Friday, June 24, 2011

Nahum

“Although the book [of Nahum] is focused on the judgment of Assyria and at times addresses this imperial foe, it is clearly designed to address a Judean audience (e.g., Nah 1:12–13). This is suggested by the name of the prophet himself, Nahum (meaning “comfort”), a hope appropriate for an audience who had lived under the domination of Assyria. This audience has questioned God’s ability to deal with the sinful oppression experienced under the foreign hegemony of the Assyrians. To them the prophet addresses his question in 1:9a, which is best translated 'What do you reckon unto Yhwh?' 'The question essentially asks, “what do you think about Yhwh?” or “how do you evaluate Yhwh?” and appears to be designed to challenge doubts about Yhwh’s power and justice in the aftermath of the assertions made by the partial acrostic hymn.'[Sweeney (2000: 2:431).]”A Severe Mercy, pages 323-324

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