About Nahum
The LORD is slow to anger but great in power - the nations that trust in military might and cruelty will meet the God of justice, who is also a refuge for those who trust him.
"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble."
Nahum 1:7
Written
circa 663-612 BC
Author
Nahum
Genre
Prophecy / War Oracle
Position
34th of 66 books - Minor Prophets
Authorship
Nahum of Elkosh - location unknown. The book is a single extended oracle, unified and powerful, likely delivered shortly before Nineveh's actual fall in 612 BC.
Historical Context
Nineveh had been warned by Jonah and had repented (c. 780 BC). But over 150 years later, Nineveh had returned to its brutal ways and was at the height of Assyrian imperial power, having sacked Thebes in Egypt in 663 BC.
Purpose
To comfort the nations oppressed by Assyrian brutality with the announcement of Nineveh's certain fall - demonstrating that no empire can escape God's justice forever.
Key Message
The LORD is slow to anger but great in power - the nations that trust in military might and cruelty will meet the God of justice, who is also a refuge for those who trust him.
Book Structure
Interesting Facts
Nahum's opening (1:2-8) is an acrostic poem - each verse beginning with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
The description of Nineveh's fall (ch. 2-3) includes details later confirmed by archaeology: flooding, the city's gates being forced open.
Nineveh was destroyed in 612 BC by a coalition of Babylonians and Medes - exactly as the book predicted.