| NAHUM |
| Explanatory Footnotes |
| 1:3 God is Slow to Anger God's anger against Nineveh had not appeared overnight. Assyria had been the dominant world power for at least 300 years. Once before, Jonah had carried a message of condemnation to its chief city, Nineveh. As was always true with God's prophets, Jonah's condemnation sounded absolute. Actually, it included an escape clause. In Jeremiah 18:7-10, God spelled it out: "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then i will relent . . . ." Hearing Jonah, the Ninevites had repented, and God had spared their city. The repentance had not lasted, however. By Nahum's time, Nineveh had returned to her evil ways. God's anger, while slow to develop, was sure. 3:8 Another Powerful City In approximately 663 B.C. Assyria overwhelmed Thebes, the ancient, wealthy capital of Upper Egypt. This victory seemed to symbolize Assyria's absolute power. To Nahum, however, the battle told a different tale. If Thebes was vulnerable, so was proud Nineveh. About 50 years after capturing Thebes, Nineveh fell to the Babylonians. The mention of Thebes' downfall enables us to date Nahum's message within that 50-year period. |