Nahum
About this date: Dates are broad scholarly estimates of composition or final editing, not dates of the events narrated. Traditional attributions and scholarly assessments can differ.
Nahum announces Nineveh's downfall through forceful poetry about imperial violence and judgment. The relief promised to those under domination and the text's severe imagery both require attention.
Historical context
The fall of Nineveh in 612 BCE supplies a common historical horizon. Proposed dates for particular poems remain interpretations rather than dates supplied for every line.
Key points
- The opening holds patience and accountability together rather than presenting power as morally indifferent.
- Nineveh is addressed as an imperial center associated with plunder and cruelty.
- Comparison with Jonah reveals different literary situations, not a requirement to flatten both books into the same message.
Scripture
- Nahum 1:1-8 — The opening describes divine judgment and refuge in contrasting imagery.
- Nahum 2:1-13 — The siege poetry reverses the predator imagery used of imperial power.
- Nahum 3:1-7 — The oracle indicts the city's violence and exploitation.
Sources and further reading
- Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles: canonical books and Apocrypha
- Catholic Catechism §120: canon and book list
- Nahum: complete public-domain WEB text
- Orthodox Church in America: canon of Scripture
- Orthodox Church in America: Old Testament historical books
- USCCB Bible introductions: historical and literary notes