The prophet’s name derives from a Hebrew word meaning “comfort,” “consolation,” or “compassion.” Prominent biblical names related to the same root are Noah and Nehemiah. The prophet’s name (נַחוּם, naḥûm) and the word, translated “avenging” (נָקַם, nāqam) in Nahum 1:2, sound alike. The plausibility of such an intended wordplay may be further demonstrated by the similar sound of the prophet’s hometown Elkosh (אֶלְקשׁ, ʾelqōš) and the divine epithet “avenging God” (אֵל