As to the above attempt to fix the date of Nahum's prophecy by comparing parts of it with similar passages in the ^>Titings of Isaiah (viz., Nah. iii, 5 with Isa. xlvii, 2, 3 ; Nah. iii, 7, 10 with Isa. Ii, 19 sq. ; Nah. ii, 1 with Isa. Iii, 1,7; Nah. ii, 3 with Isa. hi, 8), the re- semblance between these passages, it is alleged, is so close that the one writer must have had the other be- fore him when composing his own oracles ; and as it is assumed that Nahum was the copier, and as Isaiah's writing must be placed in the latter part of the reign of Hezekiah, it is concluded that Nahum must have written towards the close of that reign or early in the following. But allowing the similarity of the passages, everything else in this argument is mere assumption, any part of which may be reversed with ecpial probabil- ity ; and accordingly we find that while Keil and Otto Strauss hold Nahum for the borrower, Delitzsch and Niigelsbach attribute this to Isaiah. The supposed al- lusion to Sennacherib's invasion in i, 14 has been thought to find support from the words tj'l^p D'^bX, which, joined as the accents direct with what precedes, may be rendered, " I will make it [the house of thy gods] thy grave," and may be viewed as referring to the slaughter of Sennacherib in the temple of his deity (Isa. xxx\-ii, 38). But to this much weight cannot be attached ; for, on the one hand, the rendering in the A. V. is quite as likely to be the correct one as that suggested, and, on the other, it by no means follows that when a man's grave is said to be made in any place it means that in that place he is to be murdered.
The results of the above discussion may be briefly summed up thus : that Nahum was a native of Gali- lee ; that upon the invasion and deportation of the ten tribes he escaped into the territory of Judah, and prob- ably took up his residence in Jerusalem, where he wit- nessed the siege of the city by Sennacherib, and the de- struction of the Assyrian host, in the reign of Hezekiah; and that probably soon after that memorable event, which proved " the beginning of the end" of the As- syrian power, and taking occasion from it, the Spirit of prophecy chose him to be the instrument of predicting the final and complete overthrow of Nineveh and her empire — an empire which had been built up by violence ancl cruel oppression, and which was justly doomed to perish by the extremities of fire and sword. Nahum was a contemporary of Isaiah and JMicah.
3. Contents. — As the title " the burden of Nineveh" imports, the prophecy of Nahum is directed against that proud city, and falls into three parts. The Jiist (i) contains the introduction (1-10) and the theme of the prophet's oracle (11-14). The second (ii) sets forth
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the calamity which should come upon the Assyrian empire. The third (iii) recajjitulates the reasons for the judgments that should be thus intiicted, and an- nounces the certainty of their coming'. The whole forms one continuous composition. There is no ground for the opinion which some (lluet, Kalinsky, Bcrtholdt) have maintained that the three parts of the book were produced at different times.
To descend to details, the prophecy commences with a declaration of the character of Jehovah, "a (iod jealous and avenging," as exhibited in his dealings with ills enemies, and the swift and terrible vengeance with which he pursues them (i, 2-G), while to those that trust in liini he is "good, a stronghold in the day of trouble" (i, 7), in contrast with the overwhelming flood which shall sweep away his foes (i,8). The language of the propliet now becomes more special, and points to the (Usi ruction which awaited the hosts of Assyria who had just gone up out of Judah (i, 9-11). In the verses that fdllow the intention of .Jehovah is still more fuUy declared, and addressed first to .Judah (i, 12, 13), and then to the monarch of Assyria (i, 14). And now the vision grows more distinct. The messenger of glad tidings, the news of Nineveh's downfall, treads the mountains that were round about Jerusalem (i, 15), and proclaims to Judah the accomplishment of her vows. But round the doomed city gather the destroj-- ing armies ; " the breaker in pieces" has gone up, and Jehovah musters his hosts to the battle to avenge his people (ii, 1, 2). The prophet's mind in vision sees the Imrnislied bronze shields of the scarlet-clad warriors of the besieging army, the flashing steel scythes of their \var-chariots as they are drawn up in battle array, and the quivering cypress-shafts of their spears (ii,3). The Assyrians hasten to the defence : their chariots rush madly through the streets, and riui to and fro like the lightning in tlie broad ways, which glare with their bright armor like torches. But a panic has seized their might j' ones; their ranks are broken as they march, and they hurry to the wall only to sec the cov- ered battering-rams of the besiegers ready for the at- tack (ii, 4, 5). The crisis hastens on with terrible rapid- ity. Tlie river-gates are broken in, and the royal palace is in the hands of the victors (ii, G). And then comes the end ; the city is taken and carried captive, and her maidens "moan as with the voice of doves," beating their breasts with sorrow (ii,7). The flight becomes general, and the leaders in vain endeavor to stem the torrent of fugitives (ii,8). The wealth of the city and its accumulated treasures become the spoil of the cap- tors, and the concpiered suffer all the horrors that follow tlie assault and storm (ii, 9, 10). Over the charred and l)lackenod ruins the prophet, as the mouthpiece of Je- lio\,ih. ixcbiiins in triumph, "Where is the lair of the li"ii-. ilu- rKiling place of the young lions, where walked linn.liniicss. linn's whelp, and none made [them] afraid?" (ii, 11, 12). In reverse of this the downfall of Nineveh was certain, for " behold ! I am against thee, saith Jeho- vah of Mosts" (ii, 13). The vision ends, and the proph- et, rocalk'<l from the scenes of the future to the realities of the present, collects liiinself, as it were, for one final outburst of withering ikiiunciation against the As.syrian city, not now threatened liy her Meilian and Chaldivan concpierors, but in the full tide of prosjierity, the op- pressor and corrupter of nations. jMiugled with this \voe there is no touch of sadness or compassion for her fate; she will fall unpitied and unlamented, and with terrible calmness the prophet pronounces her final doom : "All that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee ; for upon whom has not thy wickedness passed continually?" (iii, 19).