum s book.
Some folk think the book of nahum should be called ho hum. Ancient nineveh background bible study bible history. Why did god judge nineveh so harshly in the book of nahum. The assyrians ruthless military tactics are also pictured in reliefs from the kings palace in nineveh, now in the british museum.
The second chapter is a history and description of the city of nineveh from earliest times to its downfall. Although god uses pagans to punish his peoples apostasy and sin, the tool itself is also liable to punishment. Nineveh, and the assyrian empire, was at its height of power. In the assyrian inscriptions of nineveh, repeated mention is made of how they would torture their enemies. The fall of nineveh led to the destruction of the neoassyrian empire over the. The assyrian world power has already devastated samaria, the capital of the tentribe kingdom of israel.
The title identifies the book as an oracle concerning nineveh and attributes it to the vision of nahum of elkosh. After hammurabi s death, his kingdom fell apart and nineveh was taken by the assyrians under adasi r. The book of the prophet nahum is almost exclusively taken up with prophetic denunciations against this city. It seems that nineveh has now fallen again into is severe sin and is being told again of certain judgment. Portrayal of the destruction of nineveh the chariot drivers will crack their whips. Sins of nineveh woe to the city guilty of bloodshed. Nahum was written after the assyrians sacked the egyptian city of thebes, or noamon nah 3.
The book of nahum was written after the destruction of the egyptian city of thebes nahum 3. Jewish antiquities ix 11 3 believed that nahum prophe sied 115 years before the destruction of nineveh. But we dont know where that was because it is not mentioned elsewhere in the. Nahum addresses the people of judah urging them guard attentively. The prophecy of nahum, written by a hebrew against the capital of a gentile world power nineveh, is a denunciation of rampant militarism and tyranny, especially as it affects gods people. Assyria was gods instrument for destroying the northern kingdom of. And, because nahum was a true prophet of the lord, of course, it found its ultimate fulfillment. Apr 20, 20 the book of nahum is a book of stern warning to the peoples of nineveh of old, but its also, in a larger sense, a warning to the descendants of ancient assyria, many of whom now live in central europe.
In fulfillment of prophecy, god made an utter end of the. The lord told jonah to go to the foreign city of nineveh and call its people to. The facts that the kingdom of the 10 tribes in which galilee lies was already in assyrian captivity at nahum s time and that nahum directly speaks to the kingdom of judah chap. The book of nahum explains in vivid detail why god had decided to destroy nineveh. Nahums prophecy against the city of nineveh would have been significant for. Nineveh to fall an attacker advances against you, nineveh. During the prophet jonahs day, nineveh was spared by gods compassion in response to their repentance jonah 3. The hebrew name nahum means comfort or consolation. Very little is known about nahum himself and his name only occurs here in the entire old. However, here are seven reasons why you should preach this wonderful book of the bible. It might help to think of nahum as a followup to the book of jonah. When the prophets were sent to denounce judgments against a nation, or city, their message, or prophecy, was usually called the burden of that people, or place. Kingdom, just as maccabean poets call judea jacob or joseph,4 or as latin.
It was written in poetic form by the hebrew prophet, nahum, in the 7th century b. The text of nahum provides additional clues regarding gods anger with the ninevites. Jan 02, 2020 the text of nahum provides additional clues regarding gods anger with the ninevites. With this additional short summary of the book of nahum you can discover the people, places and stories detailed in this holy scripture. S in the book of jonah, we see the city of nineveh, filled with sin and idolatry, warned by the reluctant prophet jonah that destruction will come to them unless they repent. Summary of the book of nahum the story of the bible. While most of the book threatens nineveh with destruction, there are also. Nineveh was a city of violence, known for its brutal treatment of those it conquered.
The book of the vision as prophets were of old called seers, so their prophecies were called visions. The book s author is nahum, whose name means comfort. The book would then have been written in jerusalem, where nahum would have witnessed the invasion of sennacherib and the destruction of his host 2 kings 19. Nahum 2 nkjv the destruction of nineveh he who bible. As the machinery of war rolls through nineveh, there is the sound of whips cracking, wheels clattering on the stone pavement, horses galloping through the city, and chariots jostling each other for position as they speed through the streets. Nahum is related to jonah who prophesied 150 years earlier against nineveh and experienced a great revival in the city. The book of the prophet nahum is almost exclusively taken up with prophetic denunciations against nineveh. Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. It can be assume that the book was written before 612 bc because that is when nineveh was destroyed and since nahum is predicting the destruction of nineveh that would be a safe assumption. Gods righteous and just kingdom will ultimately triumph, for kingdoms built on.
Book of nahum overview insight for living ministries. Nineveh had indeed been hidden, as nahum predicted long ago nahum 3. Nahum therefore uttered this oracle between 663 and 612, perhaps near the end of this period since he represents the fall of nineveh as imminent 2. The book of nahum introduction to the book of nahum in the bible. The first contains a translation of nahum s oracle against nineveh with both historical and assyriological commentaries. During this time, nineveh had repented of its repentance, and had begun to do the same things again that called forth the threat of judgment through the prophet jonah. Gods glory in ninevehs doom part 1 nahum 1 herald of.
This summary of the book of nahum will help with many different forms of bible study. The burden of nineveh of nineveh, see note on jonah 3. The prophet nahum explained in great detail why the lord decided to remove nineveh as a power. While the book of jonah records ninevehs reprieve, nahum predicts its destruction. The lessons in the book of nahum need to be heeded by other nations. It was likely written before the babylonians took over nineveh in 612 b. The book of nahum is a prophecy about the destruction of the city of nineveh, the capital of the ancient pagan assyrian empire. The book of the vision of nahum the elkoshite nahum 1. When he prophesied, the neoassyria empire was at the height of its power. Kingdom, just as maccabean poets call judea jacob or joseph,4 or as latin poets. Book of nahum, the seventh of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets grouped together as the twelve in the jewish canon. The focal point of the entire book is the lords judgment on nineveh for her.
The destruction of nineveh he who scatters has come up before your face. At its greatest extent, the city of nineveh was 3 miles in width and 7 miles in circumference, far smaller than suggested by jonah 2. Nahum is a great examplea complex prophetic announcement of ninevehs doom which includes israels deliverance from themliterally fulfilled in history, and figuratively fulfilled again and again, esp. Nahum 2 niv nineveh to fall an attacker advances bible. Its ruin and utter desolation are foretold nahum 1. In all three chapters nahum prophesied nineveh s fall, which was fulfilled in 612. Guard the fortress, watch the road, brace yourselves, marshal all your strength. Berean study bible this is the burden against nineveh, the book of the vision of nahum the elkoshite. In verses 2 and 3 the battle is already in progress. The book of nahum is a book of stern warning to the peoples of nineveh of old, but its also, in a larger sense, a warning to the descendants of ancient assyria, many of whom now live in central europe.
The kingdom of assyria and of the assyrians is referred to in the old testament as connected with the jews at a very early period, as in numbers 24. The exclusive focus of the book of nahum is the destruction of nineveh, depicted as a woman being violated. In a world of conquer or be conquered, there was little love lost for the neighboring hostile country. Oct 20, 2012 the book of nahum explains in vivid detail why god had decided to destroy nineveh. Bible study guide book of nahum united church of god. The book would then have been written in jerusalem, where nahum would have witnessed the invasion of sennacherib and. His book is a message of destruction for nineveh, and that would have been a message of consolation for the nations she had oppressed. If jonahs exceptional ministry to the assyrian capital city of nineveh was about 775 bc, then we have nahum s pronouncement of her final doom here, at about 650 bc, or some 125 years later. The theme of the prophecy is the fate and destruction of nineveh, the onetime capital city of the mighty assyrian empire, which had destroyed israel and taken many inhabitants of the land captive 722 b.
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