In order to understand the message in Nahum, it’s helpful to understand Hebrew poetry. Also, since we often study a book in segments, it is helpful to understand if and how the author of the book divided the text into sections.
Watch the video to learn more or scroll down to read the transcript.
Transcript:
The book of Nahum was written because Yahweh wanted to make a pronouncement about Nineveh and Assyria. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. This pronouncement came after Yahweh used Assyria as a tool to punish Israel. Israel had been very idolatrous, so Yahweh allowed Assyria to oppress Israel by exacting tribute and servitude from Israel. When Israel stopped sending tribute, then Assyria conquered Israel and carried her people away to exile. That was Yahweh’s method of punishing Israel for her idolatry. Even though Yahweh used Assyria to punish Israel, Yahweh was not happy with Assyria either and issued the oracle recorded in the Book of Nahum.
In order to understand the message in Nahum, it’s helpful to understand Hebrew poetry. Also, since we often study a book in segments, it is helpful to understand if and how the author of the book divided the text into sections. Let’s start with Hebrew poetry.
The book of Nahum is Hebrew poetry. In order to understand what Hebrew poetry is, it helps to understand what it is not. Hebrew poetry is not like English poetry.
English poetry is sound based. It is all about rhyme. For example,
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you.
That is English poetry. It rhymes.
Hebrew poetry is idea based. It is all about repeating, developing, and contrasting ideas. There are terms for the three basic types of Hebrew poetry.
The first type of poetry is Synonymous Poetry, in which the poet says the same thing in different ways. For example,
Nah. 1:2 A jealous and avenging God is the LORD;
The LORD is avenging and wrathful.
Both of those lines essentially say the same thing, just in different ways.
The second type of Hebrew poetry is Antithetical Poetry, in which the poet states two contrasting ideas. For example,
Nah. 1:7 The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
He will make a complete end of its site,
And will pursue His enemies into darkness.
Verse 7 tells us the Lord is good and a stronghold in the day of trouble. However, verse 8 tells us that Yahweh also pursues his enemies into darkness. Verse 8 is the opposite of verse 7.
The third type of Hebrew poetry is Synthetic Poetry, in which the poet states an idea and then adds to it or develops it. For example,
Nah. 2:3 The shields of his mighty men are colored red,
The warriors are dressed in scarlet,
The chariots are enveloped in flashing steel
When he is prepared to march,
And the cypress spears are brandished.
4 The chariots race madly in the streets,
They rush wildly in the squares,
Their appearance is like torches,
They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.
5 He remembers his nobles;
They stumble in their march,
They hurry to her wall,
And the mantelet is set up.
6 The gates of the rivers are opened
And the palace is dissolved.
7 It is fixed:
She is stripped, she is carried away,
And her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves,
Beating on their breasts.
First, there’s a statement about the mighty men and the warriors being dressed and ready for battle. Then it goes on to describe various things that happen in the battle. Finally, there is a description of the results of the battle when the city is stripped and destroyed. When reading Hebrew poetry, look for repetition and contrast.
Now let’s talk about how Biblical Hebrew divides text into smaller portions. Some books of the Bible are very long, and it’s hard to read it in one sitting. It’s even harder to study the whole book in one day or one sitting. When reading or studying a book of the Bible, particularly long books, it’s helpful to break it down into smaller portions. Sometimes the book of the Bible does this itself. Sometimes it does not.
In the English language we use punctuation and space to form words, sentences, paragraphs, and chapters in order to break long texts into smaller sections. In biblical Hebrew they broke long texts into smaller portions by using letters to create minor breaks and major breaks.
Here is an aside about this. For some reason, modern Bible translations do not include these breaks in their translation. I don’t know why that is because the breaks are clearly in the original text. However, the translations do not include them.
In the case of Nahum, the author divided the book into four sections using major and minor breaks.
The first section is Nahum 1:1-11. In that section Nahum described Yahweh. After verse 11, there’s a minor break.
The second section is Nahum 1:12-14. This section tells us about a promise that Yahweh issued regarding both Israel and Nineveh. He promised to deliver Israel and punish Nineveh. Verse 14 is followed by a major break.
The third section is Nahum 1:15 – 2:13. This is a description of the destruction of Nineveh. This section is followed by a minor break.
The fourth section is Nahum 3. That chapter is a woe upon Nineveh and Assyria.
In future lessons in this series we will look closer at each of those four sections to see what Yahweh had to say about Nineveh and Assyria.
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