The Pulpit Commentary — Nahum — Section 14

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-The messenger of j'udgment. Notice here- I. THE MESSENGER: ms PERSONALITY. "Nahum the Elkoshite." 1. His name. "Nahum," signifying "Comolation ;" and whilst this scarcely a.ccords with the character of his mission as the proclaimer of Divine judgments, yet, interspersed with the heavy tidings concerning Nineveh, we have here very tender and consolatory wordd addressed by him to his own afflicted nation (vers. 7, 12, 13-15). 2. His birthplace. He wa.s "the Elkoshite," a native of Elkosh, a village of Galilee. This has been questioned, and a tradition hll,s been appealed to represeuting that be belonged to the Captivity, and was born at Alcosh, a town near Mosul. It has been urged, however, that much of the phraseology he employs, together with certain familiar references to places, connects him unmistakably with North Palestine. 11 THE CHARACTER OF HIS MESSAGE. "The burden of Nineveh." 1. It was a message to be delivered to a heathen nation. Like the message of Jonah, to which it has been fittingly described as .being "the complement and the counterpart," it indi- cates that God holds wider relations with mankind tban the Jews were prepared to admit; and that all nations and peoples lie within the range of his providence and power. 2. It was a message full of dark forebodings. It told of impending judgment and of national destruction and ·desolation. The sombre announcements were unre- lieved even by a single word of hope being addressed to the guilty nation. 'rhe Ninevites had previously recognized the Divine righteousness, and upon their repent- ance had experienced the Divine clemency; but this had been followed by relapse into the grossest iniquity, and there remained now only the experience of the threatened ruin-the nation should be "utterly cut off." "The burden of Nineveh" was also the burden of Nahum. His few words recorded here addressed to his own people are suffi- cient to indicate that he was n man of refined susceptibilities; a.nd to such a man his commission must have been indeed oppressive. Yet he would not shrink, but would faithfully fulfil his trust. Whilst the mercy and love of God should be the constant theme of the modern teacher, yet the great and solemn fact of his retributive justice mnst- not be ignored. There is to be declared" a.II the counsel of God" (Acts xx. 27). III. TnE DIVINE AU'l'HORITY WITH WHIOH HE WAS INVESTED. A plain man unfolding such teachings respecting a mighty heathen power might well be required to 12 THE BOOK OF NAHUM. [OH. I, 1-!G.