Nahum 1:1-15

1:1 | Nineveh was a wicked city – a symbol for the godless tyranny and cruelty of the whole nation of Assyria (Jonah 1:2).

1:2-3 | The LORD (Yahweh) is used five times in these two verses to emphasize that Israel’s covenant God is the Mighty Warrior who avenges His people. The word jealous often has a negative connotation for modern readers, but the Hebrew word here refers to God’s zeal in vindicating His people and seeking vengeance against their enemies.

1:3 | Has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm reads literally, “In the whirlwind and in the storm is His way.” This passage depicts the Lord as Judge of enemy nations, advancing in a mighty windstorm that symbolizes His destructive power.

1:4-8 | In the midst of this terrifying display of the Lord’s destructive power, Nahum affirms that He is good and He is a stronghold – a place of refuge and safety that insulates His people from the attacks of the enemy (Ps. 37:39-40). God’s judgment does not contradict His goodness; it is directed against the enemies of His people and proves His commitment to those who trust in Him.

1:9-15 | Earlier verses describe the Lord’s judgment on His enemies in general terms – He pours it out like a mighty flood and relentlessly pursues them with the darkness of death (Job 18:17-18). Here, Nahum describes the judgment directed specifically toward the Assyrians (using a masculine plural form of you in the Hebrew text of 1:11), and the king of Nineveh (using masculine singular forms in the Hebrew text of 1:14).

1:12-15 | As the Lord promised to deliver His people from the oppression of the Assyrians, He urged them to fulfill (perform) the vows made to Him in their prayers for deliverance. The time of celebration was too soon to commence.