Volume III
The Book of the Prophet Nahum.
With John Brown’s marginal references, notes and reflections · Vol. III, p. 1463
This prophet was a native of Elkosh, a city of Galilee, and appears to have prophesied about A.M. 3284, a little before Sennacherib invaded Judea, in order to comfort the Jews with the hopes of the approaching destruction of the Assyrian army before Jerusalem, and afterwards of their empire, and of Nineveh the capital. [See Introduction, ch. iv. sect. x.] [Josephus places Nahum in the reign of Jotham; others think him contemporary with Hezekiah; but, from ch. 2. 2, it is generally concluded that he prophesied after the captivity of the ten tribes. His principal subject is the downfall of the Assyrian monarchy, of which the capital was Nineveh. This prophecy was remarkably fulfilled about a century after the date assigned to its utterance, and thirty years previous to the destruction of Jerusalem. Ch. 1. 15 is quoted Ro. 10. 15, and ch. 3. 4 in Re. 18. 2, 3. C. The book of Nahum is justly regarded by critics as, in purity of language and sublimity of style, one of the most beautiful in the Bible. It is not inferior even to Isaiah. It seems strange that so little should be known of the author. He calls himself the Elkoshite, doubtless because Elkosh was his birthplace. The locality of this town is disputed. There is a village called Elkosh in ancient Assyria, on the eastern side of the Tigris, two days from Mosul, where the tomb of the prophet is shown, and is venerated by Jews and Christians. Some affirm that this is the native place of Nahum. Jerome, however, places Elkosh in Galilee, and mentions it as a well-known place in his day. I feel inclined to adopt his view. The date of the book is pretty definitely fixed by internal evidence. He refers in ch. i. to the overthrow of the army of Sennacherib. In ch. 2. 13 reference is made to the messengers sent by Sennacherib to Hezekiah; and in ch. 3. 8 to the conquest of No in Egypt. The date of the prophecy therefore must be fixed in the reign of Hezekiah. The great theme of his prophecy is Nineveh; but he denounces it because it was the great foe and oppressor of the Israelites. He seems to look upon it as a type of the enemies of the church of God in every age; and its overthrow he regarded as symbolic of the ultimate overthrow of God's enemies in the world. P.]