The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

The Book of Nahum

Very little is known about this prophet himself, just his name and hometown. ´ Nahum µ only appears here in 1:1 in the Old Testament, meaning ´FRPIRUW µ 1 ´FRPSDVVLRQµ RU ´FRQVRODWLRQµ (actually, a shortened form of Nehemiah, ´ Comfort of the LORD µ ). This amazing prophet and his prophecy are to be a source of great comfort and assurance to Judah. As far as his hometown is concerned, most scholars would agree with J. Barton Payne that ´7KH SURSKHW·V WRZQ RI (ONRVK FDQ QR ORQJHU EH identified but presumably OD\ VRPHZKHUH ZLWKLQ -XGDK µ 2 This unknown prophet comes forward declaring a prophetic-oracle ´EXUGHQµ --that is, a sentence of doom terrible beyond description --upon a city that was pre-eminently wicked, one called in the S FULSWXUHV D ´EORRG\ FLW\ µ D ´FLW\ IXOO RI OLHV DQG UREEHULHV µ

There is absolutely no doubt about the subject of his prophecy--the judgment, the doom, the FRPSOHWH RYHUWKURZ RI WKH ZRUOG·V JUHDWHVW FLW\ RI WKDW WLPH Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. Although contemporary prophets had much to say about Jerusalem, Judah and Israel, Nahum is concerned with one subject alone ´7KH EXUGHQ RI 1LQHYHK . µ Why this obsession with the downfall of Nineveh? 3 The translators of the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures, 4 must have caught the special association of Nahum and the prophet Jonah, for both books were concerned only with the same subject ² the Judgment of Nineveh. The LXX translators positioned Nahum ·V book immediately after Jonah, believing it to be the complement of that book. Although separated in time by approximately 150 years, they present a two-part, inter-related story of great significance . Freeman says it well: 7KH\ IRUP RQH PRUDO KLVWRU\ WKH UHPLVVLRQ RI *RG·V MX dgment upon repentance being illustrated in WKH RQH WKH H[HFXWLRQ RI *RG·V MXGJPHQW LQ WKH RWKHU FI 1DKXP ZLWK -RQDK 1DKXP ZLWK Jonah 4:2). -RQDK·V SUHDFKLQJ LQ WKH HLJKWK FHQWXU\ KDG SURGXFHG UHSHQWDQFH EXW QRZ RYHU D FHQWXU\ later, the nation, more wicked and ruthless than ever falls under the sentence of divine judgment pronounced by the Prophet Nahum. Their pride, oppression, idolatry and ruthlessness are severely rebuked, and their inevitable and final destruction is pronounced. 5 The Historical Setting

As The Pulpit Commentary says:

1 * &DPSEHOO 0RUJDQ VD\V ³7KHUH LV D VXJJHVWLYHQHVV LQ WKH PHDQLQJ RI WKH SURSKHW¶V QDPH µ1DKXP ¶ ZKLFK VLJQLILHV µWKH IXOO RI H[FHHGLQJ FRPIRUW ¶´ The Minor Prophets, p. 85. 2 J. Barton Payne, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, p. 435. Scholars still debate four different locations. 3 Payne, Ibid. This prolific scholar of Bible prophecy, s D\V LQ KLV DQDO\VLV RI 1DKXP ³RI WKH YHUVHV LQ 1DKXP¶V WKUHH EULHI FKDSWHUV 35 of them (or 74%) are predictive in character; and 34 out of these 35 are devoted to the single subject of the future fall of Nineveh ± WKH UHPDLQLQJ YHUVH FRQFHUQV -XGDK¶V UHFRYHU\ IURP WKH VDPH $VV\ULDQ RSSUHVVLRQ ´

4 Additional information about the LXX in upcoming enclosed article. 5 Hobart E. Freeman, An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets, p 225.

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