NAHUM
of
two
parts,
of
which
the
one
is
general
in
its
assertion
of
God's
universal
judgment,
the
other
particular
in
its
specific
messages
to
Judah
and
to
Assyria.
Jehovah
as
the
jealous
Avenger
is
the
opening
theme.
This
fact
holds
good
of
His
administration
(1');
and
as
He
passes
on
to
the
overthrow
of
the
wicked,
physical
proofs
of
His
power
become
evident
everywhere
(l'-°).
Tenderness
towards
those
who
wait
upon
Him,
but
an
overwhelming
flood
upon
His
enemies
(1'-'°),
are
the
two
great
characteristics
of
His
rule.
'
What
think
ye
of
Jehovah?'
(1',
where
RV
does
not
preserve
the
sequence
of
thought)
is
the
point
of
passage
to
the
section
dealing
with
His
particular
acts,
in
which
section
either
the
text
is
corrupt
through
the
displacement
of
some
of
the
verses,
or
the
two
messages,
of
deliverance
to
Judah
(1"-
"
2')
and
of
vengeance
upon
Israel
(1111.
14
20,
were
meant
to
be
entangled
in
repeated
antitheses.
Already
the
bearer
of
the
good
news
is
speeding
over
the
hills
(1«;
cf.
Is
62',
Ro
10").
The
oracle
proper
consists
also
of
two
sections,
corre-sponding
with
the
division
into
chapters.
The
second
chapter
is
a
swift
and
vivid
description
of
the
siege
of
Nineveh,
its
capture
and
sack,
with
the
complete
desola-tion
that
followed.
A
second
oracle
is
contained
in
the
third
chapter,
which
there
is
no
need
to
regard
as
compacted
of
several
prophecies,
but
of
which
the
unity
in
theme
and
sequence
of
thought
is
conspicuous.
The
mention
of
the
city
of
blood,
full
of
lies
and
rapine,
is
followed
by
one
of
the
most
vivid
battle-pictures
in
Heb.
Uterature
(,3").
The
cause
of
destruction
is
to
be
found
in
the
diplomatic
harlotry,
whereby
nations
and
races
had
been
lured
and
sold;
and
so
richly
merited
will
be
the
woe,
that
none
will
be
left
or
disposed
to
pity
or
bemoan
Nineveh
(3').
The
analogy
of
No-amon
(Thebes)
makes
it
certain
that
a
similar
fate
is
awaiting
the
Assyrian
city
(S"'^).
Her
outposts
and
defences
are^already
falling
before
the
invader,
just
as
the
first-ripe
figs
fall
at
the
mere
shaking
of
a
flg-tree;
and
her
people
have
become
women
(S'^'O.
The
time
to
prepare
for
the
siege
is
past,
adds
the
prophet,
vrith
his
sarcastic
appeal,
'Tread
the
mortar,
lay
hold
of
the
brick-mould.'
The
swarming
merchants,
the
'crowned
ones'
(floating
foreign
population,
according
to
Wellhausen;
more
probably
the
princes
and
prosper-ous
men,
cf.
Is
10*),
the
'marshals'
or
high
officials,
are
like
locusts
or
grasshoppers,
that
camp
in
the
hedges
and
walls,
but
vanish
with
the
sunrise.
Finally,
the
prophet
addresses
the
king
himself,
and
on
the
eve
of
the
destruction
of
the
city
proclaims
her
disappearance
from
history
amidst
the
joy
of
all
who
had
suffered
under
her
tyranny:
'There
is
no
assuaging
of
thy
hurt
...
all
that
hear
the
bruit
of
thee
clap
the
hands
over
thee.*
2.
Authenticity
of
the
first
chapter.
—
That
Nahum
was
the
author
of
the
two
oracles
is
hardly
open
to
question,
but
of
late
years
some
doubt
has
been
thrown
upon
the
authenticity
of
the
prologue.
Against
Nahum's
authorship
the
plea
is
of
a
technical
character,
that
the
first
chapter
Is
really,
in
Heb.,
an
alphabetic
poem,
and
that
its
right
metrical
division
yields,
with
a
few
alterations
and
transpositions,
a
series
of
stanzas,
of
which
the
first
words
commence
with
the
letters
of
the
Heb.
alphabet
in
order.
This
plea
is
followed
by
the
statement
that
such
a
literary
form
points
to
a
late
origin;
and
consequently
the
prologue
is
held
to
have
been
composed
or
constructed
in
the
post-exilic
period,
and
prefixed
as
an
appropriate
introduction
to
the
oracle
of
Nahum
on
account
of
its
expression
of
the
general
principle
of
God's
avenging
justice,
of
which
the
drama
of
Nineveh
was
supposed
to
afford
a
striking
illustration.
On
the
other
side,
the
re-arrangements
necessary
to
restore
an
alphabetical
form
are
di£Scult,
though
perhaps
possible
as
far
sis
1',
after
which
resort
has
to
be
had
to
processes
that
are
scientifically
indefensible.
The
order
of
the
verses
and
of
the
words
within
the
verses
has
to
be
altered,
words
are
omitted
or
intro-
NAHUM
duced
with
freedom,
and
on
the
whole
A.
B.
Davidson's
verdict
stands
—
that
the
attempt
to
restore
the
alpha-betical
form
'can
never
be
more
than
an
academical
exercise.'
Even
if
an
alphabetical
form
be
conceded,
a
necessary
lateness
of
date
cannot
be
successfully
inferred.
■
Instances
of
the
use
of
such
a
form
occur,
e.g.,
in
Pss
9.10,
where
the
tone
and
teaching
are
distinctly
pre-exillc
;
and
history
would
allow
of
the
appearance
of
such
a
form,
or
at
least
of
tentative
efforts
at
its
construction,
at
a
comparatively
early
period
in
the
development
of
a
literature.
The
language
and
atmosphere
of
the
prologue
are
those
of
the
succeeding
oracles.
Alleged
parallels
with
the
post-exUic
psalms
are
in
reality
parallels
with
earher
writings,
which
possibly
supplied
both
Nahum
and
the
writers
of
the
psalms
in
question
with
their
common
phrases.
Vividness
and
force,
severity
towards
sin,
fervent
confidence
in
God,
are
features
of
all
three
chapters,
which
are
further
knit
together
by
their
theme,
the
first
setting
up
God's
throne
of
judgment
and
announcing
His
sentence
on
Nineveh,
the
others
portraying
the
execution
of
that
sentence.
And
the
attempts
to
destroy
the
unity
of
the
book,
able
as
they
have
been
and
full
of
valuable
contributions
to
its
exegesis
and
to
BibUcal
science
generally,
must
be
regarded
as
having
so
far
failed.
3.
Date.
—
The
question
of
the
authenticity
of
the
first
chapter
does
not
seriously
affect
the
further
question
of
the
date
at
which
Nahum
composed
the
two
oracles
by
general
consent
ascribed
to
him.
Two
points
may
be
fixed
at
once;
and
In
the
period
between
them
the
actual
date
must
be
found.
Nahum
prophesied
after
the
capture
of
No-amon
or
Thebes
(S'J")
by
Ashurbanipal
in
B.C.
664-663,
but
before
the
fall
of
Nineveh
in
B.C.
606.
The
interval,
within
which
the
exact
date
must
be
sought,
may
be
shortened
with
great
probabiUty.
Ashurbanipal's
brilliant
reign
terminated
in
b.c.
626,
and
before
that
date
there
cannot
be
said
to
have
been
any
great
decUne
in
the
strength
of
Assyria.
The
Medes
and
the
Scythians
were
beginning
to
threaten
the
empire,
but
its
most
serious
difficulties
arose
from
dynastic
rivalries
and
the
revolt
of
Ashurbanipal's
brother.
Had
that
revolt
been
the
occasion
of
Nahum's
prophecy,
he
would
have
directed
his
words
against
the
king
in
person
and
not
against
the
city.
After
the
death
of
Ashurbanipal
the
Medes
rapidly
grew
in
strength,
and
laid
siege
to
Nineveh,
but
were
called
away
by
an
invasion
of
their
own
country;
and
the
city
weis
spared
for
nearly
twenty
years.
The
right
date
for
Nahum
seems
to
be
a
Uttle
after
the
death
of
Ashurbanipal,
when
the
signs
of
Assyrian
weakness
were
multiplying,
and
the
outlying
parts
of
the
empire
had
already
recovered
their
independence
or
been
appropriated
by
other
powers.
At
a
later
date
the
language
of
a
prophet
in
Judah
would
be
likely
to
be
affected
by
the
Deuteronomic
style,
of
which
there
are
no
traces
in
Nahum;
an
earlier
date
would
fail
to
supply
the
historic
conditions,
which
are
always
an
essential
feature
of
Jewish
prophecy.
About
623
or
624
Nahum
would
need
no
great
discernment
to
see
the
approaching
fall
of
Assyria,
and
in
the
equipment
and
quick
move-ments
of
the
Medes
and
Scythians
he
would
find
the
imagery
which
he
uses
to
such
good
effect
in
his
oracles
.
4.Literarycharaoterandreligiousvalue.—
Picturesque-ness
and
force
have
been
described
as
the
most
prom-inent
characteristics
of
Nahum's
poety.
Compact
thought,
vivid
description
(2'-'
3^'),
effective
imagery
(21U-
3"f.)
separate
him
sufficiently
from
the
prophets
of
the
Chaldaean
period,
and
give
him
a
position
not
far
behind
that
of
Isaiah.
Obscurity
is
sometimes
met
with
(e.g.
V
2»),
but
the
cause
is
probably
quite
as
often
the
high
specific
gravity
of
the
sentence
as
an
error
in
transcription.
Findlay
says
(Books
at
the
Prophets,
il.
191)
that
Nahum
Is
neglected
by
the
