Nah 1:2-6 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Nah 1:2-11: 1:2-11 This short, two-stanza hymn (1:2-6 , 7-11 ) tells of God’s sovereign power. Summary for Nah 1:2-6: 1:2-6 The hymn’s first stanza draws from biblical texts commemorating Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The message is that everything in all creation is subject to God’s sovereign power, and God will ensure the punishment of those who oppose him . 1:2 jealous (or zealous ): God zealously guards the welfare of his people and zealously desires their faithfulness (see Exod 20:4-5 ; Deut 4:23-24 ; 6:4 ; Jer 2:1–3:5 ). • God’s vengeance and rage cannot be confused with the human attitude of “getting even.” God’s actions emerge from his holiness (Jer 50:28-29 ), justice (Isa 63:1-9 ), and faithfulness to the covenant with his people (Lev 26:23-25 ; Isa 1:24-26 ). His vengeance is never arbitrary.

Summary for Nah 1:2-11: 1:2-11 ^a This short, two-stanza hymn (1:2-6 ^b, 7-11 ^c) tells of God’s sovereign power.
Summary for Nah 1:2-6: 1:2-6 ^d The hymn’s first stanza draws from biblical texts commemorating Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The message is that everything in all creation is subject to God’s sovereign power, and God will ensure the punishment of those who oppose him. 1:2 ^e jealous (or zealous): God zealously guards the welfare of his people and zealously desires their faithfulness (see Exod 20:4-5 ^f; Deut 4:23-24 ^g; 6:4 ^h; Jer 2:1–3:5 ⁱ).

• God’s vengeance and rage cannot be confused with the human attitude of “getting even.” God’s actions emerge from his holiness (Jer 50:28-29 ^j), justice (Isa 63:1-9 ^k), and faithfulness to the covenant with his people (Lev 26:23-25 ^l; Isa 1:24-26 ^m). His vengeance is never arbitrary.
1:3 ⁿ slow to get angry: God’s patience with disobedience is linked to his faithful love (Exod 34:6 ^o; Num 14:18 ^p; Ps 103:8 ^q; Joel 2:13 ^r). This trait had disappointed Jonah, who wanted Nineveh destroyed immediately (Jon 4:2 ^s). Because God is patient, he sometimes delays the deserved punishment of sinners (Neh 9:29-30 ^t; Rom 2:4 ^u; 2 Pet 3:9 ^v), but those guilty of persisting in sin will ultimately face God’s judgment (Exod 34:7 ^w; Rom 14:10 ^x; 2 Cor 5:10 ^y; Rev 14:6-7 ^z).

• the whirlwind and the storm: This imagery describes the fury of God’s judgment against the wicked (see also Isa 29:6 ^aa).
1:4 ^ab Like clouds (1:3 ^ac) and mountains (1:5 ^ad), oceans and rivers are under God’s sovereign control. The Old Testament prophets often recall God’s actions against the seas and rivers during the Exodus (Exod 15:8-10 ^ae; 2 Sam 22:16 ^af; Pss 66:6 ^ag; 77:16 ^ah; Hab 3:15 ^ai). God’s power over the waters repudiated the mythology of the ancient Canaanites, who believed that the oceans and the rivers were under the control of the sea-god, Yam.

• Bashan, situated east of the Sea of Galilee, was known for its rich pastureland, ideal for raising cattle (cp. Mic 7:14 ^aj).

• Carmel, on the Mediterranean coast in central Canaan, was noted for its beauty and fruitfulness (Song 7:5 ^ak; Jer 50:19 ^al).

• Lebanon was famed for its great cedars (1 Kgs 5:6-18 ^am). Nahum lists these areas to demonstrate that even the most fertile and productive places on earth cannot withstand the power of God’s judgment.
1:5 ^an Old Testament poetry often mentions the shaking of the earth to commemorate the Exodus period (e.g., Ps 18:7 ^ao; Hab 3:6 ^ap; see Exod 19:18 ^aq).
1:6 ^ar The Hebrew word translated rage is repeated from 1:2 ^as. Its repetition brackets 1:2-6 ^at as a single poetic unit.