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Introduction
to Nahum
INTRODUCTION TO NAHUM
This
book is called, in the Vulgate Latin version, "the Prophecy of
Nahum"; and in the Syriac and Arabic versions, "the Prophecy of the
Prophet Nahum"; and in Nahum 1:1; it is
called "the Book of the Vision of Nahum"; which is very singular; and
from whence we learn of what place this prophet was; but of this more will be
said on that verse. His name signifies "consolation": and though the
subject of his prophecy chiefly relates to the destruction of the Assyrian
empire, and of Nineveh, the chief city of it; yet this was a comfort to the
people of the Jews, that an enemy so powerful, and who was so troublesome to
them, and whom they dreaded, should one day be destroyed. In what age Nahum
lived is not said; and writers very much disagree about it. Some make him to be
the most ancient of all the prophets; who suppose him to prophesy of the
destruction of Nineveh, before the reigns of Joash king of Judah, and Jehu king
of Israel, as HuetiusF1Demonstr. Evangel. prop. 4. p. 298. observes;
and others bring him down as low, placing him after Ezekiel, in the times of
Zedekiah, Clemens of AlexandriaF2Strom. l. 1. p. 329. ; neither of
which is likely. The Jewish chronologersF3Seder Olam Rabbi, c. 10.
p. 55. &. Zuta, p. 105. Juchasin, fol. 12. 2. Tzemach David, fol. 15. 1.
Shalshelet Hakabala, fol. 12. 1. generally make him to live in the times of
Manasseh, and so Abarbinel; but JosephusF4Antiqu. l. 9. c, 11. sect.
3. , with more probability, puts him in the times of Jotham; though perhaps
what the greater number of interpreters give into may be most correct; as that
he lived in the times of Hezekiah, and was contemporary with Isaiah, Hosea,
Amos, and Micah; and that this prophecy was delivered out after the ten tribes
were carried captive by the king of Assyria, which was in the sixth year of
Hezekiah, and before Sennacherib's invasion of Judea, and siege of Jerusalem,
which was in the fourteenth year of his reign; and which is thought to be
referred to in the "first" chapter of this prophecy. Mr. WhistonF5Chronological
Tables, cent. 8. places him in the year of the world A. M. 3278, or 726 B.C.;
and says that he foretold the destruction of Nineveh an hundred fifteen years
before it came to pass, so says JosephusF6Antiqu. l. 9. c. 11. sect.
3. . How long this prophet lived, and where he died, and was buried, is
uncertain. Pseudo-EpiphaniusF7De Proph. Vit. & Inter. c. 17.
says he died and was buried in Begabar. IsidoreF8De Vit. & Mort.
Sanct. c. 46. says it was in Bethafarim; both which are to be corrected by
Dorotheus, who calls the place Bethabara, as HuetiusF9Ut supra.
(Demonstr. Evangel. prop. 4. p. 298.) observes; the same where John was
baptizing, John 1:28; but
Benjamin of TudelaF11Itinerarium, p. 30. says his grave was to be
seen in a place called Einsiphla, in the land of Chaldea; and speaks of a
synagogue of this prophet in the province of AssyriaF12Ibid. p. 62.
; but on these things we cannot depend. Of the authority of this prophecy there
need be no doubt, as appears from the inscription of the book, the sublimity
and majesty of the style, and its agreement with other prophets; see Nahum 1:15; compared
with Isaiah 52:7; and
the accomplishment of the prophecies contained in it, which respect the ruin of
the Assyrian empire, and particularly Nineveh, the metropolis of it; the cause
of which were their sins and transgressions, the inhabitants thereof were
guilty of, and are pointed at in it.
Commentator
John Gill (November 23, 1697-October 14,
1771) was an English Baptist, a biblical scholar, and a staunch Calvinist.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism is a matter of academic debate.
He was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
In his youth, he attended Kettering Grammar School, mastering the Latin
classics and learning Greek by age eleven. The young scholar continued
self-study in everything from logic to Hebrew. His love for Hebrew would follow
Gill throughout his life.
At the age of about twelve, Gill heard a
sermon from his pastor, William Wallis, on the text, "And the Lord called
unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9). The message
stayed with Gill and eventually led to his conversion. It was not until seven
years later that young John made a public profession when he was almost
nineteen years of age.
His first pastoral work was as an intern
assisting John Davis at Higham Ferrers in 1718 at age twenty one. He was
subsequently called to pastor the Strict Baptist church at Goat Yard Chapel,
Horsleydown, Southwark in 1719. In 1757, his congregation needed larger
premises and moved to a Carter Lane, St. Olave's Street, Southwark. His
pastorate lasted 51 years. This Baptist Church was once pastored by Benjamin
Keach and would later become the New Park Street Chapel and then the
Metropolitan Tabernacle pastored by Charles Spurgeon.
During Gill's ministry the church strongly
supported the preaching of George Whitefield at nearby Kennington Common.
In 1748, Gill was awarded the honorary degree
of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Aberdeen. He was a profound scholar
and a prolific author. His most important works are:
John Gill is the first major writing Baptist
theologian. His work retains its influence into the twenty-first century.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism in English Baptist life is a matter of
debate. Peter Toon has argued that Gill was himself a hyper-Calvinist, which
would make Gill the father of Baptist hyper-Calvinism. Tom Nettles has argued
that Gill was not a hyper-Calvinist himself, which would make him merely a
precursor and hero to Baptist hyper-Calvinists.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James Version Bible, NKJV
The
NKJV was commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.
One-hundred-and-thirty respected Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay
Christians worked for seven years with the goal of updating the vocabulary and
grammar of the King James Version, while preserving the classic style of the of
the 1611 version.
The
task of updating the English of the KJV involved many changes in word order,
grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. One of the most significant features of the
NKJV was its removal of the second person pronouns "thou",
"thee", "ye," "thy," and "thine." Verb
forms were also modernized in the NKJV (for example, "speaks" rather
than "speaketh").
Young’s
Literal Translation was completed in 1898 by Robert Young, who also compiled
Young’s Analytical Concordance. It is an extremely literal translation that
attempts to preserve the tense and word usage as found in the original Greek
and Hebrew writings. The online text is from a reprint of the 1898 edition as
published by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Obvious errors in
spelling or inconsistent spellings of the same word were corrected in the
online edition of the text. This text is Public Domain in the United States.