What Does the Prophet Nahum Warn Ninevah?
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Jonah’s ministry to the city of Nineveh, with its fantastical detour in the belly of the great fish, is one of the most memorable stories in all of Scripture. But did you know that Jonah was not the only prophet to be given a message to the great city of Nineveh? One hundred years after Jonah arrived at the gates of the Assyrian capitol on his divine errand of mercy, God would again commission one of His prophets to deliver a warning to the people of Nineveh. The book of Nahum in the Bible chronicles this message in vivid detail.
But who is the prophet Nahum in the Bible, what did he prophesy regarding Nineveh, and what can we learn from his story?
What Does Nahum Prophesy in the Bible?
The three chapters devoted to Nahum’s prophetic ministry focus almost entirely on God’s message to the great city of Nineveh, the capital of the mighty Assyrian Empire. From the onset, however, Nahum makes clear that Nineveh would soon be the recipient of God’s sovereign judgment (Nahum 1:1).
Interestingly, Nahum is one of only three Old Testament prophets whose ministry focuses almost exclusively on God’s judgment of Israel and Judah’s enemies, Obadiah (Edom) and Habakkuk (Babylon) being the other two.
At the time of Nahum’s prophecy, Assyria had reached the pinnacle of its prosperity and power, with its capital city, Nineveh, the mightiest city on earth at the time.
With its 100-foot walls wide enough to accommodate three chariots riding side by side, a 60-foot-deep moat surrounding the city, and enough provisions to withstand a twenty-year siege, Nineveh was at the center of Assyria’s global dominance. We also learn in Jonah that Nineveh was so large it would take three days to walk through it (Jonah 3:3).
Like many world empires, the Assyrians expanded their territory through conquest and the sword. Their kings commanded armies numbering in the hundreds of thousands; they had become a highly trained, well-equipped, thoroughly efficient military machine.
Historical records and archeological evidence also describe an Assyrian army that marched with a reputation for “unbridled cruelty and professional efficiency.” (The Holman Bible Atlas, 148) Numerous reliefs found in the ruins of Assyrian palaces depict the torture and dismemberment of captured leaders.
Accordingly, the Assyrians had mastered the art of psychological warfare, intimidating resisting tribes and nations into submission and surrender. Nahum describes Nineveh as a “bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage, whose prey never departs” (Nahum 3:1).
And yet, the pagan practices, wickedness, and cruelty of the Assyrians had not escaped God’s notice. Furthermore, the Assyrians had drawn God’s ire for the many ways they had oppressed His people over the years. Eventually, God had enough; He would pronounce judgment on Nineveh through the prophet Nahum.
When Was Nahum a Prophet in the Bible?
In the eyes of the world, the fall of Assyria and the destruction of Nineveh would have seemed impossible. Even the Israelites were fully aware of what the Assyrians were capable of. Nevertheless, God would call upon His prophet Nahum to proclaim Nineveh’s ultimate destruction.
But who was Nahum?
We do not know very much about the man himself. In the first chapter, he is described as Nahum, “the Elkoshite” (Nahum 1:1). We also know that his name means “comfort” or “consolation,” a shortened form of Nehemiah (“comfort of Yahweh”). Unfortunately, that is the only real detail we are given about Nahum. As of this writing, archeologists have not successfully identified the exact location of Elkosh, his hometown.
However, the book of Nahum focuses on the message, not the man’s life.
We also do not know exactly when Nahum prophesied. That information is implied from historical data, not explicitly from the text. However, a few clues, combined with historical records, do give us some indication of when Nahum may have prophesied.
We know that the Babylonians would rebel against Assyria in 626 B.C. and eventually defeated the Assyrians at Nineveh in 612 B.C., just as Nahum had prophesied. That would put Nahum’s prophecy sometime before 612 B.C.
Prior to that, in 722 B.C., Assyria invaded the northern kingdom of Israel and captured many of its citizens. Some were relocated to other regions of the empire; others were taken back to Assyria as captives. It is believed that Jonah’s ministry and journey to Nineveh occurred around 760 B.C., roughly thirty-eight years before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed.
Nahum also mentions the fall of No Amon, also known as Thebes, which happened in 663 B.C. (see Nahum 3:8-10). Given the fact that this victory was fresh in the minds of the Assyrians, it seems likely that Nahum would have prophesied Nineveh’s destruction shortly after this battle, sometime during the reign of King Manasseh of Judah (695–642 B.C.; see 2 Kings 21:1-18).
From all accounts, a mid-seventh-century date seems the most probable. Many scholars have, therefore, placed Nahum’s ministry sometime around 660 B.C., almost exactly a century after Jonah was sent to Nineveh to call its people to repentance.
What Can We Learn from Nahum’s Message Today?
Like many Old Testament prophets, Nahum was given a specific message regarding a specific city that existed at a specific time in history. However, this does not mean that the book of Nahum, or any prophetic ministry recorded in the Old Testament, has nothing to say to believers today. As the apostle Paul would write in his second letter to Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17; emphasis added),
In many ways, the greatest lessons from the book of Nahum come from what we learn about the nature of God in His dealings with Nineveh, Israel, and the nations. Here, then, are five things we learn about God’s divine character from Nahum’s message:
1. God is Patient and Slow to Anger
God’s message regarding Nineveh, delivered through the prophet Nahum, may have been one of judgment and destruction. However, Nahum reveals that the Lord is also “slow to anger and great in power” (Nahum 1:3). Despite the claims of many, the God of the Old Testament does not delight in bloodshed and destruction. We see throughout the Bible that God is, by nature, “compassionate and gracious,” “slow to anger,” and “abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6; Psalms 86:15, 103:8, 145:8). He “forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin” (Numbers 14:18), and His heart is “patient, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). We see this clearly in the mercy He showed to Nineveh during the ministry of Jonah, which took place years before Nahum prophesied Nineveh’s destruction. However, though God reveals Himself to be a God of mercy, forgiveness, and grace, Nahum reminds us that “the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Nahum 1:2-3).
2. God is Righteous in His Judgment
The God of Israel may have been patient with Nineveh and the Assyrians, giving them opportunities to repent of their wickedness, which they did for a time. However, the repentance of Nineveh in response to Jonah’s ministry was ultimately short-lived, as the Assyrians soon returned to their wickedness and pagan practices. As a result, God would eventually bring judgment upon those who delighted in evil, violated His law, rebelled against Him, and mercilessly attacked His people (Nahum 1:2, 3, 6, 14; 3:1, 4). We need only look at the type of language Nahum uses to understand the extent of God’s wrath and retribution against the wicked. “Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken up by Him” (Nahum 1:6). Yes, God is slow to anger and full of mercy. However, He is also a God of justice and, at times, wrath, and His judgment, whether we like it or not, is righteous.
3. God is Sovereign Over His Creation
At the time of Nahum’s ministry, the great city of Nineveh may have seemed impregnable, and its overthrow was unlikely. However, a short time before Babylon defeated the Assyrian Empire at Nineveh (612 B.C.), the Tigris River had overflowed its banks, and a significant portion of Nineveh’s walls had been destroyed in the subsequent flood. Ironically, when Babylon attacked the city, they could penetrate Nineveh’s defenses by breaking through that same gap in the wall, bringing about the ultimate destruction of Nineveh. Not coincidentally, Nahum had previously prophesied: “With an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, and will pursue His enemies into darkness.” (Nahum 1:8). Nahum, therefore, reminds the great city that God is sovereign over both the nations and His creation (Nahum 1:4-5). As it is written, “He rules the swelling of the sea” (Psalms 89:9) and “more than the sounds of many waters, than the mighty breakers of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty” (Psalms 93:4).
4. God is a Comfort and Refuge to His People
Nahum's prophecy against Nineveh provides terrifying descriptions of God’s judgment and wrath. However, Nahum’s story also contains an incredible promise of hope for God’s people. Here, we are reminded that God’s judgment is devastating to those who delight in wickedness, but it is also a kindness to those who evil kings and nations have oppressed. The people of Judah, like their brothers in the north, had suffered under the cruelty of the Assyrians for generations. Not only did God’s promise to overthrow this powerful adversary and restore His people provide comfort (Nahum 2:2), but it demonstrated just how good and faithful God is to those who take refuge in Him (Nahum 1:7). He is not blind to the suffering of His people. He is not removed from our pain. He will provide justice in time, but always in His time and His way.
5. God is Sovereign Over the Nations
The rise and fall of countless empires have been well-documented throughout history; Assyria is no exception. But where some study history through the lens of power and control, Bible readers look to a God who is sovereign over the nations and whose hand is over the kings and kingdoms of this earth (see Psalms 33:9-11; Proverbs 21:1; Isaiah 40:17-18).
As He has done throughout history, God often targets the source of man’s strength and pride. For example, the Ninevites were renowned for their fearsome chariots. And what did Nahum proclaim? “‘Behold, I am against you,’ declares the Lord of hosts. ‘I will burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions’” (Nahum 2:13; see also Psalms 20:7).
The Assyrian Empire was known to make examples of their conquered enemies as a warning to the nations. Nahum prophesied, “I will lift up your skirts over your face and show to the nations your nakedness and to the kingdoms your disgrace. I will throw filth on you and make you vile and set you up as a spectacle. And it will come about that all who see you will shrink from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated!’” (Nahum 3:7)
And to the once great empire and enemy of His people, “the Lord has issued a command concerning you: ‘your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will cut off idol and image from the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible” (Nahum 1:14). Interestingly enough, the ruins of Nineveh were not discovered by archeologists until 1842 A.D., over 2400 years after its fall. Therefore, through the fall of Nineveh, as prophesied by Nahum, God demonstrates that He alone is Sovereign, He alone is king, and His kingdom alone is eternal.
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/Jon Frederick
This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul.
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