Nahum

The Beginning of the Attack on Nineveh. scatterer. This word for the enemy (viewed here as a collective whole) foretells the outcome of the siege. Nineveh will be taken, and any Ninevites not slaughtered will flee before the conquerors (see 3:17–18) or be taken into exile. Ultimately, it is God who “scatters.” has come up. A technical phrase signifying impending hostile military action (e.g., Judg. 1:1; 1 Sam. 7:7; 1 Kings 15:17; 2 Kings 18:13). Man the ramparts. Nineveh is told to get ready for battle. Nahum writes as if he were at Nineveh in 612 B.C., speaking to the Ninevites (with underlying sarcasm).

Reasons for Judgment: The Assyrians’ Plundering of Judah, Though Judah’s Restoration by God Is Planned. Here Nahum gives one reason for the fall of Nineveh: God had used the Assyrians as his scourge of discipline on unfaithful Judah, but this scourge would no longer be needed because the LORD is restoring the majesty of Jacob. The true majesty of Judah, basically what was left of the nation Israel (the northern tribes having been “lost” in the Assyrian exile), was spiritual, not secular or political. God separated Israel from the nations to be devoted to him; with them he made his covenants; from them would come the Messiah (Rom. 9:4–5). This majesty, then, involved having a covenant relationship with the Lord and giving evidence of that relationship in godly living. plunderers. The Assyrians plundered Judah (see Nah. 2:13). Their branches are the individual clans, families, or members of the southern kingdom, likened to a vineyard (cf. Isa. 5:1–7).

Attacking Soldiers and Military Action at Nineveh. Nahum describes how the invading army closes in on the city.

shield … red. Either their shields were painted red, or they were permanently stained with the blood of defeated foes from previous military campaigns. His … he is a reference to the scatterer mentioned in v. 1. The attacking army was a coalition made up of Medes and Babylonians, and possibly Scythians. Cyaxares (625–585 B.C.) was the leader of the Medes (who played the dominant role in the destruction of Nineveh), and Nabopolassar (626–605) led the Babylonians. The streets and squares are those of the suburbs surrounding Nineveh, the first areas to be overrun by the attacking army. flashing metal … gleam like torches. The sunlight reflects off of the metal pieces of the chariots. dart like lightning. This could refer again to the light reflecting, or indicate the swift movement of the chariots.

The attacking army now reaches the wall of Nineveh proper. He remembers. “He” (see v. 3) may be so eager to be involved in the attack that he almost forgets to delegate parts of the operation to his officers. These officers, eager both to join in the attack themselves and to please their superior(s), so rush into the action that they practically stumble over one another. Or, as they move toward Nineveh’s wall, they may stumble over the wreckage in the devastated suburbs. siege tower. This could also be rendered “mantelet” (see esv footnote), a covering that protects the attacking soldiers from arrows, spears, and other objects thrown down on them by the defenders on the wall.

The Fall and Plundering of Nineveh. Now Nahum takes the reader into the city as it falls to the invaders.

river gates. The Khoser River flowed through Nineveh; north of the city were dams, most likely with gates to regulate the flow of this river. The besieging coalition could easily have closed the gates (cutting off this water supply), waited until a considerable quantity of water collected, and then opened the gates. The resulting mass of water crashing against and through Nineveh would have done much damage to portions of the city’s wall, system of gates, and internal structures, thus greatly aiding the besiegers. Another river that probably flowed through Nineveh was the Tebiltu, which could have been used by the coalition in the same manner. The destruction caused by the waters no doubt was a factor contributing to the short length of the siege—only three months. The palace melts away because of the floodwaters.

like a pool. See v. 6. Halt … they cry. Nahum places the reader in Nineveh as the city is being entered and overrun by the coalition forces. The reader “sees” the fleeing inhabitants and “hears” some of the Assyrian commanders crying out, “Halt! Stand and fight,” but none turns back to do so. The Assyrians had terrified many, but now they themselves are filled with terror.

silver … gold. Nineveh was filled with tremendous wealth, due to the plunder seized during numerous military campaigns and the tribute received over the many years Assyria ruled the Near East.

A Taunting Song Portraying Nineveh’s Destruction Because of the City’s Lust for Conquest. These verses figuratively portray the obliteration of Nineveh, the extinction of Assyrian nobility, and the termination of Assyrian power.

Desolate … ruin is a description of Nineveh emptied of inhabitants (due to their fleeing, slaughter, or captivity) and destroyed by the victorious invaders (after they have finished their plundering). Hearts melt … pale. The Assyrians, who previously had been proud of how they terrorized other peoples, now experience extreme terror.

lions. Members of the Assyrian royal house (and perhaps aristocracy), headed by the king. The lion was a symbol for kingship in the ancient Near East (cf. Gen. 49:9); the Assyrian kings exhibited ferocity in their attacking and “devouring” other lands, and called themselves lions. Reliefs on palace walls depicted lions being hunted by the Assyrian rulers. none to disturb. During the time of Assyrian might, no other nation dared to, or could, attack Nineveh. There was none to terrify those in the city, and particularly the household of the king. enough … prey … torn flesh. I.e., the vast amounts of plunder taken by the “ravenous” Assyrians from their brutal, bloody conquest of numerous lands.

The Lord Speaks a Word of Judgment. Nahum closes the fourth major portion of the book (vv. 1–13) by quoting God’s proclamation of judgment against Nineveh. The city will fall because this is the will of the Lord. In vv. 1 and 13 Nineveh is addressed (“you,” “your”), and both verses express the thought “against you.” LORD of hosts. See note on 1 Sam. 1:3. burn your chariots. A striking contrast to the swift chariots of the conquering coalition (Nah. 2:3–4). sword shall devour. The devouring pride of lions (vv. 11–12) shall now be devoured by the enemy. voice … messengers … no longer be heard. The end of the Assyrian messengers brings about the messenger of peace coming to Judah (1:15).