Notes on Nahum

Notes on Nahum
From the Original 1599 Geneva Bible Notes

Na 1:1

1:1 The {a} burden of Nineveh. {b} The book of the vision of Nahum the {c} Elkoshite.

The Argument - As those of Nineveh showed themselves prompt and ready to receive the word of God at Jonah's preaching, and so turned to the Lord by repentance, so after a certain time they gave themselves to worldly means to increase their dominion, rather than seeking to continue in that fear of God, and path in which they had begun. They cast off the care of religion, and so returned to their vomit and provoked God's just judgment against them, in afflicting his people. Therefore their city Nineveh was destroyed, and Meroch-baladan, king of Babel (or as some think, Nebuchadnezzar) enjoyed the empire of the Assyrians. But because God has a continual care for his Church, he stirs up his Prophet to comfort the godly, showing that the destruction of their enemies would be for their consolation: and as it seems, he prophesies around the time of Hezekiah, and not in the time of Manasseh his son, as the Jews write.

(a) Read Geneva "Isa 13:1"
(b) The vision or revelation, which God commanded Nahum to write concerning the Ninevites.
(c) That is, born in a poor village in the tribe of Simeon.

Na 1:2

1:2 God [is] {d} jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and {e} [is] furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth [wrath] for his enemies.

(d) Meaning, of his glory.
(e) With his own he is but angry for a time, but his anger is never appeased toward the reprobate, even though he defers it for a time.

Na 1:3

1:3 The {f} LORD [is] slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit [the wicked]: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds [are] the dust of his feet.

(f) Thus the wicked would make God's mercy an occasion to sin, but the Prophet wishes them to consider his power and justice.

Na 1:6

1:6 {g} Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

(g) If all creatures are at God's commandment, and none are able to resist his wrath, will man flatter himself, and think by any means to escape, when he provokes his God to anger?

Na 1:7

1:7 The LORD [is] good, {h} a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

(h) Lest the faithful should be discouraged by hearing the power of God, he shows them that his mercy appertains to them, and that he has care over them.

Na 1:8

1:8 But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the {i} place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

(i) Signifying that God will suddenly destroy Nineveh and the Assyrians in such a way, that they will lie in perpetual darkness, and never recover their strength again.

Na 1:9

1:9 What do ye {k} imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.

(k) He shows that the undertakings of the Assyrians against Judah and the Church were against God, and therefore he would so destroy them the first time, that he would not need to return the second time.

Na 1:10

1:10 For while [they be] folden together [as] {l} thorns, and while they are drunken [as] drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

(l) Though the Assyrians think themselves like thorns that prick on all sides, yet the Lord will set fire on them, and as drunken men are not able to stand against any force, so they will not be able to resist him at all.

Na 1:11

1:11 There is [one] {m} come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor.

(m) Which may be understood either of Sennacherib, or of the whole body of the people of Nineveh.

Na 1:12

1:12 Thus saith the LORD; Though [they be] {n} quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.

(n) Though they think themselves in most safety, and of greatest strength, yet when God will pass by, he will destroy them: nonetheless, he comforts his Church, and promises to stop punishing them by the Assyrians.

Na 1:14

1:14 And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, [that] no more of thy name be {o} sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.

(o) Meaning, Sennacherib, who would have no more children, but be slain in the house of his gods; 2Ki 19:36-37 .

Na 1:15

1:15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth {p} peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

(p) Which peace the Jews would enjoy by the death of Sennacherib.

Na 2:1

2:1 {a} He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make [thy] loins strong, fortify [thy] power mightily.

(a) That is, Nebuchadnezzar is in readiness to destroy the Assyrians: and the Prophet derides the undertakings of the Assyrians who prepared to resist him.

Na 2:2

2:2 For the LORD hath {b} turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and {c} marred their vine branches.

(b) Seeing God has punished his own people Judah and Israel, he will now punish the enemies by whom he scourged them; read Isa 10:12 .
(c) Signifying that the Israelites were utterly destroyed.

Na 2:3

2:3 The shield of his mighty men is made red, {d} the valiant men [are] in scarlet: the chariots [shall be] with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and {e} the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

(d) Both to put fear into the enemy, and also that they themselves should not so soon detect blood among one another, to discourage them.
(e) Meaning their spears would shake and crash together.

Na 2:5

2:5 {f} He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared.

(f) Then the Assyrians will seek by all means to gather their power, but all things will fail them.

Na 2:8

2:8 But Nineveh [is] of {g} old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, [shall they cry]; but none shall look back.

(g) The Assyrians will flatter themselves and say that Nineveh is so ancient that it can never perish, and is as a fishpool, whose waters cannot be touched by those that walk on the banks. But they will be scattered, and will not look back, even if men call them.

Na 2:9

2:9 {h} Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for [there is] none end of the store [and] glory out of all the pleasant furniture.

(h) God commands the enemies to spoil Nineveh, and promises them infinite riches and treasures.

Na 2:10

2:10 {i} She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain [is] in all loins, and the faces {k} of them all gather blackness.

(i) That is, Nineveh, and the men of it will be after this manner.
(k) Read Geneva "Joe 2:6"

Na 2:11

2:11 Where [is] the {l} dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, [even] the old lion, walked, [and] the lion's whelp, and none made [them] afraid?

(l) Meaning, Nineveh, whose inhabitants were cruel like the lions, and given to all oppression, and spared no violence or tyranny to provide for their wives and children.

Na 2:13

2:13 Behold, I [am] against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the {m} smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy {n} messengers shall no more be heard.

(m) That is, as soon as my wrath begins to burn.
(n) Signifying the heralds, who were accustomed to proclaim war. Some read, "of you gum teeth", with which Nineveh was accustomed to bruise the bones of the poor.

Na 3:1

3:1 Woe to the bloody city! it [is] all full of lies [and] robbery; {a} the prey departeth not;

(a) It never ceases to spoil and rob.

Na 3:2

3:2 The noise of a whip, {b} and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

(b) He shows how the Chaldeans will hasten, and how courageous their horses will be in beating the ground when they come against the Assyrians.

Na 3:4

3:4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured {c} harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

Na 3:8

3:8 Art thou better than populous {d} No, that was situate among the rivers, [that had] the waters round about it, whose rampart [was] the sea, [and] her wall [was] from the sea?

(d) Meaning Alexandria, which had a compact of peace with so many nations, and yet was now destroyed.

Na 3:15

3:15 There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the {e} cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.

(c) Signifying that God's judgments would suddenly destroy the Assyrians, as these vermin do with rain or change of weather.

Na 3:18

3:18 Thy {f} shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell [in the dust]: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth [them].

(f) Your princes and counsellors.

Na 3:19

3:19 [There is] no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon {g} whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

(g) Meaning that the Assyrians had done hurt to all people.

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