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Chapter 1

Oracle[a] concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.

God’s Terrifying Appearance

[b]A jealous and avenging God[c] is the Lord,
    an avenger is the Lord, full of wrath;
The Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries,
    and rages against his enemies;
The Lord is slow to anger, yet great in power;
    the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.(A)
In stormwind[d] and tempest he comes,
    and clouds are the dust at his feet;

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Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Oracle: (Heb. Massa’) a word used frequently to describe a prophetic statement against a foreign nation or occasionally Israel; it is used favorably for Israel in Zec 12:1 and Mal 1:1. Nahum of Elkosh: Nahum means “comfort.” Elkosh is a clan or village of unknown location, perhaps in southern Judah.
  2. 1:2–8 A poem written in the style of the alphabetic psalms (cf. Ps 9; 25; 111; 119) in which each verse unit begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The second half of the alphabet is not represented here.
  3. 1:2 A jealous…God: see note on Ex 20:5.
  4. 1:3–6 In stormwind: the power of God is often pictured by natural forces and cosmic disruption (Ex 19:9–25; Ps 18:8–16; 104:1–9).

A prophecy(A) concerning Nineveh.(B) The book of the vision(C) of Nahum the Elkoshite.

The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

The Lord is a jealous(D) and avenging God;
    the Lord takes vengeance(E) and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
    and vents his wrath against his enemies.(F)
The Lord is slow to anger(G) but great in power;
    the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.(H)
His way is in the whirlwind(I) and the storm,(J)
    and clouds(K) are the dust of his feet.

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