Logos Bible Study

Nahum 1–2

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Superscription

1The oracle concerning Nineveh—

the scroll of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

Half-Acrostic: Yahweh Takes Vengeance against His Enemies

2Yahweh is a jealous God and avenging;

Yahweh is avenging and full of wrath.a

Yahweh takes vengeance against his enemies;

he rages against his adversaries.

3Yahweh is slow to anger but great in power;

and Yahweh will certainly not allow the guilty to go unpunished.

He marchesb in storm wind and in gale;

storm clouds are the dust of his feet.

4He rebukes the sea and he dries up the rivers;

he makes all the rivers run dry.

Bashan and Carmel wither;c

the blossom of Lebanon languishes.

5Mountains quake before him;

the hills shake apart.d

The earth heaves before him—

the world and all her inhabitants.

6His indignation—who can stand before it?

Who can endure his fierce anger?e

His wrath is poured out like fire;

rocks are shattered beforef him.

7Yahweh is good—a refuge in the day of distress;

he knows those who take refuge in him.

8But with a rushing torrent he will bring Nineveh to an end;

he will chase his enemies into darkness.

Yahweh Will Destroy Nineveh

9Whatg do you plot against Yahweh?

He will completely destroy it;h

trouble will not rise up a second time!

10For like entangled thorns,

and like their drink which is drunk,

they will be consumed like fully dry chaff.

11From you goes out one who plots evil against Yahweh,

one who plans wickedness.

Yahweh Will Deliver Judah and Destroy Nineveh

12Yahweh says this:

“Even though they are powerful and likewise many,

even so they will be cut off and pass away.

Though I have afflicted you,i

I will afflict youj no longer.

13And now, I will break his yoke from upon you;

I will snap your bonds.”

14Yahweh has commanded concerning you:

“Your name will no longer be sown.

I will cut off the idols and imagesk from the templel of your gods;

I will send you to the gravem because you are worthless.”

15n Look! On the mountains!

The feet of the one who brings good tidings,

the one who proclaims peace!

“Celebrate your festivals, O Judah,

Fulfill your vows!

For he will not invade you again;

the wicked one is cut off completely!”

The Divine Warrior Will Attack Nineveh

2One who shattersa has come up against you!

Guard the fortification!

Watch the road!b

Gird your loins!

Musterc all your strength!

2For Yahweh will restore the majesty of Jacob

like the majesty of Israel;

for ravagers have ravaged them

and ruined their branches.

The Enemy Army Conquers the City of Nineveh

3The shields of his warriors are dyed red;

The powerful men are dressed in scarlet.

The metal of the chariotsd shines like fire on the day of battle,e

and their spears quiver.

4The chariotsf race madly through the streets;

they rush back and forth in the public squares.

Their appearance like lightning bolts,

they dart about like flashes of lightning.

5He calls his officers;

they stumble as they march;

they rush to her wall;

they set the coveringg in place.

6The gates of the river are opened;

the palace trembles.

7Her goddess is taken out and taken into exile;h

her maidservants moan like doves;

they beat on their breasts.

8Nineveh is like a pool of water without its water.i

As they flee,j she cries, “Stop! Stop!”

But there is no one who turns back.

9Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!

There is no end to the spoils,k

an abundance of everything one could want!l

10Emptiness and plundering and devastation!

Their hearts faint and their knees tremble,m

All their loins shaken and all their faces turno pale.

The Divine Warrior Will Hunt down the Mighty Lions

11Where now is the den of the lions

and the cave of the fierce lions?

There the lioness, the cub, and the lion once prowled,p

and no one disturbed them.q

12The lion tore apart enough prey for his cubs,

he strangled prey for his lioness;

he filled his lairr with prey

and his den with mangled carcass.

13“Look! I am against you!” declaress Yahweh of hosts.

“I will burn her chariots with fire;t

the sword will devour fierce lions.

I will cut off your prey from the earth;

the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.”

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Footnotes

  1. aLiterally “a lord of wrath”
  2. bLiterally “His path”
  3. cMT reads “languishes,” but the versions reflect “withers,” which also restores the acrostic
  4. dOr “melt”
  5. eLiterally “the heat of his anger”
  6. fOr “by”
  7. gOr “Why …?”
  8. hLiterally “he will make a complete destruction”
  9. iThat is, Judah
  10. jThat is, Judah
  11. kLiterally “the idols and the molten idols”
  12. lLiterally “house”
  13. mLiterally “I will make your grave”
  14. nNahum 1:15–2:13 in the English Bible is 2:1–14 in the Hebrew Bible
  15. aLiterally “a shatterer”
  16. bOr “way”
  17. cOr “Collect”
  18. dHebrew “chariot”
  19. eLiterally “on the day of his preparation”
  20. fHebrew “chariot”
  21. gThe Hebrew word describes a small portable roof to protect siege warriors from arrows and debris hurled at them from the fortified city wall
  22. hLiterally “It is decreed that she be exiled and led away.” MT reads the very enigmatic “And he is placed, she is sent into exile, she is taken up.” The BHS editors suggest the conjectural emendation “And her goddess = the idol of the patron deity of Nineveh is taken and taken into exile.” This is adopted in the translation on the basis of internal evidence
  23. iMT reads “from her days.” Greek LXX and Syriac Peshitta reflect “from her waters”
  24. jLiterally “And they flee away”
  25. kLiterally “the supply”
  26. lLiterally “every kind of desirable object”
  27. mOr “totter”
  28. nLiterally “And shaking of all loins”
  29. oLiterally “gather”
  30. pLiterally “went”
  31. qLiterally “there is no one making them afraid”
  32. rLiterally “his holes”
  33. sLiterally “a declaration of”
  34. tLiterally “with smoke”

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