Nahum – Chapter 1

Old Testament • 15 Verses

Chapter Summary

Nahum 1 opens with the words: "The burden of Ninive. The book of the vision of Nahum, the Elcesite." Across its 15 verses, two threads run through the text: suffering and trial and sin and divine judgment. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1The burden of Ninive. The book of the vision of Nahum, the Elcesite.

2The Lord is a jealous God, and a revenger: the Lord is a revenger, and hath wrath: the Lord taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and he is angry with his enemies.

3The Lord is patient, and great in power, and will not cleanse and acquit the guilty. The Lord's ways are in a tempest, and a whirlwind, and clouds are the dust of his feet.

4He rebuketh the sea and drieth it up: and bringeth all the rivers to be a desert. Basan languisheth and Carmel: and the flower of Libanus fadeth away.

5The mountains tremble at him, and the hills are made desolate: and the earth hath quaked at his presence, and the world, and all that dwell therein.

6Who can stand before the face of his indignation? and who shall resist in the fierceness of his anger? his indignation is poured out like fire: and the rocks are melted by him.

7The Lord is good, and giveth strength in the day of trouble: and knoweth them that hope in him.

8But with a flood that passeth by, he will make an utter end of the place thereof: and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

9What do ye devise against the Lord? he will make an utter end: there shall not rise a double affliction.

10For as thorns embrace one another: so while they are feasting and drinking together, they shall be consumed as stubble that is fully dry.

11Out of thee shall come forth one that imagineth evil against the Lord, contriving treachery in his mind.

12Thus saith the Lord: Though they were perfect: and many of them so, yet thus shall they be cut off, and he shall pass: I have afflicted thee, and I will afflict thee no more.

13And now I will break in pieces his rod with which he struck thy back, and I will burst thy bonds asunder.

14And the Lord will give a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name shall be sown: I will destroy the graven and molten thing out of the house of thy God, I will make it thy grave, for thou art disgraced.

15Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, and that preacheth peace: O Juda, keep thy festivals, and pay thy vows: for Belial shall no more pass through thee again, he is utterly cut off.

Important Verses in Nahum 1

“The Lord is a jealous God, and a revenger: the Lord is a revenger, and hath wrath: the Lord taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and he is angry with his enemies.”

Nahum 1:2

“The Lord is good, and giveth strength in the day of trouble: and knoweth them that hope in him.”

Nahum 1:7

“Out of thee shall come forth one that imagineth evil against the Lord, contriving treachery in his mind.”

Nahum 1:11

“And the Lord will give a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name shall be sown: I will destroy the graven and molten thing out of the house of thy God, I will make it thy grave, for thou art disgraced.”

Nahum 1:14

Historical Context

As a Old Testament book, Nahum was written with judah, oppressed by Assyria, assured that tyranny does not have the last word in view. Chapter 1 of 3 opens the book and sets the stage for everything that follows. It is a prophetic oracle addressed to Israel in a moment of covenant crisis or renewal with 15 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The passage starts with these words: "The burden of Ninive. The book of the vision of Nahum, the Elcesite." It concludes: "Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, and that preacheth peace: O Juda, keep thy…" Read against its original backdrop, A century after Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching, the Assyrian capital had returned to cruelty, and Nahum announces its irrevocable fall to the Babylonians and Medes. Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: Shortly before the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC.

Who Wrote It

The prophet Nahum of Elkosh

When It Was Written

Shortly before the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC

Catholic Commentary

At the literal level, this oracle names the sins, judgments, or promises relevant to its original hearers. A pivotal line is verse 2: "The Lord is a jealous God, and a revenger: the Lord is a revenger, and hath wrath: the Lord taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and he is angry with his…" The passage repeatedly touches on suffering and trial.

Catholic exegesis reads Nahum 1 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. God is slow to anger but will not leave the guilty unpunished (CIC 270). St. Bernard of Clairvaux and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 355).

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that The Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Nahum 1 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • ✓Suffering, united to Christ, becomes a path of purification and deeper trust in God.
  • ✓Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • ✓'Be holy, for I am holy': God calls His people to be set apart for Him in every area of life.

Reflection for Today

Catholic exegesis approaches Nahum Chapter 1 with reverence, seeking both the literal sense and the spiritual meaning ordered to Christ.

Catholic theology recognizes that God's judgment on Nineveh is not an abstract idea but a reality encountered in prayer, sacraments, and charity. This chapter contributes to that vision by stressing the call to holiness in ordinary life.

Let Nahum Chapter 1 deepen your love for the Eucharist, where the Word made flesh continues to feed His people. The same Christ who speaks in Scripture offers Himself sacramentally on the altar.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nahum Chapter 1 about?

Nahum 1 contains 15 verses. It opens with "The burden of Ninive. The book of the vision of Nahum, the Elcesite." and closes with "Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, and that preacheth peace: O Juda, keep thy…". The book as a whole is prophetic oracle of judgment.

What is a key verse in Nahum 1?

One of the most significant verses is verse 2: "The Lord is a jealous God, and a revenger: the Lord is a revenger, and hath wrath: the Lord taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and he is angry with his enemies." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who wrote Nahum and when?

The prophet Nahum of Elkosh. Shortly before the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC.

Related Chapters

Ruth 1Shares people and themes with this chapterJeremiah 8Shares people and themes with this chapterLamentations 1Shares people and themes with this chapter

Prayers Related to This Chapter

🙏Prayer in Time of Suffering🙏Anima Christi🙏Act of Contrition🙏Kyrie Eleison

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