The Chapters – Quick Access
Basics
BOOK: Nahum
Description: A Condemnation of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital at the time.
Author: an unknown Nahum
Date written: Somewhere between 663 (fall of Thebes) and 612 (fall of Nineveh), possibly about 630BC
Chapters: 3
Brief Synopsis
• Prophecies probably during the reign of Josiah, all about the downfall of Nineveh
Outline
Ch.1 Nineveh’s Judge
- 1:2-8 The Lord’s Kindness and Sternness
- 1:9-15 Nineveh ‘s Overthrow and Judah ‘s Joy
Ch.2 Nineveh’s Judgment
- 2:1-10 Nineveh Besieged
- 2:11-13 Nineveh ‘s Desolation Contrasted with Her Former Glory
Ch.3 Nineveh’s Total Destruction
- 3:1-4 Nineveh’s Sins
- 3:5-19 Nineveh ‘s Doom
Overall Background
Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian kingdom (not to be confused with Syria), originally built by Nimrod (Gen 10:11). Assyria crops up a number of times in Scripture and so it is important that we understand something of this nation and especially its capital against which Nahum prophesies.
As a nation it started developing about 800BC and really started expanding in the 700s BC, destroying Samaria and the northern kingdom of Israel in 722BC. As such it had been used as God’s tool of judgment. Nineveh had been established as its capital in 705BC.
Kings of Assyria
In the Scriptures we come across a number of Assyrian kings:
- Tiglath-Pileser invaded the northern kingdom about 740BC (2 Kings 15:19),
- Shalmaneser attacked the northern kingdom and eventually carried them all off in 722BC (2 Kings 17:3,6).
- Sennacherib attacked Judah in 710BC (2 Kings 18:13).
Jonah had announced its destruction earlier (Jon 3:4), but the people repented and the destruction was temporarily averted. Not long after that, however, Nineveh reverted to its extreme wickedness, brutality and pride. The brutality reached its peak under Ashurbanipal (669-627), the last great ruler of the Assyrian empire. After his death, Assyria’s influence and power waned rapidly until 612, when Nineveh was overthrown. Nahum’s Significance: So much for history, now the word of the Lord that came some eighteen years beforehand. Nahum probably prophesied about 630BC and as we just noted, it was destroyed in 612BC, and that is the main feature of this little prophetic book.
The City
Nineveh was a great city with great walls that stretched over 7 miles round and had the water of rivers surrounding and protecting her. The Medes, Persians and Scythians came against it but the walls were too great for them. After a 3 month siege heavy rains raised the river levels to such an extent that they broke into the city and the walls collapsed. Nineveh fell by an act of God – just as He said!
Concluding Comments
- The book is all about Nineveh , its pride and its power and its coming downfall.
- Read Nahum as if it is a modern TV documentary. Because it is highly prophetic, the prophet sees future things as if they are the present. There are incredibly graphic and accurate descriptions of what is going to happen to Nineveh.
- The interesting thing is the actual historical downfall of Nineveh. Assyria had grown and in 705BC Nineveh was made its capital. It was a great city with great walls but with the water of rivers surrounding and protecting her. About 630BC Nahum prophesied these things. In 612 Nineveh was destroyed. How? The Medes, Persians and Scythians came against it but the walls were too great for them. After a 3 month siege heavy rains raised the river levels to such an extent they broke into the city and the walls collapsed. Nineveh fell by an act of God – just as He said!”