NAHUM CHAPTER 1 The majesty of God in goodness to his people, and severity against his enemies. THE BURDEN: when the prophets were sent to denounce future judgments against a nation or city, the word was usually called the burden of that nation or city; as, the burden of Moab, ISAIAH 15:1; of Egypt... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBHeb; GOD; the mighty God, so the French version, and the Hebrew la implieth it. IS JEALOUS; his love is fervent for his people, his displeasure hot against his and their enemies, whose idolatries he will not long bear against himself, nor their cruelties and rage against his people; but, as jealo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS SLOW TO ANGER; not slack, as some count slackness, 2 PETER 3:9, either in performing promise, or executing threats; but very wisely patient and long-suffering, which is ever tempered with great mercy, and both are joined together in his providence and in his word: see Exodus 34:6 Numbers... [ Continue Reading ]
HE REBUKETH: he once did rebuke, as EXODUS 14:21; he still can, as a lord rebuketh his servant, or a general rebukes his soldier, by word or look, ISA 1 ISA 2. THE SEA; literally understood, or figuratively, it imports still that he can deliver his people, and destroy his adversaries, as of old he d... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MOUNTAINS; the more known mountains of that country were mentioned NAHUM 1:4, now the prophet doth extend his speech to all mountains, how great soever, and how fast soever their foundations are laid. QUAKE; tremble at his rebuke; not only are shaken by earthquakes from natural causes, disposed... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO CAN STAND BEFORE HIS INDIGNATION? since God can do all this, who among the Assyrians, who among the Ninevites, what kingdom or monarchy, is mighty enough to resist or defeat the counsel and power of this God, who will ere long rebuke, and pour out his indignation upon them. WHO CAN ABIDE; be abl... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS GOOD; though so terrible to his enemies, to obstinate sinners, yet he is as gentle, kind, and good to his people, to Israel; so the Chaldee paraphrast. IS GOOD; in his just severity he continueth to be good. None of that consuming anger comes from any want of goodness in God; yea, it is... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT, or _And_, or _Therefore_, since God is so good to Israel oppressed by Assyria, and so terrible, just, and mighty to punish oppressors. WITH AN OVERRUNNING FLOOD; his judgments, like a mighty flood that overfloweth all banks, and scorns all that might check it, shall swallow up Assyria and Ninev... [ Continue Reading ]
Having declared the dreadfulness of God's power and anger against the wicked, his goodness towards his people, and denounced future destruction against the Ninevites and Assyrians, he doth now expostulate with them, would know what it is they think of God, what it is they design against him, and on... [ Continue Reading ]
This gives us account how this desolation shall be effected. WHILE THEY BE FOLDED TOGETHER AS THORNS; they should be like thorns easily burnt, and like thorns folden together, which burn together, and help to destroy each other, or are all together cast into the fire. WHILE THEY ARE DRUNKEN AS DRUNK... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS ONE: this is a very usual dialect to express an uncertain number; several are contained in such one; though if you will determine it to one single person, it is very like it may be Sennacherib or Rabshakeh. Come out: from Nineveh he set forth on that expedition against Judea in the days of... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD: this addeth weight to his prediction, it comes under the great seal of Heaven. THOUGH THEY BE QUIET, AND LIKEWISE MANY; or, If they would have been quiet and peaceable towards my people, Israel, they, i.e. the Assyrians, should have been many, &c.; but I think it is nearer to th... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord confirms the prediction, by declaring how it should be done. NOW; ere long; and in few years after this was done, though we cannot precisely determine how soon it was. I WILL BREAK, as that which is broken into pieces, HIS YOKE, Sennacherib s, or rather the tyranny and oppression of the Ass... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; THE LORD, God of Israel, against whom thou imaginest evil, hath given a commandment; determined with himself, and given charge to the Medes, which in due season they will observe, and, with assistance of the Chaldeans, will fitly execute. CONCERNING THEE, or against thee, Sennacherib; thy ro... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD: as this speaks some unexpected thing, so it calls for our heeding and minding of it. UPON THE MOUNTAINS; over which he must needs come that either came from the Assyrian camp, where the miraculous slaughter was made, or from Nineveh, where the fugitive defeated tyrant was slain; many mountai... [ Continue Reading ]