APATRISTICCOMMENTARY

The Book
of

NAHUM
FR.TADROSY.MALATY
2005
Initialedition

Translatedby
DR.GEORGEBOTROS
Editedby
MaryHanyAnwar

CopticOrthodoxChristianCenter
491N.HewesSt.
Orange,California928692914

ANINTRODUCTIONTO
NAHUM
The word Nahum means "The Comforter". Although
severalprophetscameinaperiodofpitchspiritualdarkness,yet,in
themidstofrevealingthedangeroftheailmentofsin,theyopened
the door of hope by repentance proclaiming its blessings:
Comfort,comfortMypeople (Isaiah40:1).
Nahums name came corresponding to his mission as his
book presents comfort to the people revealing that, although God
allowedforthecaptivityofthekingdomofIsraeltochastenthem,
yet at the same time He would destroy their enemies who
humiliatedthem,andmockedthemandtheirGod.
v Nahum, the comforter of the world, after uttering his words:
Woetothebloodycity(Nahum3:1)heproclaimed:Behold,
onthemountains,thefeetofHimwhobringsgoodtidings,who
proclaimspeace!(Nahum1:15)1.
St.Jerome
NahumrefershimselftoKosh,whichsomebelievetobea
villageinGalilee,whileothersbelieveittobeontheeasternbank
ofthe RiverTigris, few miles away from Nineveh. Knowingwell
theconditionsinMesopotamialedsometobelievethatNahumwas
oneofthecaptivesthere.
As the Kingdom of Israel has fallen under the violent
Assyrian captivation, and as some prophets anticipatedthe falling
oftheKingdomofJudahundertheBabyloniancaptivation,Nahum
presented this prophecy proclaiming the devastation of the great
city Nineveh, because of its use of violence a prophecy that
broughtgreatcomforttothecaptivatedIsrael(theten tribes).
It is claimed that Nahum escaped to Judah during the
AssyrianinvasionofIsraelandresidedinJerusalemuntilthetime
it fellundersiege bySennacherib, Kingof Assyria,when185000

Letter53:8.

ofhismenwerekilledinonenight(2Kings18:19Nahum1:11).
Hewrotehisbookrightafterthatepisode.

THEGOALOFTHISBOOK:
ItstopicistoproclaimhowtheapostasyfromGodwould
end up. That is why it talked about how the great empire of
Nineveh, which was set upon violence, had come to its end with
violence85 yearsafterthisprophecy.Hetalked aswell aboutthe
devastation of No Amon (Thebes) in Egypt that symbolized the
pride inthe human strength(Nahum3:810)toshowthatsinwill
definitelyleadtoperdition!
In a superb poetic style it demonstrates the struggle
betweentheworkofthelivingGodandthatofHisadversaries,
revealing the might and justice of God, Who runs history
accordingtoHisholywill.

TIMEOFWRITINGOFTHISBOOK:
Nahum wrote his prophecy before the destruction of
Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, probably in the days of King
HezekiahandtheprophetIsaiah.

DIVISIONSOFTHISBOOK:
1.AJealousGod
Chapter1
2. Peace for those who lean on Him, and perdition of the
adversaries
Chapter2
3.ThedestructionofNineveh
Chapter3

AJEALOUSJUDGE(Chapter1):
The descendants of the people of Nineveh, who gained Gods
mercies by their repentance (Jonah 3), apostatized to extreme
violence. Their kings used to amuse themselves by cutting off
thenosesofthecaptives,pluckingouttheireyes,andsevering
theirhandsand feetthen mockinglyparadingthem beforetheir
people.
The Lord is a jealous God,on His name and on His people. If
Nineveh became a sea, He rebukes it and makes it dry (7)
He will take vengeance on His adversaries (7), and will
supportthegood.
3

 He reserves wrath for His enemies, who, while drunken like

drunkards,theyshallbedevouredlikestubblefullydried(10).
GodproclaimspeacetoHischildren(15).

PEACE FOR THOSE WHO LEAN ON HIM AND

PERDITIONFORTHEADVERSARIES(Chapter2):
God, in His jealousy, does not stand evil and keeps those who
lean on Him: Will restore the excellence of Jacobthough
ravagershaveravagedthem(2).
Portraying the destruction of Nineveh, he proclaims that sin
would bring about: emptiness with no fulfillment, spiritual
devastation with no edification, faint hearts, trembling knees,
quakinglions,nopossibilityforwork,andallfaceswouldgrow
paleforshame(10).
If man thinks of himself as a lion, lioness, or a lions cub, by
walking in evil, he would lose every authority and possibility
(11,12).

THE REASON FOR THE JUDGMENT OF

ADVERSARIES(Chapter3):
God in His fatherhood debates with them, and reveals the
followingreasonsfortheirjudgment:
Crueltytowardsothers(1):Woetothebloodycity!
Lying(1):Bywhichitdeprivesitselfofthetruth,andseeksthe
vain.
Harlotry (4): By which the soul loses her spiritual beauty and
strengthandgetsdestroyed.
Not heading the lesson of other cities, like that of No Amon
(Thebes),thateventuallycollapsed.

THEACTIVITYOFEVIL
Itturnsitsarmyintospoiledandweakwomen(13).
Itbringsthemdownintomire(14),tobearearthlyminds.
Its commanders become like swarming locusts (17) devouring
theirpeople.
Theirpeoplewillscatter,andwillbecomealessontoothers.
4

CHAPTER1

AJEALOUSGOD
This book portrays the extent of devastation that dwelt on
Nineveh,becauseofthecorruptionthatprevailedinthekingdomof
Assyriaandtheviolenceofitskings,especiallywhendealingwith
theircaptives.AlthoughGodhaspreviouslybroughtHismercyon
Ninevehwhenitrepented,yetapostatizingtoevilmadeitfallinto
utterdestruction.Thislesson,directedtoboththeGentilesandthe
Jews,teachesmanthatGodismightyinHisloveandmercies,yet
Hedoesnotstandoracceptsin.
1.Anintroduction
1
2.GodismightyinHismercies,aswellasinHiswrath
oversin
28
3. The destruction of the kingdom of Assyria and its
army
911
4.TheliberationofJerusalem
1214
5.Thegreatsalvation
15

1.ANINTRODUCTION:
AnoracleconcerningNineveh.Thebookofthevisionof
NahumofElkosh(Nahum1:1)
A century and a half ago God sent the prophet Jonah to
warn the great city of Nineveh that it is going to be destroyed
becauseofitscorruption.Andasthekingtogetherwiththepeople
presentedrepentance,He forgavethem. Butthey soonapostatized
totheirsinsandbecameevenworse,tobecalledthebloodycity
(Nahum 3:1). With their persistence on their wickedness on a
horrible level, He did not send them a prophet, but a prophecy to
proclaim the destruction that would dwell over the city. And as it
cameinthebookofJeremiah:TheinstantIspeakconcerninga
nation,andconcerningakingdom,tobuildandtoplantitIfit
doesevilinMysightsothatitdoesnotobeyMyvoice,thenIwill

relentconcerningthegoodwithwhichIsaidIwouldbenefitit
(Jeremiah18:910).
This prophecy was realized by the kings Nebuchednezar
andAhsuerus(Xerxes).
v Theword oraclemeansakindofinsightgiventoprophets,by
whichtheSpiritofGodcausesasuddentransformationintheir
minds,toreceive,withadeepaweintheformofaclearvision
or proclamation, knowledge of what will happen in the future.
SuchanoracleseizedNahums mindbythegraceoftheSpirit
toknowthedestinyofthecityofNineveh2.
Theodoret,BishopofMessisa

2. GOD IS MIGHTY IN HIS MERCIES, AS WELL

ASINHISWRATHOVERSIN:
A jealous and avenging God is the Lord, the Lord is
avenging and wrathful the Lord takes vengeance on His
adversariesandragesagainstHisenemies(Nahum1:2)
This prophecy, although harsh and firm, yet is full of
compassionoverthesoulsattachedtoGod.Hestartstalkingabout
theLordasajealousGodakindofjealousylikethatofahusband
toward his wife not allowing anybody to touch or harm her and
likethatofakingtowardhis loyal subjectsplanningandworking
for their good. Gods jealousy toward man is out of His love for
himHeacceptsnocompetitortooccupyhisheart!
This jealousy sometimes requires the use of the rod of
chastisement on man, who tends to break his mutual love
relationshipwithGodbygivingHimhisbackinsteadofhisface.
God pours this jealousy in the hearts of His faithful
ministers,tosaytogetherwiththeapostlePaul:ForIamjealous
for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one
husband that Imay present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (2
Corinthians11:2)
With such jealousy the heart of Phinehas the priest flared
over the holiness of the people and the tabernacle, when Israel
committed harlotry with the women of Moab and sacrificed for
2

CommentaryonNahum,1:1.

theirgodsandwhenoneofthemdaredtointroducetohisbrethren
aMidianitewoman,andtobringherintothetabernacle.Whenthe
prieststabbedher,Godsaid:HehasturnedbackMywrathfrom
thechildrenofIsraelbecausehewaszealouswithMyzealamong
them,sothatIdidnotconsumethechildrenofIsraelinMyzeal
(Numbers25:11).
TheprophetElijahalsosaid:Ihavebeenveryzealousfor
the Lord God of hosts for the children of Israel have forsaken
your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets
withthesword(1Kings19:10).
A jealous and avenging God is the Lord (2) He is
jealous over His believers who walk in His ways, are faithful in
theirloveforHim,andareleaningonHim.Iftheyerr,Hechastens
them out of His jealousy and great love for them. And He is an
avenging God, not for His own sake, but forthat of His children
countinganyonewhotakesapositionofanimosityagainstthemas
thoughtakingitagainstHimpersonally.ThatiswhyHesays:He
takesvengeanceonHisadversaries.
To chasten His people, God allowed the kingdom of
Assyria to captivate them. But Assyria assumed that her idols are
mightier than God and started to mock Him and humiliated His
people.
v The Lord is a jealous God He does not take the mocking of
anyone lightly. He is longsuffering, yet He is avenging and
wrathful3.
Tertullian
v MyBrethren, fearsome isthe falling inthe handsoftheLord
andfearsomeisthefaceoftheLordagainstthosewhodoevil
(Psalm34:16)fearsomeistheLordsearlisteningtothevoice
ofAbeltalkingthroughhissilentbloodfearsomeisthefactthat
nobodycanhidehimselffromHisface(Jeremiah23:24)evenif
heascendsintoheaven,ifheentershell,ifheescapestothefar
east,ordwellsintheuttermostpartsofthesea(Psalm139:78).

OnModesty,2.

Nahum of Elkosh stands in terror as God proclaims His

vengeanceagainstHisenemies4.
St.GregorytheNazianzus
v Notice,Obelovedbrethren,that,althoughtheLordourGodis
merciful, righteous, compassionate and gentle toward men, yet
most definitely He will by no means clear the guilty
(Nahum 1:3). Although He welcomes the return of the sinner
andgrantshimlife,yetHeleavesnodoubtthatHefirmlyjudges
and condemns the transgressors. When you hear Him say
throughtheprophetIsaiahtothebishops:Comfort,Ocomfort
Mypeople,says your GodSpeaktenderlytoJerusalem(see
Isaiah40:1),it is fitting for youtoencouragethosewhosin,to
givethemhope,andtoleadthemtorepentancejoyfullyreceive
the repentant, rejoice over them, and judge the sinners with
mercyandcompassion.Ifsomeoneiswalkingonthebankofa
river and you push him into the water instead of helping him,
youwouldbecondemnedforkillingyourbrother5!
TheApostolicStatutes
The Lord is slow to anger but great in power, and the
Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind
andstorm,andthecloudsarethedustofHisfeet(Nahum1:3)
The Lord is slow to anger, waiting for man to repent and
return to Him. It was fitting for Assyria to realize that their
conquestwasallowed byGodtochastenHispeople.Theyshould
have heeded the lesson, forsaken their idols, and believed in the
trueGodtakingintoconsiderationtheirpastexperienceinthedays
oftheprophetJonah.Butinstead,Assyriausedeverywaytomock
and blasphemeGodandtosavagely humiliateHispeople.Andas
theapostlePaulsays:DoyoudespisetherichesofHiskindness
and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that Gods
kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard
andimpenitentheartyouarestoringupwrathforyourselfonthe
day of wrath, when Gods righteous judgment will be revealed
(Romans2:45).
4
5

OnHisFathersSilence,16.
ConstitutionsoftheHolyApostles,2:3:15.

Gods forbearance on the wicked is not out of a lack of

might, for He is great in power waits for their repentance, or
otherwiseHewillbynomeansclearthem.
The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse, nor will
HekeepHisangerforever(Psalm103:67).
The Lord revealed to Moses that He is merciful out of
power and love, when He came down in the cloud, passed before
him, and proclaimed: The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness,keepingsteadfastloveforthethousandthgeneration
(Exodus 34:57). Moses quickly bowed his head toward the
earth,andworshipped.
Godislongsuffering,butHebynomeansclearstheguilty.
He does not let evil go all the way. Those who persist on their
wickednessandnotrepentwouldneverbeacquitted.
Asmancannotstandinthewayofstorms,hurricanes,and
clouds, he will not be able to stand before the wrath of God in
haughtiness and pride. Yet, through repentance and humility, he
wouldenjoythedivinemercies.
v The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and
aboundinginmercy(Psalm103:8).WhyisHeslowtoanger?
Why is He abounding in mercy? Why do men commit sin and
stilllive?Whyaresinscontinuous,andsoislife?Whydomen
blasphemeeverydayandstillHissunrisesontheevilandon
the good (Matthew 5:45)? Anyway, He calls for reform, He
calls for repentance, He calls through His blessing for the
creation, He calls through granting more time for life (more
chanceforrepentance),Hecallsthroughthereaderoftheword
inthechurch,throughthepreacherthroughtheinnerthoughts,
through the rod of reform, and the mercies of comfort. He is
indeedslowtoangerandmerciful,yetweshouldbecarefullest,
according to the words of the apostle (Roman 2:7) 6, through

OnPs.103(102).

abusing the greatness of His mercies we may treasure up for

ourselveswrathinthedayofwrath.
St.Augustine
v I willestablishMycovenant withyou.Thenyoushallknow
that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be ashamed,
and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame,
when I provide you an atonement for all you have done, says
theLordGod(Ezekiel16:6263).Withthesedivinewordsthe
prophet refers to what is said in another place: If He purifies
you,yet,Hedoesnotmakeyourighteous.Eventherighteous,
if they apostatize from their righteousness through committing
sin, they would not dare to open their mouths, but would say
together with the apostle: I am not worthy to be called an
apostle,becauseIpersecutedthechurchofGod(1Corinthians
15:9)7.
St.Jerome
v The Lord is slow to anger but great in power and the
Lordbynomeanscleartheguilty(Nahum1:3).Hedoesnot
bringpunishment(chastisement)allofasuddenandonthespot,
but after a great longsuffering. You, the people of Nineveh,
shouldtestifytothis,asafterhavingcommittedevil fora long
time without being punished when you presented repentance,
you found salvation. TheLordby no meansclearstheguilty
means that He does not acquit those worthy of punishment
amongsinners8.
TheodoretofCyrus
The clouds are the dust of His feet (Nahum 1:3), as
though God comes from heaven on His swift chariot like
lightening, He would be surrounded by clouds like those that
surroundtheswiftchariotsandhorses.
Herebukestheseaandmakesitdry,anddriesupallthe
rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the bloom of Lebanon
fades(Nahum1:4)
7
8

AgainstthePelagians,2:25.
CommentaryonNahum,1:3.

10

God,byHisword,hascreatedeverything,andbyHisword
Herebukestheseaandmakesitdryanddriesupalltheriversthat
pourtheirwaterintothesea.Intheolddays He drieduptheRed
SeatoletHispeoplewalkonitsbottomasthoughonlandandso
HedidtotheRiverJordan.
WhiletheseasandtheriversdryupbythewordoftheLord
God,man, in hisgreatweakness,takesapositionofrebellionand
mutinyagainstHislongsufferingandlovingCreator.Ifmanthinks
so high of himself, let him behold Bashan with its green pasture
(Joel1:10),theCarmelwithitsvineyardsandfieldsofwheat,and
Lebanon with its forests (Isaiah 33:9). If these regions,
characterized by such dense vegetation and beautiful flowers,
witherbytheheatofsummerandbythesnowofwinter,thenwho
could stand beforetheCreatoroftime,andtheLordofthewhole
world?!
Tertullian believes this prophecy to be about the Lord
Christ,whorebukedthewindandthewaves,andwhowalkedover
thewaterofthesearealizingthewordsofthepsalmthatsay:[The
Lordisovermanywaters(Psalm29:3)9].
ThemountainsquakebeforeHim,andthehillsmeltthe
earthheavesatHispresence,theworldandall whodwellonit.
WhocanstandbeforeHisindignation?Andwhocanendurethe
fiercenessofHisanger?Hiswrathispouredoutlikefire,andthe
rocksarebrokeninpiecesbyHim (Nahum1:56)
He likens the divine wrath to the fury of volcanoes and
earthquakes that destroy the mountains, melt the hills, and
devastate entire cities. If no one can stand before these natural
phenomena, how could man stand before the indignation of the
divinewrath?!
ThussaystheLordGod,Behold,MyangerandMyfury
willbepouredoutonthisplace Onmanandonbeast,onthe
treesofthefield,andonthefruitofthegroundanditwillburn
andnotbequenched (Jeremiah7:20).

AgainstMarcion,4:20.

11

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble

andHeprotectsthosewhotakerefugeinHim (Nahum1:7)
SothatnooneevenAssyrianswouldthinkthatGodisa
Mighty Avenger, the prophet illustrates the righteousness and
compassionofGodtowardsthosewhotakerefugeinHim.
When man becomes angry, he loses his peace, love, and
compassion, whereas God, in His anger over evil, is always
compassionate. The prophet Habakkuk says in his prayer: In
wrath,remembermercy(Habakkuk3:2).InHisangeroverevil,
God anticipates to have mercy on the sinner, if he reveals a true
longingforrepentance.Whilethewickedareterrifiedtoencounter
God, those who trust in Him praise Him saying: The Lord is
good, s stronghold in the day of trouble and He protects those
who trust in Him (7). The righteous see in Gods might a
consuming fire that keeps them protectd, that He is capable of
saving them, that He surrounds them and keeps safe them against
anyfieryarrowdirectedtothem.St.Petersays:TheLordknows
how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the
unjustunderpunishmentfortheDayofJudgment(2Peter2:9).
v GivethankstotheLord,forHeisgood(Psalm106:1).You,
who commit major sins, despair of salvation, and assume that
because of the seriousness of your sins you would never be
forgiven, I advise you or the prophet does to give thanks to
theLord,forHeisgood.Althoughyoursinsaregreat,yetGod,
who has compassion on you, is greater. Confess your sins to
Him,showremorseandneverdespairofyoursalvation,asGod
is compassionate. Dont lean on your own power, but lean on
themercyoftheLord10.
St.Jerome
v FortheLordisgood.HeisnotgoodthewaythethingsHe
created are, as God saw everything that He had made, and
indeed, it was very good (Genesis 1:31) not just good, but
very good If He created everything very good, then how
wouldbetheOnewhocreatedthem?!Towhatextentcanwe
10

OnPs,Os(106).

12

talkaboutHisgoodness?!WhocanrealizewhatisinHisheart?
Let us reevaluate ourselves, we are not even worthy to
contemplateinHimyetthroughhope,wecan,whenourhearts
are purified by faith, then we can truly rejoice. If we cannot
beholdHimnow,letusbeholdHisworkssothatwedonotlive
without praising Him. That is why I say: Give thanks to the
Lord,forHe isgoodpraiseHis name, for it is sweetWhat
couldbesweeterthanthefoodofangels?HowcanGodnot
be sweet, when man ate the food of angels? Men live on a
similar kind of food. That is true it is the Wisdom, it is the
goodness of God, yet you cannot enjoy it the way the angels
do11.
St.Augustine
But with an overflowing flood, He will make an utter
end of His adversaries and will pursue His enemies into
darkness(Nahum1:8).
Some believe this phrase to be a prophecy on what would
dwell over Nineveh by the hands of the armies of Mede and
Babylon, that attacked the city like an overwhelming flood.
Whereasothersbelieveittobeaprophecyaboutthefloodthatthe
enemy caused by destroying the 20 furlongs high wall protecting
thecityagainsttheriver(220yardsor1/8mile).

3. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE KINGDOM AND

THEARMYOFASSYRIA:
WhydoyouconspireagainsttheLord?Hewillmakean
utterendofit.Noadversarywillriseuptwice(Nahum1:9)
HereheprobablyreferstowhatSennacheribandhisdeputy
Rabshkehhavedone,whentheypubliclyboastedagainsttheLord
of hosts as a God helpless to protect His people or to save them
fromtheKingofAssyria.Theprophetheremocksthekingdomof
Assyria that assumed to be capable of opposing the great Lord
saying:Youroppositionisnotagainstmortalhumans,butagainst
themightyGod!
11

OnPs135(134).

13

No adversary will rise up twice. When Sennacherib

triedtoinvadeJerusalem,hisarmywasdestroyedandhisownsons
killed him on his return home. There was no way for all that to
happenagain!
v A father would nottend toteachhis son unless he loves him.
Andateacherwouldnevertrytomendthewaysofhisstudent
unless he sees some promise in him. When a physician stops
caring forapatientthatwouldbeasignthathedespairsof his
case. It is fitting for you to think about the afflictions that
Eleazar endured in his life, and say to yourself: I will gladly
endure affliction in order to enjoy the promised glory as
Afflictionwillnotriseuptwice(Nahum1:9)12.
St.Jerome
v The bishop, the priest, or the deacon, who falls in adultery,
falsevow,orstealing,wouldbecompletelyexcommunicated,as
according tothe holy Book No one could be punished twice
forthesamecrime13.
Ecclesiasticstatutes
v When common people are cast away from the congregation,
they could again eventually receive their rank, but in case a
deaconfallshisexcommunicationcouldneverbereversed,but
wouldbepermanentlyset14.
v A priests who commits a fatal offense, although he would be
excommunicated, yet he would not be cast away from his
fellowshipinthecongregationashecouldnotbepunishedtwice
forthesameoffense15.
St.BasiltheGreat
For while tangled like thorns, and while drunken like
drunkards, they shall be devoured like stubble fully dried
(Nahum1:10)
12

Letter68:1.
ANFrs,vol.7,p.501(cf.St.Basil:AdAmphilochium,3.)
14
Letter188(CenonicaPrima),3.
15
Letter199(CanonicaSecunda),31.
13

14

HelikensSennacheribandhismenastheyboastagainstthe
Lordofhoststodrythornsbeforethefire,ortodrunkardswhodo
notknowwhattoutter.Theyarelikestubble,fullydried,thatfire
consumesinnotime.
Becausethose185thousandmenmusthavebeenliketheir
leaderboastingagainsttheLordGod,theywerestruckbytheangel
of the Lord, which is obvious from the words of the prophet:
tangledlikethorns,anddrunkenlikedrunkards.Theybecame
likeatangledlumpofthornsthatcouldnotbeseparatedandwould
bethrowntogethertoburninfire.
Thornssymbolizethewicked,whomayseemharmful,yet,
because they are fully dried, they are easily consumed by fire to
become helpless ashes. The godless sons of Beleal. are all like
thornsthatarethrownawaytopickthemupwiththehandorto
touchthem,oneusesanironbarortheshaftofaspear,Yetthey
areentirelyconsumedinfire.(2Samuel23:67)
Thedrunkardswhilestaggering,theypretendtobebrave,
and boast as being great, rich, and strong, when anyone can push
themtofallwithhisfingertip.
Diodorus Siculus states that when the enemy approached
Nineveh,Sardanapalus sethis famouspalaceon fire,realizingthe
prophecyoftheprophetNahumthattheywouldbeconsumedlike
thorns.
From you comes forth one who plots evil, against the
Lord,awickedcounselor(Nahum1:11)
He addresses Nineveh, out of which Sennacherib comes
forth to utter evil against the Lord, bringing perdition on himself
and on his city. He calls Rabshakeh a wicked counselor, for
counselingthemenofwarsittingonthewallsofJerusalemnotto
lean on the Lord God, claiming that He is helpless to save them
fromthe handofSennacherib,kingof Assyria(Isaiah36).By his
wickedcounsel, he broughtperditionon185thousand menof his
army, who were killed by an angel of the Lord in a single night
(Isaiah 37:36), and on the king Sennacherib himself, who was
killedbyhisownsons:AdrammelechandSharezer(Isaiah37:38).

15

4.THELIBERATIONOFJERUSALEM:
ThussaystheLord,thoughtheyareatfullstrengthand
many,theywillbecutoffandpassaway.ThoughIhaveafflicted
you,Iwillafflictyounomore(Nahum1:12)
ThekingdomofAssyriawaslikenedtoarazorthatshaved
thekingdomslikethehairofahead,soitspunishmentwasthatit
itself will be shaved: On that day the Lord will shave with a
razorhiredbeyondtheRiverwiththekingofAssyriathehead
and the hair of the feet, and it will take off the beard as well
(Isaiah7:20).
Having defeated several cities that leaned on their pagan
gods, the Assyrian army, with their great number and strength,
stoodbeforeJerusalemfeelingconfidentandsecure,butweresoon
tobeshavedawaylikegrassbytheangeloftheLord,whoafflicted
themonceandforallandwouldafflictthemnomore.
By saying: I have afflicted you, and will afflict you no
more, the Lord reveals His goal for chastisement which is the
repentance of the sinner in humility, after which He would raise
him up and set him glorified. That is why it is said of the Lord:
FortheLordwillnotrejectforever.ThoughHecausesgrief,He
willhavecompassionaccordingtotheabundanceofHissteadfast
love. For He does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone
(Lamentation3:3133).
By saying: I have afflicted you, and will afflict you no
more the Lord confirms to king Hezekiah that He allowed that
siege for him and his people to let them recognize their
transgressions and present a true repentance with the spirit of
humilityandthatthestriketocomeoverthearmyofAssyria,who
is putting Jerusalem under siege, will be a devastating one, after
whichSennacheribwillneverbeabletodoitagain.
For now I will break off his yoke from you, and burst
yourbondsapart(Nahum1:13)
The Lord confirms to king Hezekiah and his men that He
will break the yoke of Sennacherib and burst his bonds apart, he,
who with his army invaded several of the cities and villages of
Judahandexploitedthemfreely,whileJerusalemcouldnotdefend
16

them having been itself helplessly bound and shackled. He

confirms to them that the Assyrian army, out of which 185
thousand men were killed by the angel of the Lord in one night,
willneverattackthemagain,havingbecomeasthoughextinctand
helpless.
The yoke of King Sennacherib was the tax he imposed on
Hezekiah(2Kings18:14).
The Lord has commanded concerning you: Your name
shall be perpetuated no longer. From the house of your gods I
willcutoffthecarvedimageandthecastimage.Iwilldigyour
grave,foryouareworthless(Nahum1:14)
The Lord issued His command to abolish the name of
Sennacheribaltogetherasaconquerorandvictorious,toscatterhis
reputation like dust carried away by the wind. And by saying:
fromthehouseofyourgodsIwillcutoffthecarvedimageand
thecastimage,Heprobablyreferstohisbeingkilledbyhistwo
sonsinthehouseofNisrochhisgod(Isaiah37:382Kings16:37)
ahorriblecrimethatprovedthatNisrochishelplesstoprotectthose
whoworshiphimledthepeopletoforsakeworshippingit,andto
cutofffromitshousethecarvedandcastimages.Heprobablyalso
refers to the collapse of the Assyrian kingdom, when its enemies
devastatedNinevehanddestroyedtheimagesofitsgodsthatthey
thoughttobethesecretoftheirmight.
Iwilldigyourgrave,foryouareworthlessthehouseof
Nisroch his god became his grave, where he laid despised and
killedbyhisownsons,deprivedevenofthenaturalsonhoodlove.
He may also refer here to the city of Nineveh, having been
disgracefullydevastated,becameagraveforAssyria.
Having the Lord our God in our hearts and carrying His
name,wewishnomoreforournametobeperpetuatedtosay:I
have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live, but
Christlivesinme(Galatians2:20).WhentheLorddestroysinus
theego,setsinusHisdivineKingdom,buriesourselfishnessas
though in a grave, and cast away our worthlessness to be granted
His glories, the heavenly creatures will sing saying: The royal
daughterisallgloriouswithin(Psalm45:13)andtheHeavenly
17

OneHimselfwillpraiseussaying:YouareallfairMylove,and
thereisnospotinyou(Songs4:7),Whoisshewholooksforth
asthemorning,fairasthemoon,clearasthesun,awesomeasan
armywithbanners?(Songs6:10)

5.THEGREATSALVATION:
Behold, on the mountains the feet of Him who brings
good tidings, who proclaims peace! Oh Judah, keep your
appointedfeasts,fillyourvows,forthewickedoneshallnomore
passthroughyouheisutterlycutoff (Nahum1:15)
Bringing to Jerusalem the good tidings of bursting her
bonds apart, of breaking off the yoke of the Assyrian army, the
perditionofKingSennacherib,andofcuttingofftheimagesofhis
gods, the prophet Nahum prophesies what is greater, namely the
salvationpresentedbytheMessiahtothewholeworld.Hebeholds
the Lord Christ as though coming on the mountains proclaiming
the true, inner, and eternal peace, reconciling mankind with God
the Father transforming our life into incessant feasts, and
destroyingandutterlycuttingthedevilofftogetherwithhishosts,
ways, works, and thoughts to have no more authority over the
childrenofGod.
WhatarethesemountainsonwhichtheOne,whobringsthe
good tidings of peace, walks but the prophecies, which prepared
humanitytoreceivetheSavior?
v He surely brings good tidings to Zion and presents peace to
Jerusalem.Heascendsa mountain,whereHespendsthewhole
night praying (Luke 6:12). Refer back tothe prophets to know
His whole role. The prophet Isaiah says: Get up to a high
mountain,OZion,heraldofgoodtidings(Isaiah40:9).They
were astounded at His teaching, because He spoke with
authority(Luke4:32)Whenthetimecomes,Iwillbethere
onthemountains,tobringthegoodtidingsofpeace(SeeIsaiah
42:7) and according to Nahum, one of the twelve minor
prophets:Behold,onthemountainsthefeetofHimwhobrings
goodtidings,whoproclaimspeace(Nahum1:15)16.
16

Tertullian:AgainstMarcion,4:13.

18

Tertullian
v LetusberemindedofhowtheLordascendedfromHadesand
breathed the Holy Spirit in the face of Judah namely, His
Jewish disciples, who, being referred to the New Testament,
theirdaysoffeastshavebecomespirituallyrenewedandwould
neverbecomeold.Moreover,wecanalsoseehowtherestofthe
prophecy(Nahum1:14)hasbeenrealized,whenthegospelhas
cutoffthecarvedandcastimages,namelythevainidolsthat
weredeliveredtoforgetfulnessinthegrave17.
St.Augustine
v Speakingaboutthefeet,hemeansthecomingoftheapostles,
who wandered with their feet all over the world preaching the
coming of the Kingdom of God as their appearance brought
lightoverhumanitybyrevealingthewayofholdingpeacewith
the Lord, to whom John the Baptist came to prepare the way
(Mark1:3Isaiah40:3).Thatisthepeace,towardswhichthose
whobelieveinChristhasten18.
Fr.Ambrosiaster
v It is not only my words that clarify these things, they are
already proclaimed by the prophet who cries out: Behold, on
the mountains, the feet of Him who brings good tidings, who
proclaimspeace(Nahum1:15).Hismessage,aboutwhichHe
broughtthegoodtidings,says:OJudah,keepyourappointed
feasts,fulfillyourvows(Nahum1:15).Fortheywillnotreturn
towhatisolditisnomoretherealtogether.He,whobreathed
on your face and took the grief away from you, has ascended
(Nahum1:15).Now,whoisHe,whoascended?Ifyouwantto
knowthetruthanddisregardtheallegationsoftheJews,behold
ourSavior,whoascendedandbreathedonHisdisciplesandtold
them:ReceivetheHolySpirit(John20:22).Oncecrucifixion
wasconsummatedtheoldthingscametoanend:theveilofthe
temple was torn (Matthew 27:51), and the Jewish altar was
destroyed, and, although the city was still intact, the
17
18

CityofGod,18:31.
CommentaryonPaul'sEpistles(Rom.10:15).

19

abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15) was preparing to

stand in the holy temple to bring an end to Jerusalem and all
thoseoldstatutes19.
v Thedayofthefeasthasonceagainapproached,inwhich,ifwe
keep silent, we may make it unholy it should be dedicated to
prayers more than any other day, in it we should keep the
commandments. For, although we are suffering affliction by
those who grieve us, yet we thank God, who comforts the
grievedsoasnottobedefeatedbytheevilofthose,who,when
theyaccuseus,wekeepsilent.Inourobediencetothevoiceof
thetruth,wecryoutloud,togetherwith you,onthedayofthe
feast, for the God of all said that Moses and Aaron should
persuade the people to keep the Passover and the Spirit
proclaims in the psalms: In the head of the month, blow the
trumpet,ItisthefeastofthecrescentandtheprophetNahum
cries out saying: O Judah, keep your appointed feasts
(Nahum1:15).
I am not addressing the word to you as though you are
ignorant,butIproclaimittothosewhoalreadyknowitinorder
torealizethatalthoughsomearecreatingdissensionamongus,
yetGodkeepustogetherwecelebratethesamefeastandwill
alwaysworshipthesameGod.
We do not celebrate it as onlookers, who are rebuked by
the apostle, who says: You observe days and months and
seasonsand years(Galatians4:10),butwewhoministerto
Godeverywhereratherhonor thisgreatdayasafeasttoplease
the Lord by our collective prayers. The blessed Paul
proclaiming, not the day, but the Lord, for whose sake we
observethefeast,says:ForindeedChrist,ourPassover,was
sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7). Contemplating in the
eternityoftheword,weapproachHimtoministertoHim20.
v Belovedbrethren,onceagainGodbroughtusovertotheseason
of the Passover and through His compassionate love He
19
20

PaschalLetters,1: 8.
PaschalLetters,3:1.

20

gatheredustogethertocelebrateit.ForGod,whobroughtIsrael
out of the land of Egypt, is still calling us this very day to
celebrate the Passover, saying through Moses: You shall keep
the Feast of the Weeks to the Lord your God (Deuteronomy
16:10) and through the prophet Nahum He says: O Judah,
keepyourappointedfeastsfulfillyourvows(Nahum1:15).
IfGodHimselflovesthefeastandcallsonustoobserveit,
itisnotright,brethren,topostponeitortopracticeitslothfully,
but we should do it joyfully and zealously, so that, if we
joyfullycelebrateithere,oursoulswouldyearntotheheavenly
feast.
If weactivelycelebrateithere,wewillsurelyreceivethe
perfect joy in heaven, according to the words of the Lord to
His disciples: I have fervently desired to eat this Passover
withyoubeforeIsufferforItellyou,Iwillnoteatituntilitis
fulfilledinthekingdomofGod (Luke22:1516).
We eat it now if through our understanding of its
significance and our knowledge of the Savior, we walk
according to His grace, and according to the words of the
apostlePaul:Thereforepurgeouttheoldleaven,thatyoumay
beanewlump,sinceyouaretrulyunleavened(1Corinthians
5:7).AsinthesedaystheLorddied,thatwenomoreyearnto
theworksofdeath!HedeliveredHislifetoletuskeepourlife
awayfromthesnaresofthedevil21.
St.Athanasius,theApostolic
v [Forthe monks] We shouldobservethesedays in awaythat
ourrelaxationorrestwouldbebeneficialandnotharmfultothe
body or soul that the joy of the feast would not weaken the
thorns of the body and our wild enemy (the devil) would not
relax because of these days of rest. Therefore, in order to
observe the traditions of the feast and to relax just a little bit
fromthelawoffasting,itwillbeenoughforustohaveourmeal
atthesixthhouroftheday(12oclocknoon),insteadofatthe
usual ninth hour without making any change in the quantity or
21

PaschalLetters,6:1.

21

kind of the food. By doing so we do not lose the purity of the

bodyandthegoodnessofthesoul,whichwehavegainedduring
thedaysoftheGreatFasting.
We should watch ourselves to the end, lest our souls
wouldbeweakenedbylusts,andwelosethepuritythatwe
have gained through relaxation or slothfulness during the
feast of Passover after so much strife all along the days of
theGreatFasting.Thatiswhy,eveninthemostexaltedof
feasts, we should not add anything to the kind or quantity of
foodweusuallytake,thatourjoyinthefeastwouldnotarouse
in us some fatal struggles of bodily lusts, bring us grief, and
makeusmournourlostpurityofheart.
Yet, at the same time, we should be aware, not to be
rebukedbythewarning:OJudah,keepyourappointedfeasts
fulfillyourvows(Nahum1:15),as,ifcelebratingthedaysof
the feast do not contradict with the continuation of our
abstention,wewillbeenjoyingperpetualspiritualfeasts22.
AbbotTheonas

22

St.Cassian:Conferences21:23.

22

ANINSPIRATIONFROMTHEBOOKOFNAHUM1
YOUAREMIGHTYINYOURLOVEYOUAREJEALOUS
INYOURHOLINESS
v You are a holy jealous God, who does not compromise with
sin!
Youdonotwish,neithertoknowit,nortoletitknowyou!
YoupourYourholinessonthosewhobelieveinYou.
AndgrantYourrighteousnessonthosewhodesireafellowship
withYou.
v YoulovedustosanctifyustobecomeaniconofYou.
Butfoolishlywelovedsin,countingitaslifeandjoy.
InYourlongsuffering,youprovokeustoreturntoyou.
Ifwepersistonevil,howcouldwestandbeforeYou?
v Nomancanconfrontstorms.
Norcanhecontroltheclouds,
Therockscannotstandbeforethefireofvolcanoes.
So,howcanwedaretostandbeforethefireofYourjealousy?
You are a consuming fire that burns evil and lightens
righteousness.
v Youaregood,OLord.
EveninYourangerYouchastentosave.
You consume evil totake away the dust from us, and to set a
newheavenoutofus.
Sennacherib,KingofAssyria,thoughtthatbyhisarmyhecan
boastagainstYou!
Thedriedstubblestoodbeforethefire!
Hisarmy,whoassumedtobemighty,staggeredlikedrunkards
YoubrokehisyokeandsavedYourcity.
NinevehcollapsedwhenYoutookawayherauthority.
Herenemydestroyedherandcutofftheimagesofhergods.
Everyhandthatstretchestowardsyourpeople,iscutoff.
And every soul that opposes Your kingdom, if it does not
repent,willperish.
YousavedYourpeoplefromSennacherib
23

AndinthehouseofhisgodNisrochhewaskilledbyhisown
sons.
Yoursalvationisamazingandmighty!
v Yoursalvationspreadsoverthewholeworld.
Behold,Youarecomingonthemountainsoftheprophecies.
You came down to bring us the good tidings of the
reconciliationwithheaven.
Youtransformedourworldintoheaven
Andourdaysintoincessantfeasts.
Youbroughtthedevildownbeneathourfeet.
Youabolishedeveryauthorityhehad.
Hefelllikelighteningfromtheheavenofourhearts.
Henomorehasplaceinsideus.
NoonebutYoureignsoverourhearts.

CHAPTER2

PEACETOTHOSEWHOLEANON
HIM
ANDPERDITIONONTHOSEWHO
OPPOSEHIM
In the first chapter God showed that He is jealous in His
love and mercy towards those who lean on Him, however great
their afflictions are. He is mighty in His wrath when the wicked
persistonpracticingtheirevilsagainstHispeople,countingevery
oppositionagainstanyofHisbelieversasthoughitisagainstHim
personally.Byhisopposition,thewickeddepriveshimselfofGod
thesourceofhislife,joy,happiness,andglorydestroyinghimself
byhimselfashefallsunderGodswrath.
The kingdom of Assyria, with its great capital Nineveh,
assumedthatitconqueredGod,notrealizingthatGodallowedher
conquesttochastenHispeopleforsometime.Nineveh,fallinginto
24

oppression and savagery against the people of God together with

blasphemy against God in every way, brought on itself complete
destruction.
Nowthis chapterdemonstratesGodsworkforthesakeof
thosewholeanonHimafterbeingchastised,andwhatwoulddwell
onthosewhoopposeHimaftergivingthemchancestorepenttheir
horribleevils.
1.Glorytothechastenedbelievers
14.
2.Shameontheopposingaggressors 510.
3.Godopposesthesavageaggressors 1113.

1.GLORYTOTHECHASTENEDBELIEVERS:
The shatterer has come up against you. Guard the
ramparts watch the road gird your lions collect all your
strength(Nahum2:1)
God used Assyria as a rodof chastisement on His people
butwhenAssyriashowedhaughtinessinboastingagainstGodand
used every way to practice savagery against His people under
chastisement,GodsentBabylon thehammerofthewholeearth
against them (Jeremiah 50:23) to pour its hammers on the great
Nineveh,publiclyanddaringly.
He addresses Babylon, which He calls the shatterer
saying:YouareMybattleax,andweaponsofwarforwithyou
I will break the nations in pieces, with you I will destroy
kingdomswithyouIwillbreakinpiecesthehorseanditsrider
withyouIwillbreakinpiecesthechariotanditsriderwithyouI
willbreakinpiecesthemanandwomanwithyouIwillbreakin
pieces the old and young with you I will break in pieces the
young man and the maiden with you I will break in pieces the
shepherdandhisflockwithyouIwillbreakinpiecesthefarmer
and his yoke of oxen and with you I will break in pieces the
governorsandrulers(Jeremiah51:2023).
God allowed the armies of Mede and Babylon to destroy
Nineveh. It may look as though it is a war between nations and
peoples,butitisactuallyallowedbyGodtosupportthosewholean
on Him, albeit under chastisement and to punish the haughty
25

Nineveh. That is why He proclaimed beforehand to Assyria that

Ninevehwillbepubliclydestroyedandthatanyattempttodefend
itwould be in vain,becausethe issuetodestroy ithascome from
heaven. Any troops to guard its ramparts, to watch its towers, to
encourage its men, orto strengthen its military capabilities would
all be in vain, because The horse is made ready for the day of
battle,butthevictorybelongstotheLord(Proverb21:30).There
is no way for Assyria to enjoy conquest as long as it opposes the
LordHimself.
For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob as well
asthemajestyofIsraelthoughravagershaveravagedthemand
ruinedtheirvinebranches(Nahum2:2).
The prophet proclaims the cause of this destructive war
against Nineveh, which is that Assyria ravaged Jacob, illtreated
the Israeli captives, savagely attacked Judah, and boasted against
theLordofhoststhatHeishelplesstosavethemfromthehandof
Sennacherib, King of Assyria. The same way they ravaged Jacob
andIsrael,theywillberavagedthesamewaytheyboastedagainst
the Lord of hosts, shame will come over them and the lord will
restoretoHispeopletheirdignityaftertheirchastisement.
According to the Septuagint version, it came: Someone
will breathe in your face, to save you from your temptation
(Nahum2:2LXX).TheodoretofCyrusbelievesthatGodpresents
adifferentkindof breathtosave manHebreathedintoAdams
nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) then, when the work of
that divine breath was lost, the Lord Christ came to renew the
imageofmanandtorestoreitinthesaintlyapostlesaswellasin
therestofbelieversthroughthem:Hebreathedonthem,andsaid
tothem:ReceivetheHolySpirit(John20:12).Goddestroyedthe
Assyrians by the breath of His mouth to save His people as a
symbol of the work of the Lord Christ, who destroys the tyrant
Devil by the breath of His Holy Spirit that He granted to His
church23.

23

Cf.Comm.onNahum2:1.

26

The shields of his warriors are red his soldiers are

clothedincrimson.Themetalonthechariotsflashesontheday
whenhemustersthemthechargersprance(Nahum2:3).
Here he describes the mighty men of the armies of Mede
andBabylon,whoattackNineveh.
Theshieldsofhiswarriorsarered:Thewarriorsofthe
old preferred the red color for their shields on the one hand to
terrify the enemy, and on the other hand, in case a warrior is
wounded and his blood splashes over his shield, it would not be
seen bytheenemy andstrengthentheir hearts.Others believethat
theshieldsoftheAssyrians,asisprovenbytheexcavations,were
madeofbronze,whichappearedredwiththereflectionoftherays
ofthesunonthem.
His soldiers were clothed in crimson: Xenophon says
that the Made soldiers were clothed in expensive crimson to
demonstratetheirmightandriches.
Themetalonthechariotsflashesonthedayhemusters
them:Thisisaportraitofthefiercenessofthebattle,inwhichthe
chariots of the enemy race madly and the sparks dart when their
wheelsrubagainstthestonyroadtoappearliketorchesof fire.
He also probably means that the enemy chariots used to
carrytorchesoffiretohelpthemkeepfightingdayandnightuntil
theutterdestructionofNineveh.ThewarriorswithGideonusedto
carry torches inside pitchers (Judges 7:16) to guide them and to
terrifytheirenemies.
ThatwaswhatGodallowedontheappointeddayOnthe
dayHemusteredthem, toletNinevehgetthefruitofherdeeds.
Some interpret The chargers prance as The Cypress
trees sway: The enemy forces, like the haughty Cypress trees,
sway toterrify Assyria. Or he probably portrays how the Cypress
treesswaywiththestrongtremblingofthegroundunderneaththe
feetoftheattackingforces.
The chariots race madly through the streets they rush
toandfrothroughthesquarestheirappearanceisliketorches,
theydartlikelightning (Nahum2:4)

27

Hedemonstrateshowtheswiftmilitarychariotsglitterlike
fierytorchesamidthetreesthroughthereflectionofthesunrays,
madlymovinglikelightning.
Hecallshisofficerstheystumbleastheycomeforward
theyhastentothewallandthemanteletissetup(Nahum2:5).
Some believe that he talks here about how the king of
AssyriacallshismightywarriorstocometodefendNinevehhow
theystumbleastheycomeforwardhasteningtothewalls,andhow
theireffortswereinvain.Whereasothersbelievethatthetalkhere
is about Nebuchadnezer, King of Babylon, provoking his officers
nottoretreathoweverstrongthewallsofNinevehare.Evenifthey
stumbleastheycome forward,yettheywouldneverdespairthey
digtrenchestoprotectthemselvesagainstthearrowsoftheforces
undersiegebehindthewallsofNineveh.

2.SHAMEONTHEOPPOSINGAGGRESSORS:
Therivergatesareopened,thepalacetrembles (Nahum
2:6).
The gates of the city of Nineveh were open on the Tigris
River,onthebanksofwhichthecitywasbuilt.Itswesternwallon
theRiverextendedto4530yards,andonitssouth,north,andeast
side there were huge water canals that could be filled with water
from Khosru to surround the city by water from every side to
impede the advance of the chariots and horses of an attacking
enemy.ItisclaimedbythehistorianTheodorsthatduringthethird
yearofthesiegeagreatfloodcaused20Firling(4400yards)ofthe
wallsofNinevehtocollapse.BythattheprophecyofNahumwas
realized, saying: The River gates are opened, the palace is
dissolved(6)theheartsofthekingandthosewhowerewithhim
dissolvedbyfeartocommitsuicidebyburningthemselvestogether
withtheirpalaceandwealth.
According to the Septuagint version, it came: The
mountains collapsed (Nahum 2:6 LXX). St. Ambrose believes
that the mountains here are the great things, by which man feels
haughtyagainstGod.Ifyouhavefaithasamustardseed,youwill

28

saytothismountain,Movefromheretothere,anditwillmove
andnothingwillbeimpossibleforyou (Matthew17:20)24.
Itisdecreedthatthecitybe exiled,itsslave womenled
away,moaninglikedoves,beatingtheirbreasts(Nahum2:7)
Some scholars believe that he refers here to the queen of
Nineveh,whoescapedthefireandwasledcaptivebytheenemyin
shameanddisgrace,whileothersbelievethathemeansthecityof
Nineveh itself. In either case the maidservants mourned like the
incessantvoicesofdoves,beatingtheirbreasts,asignofgriefand
helplessness.
Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, now
they flee away. Halt! Halt! they cry but no one turns back
(Nahum2:8).
BecauseNinevehwasacityverycrowdedwithinhabitants,
it was likened to a great pool full of water (Isaiah 8:7 Jeremiah
51:13Revelation17:15).Butallofthemhelplesslyfledaway,not
heading the cries of their leaders: Halt! Halt! Having lost every
hope,theyaimlesslyranawayineverydirection.
Plunderthesilver!Plunderthegold!Thereisnoendof
treasureanabundanceofeverypreciousthing (Nahum2:9)
Thekingburnttheroyalpalacewithallitstreasures,which
wascollectedfromannualtaxes,spoils,andmassivetrade(Nahum
3:16Hezekiel27:2324)yettheenemyconfiscatedavastwealth
ofsilver,gold,andvaluables.
Sheisempty,desolate,andwaste!Theheartmelts,and
the knees shake much pain is in every side, and all their faces
growpale(Nahum2:10).
A bitter portrait of how that rich and great city, which
submitted a multitude of nations, became empty, desolate, and
wastehowtheheartmelts,thekneesshake,andhowthefacesof
itsmengrowpale.

24

OntheChristianFaith,3:14:115116.

29

Whereisthedwellingofthelions,andthefeedingplace
oftheyounglionswherethelionwalkedwiththelionessandthe
lionscubswithnoonetodisturbthem?(Nahum2:11).
AsindicatedbytheAssyrianmonumentsthewingedlions
with a mans head, Nineveh, the capital of the greatest nation at
thattime,hasbeendescribedasthedenoflionsandthepastureof
lionscubs,wherethekingandthequeenusedtowalklikealion
and a lioness in a forest. Now this mighty nation has lost
everythingandthesurroundingnationsstandwandering:Whereare
those men, mighty like lions, who made their nation rich on the
expenseoftheothernations?!Now,thewordsofthepsalmapply
to it, saying: The young lions lack and suffer hunger but those
whoseektheLordshallnotlackanygoodthing! (Psalm34:10).

3.GODOPPOSESTHESAVAGEAGGRESSORS:
The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs killed for his
lionesses, filled his caves with prey, and his dens with flesh.
Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, I will burn
your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young
lions I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of
yourmessengersshallbeheardnomore (Nahum2:1213)
IfthekingdomofAssyriahasbeenproudofitsarmiesand
forcesthatknewnodefeat,He,whoisagainstit,istheLordofthe
heavenly hosts, who brings justice to the oppressed, defends the
humiliated,andgrantsavictorytothetruth.
The chariots of Assyria cannot stand before the divine
wrathandareburnedinsmokeitsyounglionsaredevouredbythe
sword,andasthekingdomofAssyriahasdonetotheothernations,
itshallbedonetoit(Obadiah15).Itshallbenomore!

30

ANINSPIRATIONFROMTHEBOOKOFNAHUM2
WHOWILLRESTORETOMEMYDIGNITY,BUTYOU?
v Theenemyhastakenawaymyinnerglory!
Insteadofheaven,theenemyreignedovermydepths.
Herobbedmeofmylife,myglory.
Herobbedallmytalentsandenergies
ItisthemightyAssyriathathumiliatedmysoul!
v Yet,hereYourhandmovestorestorethemajestyofJacob
IseeYourhandsstretchedonthecross
Readytoembracethewholeworldinlove
Toliberateitfromthedevilandhishosts.
v HereYouare,OLord,leadingthebattleYourself!
WhatenemycanstandbeforeYou?!
Yourchariotsaremightyandactivetheyrunlikelightning.
Theycometooccupymyheart,tograntitanexaltedconquest
To expel the enemy from it and to take back all what he has
robbed.
Myenemywillcomeoutdestroyedandhelpless.
v Myenemyassumedthathe,likealion,willdevourwithnoone
toconfront
Buthisyounglionsdiedofhungerandlackofprey
His forces were destroyed, and he fell like lightning from the
heavenofourhearts
ToYouistheglory,OGrantorofglorytothosewho leanon
You!

CHAPTER3

THETRIALOFNINEVEH
In the second chapter God proclaims Himself as the
Defenderoftheoppressedandthebroken,andtheopponentofthe
unjustandthehaughty.Butasthisseemedtobeimpossibleinthe
31

eyes of many, who assumed that no power on earth could ever

standbeforeNineveh,thequeen sittingon herthrone,andthatno
armycoulddareattackherstrongholds,thisthirdchaptercameto
confirmthatnooneisabovethedivinelaw.
1.Nineveh,thebloodycity
2.Theseductiveharlot
3.Shewillbeanexampletoothers
4.Anutterdevastation

13.
47.
811.
1219.

1.NINEVEH,THEBLOODYCITY:
Woe to the city of bloodshed. Utterly deceitful, full of
bootynoendtotheplunder(Nahum3:1).
1Thefirstcharge inthetrialofNinevehwasthatshe is
thecityofbloodshed.Sheshedthebloodofmanyinnocentsshe
enjoyedtormentingthecaptivesandsavagelycuttingofftheirbody
parts.
v You hate all workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:5) whether they
areslavesorfreeorevenemperors.GodcountsHisfriends,not
onthebasisoftheirrank,butonthatoftheirvirtue25.
St.JohnChrysostom
St Augustine commenting on the words of the psalmist:
You, O God, shall bring down to the pit of destruction, the
bloodthirsty and the deceitfulmen(Psalm 55:23) seeks from us
to be aware of the murderers of souls more than those, who shed
blood and says: [Those, who isolate themselves through solitude,
wouldmurderthesoulsthroughspiritualdeceitmorethanthrough
sheddingblood26].
Andcommentingonthewordsofthepsalmist:Theyshed
innocentblood,eventhebloodoftheirsonsanddaughters,whom
theysacrificedtotheidolsofCanaanAndthelandwaspolluted
with blood (Psalm 106:38), St. Augustine believes that the
Psalmist probably does not mean offering human sacrifices,
although this custom was indeed existing among many nations,
especially where Baal was worshipped, where the family
25
26

OnPs.5.
St.AugustineonPs55954.

32

sometimes used tooffer its children as human sacrifices to please

thegods.ButwhatthepsalmistmeanshereisthattheIsraelishave
partakenofthatpagancustomanditsabominationsandhavegiven
ittotheirchildrenasaninheritance,bywhichtheyhavemurdered
thesoulsoftheirsonsanddaughtersthroughdeprivingthemofthe
holylifeandthefellowshipwithGod.Thiscrimeismorehorrible
thankillingthebody,asitisadeprivationoftheeternallife.
2 The second charge was her use of lies and deceit. She
used to justify her continuous attacks that she keeps and protects
justice clothing her evil intentions with a deceitful garment.
Through lies and deceit man often resorts to many evils in not
leadinganopen,pure,andalovinglifetowardsGodandmen,but
hidinghiswickednessandcorruptionbehinddeceitfulwords.
v You shall destroy those who speak falsehood (Psalm 5:6).
Godutterlyhatesevil.Now,thepsalmistcallsthosewholivein
evilasspeakersoffalsehood,whohavevaingoals,aregreedy
andlovepleasureasyousee,heputsalltheseamongthegroup
of liars.
Heisdisgustedofthebloodthirstyandthedeceitfulman
(Psalm 55:23) referring here to the killer, the planner of evil
and the deceitful, who utters something with his lips while
harboring something else in his heart the wolf clothed as a
lamb. You cannot find a more evil man you can probably
confront an obvious enemy, whereas he, who hides his evil
whilepracticingit,isnoteasytodiscover.ThatiswhytheLord
Christ warns us against those, saying: who come to you in
sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves
(Matthew7:15)27.
St.JohnChrysostom

27

OnPs.5.

33

3Thethirdcharge: takingplentyofbooty (rob)and

plunder:Notbeingsatisfiedwithrobbingwhatbelongtoothers,
theytendtoplunderthem.ThewiseSolomonsays:He(theSon
ofGod)willredeemtheirlifefromoppressionandviolenceand
preciousshallbetheirbloodinHissight (Psalm72:14).
v LetusmourntogetherwiththeprophetJeremiahandsay:Woe
to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his
chambers with injustice (Jeremiah 22:13 Nahum 3:1). Let us
rathergrieveforhimastheLordChristdidwhenHesaid:Woe
to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation
(seeLuke6:24).Iwishwekeepgrievingfortheslothfulnessof
ourbrethren! We shouldwail fortherobber,themean,andthe
greedylouderthanwedooverthosewhodeparted28.
St.JohnChrysostom
Thenoiseofawhip,andthenoiseofrattlingwheels,of
gallopinghorses,ofclatteringchariots!(Nahum3:2)
The prophet takes us to the battle to hear the noise of the
whips,bywhichtheridersofthemilitarychariotsdrivethehorses
to go faster,the noise of the swift wheels of the galloping horses
andoftheclatteringchariots.
Horsemen charge with bright swords and glittering
spears. There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies
countlesscorpsestheystumbleoverthecorpses(Nahum3:3).
The prophet goes on to portray the battle: The horsemen
chargewiththeirswords,bright like flamesof fire,andwiththeir
spears directedtowardthe people of Nineveh, many of whom are
wounded, as to those killed, they are countless no one cares to
count them or to pick up their corpses. They stumble over the
corpsesonthegroundslipperywiththebloodofthoseslain.

2.THESEDUCTIVEHARLOT:
Because of the countless debaucheries of the seductive
harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaves nations through
herharlotriesandfamiliesthroughhersorceries(Nahum3:4).
28

CommentaryonNahum2:1.

34

Because she did not learn the lesson that she witnessed,
when the angel of the Lord killed 185 thousands of her men in a
singlenight,thesamehappensagaininNinevehonthedayofher
utterdevastation.
4Thefourthcharge:Theharlotry:Healreadylikened
Nineveh to a lion torn apart, and its cubs hungered and scattered,
now he likens her to a seductive harlot, who provokes nations to
idolatryand itsabominations.By herbeautyand abilitytoseduce
shebringsnationstodestructionthroughherharlotry.
v RebukingisakindofchastisementusedbythedivineTeacher
in Jeremiah, saying: You have the forehead of a whore you
refusetobeashamed.HaveyounotjustnowcalledtoMe:My
fatheryouarethefriendofmyyouth?(Jeremiah3:34).After
callingthevirginaharlot,thatshamefulanddisgracefulname,
He calls on her, through filling her by feelings of shame, to
returntoanhonorablelife29.
St.ClementofAlexandria
5 The fifth charge: Being a Mistress of sorceries:
Beingonlypreoccupiedwithitsdesiretosubmitthenationsofthe
whole world under its feet, the kingdom of Assyria, besides war,
robbery and plunder, also resorted to sorceries the same way a
harlotusesherbeautyandcharmtoseduceandenslaveyoungmen.
Behold,Iamagainstyou,saysthelordofhosts,Iwill
lift your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your
nakedness,andthekingdomsyourshame (Nahum3:5).
Ninevehassumedthatsheisthemistressoftheworld,and
seducedthenationsbyhersorceryandharlotrytoworshiphergods
andtocommitabominationswithher.But,becauseGodhatesevil,
He deals with her as a harlot, uncovers her corruption, and bears
her naked of her clothes of harlotry. The same was likewise
prophesied by the prophet Isaiah about Babylon, who later
followed on the same way of Nineveh, saying: You shall no
longer be called tender and delicate Remove your veil, take
off your skirt, uncover the thigh, and pass through the rivers.
29

Paedagogus1:9.

35

Your nakedness shall be uncovered Yes, your shame will be

seen(Isaiah47:13).Shewillnotonlyloseherfalsebeautyand
deceitful charm, but her evil plans will be exposed before the
nations and her weakness and corruption will be revealedI will
showthenationsyournakedness,andthekingdomsyourshame
(5) for everyone to realize that she is no longer mighty nor the
mistressoftheworldassheclaimstobe.
I will throw filth on you and treat you with contempt,
andmakeyouaspectacle(Nahum3:6)
Thecity,withwhichothernationswishedtoally,becamea
mockeryandajesttoall.
It shall come to pass that all who look upon you, will
fleefromyou,andsay,Ninevehisdevastated!Whowillbemoan
her?WhereshallIseekcomfortersforyou? (Nahum3:7)
Instead of resorting to her for fear of her authority, when
they see what happened to her, they flee from her, as she is no
longerfiteventolivein.Becauseofherutterdevastation,andthat
thereisnohopeofreformingher,therewillbenocomforters,but
gloaters! Everyone looking upon her will become so terrified of
what happened to her that his tongue will not be able to utter a
wordofcomfort!

3.SHEWILLBEANEXAMPLETOOTHERS:
AreyoubetterthanNoAmon,thatsatbytheNile,and
water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall?
(Nahum3:8)
So that Nineveh nor anyone else who hears this prophecy
willthinkthat it is impossibletoberealized,theprophetpresents
an example of another city that was once strong and living in
peace, but having walked in evil and persisted on opposing God,
thedivinewrathdweltonher.ThatcitywasNoAmon.
No Amon: Thought by some to be Thebes in Upper
Egypthername means"theportionof Amon"anEgyptiangod,
counterpartofJupiter,theseniorRomangod.
Itseemsthatthe Assyrian King Sergonwastheonewho
struck No Amon and as Assyria conquered Thebes despite her
36

might and possibilities, now is the turn of Nineveh, the capital of

Assyria,tolosehermightandtobedestroyedbytheBabylonians.
Thebes,havingbeen locatedonthetwobanks eastand
westoftheRiverNileandsurroundedbyhugewaterchannels,
was as secure as Nineveh that was also surrounded by waters,
assumedtoprotectheragainsttheattacksofforeignenemies.
InHomerstimeThebeswas famous forheronehundred30
gates,butwhoseruinsnowstretchover27mileslong,betweenthe
twoworldfamoustemplesLuxorandKarnak.
TheRiverNilehereiscalledtheSea,asitisstillcalledin
UpperEgypt.
Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength without limits.
PutandtheLibyanswereherhelpers(Nahum3:9)
Ethiopia(orCush)mightbeeithertheregionofYemenor
thatof Nubia south of Egypt. Drawing her strength and wealth
fromtradeandmilitaryaids,itsupportedNoAmon.
PutandLubimwere neighboringNorthAfricankingdoms,
westof Egypt Cyrene and Lybia, that helped No Amon to live
likeaqueensittingonherthrone.
Yet she was carried away, she went into captivity her
young children were also dashed to pieces at the head of every
street. They cast lots for her nobles, and all her great men were
boundinchains(Nahum3:10)
Having been securely sitting on her throne, proud of her
strength and power, supported by several nations north and south
and surrounded by water that protected her against attacks, it did
not expect to fall, yet she was led captive to exile. She was
deceived by her haughtiness and strength that her children got
destroyed and a lot was cast on her honorable men. It was the
customforthevictoriousinthosedaystoseizethehonorablemen
ofthegreatcitytheyconqueredthencastalottodistributethemas
slavesamongtheleadersofthearmy.Thus,insteadoftheirgolden
chains and magnificent garments, they were shackled by iron

30

Homer:Ill:9:381.

37

chainsandwerelednakedasslavestoaforeigncountryinshame
anddisgrace.
Youalsowillbedrunkyouwillgointohidingyouwill
seekrefugefromtheenemy (Nahum3:11)
WhatdweltuponNoAmonwillalsodwelluponNineveh
her inhabitants will become mad and drunk of the cup of Gods
wrath. And as it was said to Jerusalem: You have drunk at the
hand of the Lord, the cup of His wrath you have drunk to the
dregs, the bowl of staggering, and drained it out Therefore
pleasehearthis,youafflicted,whoaredrunkbutnotwithwine
(Isaiah51:17,21)andasitcameinJeremiah:ForthussaysGod
ofIsraeltome:Takethiswinecupofwrathfrommyhand,and
cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. And they
will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I
will send among them. Then I took the cup from the Lords
hand,andmadeallthenationsdrunk,towhomtheLordhadsent
me (Jeremiah25:1517).
The scholar Origen has a beautiful commentary on the
phrase: Every winejar should be filled with wine (Jeremiah
13:12),inwhichhesays:[Everymanislikeawinejarfilledwith
wine.Yet,therearetwokindsofwine:Agoodkind,whichisthe
wineofGods lovethatcausesthesoulstomelt withthe love for
GodandtolivemeditatinginHim,asthoughdrunkwithHislove
thiskindofwineismadebywisdom:Wisdomhasmixedher
wine Come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I
have mixed (Proverb 9:1, 5) and there is the bad kind of wine,
which fills the wicked, like the wine of Sodom and Gomorrah:
Their wine comes from the vine stock of Sodom, from the
vineyards of Gomorrah their grapes are grapes of poison their
clustersarebittertheir wineisthepoisonofserpents,thecruel
venomofasps(Deuteronomy32:3233).Origenalsobelievesthat
Godholds,inHisrighthand,thecupofourgoodworkstograntus
His blessings and in His left hand the cup of our iniquities to
chastenustoreturntoHim31].
31

Cf.HomiliesonJeremiah,homily12:14.

38

St Augustine,talking to us aboutthe wine of Gods love,

says:[Arethose,whoseheartshavechanged,notdrunk?Hesays:
Surely its dreg (of the Lords wine), all the wicked of the earth
shalldrainanddrinkdown(Psalm75:8)theydrinksoasnotto
remainassuchtobejustifiedandnotpunished32].
Youwillbehidden(Nahum3:11),namelyNinevehwill
hideitselfoutofshameandfear,becausesheisnomorecapableof
confronting the enemy, and in vain she will seek the support and
theprotectionofarefuge.

4ANUTTERDEVASTATION:
All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs If
they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater (Nahum
3:12)
The prophet likens Nineveh, when it is no more able to
confrontthe enemy and when her children helplessly fall into the
mouths of her enemy, to the fig trees with firstripe figs that, if
shakenbythewind,willloseallitsfigs.
Surely,yourpeopleinyourmidstarewomen!Thegates
of your land are wide open for your enemies. Fire shall devour
thebarsofyourgates(Nahum3:13)
Her army will become like women, helpless to defend
themselves and the gates of the city will be wide open,
nonresistanttothe enemy, because their bars will be devoured by
fire.
Drawwaterforthesiege!Strengthenyourstrongholds!
Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold of the brick
mold!(Nahum3:14)
He mockingly asks Nineveh to store water and provisions,
soasnottodieofthirstandhungerduringthesiege.Althoughthe
city is builtontheRiverTigrisand surroundedbywaterchannels
onallsides,yetitsinhabitantswouldnotdaretogoouttodrinkof
it.

32

OnPs75(74).

39

It goes into clay and mud treading the mortar to mend or

rebuildherstrongholds,butallwouldbeinvain.
There the fire will devour you, the sword will cut you
off,itwilldevouryoulikethelocust.Multiplyyourselveslikethe
locust,multiplylikethegrasshopper!(Nahum3:15)
Hecallsonhernottodependuponthegreatnumberofher
inhabitantsorof herarmy men,whowill becutoffbythesword
andbecomeashelplessasthelocustsandgrasshoppersbeforethe
ragingfire.
You increased your merchants more than the stars of
the heavens. The locust sheds its skin and flies away. Your
commanders are like grasshoppers, your scribes like swarms of
locustssettlingonthefencesonacolddaywhenthesunrises,
they fly away no one knows where they have gone (Nahum
3:1617)
Because of her geographic location on the River Tigris,
surrounded by water channels all around, she became a great
commercial center. But when Gods wrath dwelt upon her, she
turned from a city packed with honorable merchants into a field
devoured by innumerable locusts and grasshoppers that, when the
sunrises,theyflewawayandnooneknowswheretheyhavegone.
He probably means that once the foreign merchants, who
came to Nineveh for business and acquired great wealth, saw the
enemy coming they took their earnings and fled. Those, whom
Nineveh thought to become her support at the time of affliction,
havesoon flownawaylikelocuststoseekamoresecureplace.
Others believe that by the flying locusts he means the
foreign mercenaries, hired to guard the city walls from outside,
whoflewawaywhentheysawtheenemycominganddidnotknow
where to go. And as the Lord Christ says: The hireling flees
becauseheisahirelinganddoesnotcareaboutthesheep(John
10:31).
Yourshepherdsslumber,OKingofAssyriayournobles
areasleepinthedustyourpeoplearescatteredonthemountains
withnoonetogatherthem (Nahum3:18)
40

The king of Assyria assumed that he is well protected by

mighty warriors and commanders, but he was awakened by the
prophet saying: Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria
(18). His nobles were killed and fell on the streets in the dust,
whereas his people fled to the mountains with terror and no one
willgatherthem.
Your injury has no healing your wound is severe. All
whohearthenewsaboutyouwillclaptheirhandsoveryoufor
whohaseverescapedyourendlesscruelty?(Nahum2:19)
The prophet ends his book portraying Nineveh as broken
with no hope for repair, as wounded with no healing. There will
never be a rebuilding of Nineveh or a resetting of the nation of
Assyria. Having been so violent with all the nations whom she
defeated,theyarenowgloatingandclappingtheirhandsoverher.

41

ANINSPIRATIONFROMTHEBOOKOFNAHUM3
DESTROYNINEVEHINMEANDSETTHENEW
JERUSALEM
v Theenemyhasinfiltratedintomyheart,andhassetakingdom
forhimself.
DriveawaythekingofAssyria,andmakeaspectacleofhimby
Yourcross.
Takeawayhisauthority,andsetYourkingdominme.
v Uprootfrommewhattheenemyhasplanted.
AllwhatisforeignofmynaturethatYouhavegrantedme.
Uprootfrommeeveryloveofoppression.
Andeverylieanddeceit.
Uprootfrommeeveryevillust.
Andeveryvainglory.
Exposemebeforemysoul.
ToreturntoYou,OWholeLoveandMercy.
v IconfesstoYoumyweakness.
Andmyinabilitytoresist.
Yet,YouaremyStronghold!
YouaretheheavenlyPhysician,whohealsmywounds.
Andrepairinmeeverybrokenbone.
v Instead of the wine of wickedness that makes me lose my
balance,
GrantmethewineofYourheavenlywisdom.
Make me drunk with Your love, and let me praise Your
mercies.
Letmeforgettheworldandallitsseductions.
AndenjoytheadvancepaymentsofYourheavens.

42

TABLEOFCONTENTS
ANINTRODUCTION:
NahumThegoalofthisbookThetimeofitswritingThe
divisionsofthisbook.
CHAPTER1:AJEALOUSGOD
Introduction God is mighty in His mercies, as well as in
His wrath over sin The destruction of the kingdom of Assyria
anditsarmyTheliberationofJerusalemThegreatsalvation.
AnInspirationfromChapter1:YouaremightyinYourloveYou
arejealousinYourholiness.
CHAPTER 2: PEACE TO THOSE WHO LEAN ON YOU
ANDPERDITIONONTHOSEWHOOPPOSEYOU:
GlorytothechastenedbelieversShameontheopposing
aggressorsGodopposesthesavageaggressors.
AninspirationfromChapter2:Whowillrestoretomemydignity
butYou?
CHAPTER3:THETRIALOFNINEVEH:
Nineveh,thebloodycityTheseductiveharlotShewillbe
anexampletoothersAnutterdevastation.
AninspirationfromChapter3:DestroyNinevehinmeandsetthe
NewJerusalem.

43