Metaphors in the book of nahum

Book of nahum, the seventh of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets grouped together as the twelve in the jewish canon. This study also includes a teaching outline at the end. Nahums announcement was a comfort and a consolation to the inhabitants of judah, as it predicted the downfall of assyria, a savage and cruel enemy of israel and judah. Israel, the northern country consisting of ten tribes, and judah, the remaining two tribes in the south. May 03, 2017 the book of nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the hebrew bible. Nahum in its hermeneutical and missiological context book of nahum. The title identifies the book as an oracle concerning nineveh and attributes it to the vision of nahum of elkosh. An analysis of the metaphors in the book of nahum using. Nineveh is ironically compared with a lion, in reference to the lion as an assyrian symbol of power. Section one demonstrates the glory and may of god the lord in goodness and severity.

This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. The thirtyfourth book in the bible, and the seventh of the minor prophets, is the book of nahum. The authorship remains unchallenged, in part, because not much is known about the man nahum, or about elkosh, the. Nahums rhetorical allusions to neoassyrian conquest metaphors gordon h. It is the conjecture of the learned huetius that the two other chapters of this book were delivered by nahum some years after, perhaps in the reign of manasseh, and in that reign the jewish chronologies generally place him, somewhat nearer to the time when nineveh was conquered, and the assyrian monarchy reduced, by cyaxares and nebuchadnezzar. Why did god judge nineveh so harshly in the book of nahum. The book of nahum also raises the question of yhwh as the aggressor committing acts of violence. The only mention in scripture of nahum the elkoshite occurs in the first verse of his own book. The author of this remarkably literary book is probably nahum. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the jews and in jerusalem, they put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but god raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by.

Despite recognizing allusions to ishtar in nahum, commentators have not discussed the presence of ashur imagery in the book. The frequent use of actual body parts further emphasizes a bodily understanding of the city space. Nineveh is compared to thebes, the egyptian city that assyria itself had destroyed in 663 bc. The metaphors in the book of nahum clarify and deepen existing understanding of nahum s theology, and of assyrias place in old testament theology, and they also provide a deeper comfort and hope to judah that would be absent without. The prophet uses many literary devices to produce his vivid style. Feb 21, 2012 the book of nahum is prophecy concerning the city of nineveh and reveals a powerful message about gods care for his elect. The theme of the prophecy is the fate and destruction of nineveh, the onetime capital city of the mighty assyrian empire, which had destroyed israel and taken many inhabitants of the land captive 722 b. He was raised up to preach gods judgment for a second time to nineveh. Structurally, the book of micah alternates three prophecies of doom and destruction and three prophecies of hope and restoration. God has raised up jesus to be the righteous judge of the living and the dead.

Yet all along the city lay buried under layers of earth until the 1800s when archaeologists uncovered the ruins. Nahum was from the town of alqosh and, like the prophet jonah 100 years before, spoke of ninevehs coming punishment from god. His word pictures are superb, his rhetorical skill is beyond praise. Johnston this is article three in a threepart series, the rhetorical use of allusions in the book of nahum.

From a poetic view nahum becomes a participant in the battle, and with subtle irony, barks battle commands to the defenders. The book contains the vision of nahum, whose name means comfort and is related to the name nehemiah, meaning the lord comforts or comfort of the lord. This dissertation fills this gap in nahum scholarship by analyzing the metaphors in nahum using conceptual blending theory cbt. Lets hear how its going for them after turning to god.

The book of nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the hebrew bible. As with the life story of jerusalem, the body image of nineveh is used consistently, creating the story of. Gods discriminating anger and vengeance against pride and cruelty arise from his great love for people. A path schema provides a framework for a metanarrative of ninevehs fall by sustaining elaborations of metaphors throughout the book. Beyond as well as behind the personification of the city, the conceptual metaphor nineveh is a body controls the biblical cityscape of the place. The central theme of the book of nahum is the overthrow of the greatest capital city of the ancient gentile world in the 7 th century bc.

Christ in all the scriptures a m hodgkin the destruction of nineveh is the one burden of nahum. A critical and exegetical commentary on micah, zephaniah, nahum, habakkuk. Jul 31, 2017 the book of jeremiah contains an abundance of metaphors. For many the book represents an unacceptable display of nationalism and for others the violence in nahum is too much to bear. Others, however, think that his prophecies are to be. Literary analysis of the unity of nahum gordon college. Nothing is known about him except his hometown elkosh, and even its general location is uncertain.

Without a doubt, the metaphors used in the book of nahum are. While scholars have proposed a number of theories about nahums hometown, elkosh, the best option identifies it with a city in southern judah that later came to be known as elcesi, near where the prophet micah lived. Some of the metaphors in the book of song of songs appear to be taken from the experience of a husbandman working in a vineyard or a shepherd in the fields. Literary analysis of the unity of nahum gordon college faculty. For many years, when nahum, habakkuk and zephaniah lived, it ruled most of the world. It stands seventh in order among what are known as the twelve minor prophets.

The prophet seemed to revel and boast in the ruin of nineveh following years of oppression and suffering under its rule. The book of nahum is only three chapters long, but holds an important place with its vivid imagery of war and its certainty of yhwhs role in israelite history. The book of nahum is a book in the bibles old testament and jewish tanakh. One example of the use of metaphors in the book of jeremiah is found in the narrative announcing jeremiahs call jer. Biblical metaphors posted on july 11, 20 by virgowriter i had assumed that the dentist and the hygienist were clearly kidding that flossing regularly and brushing would be a good idea. The majority of the metaphors in the book are used by jeremiah as he attempted to communicate with his audience in a language they could understand and in ways that could help him convey his message to his hearers. It may be accidental some critics think it deliberately artificial, but the name nahum superbly summarizes the books message. The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps i. Nahum s rhetorical allusions to neoassyrian conquest metaphors gordon h. For many the book represents an unacceptable display of nationalism and for others the violence in nahum is too much to. For many the book represents an unacceptable display of. Comfort means stop them suffering and make them strong. Nahum includes ample metonymies in which the city and the inhabitants are interchangeable, with the former sharing the body of the latter.

Since the earliest event named in the book is the assyrian attack of thebes nah 3. Ninevehs fall, which is nahums theme, would bring comfort to judah. Authorship the author of this remarkably literary book is probably nahum. Gods justice means judgment on the enemy, but comfort to the faithful. There is remarkably little dispute over the authorship, date and state of the text of nahum which, according to jewish tradition, follows jonah in the canon 12. A most unusual feature of the book of joel is the plague of locusts chapter 1. The book of nahum was an encouragement to the israelites, and god intended it to encourage all of his people. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.

The prophecy of joel is short but certainly not lacking in beauty or interest. God is involved in the ebb and flow of history to provide refuge, even from gods own wrath. An analysis of the metaphors in the book of nahum using conceptual ble by damon cha metaphors convey more than superficial expressions intended to induce emotion. Nahum received a divine vision that revealed a condemning judgment against nineveh and assyria nahum 3. Nahums rhetorical allusions to neoassyrian conquest.

The book of nahum is intimately bound up with this period of. The metaphors come from the life of the times but do not demand a knowledge of an expert. Ninevehs fall, which is nahum s theme, would bring comfort to judah. The book asserts that oppressive violence is not enduring in the face of gods opposition to it. The short book of nahum has posed many questions to the scholarly community. Book of nahum bible survey what are the major prophets and minor prophets. Now nahum is back on the scene of nineveh some 150 years later. The burden of nineveh while the book of jonah records ninevehs reprieve, nahum predicts its destruction. Other metaphors are the raging storm and the overwhelming dust cloud in nahum 1. Assyria was a country to the north and east of israel.

Nahum uses numerous similes and metaphors citation needed. Bible study guide book of nahum saturday, august 24, 2012 background on nahum the name nahum means comfort and is related to the name nehemiah, meaning the lord comforts or comfort of the lord. The assyrian empire, which oppressed so many people, will be. The hebrew name nahum means comfort or consolation. Micah, eighthcentury southern prophet and contemporary of isaiah, is discussed. Johnston is associate professor of old testament studies, dallas theological seminary, dallas, texas. Nahum multiplies metaphors in his effort to describe his vision of ninevahs fall. The prophets name means comfort, and his word of comfort is for judah, the lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him nahum 1. Beyond as well as behind the personification of the city, the con ceptual metaphor nineveh is a. Today archaeologists are able to confirm with certainty that nineveh existed, proving the authenticity of the city jonah and nahum were told to prophesy against. The figure of a destroyer of mountains and seas continues through nahum 1. The holy bible audio english version this summary of the book of nahum provides information about the title, authors, date of. Since nahum prophesies the defeat of the assyrian empire, it would have to have been written prior to assyrias final defeat in 612 b. Metaphors convey more than superficial expressions intended to induce emotion.

Nahum prophesied, according to some, in the beginning of the reign of ahaz 740s bc. One such difficulty involves the unity and authorship of the book of nahum. Nahum is the thirtyfourth book of the bible, the seventh of the twelve minor or shorter prophets. Book of nahum biblical studies oxford bibliographies. The subject matter or thrust of the book is easy to discern, and is perhaps separated into two distinct but closely related subjects.

Following is a suggested outline of the book of nahum. Fourth, one should interpret the metaphors, in as far as possible, from the eighth century b. In his book he epitomizes the siege and frenzied activity of ninevehs troops as they try in vain to halt the invaders. This analysis reveals a careful crafting of nahums metaphors. It is credited to the prophet nahum, and was likely composed in jerusalem in the seventh century bc. These issues are all valid concerns that need to be. In the book of nahum conflict between two major powers is displayed. Book of nahum overview insight for living ministries. The language is poetic, with frequent use of metaphors and. Date two points of interest help us date the book of nahum. They also convey meaning through conceptual constructs.

Nahum himself even becomes a participant in the battle. This summary of the book of nahum provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of nahum. The date of the book is surmised by examining the contents. Nineveh is ironically compared with a lion, in reference to. The book of nahum has many similes and metaphors that are used to describes the events in nineveh. It is also believed that this ancient prophet used numerous similes and metaphors in his style of. The book of nahum reflects a time in the history of judah when they were dominated by. Nothing is known about him except his hometown elkosh, and even its general location is.

Book of nahum 1 book of nehemiah 12 book of numbers. The book of nahum deals with not only the doom of nineveh at the hands of a just judge ch. Chapters two and three describe the fall of nineveh, which later took place in 612 bc. We recently looked at nineveh in the book of jonah as they repented of their terrible ways. Nahum describes the siege of ninevehs troops as they try in vain to halt the invaders. The book of hosea consists of fourteen chapters, which was the record for a minor prophet until zechariah tied it a couple centuries later. Aug 10, 2010 in his book, the hebrew prophets atlanta. Wessels u niversity of south africa abstract the short book of nahum has posed many questions to the scholarly community. The book contains the vision of nahum, whose name means comfort and is related to the name nehemiah, meaning the lord comforts or. Transcribed and edited by david sielaff, august 20. Nahum can be identified as prophecy based on nahum 1. Do we ever reach a point that we cannot be forgiven nahum 3. This paperuses metaphors from the book of micah as an example of.

Nahum describes the siege and frenzied activity of ninevehs troops as they try in vain to halt the invaders. This fact has already been recognized by much of nahum scholarship. Intro to nahum biblica the international bible society. Hummel suggests that the meaning of nahums name comfort is quite apropos. During the time of the minor prophets, the nation of israel had divided into two separate countries, each with its own government. Likewise, the metaphors and similes in the text explore the same concept. Listen to book of nahum using esv audio bible online. The destruction of the city is depicted in the book of nahum in some graphic detail which is consistent with its style and vocabulary expressed in its poetry, metaphors, similes, repetition, and imagery.