Nahum
Prophetia NahumIntroductions
Enciclopedia Cattolica
NAHUM (Hebrew: Naḥûm «Comforter»). - Seventh of the minor prophets in the canon of the Vulgate.
He was from 'Elqōš (Nah. 1:1), which St. Jerome (PL 25, 1232) places in Galilee (Driver, Cornely, Crampon); but St. Epiphanius (PG 43, 409), St. Cyril of Alexandria (ibid. 71, 780) and all moderns place it in Judea, as the internal examination of the book itself suggests (Bîr el-Qaws near Bejt Gibrîn).
N. announces to Judah the ruin of its most terrible enemy: Assyria.
In ch. 1 he celebrates the power of Jahweh, just and avenging, who saves his people and strikes the enemies. Divine justice is given particular prominence. In chs. 2-3 he describes the fall of Nineveh, imminent, and as a type recalls the past ruin of Thebes (Nō'-Amôn: Nah. 3:8 ff.; cf. Ezek. 30:14 ff.; St. Jerome [PL 25, 1260] erroneously translates Alexandria popularum). These two indications allow the prophecy of N. to be dated: after 663 (destruction of Thebes by Ashurbanipal) and before 612 B.C. (fall of Nineveh); closer, however (Nah. 3:18), to the latter (625-615).
Haydock
Nahum, whose name signifies a comforter, was a native of Elcese, or Elcesai, supposed to be a little town in Galilee. He prophesied after the ten tribes were carried into captivity, and foretold the utter destruction of Ninive by the Babylonians and Medes; which happened in the reign of Josias, (Challoner) in the sixteenth year, when the father of Nabuchodonosor and the grandfather of Cyrus entirely ruined Ninive, and divided the empire between them, (Calmet) in the year of the world 3378. (Usher) Tobias xiv. 16. --- Nahum was probably on the spot when he proclaimed this beautiful prediction, which yields not to any work of profane authors. He might have been carried captive by Salmanasar, as he alludes to the captivity of Israel and to the blasphemies of Sennacherib. We cannot, therefore, place his prophecy before the fifteenth year of Ezechias. (Calmet) --- He appeared about fifty years after Jonas, when the Ninivites had relapsed, and were destroyed in the space of one hundred and thirty-five years, as a figure of the subversion of idolatry by Christ's preaching the gospel of peace. (Worthington)
Douay 1582/1609
NAHVM borne in Elcese a towne in Galiley, prophecied shortly S. Ierom. Epist ad Paulin. Nahum prophecied about 50. yeares after Ionas, •ere 135. before the destruction of Niniue. after the captiuitie of the tenne tribes, against Niniue, about fiftie yeares after Ionas preaching, and their repentance; when they became more wicked then before: foreshewing their vtter ruine, and ignominie. In figure of the destruction of idolatrie in al nations, by Christ euangelizing and announcing peace, to al that wil beleue in him.
Cornely
Cír Trochon Les petits proph. p. 250; Davidson Introd. III. p. 288 etc.
827. — De Prophetia Nahum.
Continue reading 27 paragraphs
311. — I. DE PROPHETAE VITA ET AETATE. — Prophetae minores, de quibus hucusque egimus, omnes ante regni septemtrionalis interitum valicinati sunt, quare in suis vaticiniis etiam utriusque regni vitia reprehendere et futuram sortem praedicere solent. Tres, qui proximi sequuntur, ad saec. 7. pertinent atque solum meridionale regnum prae oculis habent; inter eos autem aetate reliquos superat Nahum, cui palaestinenses et alexandrini Iudaei in minore prophetarum volumine septimum locum attribuerunt. De eius vita nihil praeter nomen cm "Uposn (Naoby. à "EXxéooios, Nahum Elcesaeus) nobis est traditum ; in quo nomine S. Hieronymus munus eius aliqua ratione vidit indicatum ; nam « Nahum interpretatur consolator. lam enim decem tribus ab Assyriis deductae fuerunt in captivitatem sub Ezechia rege Iuda, sub quo nunc etiam in consolationem populi transmigrati adversum Ninive visio cernitur. Nec erat parva consolatio tam his, qui iam Assyriis serviebant, quam reliquis, qui sub Ezechia de tribu [uda et Beniamin ab iisdem hostibus obsidebantur, ut audirent Assyrios quoque 8 Chaldaeis esse capiendos »!. Cognomen autem E/cesaei potius a patria, quam a patre deductum esse, contra chaldaicum paraphrasten, qui prophetam « de familia Koschi » fuisse dixit, cum S. Cyrillo Alex. et S. Hieronymo tantum non omnes interpretes consentiunt. Verum ubinam terrarum situm fuerit E/kosch vel Elcesa, controvertitur. Ps.
Epiphantus prophetam natum dicit « in Elcesei trans lordanem versus Begabar ex tribu Simeon »; S. Cyrillus oppidum illud in fudaea fuisse « ex traditione » accepit; secundum S. Hieronymum « Elcesi usque hodie in Galilaea viculus est, parvus quidem et vix ruinis veterum aedificiorum indicans vestigia, sed tamen notus ludaeis et ipsi quoque a circeumducente monstratus » ; inde a.saec. 17. demum nova exorta est sententia, quae patriam prophetae putat esse vicum Alkusch, qui duorum dierum itinere versus septemtrionem a Mosul distat ad ripam orientalem Tigridisin Assyria situs?. Quibus ex sententiis illa sola nobis probatur, quam S. Hieronymus ex Iudaeorum traditione hausit ex eademque S. Cyrillus quoque hausisse recte dicitur, quippe cui « Iudaea » latiore sensu integra Palaestina cisiordanica fuit. Ps. Epiphanii enim assertum non maiorem meretur fidem, quam reliquae eius fabellae de vitis prophetarum et mira de interitu Ninives narratio vitae Nahumiinserta. Admodum autem recens est traditio de Alkusch assyriaco, neque magni ponderis arbitramur esse argumenta, quibus nonnulli moderni interpretes eam confirmare sunt conati : nam auctorem vaticinii nostri in Assyria vixisse, nec tria vocabula assyriaca, quae deprehendisse sibi videntur, nec pauci eius aramaismi, nec scientia eius de rebus assyriacis demonstrant?.
Ad illam igitur partem incolarum regni septemtrionalis pertinuit Nahum, qui aut transportationi in Assyriam fuga sese subtrahere aut mox in patriam reverti potuerant*. Aetatem vero eius, quae olim controvertebatur, hodie assyriacis inscriptionibus satis accurate definire licet. Quin ante regni assyriaci et Ninives destructionem, quippe quam praedicat, vaticinium sit editum, nemini est aut fuit dubium; ante a. 625. vel 608. igitur vixit Nahum*. Quoniam vero Thebas (No Ammon; Vulg. Alexandriam gentium) expugnatas commemorat (3,8), recte concluditur, eum post a. 664. esse vaticinatum; nam Asurbanipal rex Assyriorum in suis annalibus tradit, brevi post mortem Tharacae (i. e. post a 664.) a suis copiis Thebas esse expugnatas et vastatas; de altera autem Thebarum expugnatione nihil omnino nobis est traditum?. Medio igitur saec. 7. vaticinium nostrum editum est?. Quibuscum consentit traditio quaedam iudaica : « Nahum et Habacuc vaticinabantur tempore Manasse (696.-641.) ; at quoniam improbuserat Manasse, tacuerunt eius nomen »$,
3. Ex tribus vocabulis assyriacis, quae Ewald detexit ayn 2,8; 110 et "DEC
3,17, Kleinert (Obadjah, Ionah, Micha, Nahum etc. p. 981 solum urget ultimum, quod revera assyriacae originis est, scd quum nemen dignitatis sit, aeque bene & Nahum, quam a Ieremia (51,27) in Palaestina scribente, adhiberi potuit. Pauci, si qui adsunt, aramaismi in lingua Galilaei neminem offendere possunt. Quomodo vero ex modo, quo Niniven describit, aut Iudaeam alloquitur (2,1 sqq. (1,15; 2,1] cfr Is. 52,7), sequatur, prophetam longe a Palaestina in Assyria vixisse, non intelligo; atque multo minus video, cur propheta interitum Ninives praedicens peccata populi sui carpere debuerit. (Kleinert |. c. « Aus der anschaulichen Art, wie der Prophet von der Stadt redet, ist ersichtlich, dass seine Weissagung in Assur geschrieben ist. Dio Rede ist wie eines, der aus der Ferne Israel zurult... Nirgends findet sich eine Rüge der Sünden Israels, die ein anwesender Prophet schwerlich unterlassen hátte »). Cfr de hac quacstione Knabenbauer Proph. Min. II. p. 2.
6.De Thebis per Asurbanipal expugnatis cfr Ménant Annales des rois d' Assyrie p. 257; Schrader Keilinschr. u. A. T. Ed. 2. p. 452 sq.; Vigourouz La bible et les découvertes modernes. 1V. p. 239 sqq.; Brunengo L'impero di Babilonia e di Ninive II. p. 127 8q. etc.
X. p. 410); Driver Rothst. (Einl. p. 360) a. 315. praefert. Si quis nobiscum (supra n. 139. n. 3. tom. I. p. 411) prophetam 1,11-3,4 cladem Holoternis velut vaticinii fundamentum sumsisse tenet, illud c. a. 650. vel paullo tardius editum dicet. — « Criticorum » (Ewald, Hitzig, Davids., Reuss, Cornill) opiniones, qui brevi ante Ninives expugnationem, quando eius destructio ab omnibus coniectura iam percipi potuit, Nahum eam vaticinatum esse asserunt, refutatione non indigent, quum rationalistico praeiudicio de verorum vaticiniorum impossibilitate nitantur. — De reliquorum antiquiorum sententiis hodie obsoletis cfr Huet. Demonstr. evangel. Proph. 4. p. 320 sq., Keil Einl. p. 328 sq. Plerique interpretes antiquiores, quoniam cp. 1. Sennacheribi cladem praedictam viderent, Ezechíae tempori vaticinium attribuerunt; mirum quod Clem. Alez. Strom. I. 21 (M. 8,852.) Nahum dixerit Ezechiele esse recentiorem, scripsisse igitur satis diu post Ninives interitum. 8. Seder Olam rabba ed. Meyer p. 55. 105.
319. — 1I. DE LIBRI ARGUMENTO, INDOLE, AUCTORITATE —- Vaticinii sui summum argumentum Nahum inscriptione praefixa satis clare indicat; Onus Ninive enim, i. e. oraculum minax contra Niniven, illud appellavit, idque meritissimo, quum in Ninives imperiique assyriaci interitu praedicendo versetur !. Quomodo vero in sua visione hoc argumentum explicaverit, docet haec ANALYsIS, in qua consuetam interpretum explicationem sequimur?. Cum quibus etiam tres partes apte distinguimus?, quarum prima velut exordium quoddam argumenti extrema lineamenta indicet, duae reliquae imaginem destructionis accuratius depingunt; singulae autem tribus strophis constant.
Pans PRIMA (1,2-15 [2,1)) Deum propter suam iustitiam et bonitatem Niniven deleturum, populum autem suum servaturum esse annuntiat.
1. Prima stropha (1,2-6) Dei iusti vindicis terrorem et potentiam, cui nemo resistere possit, magnificentissime describit,
2. Secunda (1, -10) Dei bonitatem , qui amicos suos non derelinquit, celebrat innuitque populum electum ab Assyriis non iterum afflictum iri.
3. Tertia (1,11 -45 (2,11) Niniven, a qua hostis Dei exivit *, et terram Iuda, quae calamitatem passa est, vicissim alloquens completum annuntiat Ninives interitum et terram Iuda, quum eius hostis sit destructus, festa sua celebrare iubet.
Pans ALTERA (2,1-13 [2-14]) futuram Ninives destructionem et depopula-
1. Prima stropha (2,A- 4) Niniven ironice ad fortitudinem exhortatur contra hostes advenientes, quorum fortitudinem et multitudinem descriptione sua indicat.
9. Secunda (2,5 - 9) Ninivitarum obsessorum irritis conatibus indicatis occupationem urbis, incolarum captivitatem , opum direptionem vividis coloribus depingit.
3. Tertia (2,10-13) vastitatem urbis cum priore eius opulentia comparat perpetuamque fore hanc destructionem secundum iudicium Dei denuntiat.
Pans TERTIA (3,1-19) interitum , quem Ninive ob peccata sua meretur, nulla
4. Prima stropha (3,1-7) Ninives crudelitatem fraudem rapinamque castigat, propter quae scelera ab hostibus devastabitur (3,1 -3), atque fornicationes et idololatriam , propter quas Deus eam confusione operiet (3,4-1).
2. Secunda (3,8-13) destructione Thebarum (Alexandriae gentium) in memoriam vocata monet Niniven meliorem non esse, neque meliorem sed peiorem sortem esse habituram.
3. Tertia (3,14-19) irritos fore omnes defensionis conatus edicit, irreparabilem fore urbis ruinam eiusque nuntium omnes populos gaudio esse impleturum.
IvporEM vaticinii huius his verbis descripsit Loth : « Ex omnibus minoribus prophetis nemo videtur aequare sublimitatem , ardorem, audaces spiritus Nahumi. Adde quod eius vaticinium integrum ac iustum est poema; exordium magnificum est et plane augustum; apparatus ad excidium Ninivae eiusque excidii descriptio et amplificatio arden-
(a) Pro « ez te exibit » (1,11), quod exhibet Vulg. Clement., cum Amiationo aliisque codd. latinis et cum text. hebr. omnino legendum est: « ex te exivit ».
tissimis coloribus exprimitur, et admirabilem habet evidentiam et pondus »*. Quae verissime sunt dicta; illud unum autem addendum videtur, uti neminem inter minores sublimitate et audacia, ita neminem inter omnes poetas sacros dramatico describendi modo nostrum prophetam aequare ; quasi praesens adsit, mox Ninivem alloquitur, mox Iudaeam, nunc Assyrios fugientes, nunc hostes urbem diripientes, nunc Dominum introducit loquentem, nunc ducum vel hostium vel Assyriorum verba affert. Ad quae attendens S. Hieronymus : « hinc vel maxime, inquit, obscuri sunt prophetae, quod repente dum aliud agitur, ad alios persona mutatur »*. Vaticinium ipsum autem, licet minax sit contra Assyrios, simul tamen, uti recte etiam monuit S. Hieronymus, consolationis plenum est populo electo. Illo enim tempore, quo Assyrii rege Asurbanipal summum potentiae fastigium attigerant atque unam populi partem plane devicerant captivamque abduxerant, alteram tributariam iam reddiderant, propheta in alta specula constitutus videt Dominum vindicem potentissimum advenientem, ut iudicium exerceat contra impietatis propugnatorem , et exitum iudicii praevidens iubet populum suum iterum laeta festa peragere, quum destructus sit eius hostis : Dei igitur iustitiam, qua hostes suos populique sui adversarios destruit , bonitatemque, qua amicos suos in die tribulationis complectitur, contribulibus suis ob oculos posuit.
AUTHENTIA libelli a nullo unquam est negata; primam tantum inscriptionis partem (Onus Ninve) aliqui in dubitationem vocaverunt? non animadvertentes, integram priorem partem vaticinii non intelligi, nisi Ninive in titulo nominetur; in vaticinio ipso enim, quamvis propheta de ea loquatur (1,8) eamque alloquatur (1,11. 14; 2,1 etc.), nomen urbis, cuius interitus praedicitur, non legitur nisi 2,9. Alii commemorationem destructionis Thebarum (3,8 - 10) ex textu sacro eiicere voluerunt?, quoniam nullo testimonio antiquo destructio illa confirmetur; qui imprudentes « critici » detectis annalibus Asurbanipal egregie ad silentium sunt redacti.
AUCTORITAS DIVINA demum vaticinii diserlis aliorum librorum sacrorum testimoniis demonstrari nequit, atque allusiones quoque, quae sive in Ieremiae libris sive in N. T. deprehenduntur, leviores sunt, quam quae certum argumentum praebeant?; illud autem certum est, antiquam synagogam et Ecclesiam prophetiam nostram semper in canone suo habuisse, ac proin validissimo traditionis testimonio auctoritas eius nititur.
(1,2-6), et bonitatem celebrat, qua amicos suos ex periculo eripit (1,7-10). In PRtonE PARTE (1,11-3,4), ut hanc sententiam confirmet, recentem cladem Holofernis quinquc Strophis describit (1,11-15; 2,1-4; 2,5-88; 2,8 b.-13; 3,1-4). Cui fundamento demum in ALTERA PARTE (3,5-19) superstruit vaticinium de futura Ninives destructione, quam tribus strophis (3,5- 10; 11-15; 16-19) absolvit.
313. — I. DE PROPHETAR VITA ET AETATE. — De Habacuc vita nec plura nec certiora, quam de plerisque prophetis, nobis transmisit antiquitas. Quae enim Ps. Epiphanius cum suis sequacibus narrat, Habacuc ex agro Bethzochor (al. lect. Bidzechar, Bethoachar) in tribu Simeon originem duxisse, lerosolymis per Nabuchodonosor captis in Ostracinem fugisse, postea reversum in agro suo vixisse donec per angelum in Chaldaeam translatus Danieli in fossa leonum commoranti cibum attulisset, multa de excidio urbis per populum occidentalem futuro praedixisse etc. !, illa merito pro fabulis habentur. Restat igitur,
Cornelius a Lapide
Argument 7 paragraphs
Jonah preaching against Nineveh and threatening its destruction after forty days converted the same to repentance; by which it escaped and averted Jonah's threats and destruction. But afterwards returning to its nature and to its crimes and tyranny, it again stirred up the wrath of God, especially when it tyrannically invaded and destroyed other nations, and namely the Israelites, namely ten tribes. Wherefore after Jonah God sent Nahum, who would renew and recall Jonah's threats against Nineveh. Moreover, that Nineveh was not destroyed on account of the first relapse into crimes, which followed immediately after the repentance accomplished when Jonah preached, Ribera proves at length in cap. II, num. 5 and following, whom Torniellus follows in the year of the world 3321; but on account of another far later transgression. For on account of that former relapse of the Ninevites under Sardanapalus, God immediately punished them, when He permitted them to be subjugated by Arbaces the Mede and Belosis the Babylonian. These indeed took Nineveh and compelled Sardanapalus to bring death upon himself. But Nineveh, laid waste by Arbaces, afterwards flourished again, and had very many most powerful kings, namely Phul, Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib and Esarhaddon, who harassed and oppressed the Israelites, as is evident from the fourth book of Kings, and under them it returned to its former crimes and tyranny. Wherefore Nahum here threatens God's vengeance and destruction to it and to all Assyria (for Nineveh was its capital) again; who, as a new Jonah proclaiming new punishment, uttered these threats against it after the ten tribes had been led away into Assyria, which happened in the sixth year of Hezekiah. Whence it is clear that he prophesied after the sixth year of Hezekiah; but before his fourteenth year, in which Sennacherib king of the Assyrians invaded Judea and besieged Jerusalem: for Nahum here predicts this his coming and the liberation of Jerusalem and Hezekiah from him. Thus St. Jerome here in the Preface, Theodoret, Theophylactus, Remigius, Haymo, Albert, Hugh, Ribera, de Castro and others throughout.
Hear St. Jerome: "After Jonah," he says, "Micah is placed, and after Micah Nahum, which is interpreted as comforter; for already the ten tribes had been led away by the Assyrians into captivity under Hezekiah king of Judah, under whom also now for the consolation of the people who had migrated, a vision against Nineveh is seen. Nor was it small consolation, both for these (the Israelites, namely the ten tribes) who were already serving the Assyrians, and for the rest who under Hezekiah from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin were being besieged by the same enemies, that they should hear that the Assyrians too were to be taken by the Chaldeans." Hence it follows again that from the beginning of the prophecy of Jonah until Nahum there elapsed about 90 years. The Hebrews therefore err in the Seder Olam, and from them Vatablus, Arias and Genebrardus in the Chronology, counting only 40 years, because they think Nahum, Joel and Habakkuk prophesied under Manasseh son of Hezekiah, but suppressed his name as being wicked. For Jonah, as I showed in his Preface, began to prophesy in the time of Jeroboam and Sardanapalus, at the beginning of the reign of Uzziah king of Judah: wherefore since Uzziah reigned 52 years, then his son Jotham 16 years, after Jotham Ahaz 16 years, after Ahaz Hezekiah succeeded, in whose sixth year, or shortly after, Nahum prophesied; if you collect all these years, you will make 90, which I mentioned. Torniellus, in the year of the world 3321, thinks Nahum began to prophesy one year before Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem, namely in the thirteenth year of Hezekiah: for in his fourteenth year, Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem. If this is true, it follows that between Nahum and the beginning of Jonah there elapsed 97 years.
Moreover this prophecy of Nahum was fulfilled, and Nineveh with the kingdom of the Assyrians was overthrown in the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, as I shall show at the beginning of cap. II. Wherefore from this prophecy of Nahum until its fulfillment, namely until the destruction of Nineveh, there elapsed about 138 years. For Nahum began in the sixth year of Hezekiah, who then reigned still 23 more years (for he reigned in all 29 years): his son Manasseh succeeded him, who reigned 55 years. Amon succeeded him for two years: Josiah succeeded him for 34 years;
Jehoiakim succeeded him for 11 years; Zedekiah for 11 years; in whose eleventh year Jerusalem was destroyed by the Chaldeans, and then after 5 years Nineveh was overthrown by them. Add these years, you will have 138, which I mentioned. From what has been said it follows that Clement of Alexandria errs, who in book I of the Stromata thinks Nahum prophesied after Ezekiel, namely after the fifth year of the transmigration of Jehoiachin into Babylon. Josephus also does not write correctly, in book IX of the Antiquities XI, that Nahum began to prophesy under Jotham, who was the grandfather of Hezekiah.
Concerning Nahum, St. Epiphanius writes thus in his Life: "Nahum was born from Elkesi beyond the river Jordan, toward Begabar, of the tribe of Simeon. He is that prophet who, after Jonah, gave a sign and portent over Nineveh, that it would be laid waste by fresh waters and earthly fire. This finally came to pass, for when an earthquake surrounded it on all sides, soon also water coming from the wilderness occupied all the upper places of the city. And Nahum expired his soul in peace, and in Begabar, his own peaceful dwelling places, he rests in death." Yet concerning this portent, namely that Nineveh was overthrown by fresh waters, fire and earthquake, we read nothing expressly in Nahum or in Josephus. Yet Dorotheus has the same account in the Life of Nahum, and he adds the manner: "For the pool, he says, by which that city (Nineveh) was surrounded, when an earthquake occurred, submerged it and destroyed it; and fire arising from the wilderness consumed its upper part." And Nahum hints at something of this sort in chapter 1, verse 4, and chapter II, verse 13, and chapter II, verse 15, as I shall say there. In the same place Dorotheus asserts that Nahum prophesied concerning the resurrection in chapter 1, verse 15.
Tropologically and anagogically St. Jerome: "It should be known, he says, (since Nineveh sounds from the Hebrew as beautiful; and this beautiful world is called beautiful. Whence also among the Greeks κόσμος received its name from ornament) whatever is now said against Nineveh is figuratively preached concerning the world. For which reason the assumption, which the Septuagint interpret as λέμμα, and Aquila as ἕρμα, is put among the Hebrews as משא massa, that is, a heavy burden, because it presses upon that against which it is directed, and does not allow it to lift up its head." And soon after: "Concerning the consummation of the world, therefore, according to the anagogical sense, O Paula and Eustochium, the prophecy is woven for the consolation of the Saints, so that whatever they see in the world, as transitory and perishable things, they may despise, and prepare themselves for the day of judgment, where the Lord will be an avenger against the true Assyrians." The same, in the epistle to Paulinus: "Nahum, he says, the consoler of the world rebukes the city of bloods, and after its overthrow he speaks: Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings and preacheth peace." For Nahum, either in Hebrew Nachum, is derived from the root נחם nacham, that is, he consoled. Nahum therefore is the same as Noe, that is, consoler, by apo-
cope. For concerning Noe it is said in Genesis, chapter 5, verse 29: "And he called his name Noe, saying: This same shall comfort us from the works and labours of our hands on the earth, which the Lord hath cursed." See what is said there. Again, because nacham in the piel signifies to repent; hence Nahum can also be translated as repenting. Whence Pagninus in the Hebrew Names: "Nahum, he says, is the same as consoler, or repenting, or having obtained consolation or repentance; or consolation or repentance." For just as Nahum consoles the pious Israelites with hope of divine aid; so he strikes the impious Ninevites with terror of threats, and drives them to repentance. Let the preacher do the same.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.