A Prophecy about the fall of Nineveh

His name signifies the "Consoler" and from his birthplace he is called "the Elcesite".

St. Jerome was shown a place called Elkosh in Galilee as the site of the Prophet's birth; another Elkosh is pointed out near Mossoul as the site, and it is remarkable that both the Prophets who directed their prophecies against Nineveh should have graves assigned to them there. In the Vitae Prophetarum of Pseudo-Epiphanius, Elkosh is assigned to the east of the Jordan, but there is reason for thinking that the true reading of the passage puts it on the west near Eleutheropolis. A Judean birth-place would perhaps better harmonise with the prophecy. The Galilean site, however, has an abundance of tradition in its favor, and Capharnaum, 'Village of Nahum,' is, after all, the most probable place of the Prophet's birth.

He foretells the fall of Nineveh, 606 B.C., and he refers the Assyrians to the fall of Thebes in Egypt as an example of what will befall them, 3:8; Assur-banipal, king of Assyria, took Thebes in 666 B.C. Thus the prophecy will fall between 666 and 606 B.C.

Divisions of Nahum

The Prophet is solely concerned with the fall of Nineveh:

A. Nahum 1:2-6. God is terrible in His justice.

Nahum 1:7-10. He is also great in His mercy.

Nahum 1:11, the notes in the Douay version, even though it has been stated in the preface to the book that Nahum prophesied after the fall of the Ten Tribes, i.e. after 722 B.C., refer the opening words to 'about 740 B.C.'; they remark on 1:11, that Sennacherib cannot be meant, and they suggest Holofernes instead. But it seems more probable that it is Assur-banipal who is meant, he reigned from 668-626 B.C., and was a standing menace to Jerusalem.

B. Nahum 3:1-19. The destruction of Nineveh; 3:1-7, because of her crimes; 3:8-13, let her take example from Thebes; 3:14-19, it is idle to strive against her fate. The translation 'Alexandria,' 3:8, is manifestly an anachronism; No is mentioned, Jeremiah 46:25 (Hebrew text), also Ezechiel 30:14-16, where the Vulgate has Alexandria, but the Septuagint has Diospolis or Thebes.

Style of Nahum

The description of the assault upon Nineveh is exceedingly vivid, and the equal of any description in the Bible. Some of Nahum's similes should be noted, cf. Nahum 2:11-13 and 3:15-17, for the former cf. Ezechiel 19.

Theology of Nahum

The attributes of God as given in Nahum 1:2-9 should be noted.


by
Very Rev. Hugh Pope, O.P., S.T.M.
Doctor in Sacred Scripture,
Member of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, and
late Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the Collegio Angelico, Rome.