מַשָּׂא נִינְוֵה סֵפֶר חֲזוֹן נַחוּם הָאֶלְקֹשִׁי׃   1:1

Nahu. 1:1   Of The burden of Nineveh: A writing of a vision of Nahum, the Elkoshite.

Remember that Nineveh was the capital of Assyria.  Nothing is known of Nahum or the location of his town, Elkosh.  Conjecture about him is abundant, but nothing is known and much is debated.  The time of his prophecies are thought to have been in the years before the fall of Nineveh, which occurred in about 608 BCE, which would put him after Jonah.  Nahum seems to have been a remarkable poet, using succinct and clear language to convey his message.  Thus you will find few remarks from me about his words.

אֵל קַנּוֹא וְנֹקֵם יְהוָה נֹקֵם יְהוָה וּבַעַל חֵמָה נֹקֵם יְהוָה לְצָרָיו וְנוֹטֵר הוּא לְאֹיְבָיו׃   1:2

Nahu. 1:2   The Lord is a possessive and avenging God;

                               the Lord is avenging and a Sovereign of “wrath;”

                      the Lord is avenging only for His adversaries,

                               and it is reserved for His enemies.

יְהֹוָה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם (וּגְדֹול) [וּגְדָל]־כֹּחַ וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה יְהוָה בְּסוּפָה וּבִשְׂעָרָה דַּרְכֹּו וְעָנָן אֲבַק   1:3          רַגְלָיו׃

Nahu. 1:3   The Lord is slow of “anger”

                               but of supreme power,

                      and surely will not clear the guilty.

                               The Lord,

                      His way shall be in whirlwind and in storm,

                                and cloud is the dust of His feet.

The word in the parentheses has a second vav that is not needed.  The correction is in the brackets.

גֹּועֵר בַּיָּם וַיַּבְּשֵׁהוּ וְכָל־הַנְּהָרֹות הֶחֱרִיב אֻמְלַל בָּשָׁן וְכַרְמֶל וּפֶרַח לְבָנֹון אֻמְלָל׃   1:4

Nahu. 1:4   So rebuking to the sea,

                              that He would make it dry,

                      He dries up as all the rivers.

                              Bashan is feeble, also Carmel,

                      and the flower of Lebanon is feeble.

הָרִים רָעֲשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְהַגְּבָעֹות הִתְמֹגָגוּ וַתִּשָּׂא הָאָרֶץ מִפָּנָיו וְתֵבֵל וְכָל־יֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ׃   1:5

Nahu. 1:5   Mountains quake because of Him,

                              and the hills melt,

                      and the earth lifts up because of His presence,

                              so the world and all its inhabitants.

לִפְנֵי זַעְמֹו מִי יַעֲמֹוד וּמִי יָקוּם בַּחֲרֹון אַפֹּו חֲמָתֹו נִתְּכָה כָאֵשׁ וְהַצֻּרִים נִתְּצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ׃   1:6

Nahu. 1:6   Who can stand before His “indignation,”

                              and who can endure in the heat of His “anger?”

                      His “rage” is poured out like fire,

                              and the rocks are shattered because of Him.

טֹוב יְהוָה לְמָעֹוז בְּיֹום צָרָה וְיֹדֵעַ חֹסֵי בֹו׃   1:7

Nahu. 1:7   The Lord is good for a refuge in a time of distress,

                              and He knows the seekers of refuge in Him.

וּבְשֶׁטֶף עֹבֵר כָּלָה יַעֲשֶׂה מְקֹומָהּ וְאֹיְבָיו יְרַדֶּף־חֹשֶׁךְ׃   1:8

Nahu. 1:8   And with an overrunning flood

                              He can accomplish a complete destruction of its location,

                      as darkness follows His enemies.

מַה־תְּחַשְּׁבוּן אֶל־יְהוָה כָּלָה הוּא עֹשֶׂה לֹא־תָקוּם פַּעֲמַיִם צָרָה׃   1:9

Nahu. 1:9   Of whatever you might devise concerning the Lord,

                               He will be making a total end;

                      trouble shall not arise two times.

כִּי עַד־סִירִים סְבֻכִים וּכְסָבְאָם סְבוּאִים אֻכְּלוּ כְּקַשׁ יָבֵשׁ מָלֵא׃   1:10

Nahu. 1:10   Even though they have been interwoven thorns,

                                and though they drink their liquor,

                        they are consumed like totally dry stubble.

מִמֵּךְ יָצָא חֹשֵׁב עַל־יְהוָה רָעָה יֹעֵץ בְּלִיָּעַל׃   1:11

Nahu. 1:11   From you came forth a deviser of evil against the Lord,

                                 a worthless counselor.

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה אִם־שְׁלֵמִים וְכֵן רַבִּים וְכֵן נָגֹזּוּ וְעָבָר וְעִנִּתִךְ לֹא אֲעַנֵּךְ עֹוד׃   1:12

Nahu. 1:12   Thus says the Lord:

                        “Although safe and therefore numerous,

                                  yet so they are destroyed, and he shall perish;

                         though I shall afflict you,

                                   I will not afflict you again.”

וְעַתָּה אֶשְׁבֹּר מֹטֵהוּ מֵעָלָיִךְ וּמֹוסְרֹתַיִךְ אֲנַתֵּק׃   1:13

Nahu. 1:13   “And then I shall break his yoke from being on you

                                  and pull off your bonds.”

This verse appears to interject words of encouragement to Judah, who was under duress from Assyria at the time.

וְצִוָּה עָלֶיךָ יְהוָה לֹא־יִזָּרַע מִשִּׁמְךָ עֹוד מִבֵּית אֱלֹהֶיךָ אַכְרִית פֶּסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה אָשִׂים קִבְרֶךָ כִּי קַלֹּותָ׃   1:14

Nahu. 1:14   And the Lord commanded about you:

                                 “Out of your name shall none be sown again;

                        from the house of your gods

                                  I shall cut off idol and molten image;

                        I shall make your grave, for you are cursed.”

The second line of this verse seems to be interpreted as no more children shall be born to Assyrians.

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