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Introduction to Nahum
Part 1: General Introduction
Outline of the Book of Nahum
- Introduction to "the book of the vision of Nahum" (1:1)
- The coming destruction of Nineveh
- The power and goodness of Yahweh to conquer his enemies (1:2–8)
- The destruction of Nineveh because of its people's evil (1:9–15)
- The fierceness of the coming attack on Nineveh (2:1–13)
- The doom of Nineveh and the mockery of it by its enemies (3:1–19)
What was the Book of Nahum about?
The Book of Nahum contains prophecies about how God would judge and punish Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, and they were threatening the southern kingdom of Judah. The book's purpose was to give hope to Judah that the Assyrians would be defeated.
How should the title of this book be translated?
Translators may decide to translate this traditional title, "The Book of Nahum," in a way that is clearer to the readers. They may decide to call it "The Sayings of Nahum." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names)
Who wrote the Book of Nahum?
It is probable that Nahum wrote this book. He was a prophet from Elkosh, an unknown city which was probably in Judah. The book was written before the fall of Nineveh in about 612 B.C. The prophet also mentioned the destruction of Thebes, a city in Egypt, which occurred about 663 B.C. Therefore, the book was written sometime between these two dates. (See: rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/prophet)
Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts
What is the importance of the descriptions of locusts in 3:15–17?
Locust attacks occurred often in the ancient Near East. Certain kinds of grasshoppers would come in countless numbers. There would be so many that they would darken the sky like a black cloud that blocked the sunlight. They often came after a prolonged period without rain. They came down on whatever crops were surviving in the fields and stripped them bare of their leaves. The locusts were unstoppable and caused terrible damage. For this reason locust attacks served as a very powerful image of military attacks in the Old Testament.
There are various names for locusts in the original language of the Old Testament. It is uncertain whether these refer to different kinds of locusts or to the same kind of locust in different stages of growth. For this reason, versions of the Bible differ in how they translate these terms.
Part 3: Important Translation Issues
What emotions were present in the various speakers in the Book of Nahum?
In this book Nahum spoke to the people of Israel. When he spoke to the Israelites he wanted to comfort them. Nahum and Yahweh also spoke to the Ninevites. When Nahum and Yahweh spoke against the Ninevites they often mocked them as well. This manner of speech was similar to speech in the ancient Near East when conquerors laughed at their victims. It is important for translators to represent well both the emotions of comfort and of mockery in translation.