Verse 1. Burden, or threat. Worthington.—Septuagint “assumption,” ( Bible.) when the prophet saw in spirit the impending ruin. Theod.—Allegorically, Nahum is “the comforter” of the just, shewing that God will avenge their cause against Ninive, “the beautiful,” and destroy the world, (kosmos, which also means “beautiful,”) after which the saints shall reign in eternal glory. Worthington.—We have describe Ninive. Jonas 1. Calmet.—It was overturned first A. 3257, and again A. 3378. Usher.—Elcesite. Some think that Elcesai was the father of Nahum; but most suppose that it was a village Galilee. Calmet.
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Verse 2. The Lord. The six following verses ( Bible.) tend to excite attention. Calmet.
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Verse 3. Cleanse. Literally, cleansing, he will not make innocent.” Bible.—The same expression is rendered, No man of himself is innocent before thee. Exodus 34:7. Calmet.—Septuagint “the innocent he will not deem innocent.” Bible.—No man is perfect in God’s sight, ( Calmet.) though they may appear to be such to others. Bible.—None can escape punishment, if he be treated with rigour. De Dieu translates, “he will not utterly evacuate,” or destroy, which seems very correct. Jeremiah 30:11. Numbers 14:18.—Dust. He walks upon them as we do on dry land.
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Verse 4. Desert, as at the Red Sea. Psalms 105:9.—Languisheth. The most fruitful places produce nothing, when God is angry.
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Verse 5. Made. Septuagint “shaken.”—Quaked. Hebrew and Septuagint “risen.” Calmet.
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Verse 6. Like fire. Septuagint “melts kingdoms.”
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Verse 7. Hope. Septuagint “fear.” He approves of his faithful servants. Bible.
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Verse 8. Thereof; that is of Ninive. Challoner.—This is connected with verse 1. Bible.—Ninive was taken by the waters of the Tigris overflowing, at the first siege. Diod. ii. Athen. xii.—The like might happen at the second, though profane authors be silent. Calmet.—Many think that the flood means great armies. Isaiah 8:7. Forer. Vat.—Septuagint “He will utterly destroy: those who rise up and his enemies, darkness,” and so forth Bible.—Chal. The. and Aq. adopt the same sense, but Sym. and so forth agree with us. Calmet.
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Verse 9. Affliction. Septuagint add, “for the same thing, or together.” Bible.—:Many hence infer, that those who have been slain by God, like the Sodomites, and so forth will not be condemned to hell. Orig. i. Ezec. Saint Jerome S. Th. 3. p. q. 59. a. 5.—But this principle cannot be always correct. Calmet.—Their temporal suffering might usher in eternal ones. Saint Gregory Mor. xviii. 12.—Ninive shall perish; so that a second blow will not be requisite. 1 Kennicott. 26:8. Drus. Calmet.
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Verse 10. Dry. The Assyrians, feasting in the hopes that they would speedily become masters of Jerusalem, were cut off in one night. Worthington.—God’s enemies cannot escape; as when a thorn bush has taken fire, all must perish. Psalms 57:10. Isaiah 9:18. Calmet.
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Verse 11. Forth. Some understand this of Sennacherib. But as his attempt against the people seems to have been prior to the prophecy of Nahum, we may better understand it of Holofernes. Challoner.—One. Septuagint “a most wicked thought against the Lord, devising opposition.” Bible.—We may render, “hath come,” and so forth alluding to Sennacherib and Rabsaces. Isaiah 36:18 and 37:23. Calmet.
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Verse 12. Perfect. That is, however strong or numerous their forces may be, they shall be cut off, and their prince or leader shall pass away and disappear. Challoner.—If there were many just at Ninive, or among the Jews, ( Calmet.) a moderate chastisement would suffice. Bible.—The latter have been afflicted; now their enemies shall suffer. Septuagint have read otherwise: ( Calmet.) “the Lord, reigning over the great waters; thus shall they be divided, and thou shalt be heard of no more.” Bible.
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Verse 13. Asunder. Ezechias was tributary to Assyria. 4 Kennicott. 18:14. After the fall of Ninive, its yoke was removed. Calmet.
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Verse 14. Commandment. That is, a decree concerning thee, O king of Ninive, thy seed shall fail, and so forth Challoner.—His son Asarhaddon succeeded; but soon the line was extinct. Worthington.—No alarm shall be spread by thee.—Grave. Sennacherib was slain in the temple: (Isaiah 37:38. Calmet.) or the idols were deemed unclean by the victors. Eurip. Troad. Bible.
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Verse 15. Peace. Sentinels were established on the hills.—Festivals. S. Jerom quotes the B. of Paral. as saying ( Calmet.) that the Jews could not observe the Passover in the first month. But they did it in the second, after they knew that Sennacherib was slain. 2 Chronicles 32. Bible.—This passage does not, however, appear at present in Scripture, and it could not speak of the second month ( Calmet.) following Nisan, ( Bible.) as the king was slain forty-five days (Tobit 1:22. Greek 5) after his return to Ninive; and some time must have elapsed before he could get thither, and the news arrive in Judea. Calmet.—Belial; the wicked one, that is the Assyrian. Challoner.
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When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).
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The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
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“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.