VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITIONS

of
THE BOOKS OF THE PROPHETS

JONAH
and

NAHUM
By H. P. Mansfield
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE BOOK
OF JONAH
Assyrian records, in the British Museum, reveal that .
Shalmanezer II, a great king and warrior, was contemporary j!
with Jehu, and forced him to pay tribute. He was sue- ||
ceeded by Shamsi-Ramman, of whom but little is known, *
and he by Ramman-Nirari, another warlike king who fol-
lowed in the footsteps of Shalmaneser, carrying on many
campaigns against Syria, and capturing Damascus, from
which he obtained tribute. He was succeeded by another
Shalmanezer, who had great difficulty in maintaining his
position against the rising power of Armenia, though he
found time for one attack on Syria. He, in turn, was fol-
lowed by Ashur-dan and Ashur-Nirari, who reigned during
a period of internal commotion and distress. This did not
permit any leisure for foreign conquest, and with the iron
yoke of Assyria removed, at least temporarily, weaker
nations rose in power. It could have been, during this
period, when the Assyrian monarchy was weakened by \
revolt, and the country was suffering from plague and fam-
ine that the mission of Jonah towards Nineveh was carried
out. We do not know for sure, but at such a time as that,
both king and people would be more disposed to listen to
a man of God, and endeavour to avert imminent ruin by
timely, though superficial, repentance. Possibly, too, the
preaching of Jonah may have synchronised with the famous
eclipse which happened on June 15, B.C. 763, as mentioned
in the Assyrian records, and which was regarded as a very
evil omen.
The immediate successor of Ashur-Nirari was Pul, or \\
Tiglath Pileser, to whom Menahem, a successor of Jero- jj
boam the son of Joash, paid tribute. The combined facts of
disposition and time are thus suggestive, and help to con-
firm the fact that the Book of Jonah is alike history, parable
and prophecy.
r*s****#*#<*#**i*#v******
 Contents
•

THE BOOK OF JONAH

Historical Background 2
Foreword 5
The Three Israels of the Bible 6
The Sign of the Prophet Jonah 8
The Book: Both History and Allegory 12
Analysis 15
Evasion (The Storm)
Chapter 1:1-16 17
Preservation (The Fish)
Chapter 1:17-2:10 26
Proclamation (The City)
Chapter 3:1-10 36
Education (Yahweh's Reproof)
Chapter 4:1-11 42
Jonah's Viewpoint compared with the Divine Purpose .... 45
Summary ... 50

THE BOOK OF NAHUM

Nahum: The Comforter 52
Analysis 57
Chapter 1:
Nineveh's Doom Declared 58
Chapter 2:
Nineveh's Doom Described 68
Chapter 3:
Nineveh's Doom Deserved .... .... 75
The Dramatic Sequel 82
 Foreword
We have combined a consideration of the work and teach-
ing of Jonah and Nahum under one cover, because both prophets
had to do with the one city: mighty Nineveh.
Jonah preached repentance to it; and Nahum thundered
Divine judgments against it.
Both Jonah and Nahum typed the Lord Jesus Christ, though
in different relationships. In his mission of mercy to Nineveh,
Jonah typed the sacrificial mission of the Lord Jesus at his first
advent; but in proclaiming the judgment of Yahweh against
the same city, Nahum foreshadowed the work of Christ at his
second coming when he shall pour out judgments upon those
who reject his mercy.
It is significant that in the sequential order of the books of
the Bible, Jonah and Nahum are divided by Micah. Micah, in
his treatment of Nineveh and Assyria, provides both a key and
a bridge that helps to interpret and unite the other two prophecies.
He shows that Nineveh and Assyria do not only relate to the
past, but that they have a latter-day manifestation, and that the
Assyrian of the future will be destroyed by the divine ruler of
Israel (Mic. 5:5-6) who would be born in Bethlehem (vv. 1-2),
and would be smitten by his people, but who is yet to return to
destroy Israel's enemy in the land. In the sign of Jonah there is
seen the type of the smitten judge, and in the prophecy of Nahum
there is foreshadowed the complete destruction that shall bring
the latter-day Russo-Assyrian power to the dust.
As Jonah ministered during the reign of Jeroboam II, he
lived at approximately the same time (perhaps a little before
or after) as Isaiah, Hosea, Amos and Micah. These prophets,
however, were of Judah, though the ministry of Amos took
him into the northern kingdom where he personally delivered
his indictment against Jeroboam the king, and the people of
the land. Jonah, therefore, may have been cognisant of the pro-
phecies relating to Israel and Assyria proclaimed by these other
prophets of the southern kingdom.
Nahum was probably a contemporary of Manasseh, and
therefore somewhat later in time.
Though these two prophets ministered primarily for their
own times and to their own contemporaries, they have both a
compelling and interesting message that we do well to heed
today.
Our verse by verse expositions of these two books are de-
signed for Bible marking. To that end, the notes need to be
thoroughly absorbed, analysed and condensed before being
transferred to a wide-margin Bible. In our treatment of Zeph-
aniah and Haggai (entitled, "Consider Your Ways") we have
outlined a system of verse by verse Bible marking which we
believe is admirable for this purpose, and is designed to extract
the greatest amount of good from Bible study.
May the blessing of Yahweh rest upon the reader as he
seeks His help in the better understanding of His glorious and
character-transforming Word.
— H. P. MANSFIELD.

West Beach,
December, 1967.

OUR DUTY
If we do our duty we shall be assisted. This is a matter
of promise. If we are attentive to God, He will be attentive
to us. 'Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.'
The converse is true. Neglect God and He will allow you
to. fall. There have been many illustrations of this in his-
tory. All nations were related in the first instance, to the
fountain of Divine knowledge through Noah, but they
slighted God, honouring themselves, each other, and their
own affairs, like the multitudes of our own day and God
departed from them, and gave them over to the reprobate- |
ness of mind which is manifest in all the sculptures of !|
antiquity, and the state of man universally. The lesson is
that those who neglect or hold loosely what they have, are
in danger of being deserted by God, and led into ways that
shall be to their hurt.
— J. Thomas.
 THE THREE ISRAELS OF THE BIBLE
"Thou art My servant, Ο Israel, in whom I will be glorified"
(Isa. 49:3).
The Bible reveals the story of three Israels. The first, of course, <
is the nation of the Old Testament which was chosen by Yahweh, j>
and called to be His servant. The second Israel (the one specifically
referred to by Isaiah in the quotation above) is the Lord Jesus
Christ, the ideal Israelite, the suffering servant who undertook to
accomplish what the first Israel had failed to do. The third Israel
is the Ecclesia, represented in the New Testament as the multitudin-
ous Christ (1 Cor. 12:12), the true Commonwealth of Israel (Eph.
2:12; Rev. 7).
Each, in turn, has been born out of water (1 Cor. 10:1-2; Matt.
3:17; John 3:5 — the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord
was described by him as his "baptism" — Luke 12:50), brought
forth therefrom, that they might reveal the glory of Yahweh to the
Ninevites around them (Deut. 28:9-10; John 12:28; Acts 15:14).
It is important to realise, and the Book of Jonah exemplifies,
that the Divine call to each has not been to salvation only, but to
salvation through God-manifestation; the selection has not been that
they might exclusively enjoy their own knowledge of Yahweh, but
that they should reveal it unto others. Israel after the flesh "refused
to hear" and to heed (Jer. 13:11), and was cut off; and a similar
fate awaits those of the Ecclesia who do likewise (Rom. 11:22-23).
The Book of Jonah expressed in graphic, parabolic form, this
Divine purpose. Thereby it was clearly set before Israel after the
flesh, as it was also subsequently set before Israel after the spirit;
and it was manifested in perfection by the ideal Israelite, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
If we would clearly understand the message of this little book,
we must seek for the threefold parable that the experiences of Jonah
reveal, as they dramatised before Israel the sign that was fulfilled by
the Lord Jesus. In this is found the key to its deeper significance.
The Book therefore has a powerful lesson for all who have
embraced Christ. It shows that they, having passed through the
waters of baptism, or enacted the death, burial, and resurrection of
Jesus, must, like Jonah, reveal Yahweh unto the Ninevites about
them, if they would fulfil the mission of the Divine call to them. A
tremendous responsibility rests upon them to fulfil this, for if they !|
fail to do so, the ultimate fate of Nineveh will be theirs. "You only J>
have I known of all the families of the earth," Yahweh said to <!
Israel through the mouth of Amos, "therefore I will punish you" £
(Amos 3:2).
May the study of the Book of Jonah help to enliven us to our
responsibilities towards Yahweh, so that we might reveal to the
world about us, the Divine purpose in calling us (Acts 15:14).
 Jonah's Mission of Mercy
A Verse by Verse Exposition

of

The Book of
The Prophet Jonah

With special reference to

THE SIGN AS FORESHADOWING THE DEATH, BURIAL,
AND RESURRECTION OF THE LORD
 The Sign of the Prophet
Jonah
To some Bible lovers, the book of Jonah is a great em-
barrassment. It has long been the favourite butt of sceptics
who have so mocked at the story of the sea monster swallowing
Jonah and later spuing him up on the coast of Syria, that they
wish it did not appear in the canon of Scripture. To them,
there is nothing more in the book than the rather incredible
record of Yahweh punishing a querulous Jew who in his bigoted
Judaism refused to perform the Divine bidding to preach to
Gentiles, and was, in consequence, disciplined and taught a
salutary lesson.
But there is much more in the book than that. In fact,
when properly considered, the record of Jonah is a glorious
gem that sparkles among the string of pearls that make up the
Inspired Library we call the Bible, because of the amazing
prophecy and sign it portrays concerning the work of the Lord
Jesus. When the true key to the understanding of this book is dis-
covered, it is appreciated why the Lord made constant reference
to it, and exhorted his adversaries to consider the significant
sign revealed in it. If they had heeded his words, they would
have been able to assess his true mission, and may not have
crucified their Messiah.
Jonah was not a bigoted, petulant Jew, dominated by a
narrow, unscriptural Judaism, but a high-minded prophet in the
true sense of the word. Like the Lord Jesus whom he typed,
he was prepared to sacrifice himself for his people, and in doing
so, brought salvation to both those Jews and Gentiles who
heed his message.
Jonah's Significant Name.
Jonah, or Yonah, is the Hebrew word for "dove" or
"pigeon." The dove, or pigeon, was the only bird offered in
sacrifice under the law (Lev. 1:14). It was the offering of
poverty for a sin-offering, or a burnt-offering, and also was
offered with a lamb at childbirth (Lev. 12:6—in case of poverty,
two birds were offered instead of a lamb, as was done in the
case of the birth of Jesus—Lev. 12:8; Luke 2:24). The dove
was also used in the ritual for cleansing a leper (Lev. 14:3, 22).
Though the dove was a "clean" bird, it is said that Jews
never ate it because of its unique character in sacrificial offering.
The dove was used by the Lord as a symbol of harmless-
ness (Majt. 10:16), and when offered in sacrifice, it emphasised
the principle of innocence, or perfection of character. Thus
it was a fitting representation of the Lord Jesus. Like the sheep,
or lamb (of which it was the equivalent among bird life) it
not only represented innocence and harmlessness, but was also
noted for foolishness when acting in moments of panic (Hos.
7:11; Isa. 53:6). In the Song of Solomon, the multitudinous
Bride of Christ is likened to a Dove (Song 1:15; 2:14; 4:1,
etc.).
The name Jonah (Dove) was therefore a significant one to
Jews, as is also to Gentiles, for it is the common symbol for
peace to both these great families of the human race.
Jonah was the Symbol of Israel.
As, among animals, the lamb or sheep was used to rep-
resent Israel, so, among birds, the dove (yonah) was used for
the same purpose (Isa. 60:8; Hos. 7:11; 11:11). The Psalmist,
pleading for Israel, declared: "O deliver not the soul of Thy
turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked; forget not the
congregation of thy poor for ever" (Ps. 74:19). Using the same
symbol, but speaking of the future glory pf the nation, he
said: "Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as
the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with
yellow gold" (Ps. 68:13). In these terms he portrayed Israel,
as Yahweh's dove, elevated from the degradation of the pots,
and made resplendent with silver and gold: the silver of redemp-
tion (Exod. 30:13), and the gold of a tried faith (1 Pet. 1:7).
The dove was a significant symbol to apply to Israel. It
should have directed the minds of true Israelites back to the
dramatic salvation of Noah in the time of the Flood. After an
appropriate interval, he sent forth a dove from the Ark of
salvation, but, as Genesis 8:9 reports:
"The dove (yonah) found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she
returned unto him (Noah) into the ark."
The dove was helpless outside the ark. It fluttered panic-
stricken and frantic over the waste of stormy waters, finding "no
rest for the sole of her foot." Only in its shelter did it feel safe.
How true this is of Israel, of whom the dove is a symbol!
During the centuries of her dispersion, Israel, having left the Ark
of Refuge, has been like the dove, fluttering fearfully and afraid,
over the stormy waters of the Gentile sea of nations (Isa. 57:20).
There has been no true rest for her, and never will be, until
she returns to the man called Rest (Noah), and shelters in the
Ark he can provide.
As the dove was used as a symbol of Israel, so the mission
upon which Jonah (the Dove) was sent, illustrated the purpose
that Yahweh had with His people.
1. Yahweh designed that Israel should become the medium of His
glory and grace unto all nations (Deut. 28:9-10; Jer. 13:11). He required
the same of Jonah, instructing him to preach repentance to the Ninevites.
2. When Israel failed to accomplish Yahweh's purpose, He per-
9
mitted the nation to be "swallowed up" of the Gentiles (Jer. 51:34;
Hos. 8:8)—as Jonah was swallowed by the fish.
3. To accomplish His purpose, however, Yahweh has preserved
Israel, and will yet bring her forth by a political resurrection from her
national grave. She will be spued up out of the stormy waters of Gentile
politics — as Jonah was from the belly of the fish.
4. After this political resurrection, Israel will prove a blessing
to the Gentiles (Zech. 8:13) — as Jonah proved to the Ninevites.
Israel failed to manifest the trusting, innocent virtue of the
Dove, its symbol. Hosea likened Ephraim to a "silly dove
without heart," fluttering panic-stricken from one nation to an-
other for help, and ignoring the Power that could save it.
But Yahweh from the beginning had determined to reveal
unto men His ideal Israel, His true dove, in a Man who would
manifest to perfection those divine attributes that Israel failed
to reveal. That Man is the Lord Jesus Christ, called Israel by
the Spirit speaking through the prophet Isaiah:
"Yahweh hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my
mother hath He made mention of my name... and said unto me, Thou
art my servant, Ο Israel, in whom I will be glorified" (Isa. 49:1-6).
The Lord Jesus is called "Israel" because he is the ideal
Israelite, the true Prince with El as the word signifies. He re-
vealed all the Divine virtues of Yahweh which had been set
before Israel as their ideal. He is the true Lamb of God, the
innocent and trusting Dove. And this was brought home clearly
to the people of Israel when he presented himself before John
for baptism. John proclaimed that his mission was to prepare
the way for the manifestation of the Messiah. He declared that
in the midst of Israel, at that very time, was one mightier than
he, the latchet of whose shoes he was unworthy to unloose (Luke
3:16). In Jesus that one was revealed. He presented himself to
John for baptism, having no sins to confess, and when the rite
had been completed, his real identity was revealed by a Voice
from heaven. Luke records:
"It came to pass, that Jesus also being baptised, and praying, the
heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape
like a dove upon him, and a Voice came from heaven, which said, Thou
art My beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased" (Luke 3:21).
The Holy Spirit "descended in the form of a dove." Why
a dove? Because this was the symbol of Israel, and in the Lord
there was to be witnessed the personification of the true Israel.
But the word "dove" is yonah in Hebrew, so that the startled
onlookers saw the Holy Spirit descend and settle on the Lord
Jesus in the "form of a Yonah." Thus, as the spirit of Elijah
had descended on Elisha, so the spirit of Jonah the prophet
descended on the Lord Jesus. If the people of Judea had been
spiritually alive to the significance of the sign of the prophet
Jonah, they would have realised that the Lord was the antitype
of the prophet, about to fulfil the allegorical significance of his
10
mission.
What did Jonah do that prefigured the mission of the Lord
Jesus? He gave himself in sacrificial death; he was figuratively
raised from the grave; he preached repentance unto Gentiles.
The Lord Jesus, either personally, or through his disciples, ful-
filled the type.

BIBLE TYPES AND PARABLES

A parable is a setting forth of a certain thing as a
representative of something else. Hence it is comparison or
similitude. It may be spoken or acted. In the former case
fiction is used to illustrate that which is real; while in the
latter real actions on a smaller scale are representative of
remoter and grander events. Whether spoken or acted,
parables are dark and unintelligible to those who are not
skilled in the things of the kingdom; but when once they
come to comprehend these, the things they resemble immed-
iately appear. To allegorize is to represent truth by com-
parison. For certain features of the kingdom of God to be
illustrated parabolically is to speak, or act, allegorically;
and is a mode of instruction more calculated to keep up the
attention, and to impress the mind permanently, than a set
discourse, or formal disquisition. The scriptures are con-
structed after this ingenious plan, by which they are made
so much more interesting, and capable of containing so
much more matter, than any other book on the same sub-
ject, and of the same size. The proof of this is contained
in such passages as 1 Cor. 10:6: "These things were our
examples (typoi, types) to the intent we should not lust
after evil things, as they also lusted . . ."
— J. Thomas, Elpis Israel.
 The Book of Jonah: Both
History and Allegory
Biography Of The Prophet
Jonah lived, according to Bible chronology, in the early
half of the eighth century before Christ, and prophesied in the
time of Jeroboam II of Israel. His home town was Gath-hepher,
an obscure village about 3 miles north-east of Nazareth, where
Jesus was brought up.
The brief account of his ministry (see 2 Kings 14:25-27)
implies that when Israel was in dire extremity, Jonah arose with
a message of encouragement, stimulating the people with the
promise of help from Yahweh. The record states:
"He (Jeroboam II) restored the border of Israel from the entrance
of Hamath as far as the Sea of Arabah, according to the word of
Yahweh, the God of Israel, which He spoke by His servant Jonah, the
son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. For Yahweh
saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, that they were straight-
ened, and in want, and destitute, nor was there any helper for Israel.
But Yahweh had not said that He would blot out the name of Israel
from under heaven, so He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam, the
son of Jonah" (2 Kings 14:25-27 — A.V. and LXX).
This biographical sketch, scanty though it is, is sufficient
to create some picture of the times, and of the work of Jonah.
It also provides a key for the better understanding of the book
that bears his name.
The northern kingdom of Israel had been brought low be-
cause of apostasy, but due to the earnest pleading of the prophet
Jonah, a respite was granted by Yahweh, and he was sent back
to the people with a promise of Divine help.
As a result, a period of greater prosperity was enjoyed by
Israel. Under Jeroboam, the borders of the nation were ex-
tended in all directions, and the kingdom rose to a peak of
glory and power exceeding anything before or since. For a time,
the northern kingdom of Israel, became an object of fear and
envy on the part of its neighbors.
But Jonah, as the prophet of Yahweh, was not blind to the
real spiritual state of the people. He knew, as all men of God
know, that Yahweh will not forever bear with continued wicked-
ness, but that He will vindicate His holy Name by punishing
those who are guilty of it. The prophets, Isaiah, Hosea and
Amos, who also prophesied about this time, spoke in scathing
language of the wickedness of the northern kingdom, and fore-
told impending disaster when Assyria would arise, as the rod of
Yahweh, to smite the people. These prophets of God knew
that the seeming prosperity and strength of Israel was but an
12
illusion, and that the nation existed on sufferance. Unless true re-
formation was effected in Israel, Divine retribution would come
swift and final through the medium of the brutal Assyrian power
in the north.
Jonah, the prophet who had helped elevate Israel so much
was not ignorant of this threat. The question was, did sufficient
time remain to bring about a complete reformation in Israel,
and to ensure her continuance as a nation?
Jonah's Reluctance To Preach
About this time, there came the message to Jonah that
Nineveh would be destroyed within forty days if the people did
not repent, and the prophet was commissioned to go to this
city, and warn the people of this Divine decree.
Jonah realised that a repentant, strengthened Nineveh was
the greatest danger to Israel, and the reform he hoped to imple-
ment. He knew that the currently extended borders of Israel,
and the apparent military strength and skill of Jeroboam in war,
did not reflect the true state of the nation, but had developed
out of the current political and military decline of Assyria, which
had been brought low because of the gross wickedness of its
people. If Nineveh repented, however, it would recover from
the temporary recession, with dire consequences to Israel.
Jonah realised this, and understood from the message he had
received from Yahweh, that forty days constituted the time limit
either way. If Nineveh did not repent within that time, it would
be completely overthrown, and Israel would be saved from an
enemy that would overwhelm it, as his fellow-prophets in the
southern kingdom had predicted. If Nineveh were destroyed,
however, further time would be gained for the prophet to more
thoroughly implement the reformation he had commenced in the
nation.
It appears that Jonah's action in avoiding the Divine com-
mission was dictated by these considerations. He decided to go
to Tarshish rather than to Nineveh, believing that by so doing
he would help to save his people from the destruction that would
come from a revived Nineveh.
Jonah was prepared to sacrifice himself to save his people.
He knew that in avoiding the mission he had been set, he would
cut himself off from the Most High, and jeopardise his own
eternal future. He was prepared to become a curse for his
people, if it would help to redeem them from the curse that
would inevitably come upon them if they did not reform, and
in this he became a type of Christ who "hath redeemed us
from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Gal.
3:13).
Even on the storm-tossed ship, when he realised that the
13
hand of Yahweh was in the fury of wind and wave that engulfed
the ship, he still sought death rather than help an enemy who
would ultimately destroy his people. Thus he pleaded with the
mariners to throw him overboard.
Then followed the dramatic intervention by Yahweh, by
which was typified the death and resurrection of the Lord; and
afterwards the preaching of repentance to the Gentiles, which,
in the antitype was carried out by the Lord's servants, the
Apostles.
In all his actions, Jonah was moved by the highest motives
of good. The future of the people he loved became his main con-
cern. He was like Paul who declared: "I could wish that myself
were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen accord-
ing to the flesh" (Rom. 9:3). Or like Moses who also typed the
Lord Jesus, and who, at the risk of his own life, stood between
Yahweh and the people, saying: "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive
their sin . . .; and if not, blot me I pray thee, out of Thy book
which Thou hast written" (Exod. 32:32). Jonah's motives will
be more clearly revealed, as we consider the book that bears
his name, verse by verse. They are summarised in his statement
contained in Chapter 4:2:
"O Yahweh, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country?
Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish, for I knew that Thou art a
gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and
repentest Thee of the evil."
To preach to Nineveh might lead to the preservation of a
city that in Jonah's eyes was better destroyed, for it would
only destroy his people. In this, Jonah may have been short-
sighted, but he was not faithless, nor was he out of sympathy
with preaching to Gentiles. His great motive, was to preserve his
own people, whom he loved so dearly that he was prepared to
give his own life, that they might have time to repent and be saved.

BEHOLD THE GOODNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD

\ Jesus Christ is God manifest in flesh. Some try to
imitate his kindness while forgetting his zeal. Others copy
his severity while failing to remember his gentleness. Others
extol his placability and charity whilst overlooking his
righteousness and jealousy of the Father's honor. A bal-
anced view of his character brings both goodness and sev- ζ
\\ erity into correct focus. ζ

14
 Analysis
Once we have lifted the book of Jonah from out of the
battle-ground of destructive criticism, and have discerned the
remarkable foreshadowing of the ministry of the Lord Jesus
Christ presented therein, the experience of the prophet becomes
a most exciting adventure in Bible exposition.
"The sign of the prophet Jonah" (Matt. 12:39) prefigured
the work of Christ. Jonah sacrificed himself for his people,
experienced a typical death and resurrection, and afterwards
preached repentance to the Gentiles.
"Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites" (Luke 11:30), as
Christ was to his generation. Jonah preached that unless Nineveh
repented, it would fall within forty days. Christ did likewise to
his generation (Matt. 24:34-35), and within forty prophetic
"days" of years, Jerusalem fell before the onslaught of the
Roman hordes. If the Lord's contemporaries had heeded the sign,
it would have taught them certain facts concerning the death and
resurrection of the Messiah. They would have also learned that
the time for reformation was limited, after which repentance
would be preached to the Gentiles. They saw the sign at the
Lord's baptism (Matt. 3:16), and should have comprehended
and heeded it as did Paul later. Paul taught that Christ "died
for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures"
(1 Cor. 15:3-4). What Old Testament Scriptures taught that
Christ would be buried, and rise again the third day? The answer
is found in the book of Jonah, if one comprehends the sign
presented therein.
The book should be studied, therefore, from the standpoint
of history and typical prophecy.
It is conveniently divided into four chapters, and headings
for these sections, when considered from the standpoint of
Jonah's experiences, are as follows: Chapter 1—EVASION;
Chapter 2—PRESERVATION; Chapter 3—PROCLAMATION;
Chapter 4—EDUCATION.
If the same chapters are considered from the Divine stand-
point, the following headings epitomise the subjects: Chapter 1
—THE STORM; Chapter 2—THE FISH; Chapter 3—THE
CITY; Chapter 4—YAHWEH.
We have set these out, together with sub-headings, providing
an outline of each section. We suggest that if the Book of Jonah
is read, with this epitome before the reader, he will instantly
obtain a better grasp of the book.

15
 THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH
CHAPTER 1 —EVASION (THE STORM)
Jonah Flees To Evade His Mission vv. 1-3
The Storm vv. 4-5
The Confession .... vv. 6-9
The Sacrifice and Conversion vv. 10-16
CHAPTER 2 —PRESERVATION (THE FISH)
The Fish Ch. 1:17-2:1
Jonah's Psalm of Thanksgiving vv. 2-9
Jonah's Deliverance v. 10
CHAPTER 3 — PROCLAMATION (THE CITY)
Jonah Pays His Vows vv. 1-4
The Ninevites Repent vv. 5-9
Yahweh's Mercy v. 10
CHAPTER 4 —EDUCATION (YAHWEH'S REPROOF)
Jonah's Displeasure vv. 1-3
Yahweh's Reproof vv. 4-11
In our exposition we have provided the text of Rotherham's translation
in order that the reader may compare this with the Authorised Version.

JONAH'S ERRAND OF MERCY j|

Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrian \
Empire was a World-Empire for about 300 years, 900-607 B.C. It §
began its rise to world power about the time of the division of the
Hebrew Kingdom at the close of Solomon's reign. It gradually }
ί absorbed and destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Assyrian
j> kings who had to do with Israel and Judah were:
J[ Shalmanezer II, 860-825 B.C. Began to "cut off Israel."
\ ^SuUr"fen · H°£"\ P e r i o d o f Decline (Jonah's visit?)
Ζ Ashur-Niran 746 - j
2 Tiglath-Pileser III, 747-727. Deported most of Israel.
? Shalmanezer IV, 727-722. Besieged Samaria.
2 Sargon II, 722-705. Carried rest of Israel captive (Isaiah).
2 Sennacherib, 705-681. Invaded Judah (Isaiah).
1 Esar-haddon, 681-668. Very powerful.
<! Assur-banipal, 668-626. Most powerful and brutal Ν ahum (?).
Ζ The brutal· empire fell, 607 B.C.
t
2 Thus Jonah was called of God to prolong the life of the enemy
J[ nation which was already in the process of exterminating his own
nation. Jonah was a statesman, as well as prophet, the most famous
man, next to the king, in his nation (2 Kings 14:25).
— Bible Handbook (Amended).

16
 CHAPTER 1
Evasion (The Storm)
Interrupted in his ministrations to Israel, by a commission
received from Yahweh instructing him to go to Nineveh and warn
the people that unless they repented of their evil deeds within
forty days, the city would be destroyed, Jonah sought to evade
doing so. He recognised that the political revival of Assyria was
only possible at the expense of Israel And, to him, there was no
purpose in saving such a brutal, anti-semitic city from its just
judgment. He therefore attempted to evade the commission. He
took ship to Tarshish, hoping by so doing, to so delay the
preaching of repentance to the Ninevites as to ensure the de-
struction of the city. But Yahweh's work of grace cannot be
thwarted by man. The ship was involved in a tremendous storm
that threatened to destroy both it, and those in it. The panic-
stricken sailors sought the help of their gods, but in vain. The
mysterious passenger was brought up from his cabin and inter-
rogated. They learned with greater fear that he was a worshipper
of Yahweh, and hesitated to cast a worshipper of such a powerful
God overboard as he bid them do. They strove to reach a haven
by their own means, but the storm, increasing in tempo, threatened
to engulf them all. At last, having sought the forgiveness of Yah-
weh, they cast the prophet into the raging waters. A calm en-
sued. The men recognised this as the hand of God, and vowed to
serve Him in truth.
There is a moral lesson to be learnt from the experience of
Jonah. It is that men cannot successfully evade the duties and
responsibilities that Yahweh imposes upon them. They may
attempt to do so for a variety of reasons. They may become dis-
gruntled at circumstances that arise; they may be discouraged by
reverses they experience; they may be weakened through lack of
faith. These and other considerations may interpose between
them and their duty, may influence them to turn from its path. If
they allow this to happen, they act in a very shortsighted way;
more shortsighted, in fact, than Jonah, who fled to Tarshish not
through lack of faith, or personal pique, but because of lack of
understanding of Yahweh's purpose. Let us search the Bible that
we may understand God's purpose better, and by elevation of our
minds, seek that communion with Yahweh that will strengthen us
to surmount every problem and difficulty that might hinder us
in our pilgrimage towards the Kingdom of God.

17
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

CHAPTER 1
1. And the word of Yahweh came unto Jonah son of Amittai, saying:
2. Arise, get thee to Nineveh the great city, and proclaim unto it, That their
wickedness hath come up before Me.
3. But Jonah arose to flee unto Tarshish, away from the presence of Yahweh,
and went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the
fare thereof, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, away from
the presence of Yahweh.

The Prophet's Divine Commission the Lord Jesus upon whom the
And Flight —Vv. 1-3 Spirit descended in the form of
Jonah seeks to evade the instruc- a dove (or Jonah), and who de-
tions given him by fleeing far to clared to his disciples: "I will
Tarshish in the west. send unto you the Spirit of truth
which shall guide you into all
truth" (John 16:13). Jonah's name
VERSE 1 stood as a fitting caption for his
"Now the word of Yahweh"— ministry. He appeared before Is-
The book commences abruptly with rael as the Dove filled with Truth,
this challenging statement. And it exhorting the people to seek the
is challenging. The word of Yah- Divine strength that alone could
weh must not be confused with reproduce dovelike qualities in
that of man. It does not brook them.
interference or contradiction. It
issues forth as an imperial man- VERSE 2
date with power to accomplish that "Cry against Nineveh" — The
which it proclaims (Isa. 55:11). It word "cry" signifies a harsh, per-
can perform miracles, for it can emptory proclamation. It was no
transform the hearts of men (Col. gentle preaching, no sermonising
3:10). Yahweh has magnified it in the terms of modern pulpit ora-
above all His name, and therefore tions that Jonah was to use, but
it should be heeded in all its a loud, harsh proclamation such
teaching (Ps. 138:2). A similar as the urgency of the situation de-
phrase as this occurs seven times manded. He was to bring clearly
in the book of Jonah as though as home to the people a sense of
to emphasise the literal truth of the their wickedness, and warn them
record, and the folly of man in of the disaster that would surely
opposing that which Yahweh de- overtake them if they failed to
crees — (Ch. 1:1; 2:10; 3:1; 3:3; heed his message. There was no
4:4, 9, 10). Seven is the number of time for parleying, no time for
completion, and in this seven-fold the use of diplomacy or finesse in
declaration, the will of Yahweh approach. He was to proclaim an
was expressed. ultimatum in the name of Yahweh.
"Jonah the son of Amittai"— Repentance or destruction was the
Amittai is the secondary form of decree issued against the guilty
emeth, the Hebrew word for city. A similar approach to preach-
"truth". Jonah, son of Amittai thus ing is necessary today, for a crisis
signifies, "Dove, son of Truth." threatens the modern world as
In such a statement as that, imminent and as urgent as that
the conjunction governs the which faced Nineveh in the days
noun. For example, "son of in- of the prophet, but the people are
iquity" describes one filled with unheeding of it. The only method
iniquity; "son of belial" is one that will gain results is that com-
filled with worthlessness; "son of manded by Yahweh, and eventually
God" is one filled with the in- used by Jonah.
fluence of God. "Jonah the son of
Amittai" therefore signifies "the VERSE 3
Dove who is filled with Truth." "But Jonah rose up to flee"—
As such he was a fitting type of He did so because he preferred
18
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

4. But Yahweh hurled a great wind against the sea, and there arose a mighty
tempest in the sea, — and the ship thought to be broken in pieces,

the destruction of Nineveh to its more widely diffused, as Christ

preservation. He explained this taught it would (John 4:23), for
later (Ch. 4:2), and we will re- the token of His presence then
serve our consideration of the pro- became the people "taken out of
phet's motives until we hear them the Gentiles" for "His name" (Acts
from his lips! 15:14).
"Unto Tarshish" — As he left Jonah never imagined for a
from Joppa, the ship upon which moment, that having reached Tar-
he sailed must have proceeded shish, he would be beyond the
west. Tarshish was the extremity power of Yahweh to discipline him,
of the West, and as the Phoen- for such men of faith as he, rec-
ician sailors at that time plied as ognised the omnipresence of Deity
far west as Gibraltar and Britain, (Ps. 139:9-10), and realised that
the identification of Tarshish with there is no escaping that Power.
those places appears well estab- However, Jonah hoped that by
lished. It is not important to the sailing to far-off Tarshish the
understanding of the book to dis- preaching to Nineveh would be
cuss the identity of Tarshish, for sufficiently delayed, that the time
Jonah never arrived there. The limit imposed by Yahweh would
identity of this country is discussed lapse.
in Prophecies Of The Restoration,
pp 76, 77. "He found a ship" — T h e Heb-
rew word for "ship" is oniyyah
"From the presence of Yahweh" which signifies any large vessel.
— This does not mean that However, in v. 5 the word for
Jonah imagined that he could "ship" is sephimar, and comes from
literally escape from Yahweh's in- a root, saphan, meaning "to cover."
fluence, as though He is limited Sephimar signifies a "covered" or
in the scope of His power; it sug- "decked" ship. Jonah's ship, there-
gests the unique status that the fore, must have been one of con-
land of Israel enjoys in the con- siderable size. The Phoenicians had
sideration of God. The term, to go perfected sailing more than any
. from the "presence of Yahweh," other nation, and had constructed
is Scripturally used in the sense vessels capable of sailing the Medi-
of leaving that centre where His terranean and beyond. These ships
worship is established (Gen. 4: Μ- were of considerable size, and
Ι 6), and as, in the days of the were decked, but in addition to us-
prophet, this was limited to Israel, ing sails, had also tiers of oars-
it meant to flee from that land. men, whose long-handled oars ex-
Israel is described as a land "which tended from the sides of the ship.
Yahweh careth for: the eyes of The crew on such a ship could
Yahweh are always upon it" (Deut. number upwards of 200 men or
11:12). To depart from that land, more. Jonah "paid the fare" as a
as the prophet did, was to depart passenger, and immediately went to
from the "inheritance of Yahweh" his cabin below, to rest.
as David told Saul (1 Sam. 26:19-
20), or to be "cast out of His The Storm — Vv. 4-5
presence" as Jeremiah warned the The journey commenced in calm
Jews (Jer. 23:39). Yahweh's pres- conditions, but these suddenly
ence in the earth was signified by changed into a raging inferno, as
the Shekinah glory in the Most a most terrible storm broke over
Holy in Jerusalem, so that His the ship.
"presence" in the earth was then
limited to the land of Israel. After VERSE 4
the crucifixion of the Lord, the "But Yahweh sent out a great
"presence of Yahweh" became wind" — The margin gives the lit-
19
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

5. Then were the mariners afraid, and made outcry every man unto his own god,
and they hurled the wares which were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of
them, — but Jonah had gone down into the hinder parts of the vessel, and had
lain down and fallen into a sound sleep.
6. Then drew near unto him the shipmaster, and said to him, What meanest thou,
Ο sound sleeper? Arise, cry unto thy God! Peradventure God will bethink him-
self of us, that we perish not.
7. And they said — every one unto his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we
may get to know for whose sake this calamity is upon us. So they cast lots,
and the lot fell upon Jonah.

eral Hebrew as "cast forth." This us out than striving against our
is rendered in the RSV as "hurled Maker!
forth," and suggests the sudden
and unexpected violence of wind The Confession — Vv. 6-9
and wave that arose against the Jonah was awakened out of his
ship. sleep, and interrogated by the fear-
"The ship was like to be broken" stricken sailors. They learned that
— The Hebrew (see margin) sig- he was a worshipper of Yahweh,
nifies, "was thought to be broken." and in evading the commission de-
The ship was surrounded by such livered him, was responsible for
a growing crescendo of fury from the storm that threatened to destroy
the elements as Yahweh "hurled them all.
forth" His storm, that the thoughts
of the sailors were that the ship VERSE 6
would be broken by the violence "The shipmaster" — Literally,
of the waves. Thus fear swept the this is "the chief of the rope,"
seemingly doomed ship. an expressive sea-faring term to
describe the captain.
VERSE 5 "What meanest thou, Ο sleeper"
"The mariners" — The Hebrew — The captain was irritated by
word literally signifies "the salts" his mysterious passenger. He could
—an expressive title for those who make nothing of him! How was
gain their livelihood from the sea. it possible that he could sleep
"Cried every man unto his god" through such a storm as they
— Fear drove them to religion, but were experiencing! It was time
it was a religion without power. for action, and he, like the others,
should assist by beseeching his
"Cast forth the wares" — T h e God for help and protection.
word in the Hebrew is Keli and
signifies an implement, or some- "Call upon thy God" —They
thing prepared for use. In this con- recognised that the pleas to their
text it most likely related to "the gods had been completely ineffec-
tackling." The gods of the heathen tual.
having been appealed to in vain, "If so be that God will think
the sailors must depend upon their upon us" — The Hebrew has the
own skill in seamanship. definite article here, ha Elohim,
the God, as if they were searching
"Jonah was fast asleep"—Jonah among all gods for the supreme
was tired out, so much so, that Deity. The fear of the storm had
like the Lord in the ship on the not merely driven them to religion,
stormy waters of Galilee, he did but had instilled in them a desire
not awake. What had tired Jonah? to seek the true God that He might
Perhaps the fretting anxiety of the help.
commission given him, and the
worry associated with trying to VERSE 7
avoid that which Yahweh had "Come, and let us cast lots" —
commanded him to do. There is In spite of all their religious ex-
nothing more calculated to tire ercises, the storm raged unabated
20
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

8. Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose sake this calamity is
upon us? What is thy business? and from whence comest thou? what is thy
country? and of what people art thou?
9. And he said unto them, A Hebrew am I, and Yahweh the God of the heavens
do I revere, him who made the sea, and the dry land.

in all its violence. This caused the and Gentile, as Jonah made his
crew to come to the conviction confession: "I am a Hebrew, one
that it was sent by God in pun- who has crossed over, a man
ishment of some crime committed apart."
by one of them on board. They "I fear Yahweh" — This state-
therefore proceeded to cast lots ment made even sharper the line
to ascertain the guilty party. of demarcation between Jonah and
VERSE 8 the Gentile crew. Yahweh is the
covenant name of the God of the
"For whose cause is this evil Hebrews, by which He is pleased
upon us?' — The crew having to be known by all true Israelites
found the culprit, proceeded to in- (Psalm 68:4; Malachi 3:16). It is
vestigate his guilt. The scene is the Name proclaimed by the Elo-
a dramatic one: the storm-tossed him to Moses, when Yahweh an-
ship, the howling gale, the lower- nounced His intention to manifest
ing sky, the angry waves reaching Himself in a people of His choice.
up as though to snatch their vic- The Name is compounded of the
tims and plunge them into their Hebrew verb, ehyeh, signifying "I
depths, whilst on board the panic- will be." This verb occurs in the
stricken crew gathered around the statement of Exodus 3:12: "Surely
prophet subjecting him to a close / will be with thee." Yanweh,
interrogation. therefore, signifies "He Who will
be," and is a Name that is pro-
VERSE 9 phetic of the Divine purpose to
"I am an Hebrew"—This name manifest the Divine glory in the
clearly discriminates between true earth for all flesh to see (Isa.
Israelites and Gentiles, and estab- 40:5). It is the Divine memorial
lishes the line of demarcation be- Name as Moses was told. "This
tween the two classes. The word is my Name for ever, and this
signifies "a crosser over," and it is My memorial for a generation
was first applied to Abram when of the race" (J. Thomas transla-
he crossed over the Euphrates to tion—Exod. 3:15). Hence Isaiah
enter the land of promise (Gen. declared: "The desire of our soul
14:13). He was then a "crosser is to Thy memorial name" (Isa.
over." He had crossed over from 26:8). It is to this Name that the
a way of life that led inevitably Lord Jesus made reference when
to death, to one that led to life. he taught his disciples to pray:
All who embrace Christ thus be- "Hallowed be Thy name." Thus
come Hebrews in the true sense he declared: "I have manifested
of the word. In Egypt, the women Thy name unto the men which
who defied the decree of Pharaoh Thou gavest me out of the world"
in order to preserve the nation of (John 17:6), "And I have declared
Israel are significantly described ,unto them Thy name, and will
as Hebrews (Exod. 1:16). On the declare it; that the love wherewith
deck of the storm-tossed ship, the Thou hast loved me may be in
statement, "I am an Hebrew" was them, and I in them" (v. 26).
a challenging one. It separated Jesus manifested the Name be-
Jonah from the rest of the ship's cause he revealed the glory of
company with their multiplicity of the Father for all to see. John
gods, so that on that disabled ship, wrote: "We beheld his glory, the
driven helplessly before wind and glory as of the only begotten of
wave, the clear line of demarca- the Father, full of grace and truth"
tion was drawn between Israelite (John 1:14). He declared the Name
21
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

in that he taught the principles answer is given in the preface to

of it unto the disciples. Later, those the Revised Standard Version, and
same disciples, set this forth as a is significant in view of Jonah's
fundamental of faith, declaring that statement on the deck of the storm-
"God had visited the Gentiles to tossed ship. The RSV declares:
take out of them a people for "The use of any proper name for
His name" (Acts 15:14). Those the one and only God (i.e. Yah-
who claim to be the people "of weh), as though there were other
the Name" should show an inter- gods from whom He had to be dis-
est in what that Name is, and tinguished . . . is entirely inapprop-
what it represents and promises. riate for the universal faith of
Originally, Israel as a nation was the Christian Church" (p.ix). Thus,
selected as the people "of the because the RSV knows only "one
name," but they failed to reveal its universal Christian Church," which,
attributes, for such a people should in fact, rejects the God of the
live to the glory of the Father, Hebrews in favor of the Trinity,
glorifying Him before all. The the Name Yahweh is suppressed!!
Spirit through Isaiah declared, True Hebrews, true "crossers over,"
"every one that is called by My will repudiate the claims of the
n a m e . . . I have created for My so-called "universal church" of an
glory" (Isa. 43:7). However, in apostate Christendom, and will
superstitious dread of the power stand aside from it as completely
of the name, Jews have refused as did Jonah from the crew of
to pronounce it, imagining that this heathens that were calling on their
negative attitude will preserve them gods to save them.
from the dread sin of "taking the A curious feature emerges when
Name in vain." But their very the Name of Yahweh is considered,
attitude has "profaned" this holy and that is, that whenever it is men-
name (Ezek. 36:22), for to pro- tioned in the presence of those
fane it is to act in such a way who do not see the need to stand
as to disgrace it (Isa. 52:5; Lev. aside from the world, it creates re-
18:21; Amos 2:7; Prov. 30:9), and sentment. It did so the first time it
this the Jewish people have done. was used in the presence of such.
Concerning the pronunciation of When Moses appeared before Phar-
the Name, Unger's Bible Dictionary aoh, he declared: "Thus saith Yah-
comments: "The Hebrew tetra- weh God of Israel, Let My people
grammation (YHWH) traditionally go, that they may hold a feast Unto
pronounced Jehovah is now known Me in the wilderness." Pharaoh's
to be correctly vocalised Yahweh. reply was: "Who is Yahweh, that
New inscriptional evidence from I should obey His voice to let
the second and first millennia Israel go? I know not Yahweh,
B.C. point toward this f a c t . . . . neither will I let Israel go" (Exod.
(This) has commended itself in 5:1-2). Pharaoh's attitude and
the light of the phonetic develop- words expressed the attitude of all
ment and grammatical evidence of Egypt towards the Name, and
increased knowledge of Northwest will be avoided by all those who
Semitic and kindred tongues.... respect the fact that in the Lord
The name Yahweh has been found Jesus Christ, God "did visit the
to be unique to Israel and has Gentiles to take out of them a
not been verified as the name of people for His name." As such,
any deity outside Israel." they will despise not the Name.
In the A.V. the Name has been (Mai. 1:6), but will extol (Ps.
translated as Lord or God printed 68:4), remember (Ps. 20:7), re-
in small capitals (e.g. Ezekiel 38: vere (Ps. 86:11), praise (Ps. 113:
1, 3 cp. with Ezek. 37:27, 38:3), 1-3), love (Ps. 119:132), bless
or as Jah (Ps. 68:4) and Jehovah (Ps. 96:2), come to know (Isa.
(Exod. 6:3). Why has the true 52:6), publish (Deut. 32:3), sing
Name been thus avoided? The (Ps. 61:8), and pray (Ps. 140:13)
22
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

10. Then did the men revere with great reverence, and said unto him, What is it
thou hast done? For the men knew that away from the presence of Yahweh he
was fleeing, — for he had told them.
11. Then said they unto him, What shall we do to thee, that the sea may cease
raging over us? For the sea was raging more and more.

unto it. However, they will do VERSE 10

this with real understanding of its "The men were exceedingly
principles, not merely with a de- afraid"—They recognised the pow-
sire to be different, or to force er of Yahweh over the elements,
academic details upon unwilling and feared to offend Him in any
ears. To use the Name is to as- way.
sume the responsibility to manifest
the Name, and that requires that "Why hast thou done this?" —
the Divine principles manifested by The members of the crew now
the Son, be built into the charac- began to interrogate Jonah. He had
ters of the "people of the Name." already told them that he was
Otherwise the Name will not be fleeing from Palestine, but had not
a blessing unto them, but a curse. disclosed the reason. Now they de-
sired to know this in order that
"The God of heaven, which hath they might learn the cause of
made the sea and the dry land" — Yahweh's anger.
In this statement, Jonah joined
some of the attributes of Deity "The men knew that he fled
with His name. Under the cir- from the presence of Yahweh" —
cumstances, the statement that Yah- See note, v. 3. They knew that he
weh is the Creator of the "sea and fled from the Land of Israel, for
the dry land" was most approp- this is what is meant by the phrase,
riate, for the crew could see in "the presence of Yahweh." Actu-
the stormy waves, and feel in ally they knew nothing of Yah-
the roaring hurricane, the mani^ weh until now that Jonah had re-
festations of His presence. They vealed that he was a worshipper of
learned from the teaching of Jonah the God of Israel. All they knew
that Yahweh is the Controller of previously about Jonah was that
both Land and Stormy Sea. for some undisclosed reason he
wanted to flee to Tarshish.
Sacrifice And Conversion — VERSE 11
Vv. 10-16
The crew was deeply impressed "What shall we do unto thee,
with the evidence of Divine power that the sea may be calm unto
manifested in the storm, particu- us?" — Their own gods had proved
larly in view of Jonah's account of completely ineffectual (vv. 5-6), but
the God Whom he served. So much the fact of the storm in the light
so, indeed, that they were reluct- of Jonah's declaration, revealed
ant to dispose of the prophet of that the God whom he served was
such a mighty God in the way in powerful to punish, and therefore,
which Jonah himself suggested. also, to save. Jonah's declaration
They attempted to bring the ship of his belief, as well as the demon-
to land, but in vain; and only then, stration of Yahweh's power, thus
in desperation, they cast forth drew these Gentiles to the God
Jonah into the sea. Immediately of Israel.
there a great calm. They realised "The sea wrought, and was tem-
that Yahweh was supreme, and pestuous" — The margin renders
were converted. As a result they this: "The sea grew more and
offered a sacrifice unto Yahweh, more tempestuous." As the crew
and vowed vows. Jonah's sacrifice, discussed their problem with Jonah
therefore, brought forth fruit to on the deck of the storm-tossed
the glory of the Father, in the ship, the raging sea became wilder
conversion of the crew. and wilder, and in this they could
23
 PROPHECY OF JONAH
12. And he said unto them, Take me up and hurl me into the sea, that the sea
may cease raging over you, — for I do know that for my sake is this great
tempest upon you.
13. Nevertheless the men wrought hard to bring it back unto the land but could
not, — for the sea was raging over them more and more.

feel the power of Yahweh. Already from the presence of Yahweh"

the ship was in danger of breaking (v, 3) signifies to leave that land
up, and the situation had become on which He had placed His name
perilous in the extreme. There was (Deut. 11), not to find a place
an urgency about the whole situ- upon the earth to which God's
ation that brooked no delay. power cannot reach. He realised,
too, that in turning from the mis-
VERSE 12 sion appointed him, he was risking
"Take me up and cast me forth his own life, but he was prepared
into the sea"—When Jonah made to do that in order that he might
this request, he knew nothing of save his people.
the fish prepared for his recep-
tion, nor of the subsequent ad- VERSE 13
ventures that awaited him. He "Nevertheless the men rowed
therefore imagined that he would hard to bring it to the land" —
be thrown to his death. He pre- In the mighty storm, the crew had
ferred to die rather than return evidence of the tremendous power
and preach to Nineveh, believing of Yahweh, and recognising that
that the delay that would ensue Jonah was His prophet, they felt
would be too long to effect a re- that they would offend Him fur-
form within the prescribed time ther by acceding to his request
limit. By this means, his death and consigning him to a watery
would contribute to the destruc- grave. Considerations such as these,
tion of Israel's enemy, and Jonah rather than personal kindness,
preferred to sacrifice himself to moved them to try and save Jonah
that end, in order that his people (v. 14). They did not want to be
might be saved. held responsible for his death.
In this way, Jonah typed the They are like people who are
Lord Jesus. There are flaws in the brought to a knowledge of the
type, of course, as is inevitable. Truth, and who, recognising the
If there were not, then the type guilt of Jewry in crucifying the
would be as the reality. A type is Lord, attempt to disassociate them-
merely an outline, a silhouette selves from such action, without
providing the shadow of that which completely performing the will of
is to come, but not revealing the God. The sailors "rowed hard" be-
full details thereof. Jonah was the cause the mast and sails (the tack-
sign, not the reality which was ling) were already gone (v. 5).
manifested by the Lord. "The sea wrought and was tem-
The sacrifice that Jonah was pre- pestuous"— See note v. 11. The
pared to make for his people, also more they tried to bring the ship
played a part in saving the sailors to land, the worse the storm raged,
on the vessel, and therefore, like until they realised that the attempt
the offering of the Lord, was de- was hopeless.
signed to save Gentiles as well as
Jews from the death that faced VERSE 14
them. "They cried unto Yahweh" —
"For I know that for my sake These Gentiles had been so im-
this great tempest is upon you" — pressed by the manifestation of
Jonah realised that he could not Divine power that they realised
escape Yahweh's power, for He is that Yahweh is God. Acknowledg-
the God of both sea and land ing His omnipotence, they aband-
(v. 9). Therefore the term "to go oned their own gods, and directed
24
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

14. Then cried they unto Yahweh and said, Ah now Yahweh, pray let it not be that
we perish for this man's life, neither lay upon us innocent blood, — for thou Ο
Yahweh as thou hast pleased hast ever done.
15. So they took up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, — and the sea left off
her roaring.
16. Then did the men revere Yahweh with a great reverence, — and offered sacri-
fice to Yahweh, and vowed vows.

their prayers to Him. This inci- prayer to Yahweh (v. 14) revealed
dent, when recognised as part of that they had been converted in
the type or sign of Jonah, should belief, and now this was followed
have taught true Israelites, that the by action, as they heeded the in-
sacrifice of the antitypical Jonah struction of the prophet.
(he upon whom the Holy Spirit "The sea ceased from her rag-
descended in the form of a dove) ing"—The effect was instantaneous.
would be efficacious to save Gen- The storm ceased, and there was
tiles as well as Jews, and that the a calm. These remarkable events
time was at hand for the Gospel were awe-inspiring in their effect.
to be preached to Gentiles for
their conversion (Matt. 16:1-4). VERSE 16
"Lay not upon us innocent "The men feared Yahweh ex-
blood" — This is the attitude of all ceedingly"—Such a fear is the be-
who are brought to a realisation ginning of true wisdom (Prov. 1:7).
of the Truth. They recognise the Their previous allegiance to their
tragedy of the Lord's crucifixion, Gentile gods had been replaced by
in that those responsible for it a wholesome respect for Yahweh.
murdered the "prince of life,"
whilst, at the same time, they real- "Offered a sacrifice" — Though
ise that the predetermined counsel their education in Divine worship
of God was fulfilled in the sacri- was not then complete, they did
ficial death of the Lord. These what they thought was right. Per-
principles are foreshadowed in the haps Jonah had given them some
experiences of Jonah. Contrast the instruction as to what they should
pleading attitude of these Gentiles, do.
with the bold, defiant words of "And made vows"—These vows
Jewry at the trial of Christ (Matt. doubtless had relation to their fu-
27:25). ture service. When they arrived
at land they would seek out the
VERSE 15 complete manner in which they
"They took up Jonah, and cast should worship Yahweh, and apply
him forth into the sea" — Their themselves to it.

TRUE RELIGION
"Religion is of two kinds — that, namely, which is
invented by the thinking of sinful flesh; and that which is
revealed of God. The former is superstition, and leads men
to do a vast deal more than God requires of them, or less
than He has appointed. The religion of God, on the con-
j! trary, is occupying a commanding and dignified position
jj between the two extremes. In the exercise of it men are
? moved to action — by the spirit which is the truth"
\ — J. Thomas, Elpis Isarel.
 CHAPTER 2
Preservation (The Fish)
Chapter two should really commence from v. 17 of chapter
one where the fish is introduced into the record. Controversy has
raged as to whether this fish was a whale, or one specially
prepared of Yahweh for the purpose. Some have stated that the
miracle was possible by the use of some kinds of whales, others
have alleged that it was impossible. Both seem to overlook that
in the circumstances of Jonah we are in the presence of miracle,
and whether or not a normally constructed mammal was sufficient
for the purpose is beside the point. We have never known any-
body converted to a belief of the Truth by resolving the type
of fish used on this occasion, for the circumstances of Jon-
ah's preservation in its belly, and the remarkable and convenient
spewing up of his person on the Syrian shore were equally mir-
aculous. The circumstances are amazing, but no more so than the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the miracle that
exceeds all miracles, so that when an attempt is made to rational-
ise other miraculous incidents like creation, the crossing of the
Red Sea, the preservation of Jonah in the belly of the fish, or the
turning of water into wine, the resurrection of Christ still remains
to baffle those who see bounds to God's power. No, the man of
faith will accept as true that which Yahweh has caused to be
recorded in His word. In this age when we clearly see the miracle
of fulfilling Bible prophecy, we must not limit the mighty power
of Yahweh. The preservation of Israel down the ages, the revival
of the Jewish state today, is a miracle comparable with the pre-
servation of Jonah.
Of course, Jonah did not know that he would be preserved.
When he was thrown into the raging ocean, he believed that he
was being given over to death. Instead, he was swallowed by
the fish, and kept alive to complete the mission Yahweh had set
him to do. He expressed this in the Psalm of thanksgioing that he
subsequently composed. He described how he was thrown into the
watery grave, how he sank to the bottom among the weeds of the
ocean, and how, when he was on the point of drowning, in his
extremity he poured out a last petition to God. At that point the
huge fish, the Divine means of his salvation, loomed out of the
murky depths and Jonah was swallowed alive. The expressions
of His consequent prayer of thanksgiving are largely drawn from
the Psalms, and are Messianic in their concept, once again point-
ing to the experiences of the prophet as typical of those of the Lord
Jesus Christ,

26
 PROPHECY OF JONAH
17. Now Yahweh had appointed a great fish, to swallow up Jonah — and Jonah
was in the belly of the fish, three days and three nights.

Jonah In The Fish — V. 17 - Ch. Hebrew word manah signifies to

2:1 "weight" out, and by implication
to "allot," constitute officially, or
On the point of death, Jonah appoint (Strong). The word does
is swallowed alive by a great fish, n o t o f itself indicate that the fish
in whose belly he remains un- w a s created then and there, though
harmed three days and three nights. the use of this word, throughout
the b o o k of J o n a h
vi7»ei7 IT (Ch* 4:6
' 7
'
VUKSL· 17 8 ^ could imply that a special fish
"Yahweh had prepared" — The was prepared.

Jonah's Fish
The word in the Hebrew signifies a "monster" and can relate
to any great fish; the word in the N.T. signifies "sea monster,"
and is accurately translated in the R.V. margin as "sea-monster."
Concerning whales, it has been noted: "There are over sixty
kinds of cachalot (different kinds of whales with teeth in the
lower jaw, e.g. sperm-whales) and all, with the exception of the
Greenland whale, have gullets in proportion to their sizes. The
throat of the common sperm-whale is capacious enough to give
passage to the body of a man. Dying whales eject the contents
of their stomachs, usually several great masses of white, semi-
transparent substance, of huge size, and irregular shape. It has
teeth only in the lower jaw, and is unable to masticate, and there-
fore is compelled to swallow whole, or tear into sizeable pieces and
bolt complete. Witnesses have described masses of ejected food
up to eight feet by six feet in size. There is on record the skeleton
of a shark in a whale, some sixteen feet in length (See Sixty-three
Years In Engineering, p. 298, by Francis Fox).
Pusey, writing on Jonah, p. 46, describes the experience of a
sailor in the Mediterranean, who was swallowed by a whale, and
then cast out alive and little injured. The fish was twenty feet
long, nine feet wide, and weighed 4,000 lbs.
Hastings Bible Dictionary refers to the remarkable experiences
of James Bartley who was swallowed by a sperm-whale near Falk-
land Islands, 1891. The whale was caught and killed, the carcase
drawn alongside of the ship, the blubber was removed throughout
one day and part of a night, and on the next morning, the
stomach was hoisted on to the deck. The sailor was found
doubled up inside, alive though unconscious. He had temporarily
lost his reason. He recovered later to describe his experience: the
awful darkness, the slimy, yielding substance, the unbearable heat
of his incarceration in the stomach of the whale.
M. Joubin in Academy of Sciences states: "A sperm whale can
easily swallow an animal taller and heavier than a man. The
animals, when swallowed, can keep alive some time in the whale's
stomach."
Even from a natural standpoint, therefore, there is no reason
to dispute the possibility of Jonah's experience, but in the account
concerning him, and of the sign he presented to Israel and the
world, we are in the presence of miracle.

27
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

"A great fish" — There is noth- murmur was also a Saturday. By

ing in the original word to identify easy computation, with the use of
the animal, for the Hebrew word a calendar, it will be seen that
merely signifies a "monster." To if the fifteenth day of the second
call it a whale is not in accord- month was a Saturday, the four-
ance with the original. The white teenth day of the first month,
shark of the Mediterranean, which when the Passover was slain was
sometimes measures twenty-five a Wednesday. That being so, the
feet in length, has been known children of Israel passed through
to swallow a man whole, and even the Red Sea on what we would
a horse. This may have been the call a Saturday evening, but, ac-
"great fish." We do not know, cording to their computation (in
and are in the presence of a which the evening before is counted
miracle. as the beginning of the next day)
"Jonah was in the belly of the the first day of the week. Later,
fish three days and three nights"— the same day, they sung the Song
In Matthew 12:40, the Lord lik- of Deliverance, as they saw, in
ened the experience of Jonah to the mighty miracle of the Red
the period of time in which he, Sea crossing, a manifestation of
also, would be in the "heart of Yahweh's mercy, and their own
the earth." A careful considera- salvation from death.
tion of the evidence indicates that Christ came to Bethany "six
the Lord was crucified on a Wed- days before the Passover" (John
nesday afternoon, that he was 12:1). This was the 9th of Abib,
buried just before 6 p.m. Wednes- for though the Lamb was slain on
day, and that he rose at the con- the fourteenth of the month, Pass-
clusion of Saturday (i.e. 6 p.m. over day was not celebrated until
Saturday—when the first day com- the fifteenth. The next day, five
menced). This would mean that days before Passover, he entered
he was literally three days and the city of Jerusalem (John 12:12).
three nights "in the heart of the This was a Saturday, but it was
earth." The three days would be within the prescribed limits of a
Thursday, Friday and Saturday; Sabbath's day journey to travel
the three nights would be Wed- that distance (Acts 1:12), so that
nesday evening, Thursday evening the Lord kept strictly to the Law.
and Friday evening. It is obvious From that point of time, each day
from the date given in Exod. is carefully marked out by the
16:1 that the first Passover was Gospel writers, revealing the say-
slain on a Wednesday, and it is ings and doings of the Lord during
appropriate that the true Passover that dramatic and crucial period. If
should answer exactly to the time the tenth was a Saturday, the
period thus suggested. Exodus 16:1 fourteenth, when the Lord was
states that the children of Israel crucified was a Wednesday. If this
came to the wilderness of Sin on day is accepted for the crucifixion
the fifteenth day of the second it will harmonise all the Gospel
month, which, with thirty days to accounts. For example, Mark 16:1
the month, amounted to the 45th states that certain women "bought
day from the beginning of the sweet spices" that they might an-
year. On this day the people of oint the Lord. They "bought" or
Israel murmured because of hun- purchased, not "brought," these
ger, and on the morrow they re- spices after "the sabbath was
ceived manna for the first time. past" (see Diaglott). However, ac-
This they continued to gather each cording to Luke's account (Ch.
day for the next six days. The fol- 23:56), they prepared these be-
lowing seventh day was a Satur- fore the Sabbath, for they later
day (Exod. 16:23), showing that rested on that day. Mark states
the day they arrived at the wild- that they "bought" the spices after
erness of Sin and commenced to the sabbath, and Luke writes that
28
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

CHAPTER 2
1. Then prayed Jonah, unto Yahweh his God, — out of the belly of the fish;

they prepared then! before the observe as the beginning of the

sabbath! Who was right? Both were Sabbath. When Luke wrote that
right, as John shows, for he de- "the sabbath drew on" (Luke 23:
clared that one of the sabbaths 54), he meant that it was nearing
in question was not the normal 6 p.m. on Friday. According to
weekly sabbath, but the Passover Vine's Dictionary, this is the only
sabbath, the fifteenth of Abib, so place, apart from Matthew 28:1
that the joint accounts of Mark, where the word epiphosko is used.
Luke and John reveal that there Therefore, if the word is used to
were two sabbaths that week (the signify 6 p.m. Friday in Luke 23:
normal weekly sabbath, and the 54, the context of Matthew 28:1
Passover) and that these two sab- demands that it there signify 6
baths were separated by one day, p.m. Saturday, for it was "In the
in which these women bought and end of the sabbath, as it began to
prepared the spices for anointing. dawn (or draw on) towards the
This shows conclusively that Christ first of the week," that the dramatic
must have been crucified on a events recorded by Matthew took
Wednesday, and buried late that place.
day. The Thursday was the Pass- This being the case the Lord,
over, and thus a high day sab- having been buried just prior to 6
bath. On the Friday the women p.m. on Wednesday, rose from
bought the spices as recorded by the dead immediately after 6 p.m.
Mark, and prepared them as re- on Saturday. Thus he was literally
corded by Luke. They "rested on in the "heart of the earth three
the Sabbath" according to Luke, days and three nights." All the
that Sabbath being the normal so-called difficulties associated with
weekly Sabbath. Matthew 28:1 this period of the Lord's ministry
shows that the Lord rose from can be reconciled with the above.
the dead at the end of the Sab-
bath, which would be what we CH. 2, VERSE 1
term 6 p.m. Saturday. This com-
menced the "first day of the "Then Jonah prayed" — This
week," for the Jews commenced prayer is not recorded. The Psalm
their day at 6 p.m. the night be- that follows, and which is re-
fore. It was on a Saturday even- corded in vv. 2-9, was a Psalm
ing, or the first day of the Jew- or prayer of thanksgiving that
ish week, that the children of Is- Jonah uttered after his deliverance.
rael made ready to pass through This is obvious from v. 7, in
the divided waters of the Red which he makes mention of the
Sea. Christ rose from the dead unrecorded prayer he uttered, and
this day. So Matthew records: from the general expressions of
In the end of the sabbath, as it the Psalm which presuppose his
began to dawn (Darby—"dusk") deliverance. The R.V. places a
toward the first day of the week full stop at the end of v. 1, thus
. . . " (Matt. 28:1). The word separating the Psalm from the
"dawn" in this place does not Prayer. Jonah therefore uttered
signify the dawn of the sunrising, both a petition and a prayer of
as is shown by its use in Luke thanksgiving. The petition is re-
23:54 where it is rendered "drew ferred to in v. 1, and the prayer
on," and where it obviously re- of thanksgiving follows. In the
fers to the approach of the sab- latter, Jonah states: "Thou hast
bath, that is, 6 p.m. Friday. brought up my life from corrup-
tion" (v. 6) which shows that he
A Jewish day of 24 hours, com- composed it after the fish had
mences at 6 p.m., so that what we vomited him out upon dry land.
would call Friday 6 p.m., the Jews On the other hand, the unrecorded
2
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

2. And s a i d — I cried — out of my distress — unto Yahweh. And he answered

me; Out of the belly of hades called I, Thou didst hear my voice.

prayer was uttered as life was fail- acknowledges that his punishment
ing, and he was swallowed by the was God-directed (v. 3); ex-
fish. presses his appeal for mercy in
"Unto Yahweh his God out of his great distress (v. 4); records
the fish's belly" — Jonah recog- his amazing experiences among the
nised that Yahweh is a God of weeds and mountains of the sea
mercy, and recalling the words of (vv. 5-6); sets forth the efficacy
Solomon at the dedication of the of prayer (v. 7): and proclaims
Temple, "What prayer and sup- the value of Divine worship (vv.
plication soever be made by any 8-9). As Jonah typed the Lord
man towards this house; then hear Jesus, however, and his experiences
Thou in heaven, Thy dwelling foreshadowed those of Christ, this
place, and forgive, and do, and Psalm should be studied with the
give to every man according to Lord ever in mind.
his Ways, whose heart Thou His Psalm describes how the
knowest" (1 Kings 8:38-39). In his stormy waves of the Mediterranean
extremity, he turned in thought to rushed upon him, to draw him
the Temple in Jerusalem (v. 4). into their embrace, and thrust him
The Psalmist (Ps. 138:2) and deep into their depths (v. 3). He
Daniel in exile (Dan. 6:10) did sank beneath the waters (v. 6),
likewise. The Temple, in Jerusa- down into the very valleys that
lem, was the earthly symbol of exist under the blue waters of the
the heavenly reality (1 Kings 8:27). ocean. There the weeds wrapped
The Shekinah glory glowing in themselves about him to trap him
the complete darkness of the Most in their coils (v. 5). His condU
Holy testified to the presence of tion became desperate, and he de-
Yahweh in the midst of His people spaired of life. He felt that he
(Exod. 25:22). was drowning, and that the end
was near. "The bars of the earth
"Out of the Fish's belly"—In were about me for ever," he
the belly of the fish, and, as it declared (v. 6). But, at that
seemed to him, with death about moment of direst extremity, there
to claim him, Jonah sought for loomed out of the murky depths
one brief moment, the sweet com- the huge fish "prepared of Yah-
munion of prayer with the God weh," and Jonah was swallowed
Whom he loved, and Whom he had up. This frightening experience so
served so faithfully during his life. affected him that he fainted, and
At the conclusion of the prayer, a merciful unconsciousness claimed
he lapsed into unconsciousness (v. him. His "soul fainted" (v. 7),
7), in which state he remained and he became as dead. Just prior
for "three days and three nights," to this, and seemingly on the point
at the conclusion of which the of death, he uttered a short, fer-
fish "vomited out Jonah upon the vent prayer to Yahweh, "and was
dry land" (v. 10). In type, there- heard in that he feared."
fore, he experienced death, burial
and resurrection. VERSE 2
"I cried" — So also did the
Jonah's Psalm Of Thanksgiving — Lord Jesus, and was "saved out of
Vv. 2-9 (ek) death" (Heb. 5:7).
This Psalm is divided into two "By reason of mine affliction"—
sections (1) — Jonah's prayer in The margin renders: "Because of
the belly of the fish (v. 2); (2) my affliction." This is similar in
— Jonah's thanksgiving for the expression to Ps. 18:6 and Ps.
Divine mercy (vv, 3-9). // 118;5 (see margin), both of which
30
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

3. For thou hast cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, And a flood
enveloped me, — All thy breakers and thy rolling waves over me passed.
4. And I said, I am driven out from before thine eyes, — Yet will I again have
regard unto thy holy temple:
5. The waters encompassed me to the peril of my life, The roaring deep enveloped
me, — The sea-weed was wrapped about my head:

are Messianic in character, and down to its depths. The language

point forward to the afflictions is similar to Psalm 42:7, where
that the Lord was called upon to the expressions denote the waves
endure, and out of which he was of persecution and opposition that
ultimately saved. Both Jonah and would destroy the Psalmist. They
Jesus sought the help of Yahweh are also found in the language of
in time of trouble and distress. Psalm 69:1, 2, 14, 15, a Messianic
"Out of the belly of hell" — Psalm which is prophetic of the
The word sheol (see margin) sig- overwhelming opposition and per-
nifies the place of concealment, secution the Lord experienced,
and not the place of torture! Jesus, even from the members of his
likewise, descended into hell (Acts own family (v. 8). Therefore,
2:31), and from there (in the Jonah's experience, in this moment
sense implied in Heb. 12:24), he of terror, foreshadowed that which
cried unto God, and was brought the Lord endured, as the rolling
again from the dead. Peter de- tide of hate and anger in Jewry
clared of him that "it was not engulfed him, and ultimately sub-
possible that he should be holden merged him in death.
of death" (Acts 2:24).
VERSE 4
VERSE 3 "Then I said" — In these ex-
"Thou hadst cast me into the pressions, Jonah confessed to the
deep" — Actually the sailors cast thought of his heart. Like Heze-
Jonah into the deep, but Yahweh kiah, who also typed the Lord
is said to have done it because Jesus, he believed that his afflic-
He was responsible for the cir- tion was beyond hope of help
cumstances which brought it about. (see Isa. 38:11).
The sailors were but the agents "I am cast out of Thy sight" —
to that end. Likewise, in relation Jonah believed that he had acted
to the sacrifice of the Lord, his in such a way that Yahweh would
death was by "the determinate ignore his distress, and take no
counsel and foreknowledge of heed of his extremity.
God" (Acts 2:23), whilst the Jews,
in their wickedness, were but the «Yet" — The RSV renders this
agents to that end. The death as "How shall I look," but the
and burial of the Lord is foretold RV. and other authorities support
in the Messianic Psalm—Ps. 88:6 the A.V. which seems more appro-
(cp. v. 3), in similar terms to those priate. The natural thought of a
used by Jonah. drowning man is to turn to God.
"The floods compassed me Jonah recognised that Yahweh was
about" — Jonah thus described predominantly a God of mercy.
the fear that seized him as he Therefore, though death seemed
was thrown into the raging sea. inevitable, and he recognised that
The Lord, likewise, experienced in the circumstances God was justi-
"the floods of ungodly men" (Ps. fied in leaving him to die, he
18:4). decided to turn to Him and seek
His help.
"All Thy billows and Thy waves
passed over me" — The churning "Toward Thy holy temple" —
ocean, with its fierce breakers, and Yahweh had promised help for
its powerful rolling billows, swal- such who might do so. See 1
lowed Jonah up, drawing him Kings 8;38; Ps, .5:7..
31-
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

VERSE 5 "Even to the soul" — Again the

"The waters compassed me expression is used in Psalm 69:1
about" — The Lord likened the and applied to Christ in trouble.
accumulation of persecution and The "soul" is the life. As Jonah
trouble that he would experience, sank to the bottom of the ocean
and which would bring him to the he despaired of life, and thus
cross, to a "baptism" (Matt. 20:22- poured out a heartfelt petition for
23; Luke 12:50), and this is here mercy to Yahweh.
fittingly likened to being over- "The weeds were wrapped about
whelmed in the flood of trouble. my head" — Jonah sank to the
See the same expression used in bottom of the sea before he was
Psalm 40:12, a Messianic Psalm. swallowed by the fish.

JONAH'S PSALM
The expressions of Jonah's Psalm are appropriate to one who
typed the Lord Jesus, for they can apply to both the type and anti-
type. To illustrate this, we have set the words of Jonah alongside
expressions used concerning the Lord Jesus. This analysis is not
exhaustive, but merely indicative of how closely the prophet's words
can apply to the Lord.
Jonah The Lord Jesus
"/ cried by reason of mine "He offered up prayers
affliction unto Yahweh, with strong crying and tears
And He heard me" (v. 2), unto Him that was able to
save him out of death and was
heard in that he feared (Heb.
5:7).
"Out of the belly of hell "His soul was not left in
(Sheol) cried I, hell, neither his flesh did see
And Thou heardest my corruption" {Acts 2:31).
voice (v. 2)
"Thou didst cast me into the "Thou hast laid me in the
deep, lowest pit,
Into the heart of the seas; In darkness, in the deeps.
And the floods were about Thy wrath lieth hard upon
me; me,
All thy waves and thy bil- And Thou hast afflicted me
lows passed over me" (v. 3). with all Thy waves" (Mes-
sianic Psalm 88:6.)
"The waters compassed me "Innumerable evils have
about" (v. 5). compassed me about" (Ps. 40:
10).
"Even to the soul" "Save me, Ο God; for the
waters are come in unto my
soul" (Ps. 69:1).
"Thou hast brought up my "He saw no corruption"
life from corruption" (v. 6). (Acts 2:27, 31).
The Psalms cited above are Messianic Psalms. They express the
heartfelt utterances of the Lord as they were prophetically revealed
in the experiences of David and others. They illustrate what is
meant by Peter when he declared that "the spirit of Christ was in
the prophets" (1 Pet. 1:11); and in considering the Psalm of Jonah.,
it is clearly seen how the same spirit was in him.
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

6. To the roots of the mountains went I down, As for the earth her bars were
about me age-abidingly, — Then didst thou bring up — out of the pit — my
life, Ο Yahweh my God.
7. When my y soul darkened
aarKenea itself
itseit over me, Yahweh
Yahweh I remembered, — And my
prayer came in Unto thee,
thee. Unto thy
thv holy temple.
holv temDl

VERSE 6 VERSE 7
"I went down to the bottom "When my soul fainted within
of the mountains" — Graphically me" — The word "fainted" is
he describes his remarkable ex- from the Hebrew, hataph, "to
perience, as he was drawn down cover," or "involve in darkness."
to the very valleys formed under Complete physical exhaustion
the waters of the ocean. claimed the prophet as he found
"The earth with her bars was himself in the belly of the fish.
about me for ever" — The RV His eyes began to mist over,
renders this: "its bars closed upon his brain gradually became numb,
me forever." This expressed the as mental darkness claimed him,
feelings of Jonah. He thought and he began to lapse into un-
that he had come to his end, and consciousness. The Lord experi-
that a watery grave had closed enced a similar state on the cross,
upon him. Job used a similar ex- and this is prophetically described
pression to describe the grave (Job in the expressions of Psalm 142:3.
17:16); hence Jonah spake as "I remembered Yahweh" — The
though he had been buried; he spiritual training of a lifetime
thought his end had come. The asserted itself against the growing
Hebrew word for "ever" is olakm, numbness of Jonah's mind, as
and signifies "for the hidden physical exhaustion brought him to
period," which, in his case, would the point of unconsciousness. Lean-
have been until the future resur- ing heavily upon the mercy of
rection. Yahweh, he poured out a heart-
"Yet thou hast brought up my felt prayer for help. He perhaps
life" — Jonah expressed his grati- recalled such expressions in the
tude to Yahweh, that in spite of Psalms as Ps. 40:1: "He inclined
all that he had done, and the unto me and heard my cry." The
bitter experiences he had suffered, words of the Psalmist express the
the mercy of God had been still tender condescension of Yahweh.
manifested towards him. The ex- He likens Him to inclining His
pressions of this verse show that ear, bending closely down, to hear
the Psalm was composed after he the whispered plea for help, or
had been spued up by the fish the request of one so desperately
upon the land. weak or sick, as to be on the
"From corruption" — Jonah point of death, and barely able to
lapsed into unconsciousness in the speak. Jonah, in his extremity,
belly of the fish, and thus was whispered his plea to heaven and
figuratively raised from the dead was heard.
without suffering corruption. In "My prayer came in unto thee"
this he prefigured the resurrection — Jonah's experience shows that
of the Lord. See Ps. 16:10; Acts God is always willing to hearken
2:27, 31. to the voice of His servants, no
"O Yahweh my God" — He matter what their condition might
thankfully acknowledged the be.
Divine mercy by invoking the "Into Thine holy temple" —
covenant Name of Deity, and ex- Yahweh is represented as dwelling
pressed by the use of the pro- in the Most Holy Place on earth
noun "my", his adoration towards (Exod, 25:22), for the shekinah
Him. glory in the earthly Temple was a
33
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

8. They who take heed to the vanities of falsehood do their own loving kindness
forsake.
9. But I with the voice of praise will sacrifice unto thee, What I have vowed I
will pay, — Salvation belongeth to Yahweh!

symbol of the heavenly reality (cp. on Jonah, as it was also on the

1 Kings 8:27; Ps. 11:4; 18:6). Lord Jesus. Paul adds: "No
chastening for the present seemeth
VERSE 8 to be joyous, but grievous: never-
"They that observe lying vani- theless afterward it yieldeth the
ties" — These "lying vanities" are peaceable fruit of righteousness
the false gods such as the crew unto them which are exercised
had worshipped before being con- thereby" (Heb. 12:11). The ulti-
verted. See Ps. 31:6. Unfor- mate end of correction as designed
tunately, the history of Israel re- by Yahweh, is for the good and
veals that the people have benefit of the one corrected. This
"observed lying vanities" many was the case both with Jonah,
times to the exclusion of faith in Job, and with others (see James
Yahweh. False worship even when 5:11). Jonah was brought to
the name of Yahweh is mouthed realise this, and to ultimately find
is a "lying vanity." See Deut. in all his terrifying experiences,
31:21; Jer. 10:14-15; 14:22; 18:15. the merciful interest of Yahweh in
The materialistic philosophy of his welfare, guiding him along a
today is a lying vanity, a form path that would be to his final
of idolatry to which it is easy to benefit. He came to see that those
succiimb. See Col. 3:5. who observe lying vanities, wheth-
er it be in the gods of the Gen-
"Forsake their own mercy" — tiles, or in their own attempts to
The Hebrew word chehsed is per- divert Yahweh's will (such as
haps better rendered as "loving- his attempt to flee to Tarshish)
kindness." This loving-kindness, or forsake their own good, or the
mercy, is a title or characteristic of benefits that God has designed for
Yahweh (Exod. 20:6). It is some- those who in faith submit to His
times rendered as covenant-love, a will.
rather appropriate expression, for
Yahweh's love, mercy, or loving- VERSE 9 ^
kindness is best expressed through "I will sacrifice unto Thee with
His covenant. The Hebrew word the voice of thanksgiving" — In
is expressive of kindness, or by view of the great mercy of God,
euphemism (a figure of rhetoric and the benefit that the prophet
by which an unpleasant thing is had already received in being
designated by an indirect or milder rescued from his plight, he
term) it signifies reproof. Thus pledged himself to present a sacri-
they who make an idol of the fice of thanksgiving unto Yahweh
flesh, who worship self, who give (Lev. 7:12), with the appropriate
way to such things as self-pity in- prayer and praise (Ps. 42:5). The
stead of manifesting faith, lose the same expression is found in the
benefit of the mercy of Yahweh. Messianic Psalm 116:17, 18 which
His loving-kindness, His covenant- was used at the celebration of the
love is expressed in what does not Passover.
seem as love, even correction. For
discipline and correction are mani- "I will pay that that I have
festations of Divine love. We are vowed" — Christ, on the cross,
exhorted that God corrects those prayed likewise, for he uttered the
whom He loves (Heb. 12:6-12), 22nd Psalm. See v. 25.
and that though Jesus "were a "Salvation is of Yahweh" —
Son, yet learned he obedience by Surely the mind of Jonah must
the things which he suffered" (Heb. have turned to the remarkable
5:8). This lesson was impressed deliverance at the Red Sea, when
34
 PROPHECY OF JONAH
10. So then Yahweh spake unto the fish, — and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry
land.

Moses reminded the people that Yah and Shua: Yahshua, or Yah-
"Salvation is of Yahweh" (Exod. weh will save. See 2 Cor. 5:19.
14:13), and they later witnessed VERSE 10
the truth of those words in their "Yahweh spake unto the fish"
deliverance from certain death. — The fish was impelled towards
How appropriately the experiences the coast, where it disgorged Jonah
of Jonah bridge those of Moses on the dry land. Thus he was
and of Christ, and how com- figuratively resurrected from sheol
pletely and fully does the experi- or the grave, which, in this case
ence of the latter fulfil all that was the belly of the fish. In ful-
which was foreshadowed in the filment of the type, Jesus came
lives of the former. What a beau- forth from hades, or the grave;
tiful Psalm Jonah composed on and Israel is yet to be ejected from
this occasion, and how clearly it her political grave among the
reveals him as the sign or type of nations, the waters of the great
the Christ. The very name Jesus symbolic deep (Isa. 57:20). The
is expressive of this concluding Psalm was evidently composed after
comment of the prophet, for it the fish had vomited Jonah out of
is compounded of two words: its mouth.

HEARTY OBEDIENCE
The principle laid down in the scripture is that MAN HONORS
GOD IN BELIEVING HIS WORD AND OBEYING HIS LAWS.
There is no other way in which men can honor their Creator. This
honor, however, consists not in mechanical obedience; in mere
action without intelligence and volition, such as matter yields to the
natural laws; but in an enlightened, hearty, and voluntary obedience,
while the individual possesses the power not to obey if he thinks
best. Does a man feel honored, or glorified, by the compulsory
obedience of a slave? Certainly not; and for the simple reason, that
it is involuntary, or forced. But, let a man by his excellencies com-
mand the willing services of free men — of men who can do their
own will and pleasure; yet voluntarily obey him, and, if he required
it, are prepared to sacrifice their lives, fortunes, and estates, and all
for the love they bear him; would not such a man esteem himself
honored, and glorified, in the highest degree by such signal con-
formity to his will? Unquestionably; and such is the honor and glory
which God requires of men.
— J. Thomas, Elpis Israel

35
 CHAPTER 3
Proclamation (The City)
Jonah had promised that he would obey Yahweh {Ch. 2:
9), and once more the command was given him to preach at
Nineveh. This i(second time" he obeyed, with the result that
the people heeded his message and repented. These circumstances
formed part of the sign to which the Lord directed the attention of
his contemporaries, 1900 years ago. If they had studied carefully
the story of Jonah, they would have learned that Jesus would not
only die and be buried, but would be raised again the third
day, and that the terms of salvation would be preached unto
Gentiles. Paul later wrote: (<Through their fall {the fall of
Jewry) salvation is come unto the Gentiles" {Rom. 11:11).
In the type, or sign to which Christ made reference, the term
<(
second time" {Jonah 3:1), seems to have application to the
two "keys of the kingdom of heaven" {Matt. 16:19) by which
its secrets are opened to those who will hear. It was the
duty of the priests to administer this knowledge unto the people
{Mai. 2:1), but they neglected to do so, with the result that
they ((shut up the kingdom of heaven against men" {Matt. 23:
13). The keys were then delivered unto the Apostles through
Peter. There are two keys, and they reveal the two stages to
the Kingdom of God—first suffering and then glory {cp. Matt.
16:21; 17:2), as well as the two stages in its proclamation:
first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles {Rom. 2:10). The
Apostles were willing to proclaim the Gospel to Jews, but most
reluctant to do so to the Gentiles. This reluctance was fore-
shadowed by Jonah's attitude, for he, like the Apostles, did not
at first understand Yahweh's purpose with the Gentiles.
When Jonah is studied as a sign or a type, various aspects
are revealed. Firstly, he undoubtedly typed the Lord Jesus as
an individual. But he also typed the multitudinous Christ, in its
preaching to the Gentiles, and revealed the purpose of God to
that end before the nation of Israel. This appears from the chap-
ter now before us. It records how the prophet reluctantly
preached to the Ninevites who repented of their sins in conse-
quence. The Apostles were sent on a similar mission. Paul
wrote to the Ephesian believers: "Ye have heard of the dis-
pensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward
. . . that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same
body, and partakers of this promise in Christ by the gospel"
{Eph. 3:3-6). This second call to Jonah, therefore, fore-
shadowed the use of the second key that was given to Peter to
unlock the Truth to Gentiles.
36
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

This second call to Jonah, also points forward, in type, to

the second advent of the Lord. The conversion of the Nine-
vites will find its complete fulfilment as a type at that time.
Christ will deliver his ultimatum from Jerusalem to all man-
kind, and the "gospel of the age" will be preached to "every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," in the words,
"Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judg-
ment is come; and worship Him that made heaven, and earth,
and the sea, and the fountains of waters" (Rev. 14:6-7). This
message, yet to be proclaimed by the antitypical Jonah to all
the world, is not unlike that proclaimed by the prophet him-
self to Nineveh. It will cause many to repent and seek the
mercy of Yahweh. Those who refuse to do so will be destroyed
(Isa. 60:12), even as Nineveh was warned would be her fate
if she did not hearken.

CHAPTER 3
1. Then came the word of Yahweh unto Jonah the second time, saying:
2. Arise, get thee unto Nineveh, the great city, — and cry against it the cry that
I am bidding thee.
3. So Jonah arose, and went his way unto Nineveh, according to the word of Yah-
weh, — Nineveh being a city great before God, of three days' journey.

Jonah Pays His Vows — Vv. 1-4 Jews as a whole. An understand-

In view of the mercy he had ing of "the sign" after Chirst had
received, Jonah fulfilled his vow risen from the dead, would have
by preaching to the people of revealed that such preaching was
Nineveh at the command of "timely."
Yahweh. VERSE 2
"Preach unto it the preaching"
VERSE 1 — In the Hebrew, this is the same
"The word of Yahweh" — See word as is translated "cry" in Ch.
note ch. 1:1. 1:2. See notes at that place.
"The second time" — This
second command delivered to the VERSE 3
prophet recalls the narrative of "According to the word of Yah-
the despondent Elijah at Horeb weh" — It is Yahweh's desire and
who was likewise sent back to purpose that Israel should reveal
Israel after he had fled from the His goodness unto the Gentiles
opposition of Jezebel (1 Kings (Deut. 28:9-10). To that end, He
19:4). This time Jonah obeyed in chose them, guided them, educated
fulfilment of his promise to do so them, revealed His will to them,
(Jonah 2:9). This "second time" in order that they might reflect
suggests the use of the second key His glory, and that they might be
by Peter, in preaching the Gospel equipped to pass on to others the
to Gentiles (Matt. 16:19; Acts message of His plan. But, as
10:34-35). At first the Apostles Jeremiah observed, "they would
were as reluctant as Jonah to not hear" (Jer. 13:11). The time
preach to the Gentiles (Acts 10: will come, however, when Israel
47; 11:2-3; Rom. 9:3), showing will be a blessing unto the nations
that they no more comprehended instead of a curse, for men will
the sign of Jonah than did the then realise that Yahweh is with
37
 PROPHECY OF JONAH
4. So Jonah began to enter into the city, one day's journey, — and he cried out
and said — Yet forty days and Nineveh is to be overthrown!

the people (Zech. 8:13, 23). In forthright, and peremptory, note of

the meantime, Christ has preached warning.
to modern Nineveh through His "Yet forty days" — Forty is
followers. used in Scripture as the number
"Nineveh was an exceeding of probation. It is frequently as-
great city" — The margin renders sociated with humiliation, afflic-
this statement as "a city great of tion, and punishment (Deut. 25:3).
God." This signifies that it was Moses twice humbled himself in
such a large city as to be beyond prayer and fasting for forty days
comparison with normal cities. A (Deut. 9:9, 18), Elijah fasted for
similar expression is used. in re- forty days (1 Kings 19:8), and
gard to Nimrod as a hunter (Gen. Christ did likewise (Matt. 4:4).
10:9), of Moses in the beauty of Israel was afflicted forty years
his countenance (Acts 7:20), and (Num. 14:34), and Egypt was
of the king of Babylon in his in- likewise (Ezek. 29:11-13). Forty
satiable ambition (Isa. 14:13). days purification followed the birth
of a boy, and twice forty days
"Of three days' journey" — A followed that of a girl (Lev. 12:4-
day's journey was rated as twenty 5). The flood continued forty days
miles, so that Nineveh was ap- and nights (Gen. 7:12); the
proximately sixty miles in cir- Canaanites had forty years to re-
cumference, and thus a large city pent after the spies had searched
even by modern standards. Accord- the land forty days (Num. 14:33).
ing to Diodorus Siculus (1st cent. The old world had thrice forty
B.C.) and Herodotus (4th cent. years preaching to repent in (Gen.
B.C.), Nineveh was about sixty 6:3); Christ taught his disciples
miles in circumference. This pro- for forty days between resurrection
bably included the cities of Resen and ascension (Acts 1:3, 9), and
and Calah as well as Nineveh after forty years of preaching by
proper, for all three cities are the Apostles to the "Ninevites" of
lumped together as one in Genesis their generation, the Jewish State
10:12, under the general caption was destroyed in A.D.70.
of "a great city." The book of
Jonah records that Nineveh con- "Nineveh shall be overthrown"
tained "much cattle" (ch. 4:11), so — It was a harsh, urgent, un-
that the city boundaries must have compromising message that the
included large tracts of land for prophet delivered. It spoke of
cultivation and grazing, in. addition terrible sins committed, and a
to the section for human habita- terrible doom impending. But the
tion. These could well have been fate of Nineveh was conditional
outside the main city walls which and could be averted by the re-
archaeological research indicates pentance of the people. This Jonah
enclosed a much smaller area than also told them. They saw a
here suggested. The population of preacher who revealed in his very
the city was extensive, for it con- demeanour the truth of his words.
tained 120,000 children besides They saw that he was filled with
adults (Jonah 4:11). courage, confidence and faith in
the words he uttered. Moreover,
VERSE 4 his words were more compelling,
since he preached at a time when
"Jonah began to enter into the circumstances had created a politi-
city a day's journey"—This would cal depression throughout Assyria,
be about twenty miles within the and there were manifest all the
outer borders, so that he would signs of some national calamity,
have proceeded into the very heart some imminent collapse, so that,
of the city before delivering his doubtless, men were searching
38
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

5. And the people of Nineveh believed in God, — and proclaimed a fast, and
clothed themselves in sackcloth, from the greatest of them, even unto the
least of them.
6. And the word reached unto the king of Nineveh, so he arose from his throne
and laid aside his robe from off him, — and covered him with sackcloth, and
sat on ashes.
7. / n d he caused an outcry to be made — and said — throughout Nineveh, By
decree of the king and of his great men, Be it known:— Man and beast, herd
and flock, Let them taste nothing, Let them not feed, And water let them not
drink:

around for means to avert it. The ites (see Ezek 26:16).
strange figure of Jonah in their "From the greatest of them to
midst, his foreign accent, his dog- the least of them" — The re-
matic declaration and warning, at- pentance was quite spontaneous
tracted their attention, and drew and was manifested by all classes
them to consider more closely the of society. It was not induced by
message he had to deliver. royal decree, but stemmed from
the hearts of the people as they
The Ninevites Repent — Vv. 5-9 were personally touched by the
message of Jonah. The reluctant
The Ninevites heeded the mes- prophet had such a successful
sage of the strange, foreign preaching campaign as he had
preacher in their midst, and sought hoped not to see! !
by repentance to avoid the other-
wise inevitable national disaster. VERSE 6
Why should they so act ? Pro-
fessor Rawlinson, in "Ancient "Word came unto the king of
Monarchies" vol. 2, pp. 379-380, Nineveh" — The king heard of
states that about this time, Nine- the preaching of Jonah and the
veh was in serious trouble, so reaction of the people to it, and
that Assyrian history is (<shrouded in view of the national crisis, he,
in darkness for forty years." It too, was drawn to \ c t in similar
was this very decline of Assyria manner.
that had enabled Israel and the "He arose from his throne" —
surrounding nations to rise in He humbled himself before the
power (2 Kings 14:25-27), and message of Yahweh.
now this same national weakness "He laid his robe from him" —
caused the people of Nineveh to He put aside his royal garments,
repent. to clothe himself in sackcloth as
a token of humiliation and mourn-
VERSE 5 ing. The Hebrew word for "robe"
"So the people of Nineveh be- {addereth) is the same word as is
lieved God" — The Hebrew is used for the "Babylonish gar-
more expressive, for it reads: ment" in Josh 7:21, so what
"Believed in God" as in Gen. 15:6; Achan then took up, this Gentile
Exod. 14:31, etc. The reverses that king put down.
the nation had then experienced VERSE 7
provided a salutary preparation
for effective preaching. The people "The decree of the king" — He
were drawn to closely consider gave official approval to the words
the message of Jonah, and as a of Jonah, and proclaimed a man-
result came to "believe in God." date that the nation should humble
They believed in the God of itself before God.
Israel, and heeded His warning "Man nor beast" — This part
message. of the decree relates to domestic
"Put on sackcloth" — The cus- animals used by man.
tom of changing dress in time of "Herd nor flock" — These vast
mourning was not limited to Israel- cities of antiquity abounded in
39
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

8. Let both man and beast cover themselves with sackcloth, And let them cry
unto God, mightily, — Yea let them turn every man from his wicked way, and
from the violence which is in their hands:
9. Who knoweth whether God himself — may turn and grieve, — and turn away
from the glow of his anger, That we perish not?
10. And God saw their doings, that they turned from their wicked way, — and
God was grieved over the calamity which he had spoken of executing upon
them, and executed it not.

parks where such could graze. saw that their reformation was
genuine, even though it may have
VERSE 8 been imperfect and temporary.
"Let man and beast" — It is There is no record of this remark-
not uncommon, even now, for able incident in the recorded
animals to be decorated in times annals of Assyrian history, though,
of national mourning or rejoicing. as indicated above, the records of
Herodotus relates that the Per- that time are very meagre.
sians, on the occasion of the death "And God repented" — The
of Masistius, clipped their horses word "repent" signifies to change
and baggage animals (Ch. 9:24); one's purpose. The sentence pre-
Plutarch states that Alexander did dicted against Nineveh was con-
the same when Hephaestion died ditional, as Jonah was told (Ch.
(Alex. 72). The practise was ap- 4:2), in accordance with the prin-
parently quite common. The dumb ciple laid down in Jeremiah 18:7-8
animals were thus made to share that if a nation against which
in their masters' fast and sorrow, sentence is pronounced turn from
as they shared their joy and feast- its evil way, the sentence shall
ing; their bleating and bellowing not be executed. In contrast with
were so many appeals to Heaven these conditional warnings, the un-
for mercy (cp. Hos. 4:3; Joel 1. conditional "gifts and calling of
20). God are without repentance"
"Cry mightily unto God" — (Rom. 11:29). That is, they are
Thus a national day of prayer promised unconditionally and will
was enjoined. be fulfilled whatever happens. God
will not "change his mind or
"Turn from his evil way" — purpose" in regard to the promises
This part of the decree called upon made to Abraham in relation to
the people to show how genuine Israel. There is a need, therefore,
was their repentance by bringing to carefully understand what is
forth "fruits mete for it" (Luke meant by the Scriptural use of the
3:7-8). word "repent." It does not neces-
"And from the violence that is sarily mean to be sorry for one's
in then· hands" — This was a past action or for what one intend-
most appropriate part of the de- ed to do, but rather, to change
cree, for violence was a national one's mind and purpose. It is said
characteristic of the Ninevites (Isa. of Esau that "he found no place of
10: 13-14; Nah. 2:11-12; 3-1). repentance, though he sought it
carefully with tears" (Heb. 12:17).
VERSE 9 What Esau attempted to do was to
"Who can tell if God will turn change his father's mind in the
and repent" — The king, in his bestowal of the blessing on Jacob,
decree, acknowledged the one true but he found he could not do it.
God, and expressed the hope that Esau did not manifest a sorrowful
the Divine wrath may be averted repentance, as the world under-
by the timely repentance of the stands the term, for his heart was
people and nation. filled with hatred against his
brother, whom he would have
VERSE 10 slain if he could. On the other
"God saw their works" — He hand, after the people who heard
40
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

the Gospel on the Day of Pente- judgment was postponed for Nine-
cost manifested sorrow (Acts 2:37), veh. Though the partial repent-
Peter called upon them to "repent" ance of the people made little
(v. 38) or to change their mind lasting impression on them, (see
and purpose in relation to Christ, Isa. 26:16), the change effected
as the Greek word signifies. Peter by the preaching of Jonah
later showed that God "granted was sufficient to delay the destruc-
repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18, tion of the city that finally oc-
and Paul that "Godly sorrow curred. This was in accordance
worketh repentance" (2 Cor. 7:10), with the will of Yahweh who still
or a change of heart and mind. had a work of judgment on Israel
for Assyria to accomplish (Isa.
"He did it not" — The day of 10:10-12).

THE TERMS OF RECONCILIATION

Men have not yet learned the lesson, that all they are
called upon by God to do is to believe His word and obey
His laws. He requires nothing more at their hands than
this. If they neither believe nor do, or believe but do not
obey, they are evil doers, and at enmity with Hira. He asks
men for actions, not words; for He will judge them 'accord-
ing to their works' in the light of His law, and not accord-
ing to their suppositious feelings and traditions. The reason
why He will not permit men to prescribe for their own moral
evils is because He is the physician, they the lepers; He
their sovereign, they the rebels against His law. It is His
prerogative, and His alone, to dictate the terms of recon-
ciliation. Man has offended God. It becomes him, there-
fore, to surrender unconditionally; and, with the humility
and teachableness of a child to receive with open heart and
grateful feelings, whatever in the wisdom and justice, and
benevolence of God, He may condescend to prescribe.
— J. Thomas, Elpis Israel.
 CHAPTER 4
Education (Yahweh's
Reproof)
Jonah was thoroughly disheartened and displeased with the
success that attended his preaching. He felt despondent and
angry as he viewed the results. He would have preferred the
destruction of the Assyrians, not because he was vindictive at
all, but because he urgently required time in order to effect the
complete reformation of his own people, and saw an opportun-
ity to that end in the overthrow of this brutal power in the
north. He saw in the preservation of this repentant people, an
evidence of the merciful side of Yahweh's character, and yet,
with shortsightedness, he did not appreciate that that same
mercy was required for the salvation of his own people. We
have set down Jonah's case, as it might be developed out of the
Scriptures, together with Yahweh's answer as it can be extracted
from the same wonderful Book. Meanwhile, the prophet was
taught, and through him the Jews of Christ's day could have
learned, that a merciful God sees beyond the requirements of
one nation, to that of all; and that His mercy is boundless in
its scope. We need no instruction in this, because we have
been the recipients of such mercy when coming out of Gentilism to
accept Christ. But do not let us be blind to the need of express-
ing to others, the very mercy that we receive from Yahweh, and
so, in that way, pass on the message of Jonah.

CHAPTER 4
•1. And it was vexing unto Jonah, with a great vexation, — and it angered him.
2. So he prayed unto Yahweh, and said — Ah now! Yahweh! Was not this my word
while I was yet upon mine own soil? For this cause did I hasten to flee unto
Tarshish, — Because I knew that thou art a GOD of favor and compassion, slow
to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and art grieved over calamity.

Jonah's Displeasure — Vv. 1-3 cause of his anger? This we have

set o u t bel
The reprieve granted Nineveh so ow·
disturbed the prophet that he felt "He was very angry" — The
that he would rather not live. He more he thought upon the matter,
turned to Yahweh in prayer ex- the greater became his vexation
pressing his displeasure, for he and irritability. It blinded his eyes
felt he had a just cause for it. to any good reason that Yahweh
could possibly have for acting as
VERSE 1 He did.
"It displeased Jonah exceedingly" v i r i >ei7
— This is literally rendered: "It νϋ,ΚΜ, 2
was evil to Jonah, a great evil." ..."He prayed" — He did not lose
He was not merely displeased, he faith, but carried his complaint to
was, as rendered by Rotherham, God. He thus showed wisdom,
thoroughly vexed, What was the How seldom do we pray when
42
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

angry! How important it is that sanctified in those who approach

we should do so, and lose any unto Me," He has declared.
irritation or depression we may It is common to view only one
feel because circumstances have side of Yahweh's character; to see
not gone as we would like them Him only as merciful and forgiv-
to, through the comforting com- ing; or, on the other hand, to
munion of prayer to Yahweh, and view Him as exclusively vengeful
through faith in placing our bur- and unyielding. But true worship-
dens upon Him. pers acknowledge a balanced view
"Was not this my saying, when of complete goodness. He is kind,
I was in my country?" — He had yet inflexible in the requirements
reasoned the matter out carefully of His law; loving and compas-
before leaving for Tarshish, and sionate, yet terrible as a destroying
now felt that his conclusions had fire against the rebellious and the
been vindicated by events. guilty; forgiving towards offences,
yet jealous of the dignity, the
"Therefore" — This was the glory, and the supremacy of His
reason for Jonah's action in fleeing Name. He is holy, and cannot
to Tarshish. He was not vindictive look upon sin. He is wise, and
against the Ninevites, but realised cannot tolerate fools. He is true
that they constituted the greatest and faithful, and will destroy all
threat to Israel, so that he could the false and perfidious. He is
only view the continued existence just and true and perfect — at
of this mighty and brutal city with once the Fountain of love and
misgivings as to the future. vengeance; the Author of life and
"I know that thou art a gracious death; the Source of reviving
God" — What a wonderful testi- mercy and consuming fire. He is
mony the prophet gave to the eternal, unchangeable, unsearch-
character of the One whom he able, infinite, glorious in power
served: "Gracious, merciful, slow and majesty — the King immortal,
to anger, of great kindness, and the Possessor of heaven and earth,
forgiving of evil." This is portion to whom alone is glory due (Exod.
of the character of Yahweh which 20:6; Ps. 103-8-18; Heb. 12:29;
was revealed to Moses, when he Hab. 1:13; Ps. 5:5-6; Deut. 32:4,
pleaded to be shown the Divine 39; Hos. 14: 4, 6; 1 Tim. 1:17;
glory (Exod. 33:18-19). He was Ps. 145:3; Gen. 14:19; Ps. 115:1
shown a partial manifestation of —-The Christadelphian Instructor.
Divine glory, and the Divine Jonah said he "knew" Yahweh,
Name was pronounced, together and in doing so made reference
with the attributes connected to His attributes. His character, as
therewith. These reveal two sides expressed by the prophet, was
to the character of Yahweh: His "known" to the faithful who
"goodness and His severity" (Rom. trusted in it. It was revealed
11:22). Jonah, however, made to Moses (Exod. 34:6; Deut. 5:9-
reference only to the "goodness" 10), to David (Ps. 86:5), to
of God, and omitted to refer to Hosea (Ch. 11:8-9), to Joel (Ch.
His just demands that men should 2:13), to Micah (Ch. 7:18), to
obey Him. There are two sides to Nahum (Ch. 1:3), and through
Yahweh's character. The one is the teaching of these prophets, to
merciful and gracious, forgiving all Israel. Israel, in turn, was
iniquity and sin; the other is stern called upon to manifest the
and unyielding, and "will by no characteristics of the One Whom
means clear the guilty" (Exod. they worshipped. They were re-
34:6). His love and kindness quired to be firm and unyielding
greatly outweigh His anger, as the when Divine principles were called
prophet knew. Yet men cannot in question, but they were to
presume upon His mercy, if they temper this with mercy and for-
flout His authority. "I will be giveness as tjie n$ed arose,
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

3. Now therefore, Ο Yahweh, take I pray thee my life from me, — for it were
better for me to die than to live.

All the acts of Divine mercy preserve Israel. It must have rank-
have been associated with mani- led with him, too, that Nineveh
festations of Divine severity. The would be saved by his personal
salvation of Israel was only instrumentality. It is natural for
effected at the expense of one who really cares for the things
Pharaoh's army; the preservation of God to which he may give his
of the faithful minority within the life without stint, to experience a
nation was only possible by Divine depression of mind when events
judgment on guilty Jerusalem and do not proceed in the way he
Israel; the means of redemption feels would be best for the cause
for all humanity required the he has espoused. That was Jonah's
death of the Son of God. Some feeling at this time. He believed
see only goodness, some see only that his life's work was ruined.
severity, but where Yahweh is con- He had labored in Israel during
cerned the manifestation of one the period of Assyria's decline
presupposes the fact of the other, with partial success, but he knew
though it may be hidden for a that a revived Nineveh presented
time. insurmountable obstacles to the
complete spiritual revival of Israel.
This is shown by Jonah's ex- Like Moses who was ready to
perience. He mentioned and saw die for his people's sake (Exod.
only the forgiving mercy of Yah- 32:14), and Elijah who fled be-
weh; but Nahum took up these fore the anger of Jezebel after
very words of Jonah, and recalled manifesting courage of the highest
the other side of God's character. order in slaying the prophets of
He added that God "will not at all Baal (1 Kings 19:4), Jonah pre-
acquit the wicked" (Nahum 1:3), ferred death to life.
and proceeded to pronounce a
terrible judgment upon Nineveh.
As Jonah typed the Lord Jesus at The experiences of life are
his first advent when the Lord made up of peaks and shadows.
displayed the mercy and goodness Moments of high resolve, or
of the Father, Nahum did that of courageous action, are so fre-
the second advent of the Lord, quently followed by fits of de-
when he will pour out judgments pression and human weakness that
upon the Gentiles, and the latter- bring one almost to the brink of
day Assyrian in particular (see despair. Only by setting the mind
Micah 5:6). completely upon the purpose of
God in Christ, by acknowledging
that we serve Him and not our-
VERSE 3 selves, by recognising that His
"It is better for me to die than ways and not ours are best, and
to live" — These words have been by seeking the comfort, consola-
considered as resulting from the tion and communion of Yahweh
petulance of a narrow-minded in prayer, will we be saved from
bigot who did not want to preach the depression of our own pas-
salvation to Gentiles. But that was sions. How frequently have de-
not so. Consider the facts of the pressed, hard-working servants of
matter. Jonah was a high-minded God confessed with Jonah: "It is
prophet; a man not only imbued better for me to die than to live!"
with the hope of Israel, but the Do not let us condemn a noble,
desire to faithfully serve Yahweh self - sacrificing prophet for a
in truth. He could only view Ass- moment of natural weakness. Yah-
yria as a deadly enemy, and see in weh did not, but patiently revealed
its preservation a threat to the suc- to him His purpose and so lifted
cess of his mission to revive and him out of his despair.
44
 JONAH'S VIEWPOINT COMPARED WITH THE
DIVINE PURPOSE
Jonah did not reason from the standpoint of a narrow-minded
bigoted Jew, who saw no hope for Gentiles, but from that of a
patriot who desired the salvation of his people, and could see no
good purpose in the preservation of a God-dishonoring and brutal
nation of pagans. We present herewith his case and Yahweh's reply
thereto as they can be argued from Scripture.
Jonan's viewpoint can be reasoned thus:
1. The preservation of Assyria could not be to the glory of
Yahweh, and would be to the grievous hurt of Israel — therefore
let it perish.
2. Salvation is of the Jews. Any repentance on the part of
the Ninevites, therefore, would be only temporary and national, and
could not bring individual salvation. Being of no permanent value,
and only to the hurt of Israel, why revive Assyrian power?
3. Despite the seeming prosperity of Israel under Jeroboam,
the nation was spiritually and politically weak, even though the
prophet strove to strengthen the people. Thus punishment was
inevitable, and he feared for the future of the nation. If Nineveh,
the potential destroyer of Israel, were itself destroyed (and but
forty days was the time limit for repentance), Israel would be
granted an extension of time to effect the reform for which he
hoped and labored.
4. Like Paul, Jonah was prepared "to be accursed" for the
sake of his brethren if he could save them (Rom. 9:3), and had
therefore fled being prepared to suffer the consequences.
5. Although Jonah realised the Kingdom of God would be set
up ultimately in accordance with the covenants of promise (Acts
26:12), he did not comprehend that the Gospel must first be
preached to the Gentiles (Rom. 16:25-26; Eph. 3:3-6). This ignor-
ance of the full purpose of Yahweh induced him to act as he did,
and was partly the cause of his anger and disappointment.
On the other hand, Yahweh's case can be argued thus:
1. The words of Peter, consequent upon the vision he received,
were: "God hath shewed me that I should not call any man com-
mon or unclean . . . Of a truth I perceive that God is no respector
of persons; but in every nation, he that feareth Him, and worketh
righteousness, is accepted with Him" (Acts 10:28, 34-35). This truth,
plainly revealed to Peter at the time appointed, was also revealed
to Jonah. He was given a preview of God's ultimate purpose in
preaching, and should not have been angry at this confidence that
Yahweh reposed in him.
2. Salvation is of the Jews, it is true, but as Paul was com-
pelled to finally admit: "He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he
is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men,
but of God" (Rom. 2:28-29). In accepting the reproof of the God of
Israel, the Ninevites were taking the first step to becoming Jews in
this sense.
3. Yahweh used Jonah as a type of the coming Messiah to
show that not merely Jews were to be saved, but Gentiles also.
There were always Gentiles within Israel, such as the mixed multi-
tude that left Egypt, or the Rechabites who lived as a separate com-
munity within the nation, obeying Yahweh more completely than
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

did many Israelites after the flesh. Isaiah also declared: "It is a
light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes
of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee
for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be My salvation unto
the end of the earth" (Isa. 49:6). Jonah was privileged to be the
medium of this manifestation to the people.
4. These matters were exhibited in "a sign," the "sign of the
prophet Jonah," which also demonstrated that the current prosperity
that Israel enjoyed in the days of the prophet could be as easily
reduced as it had been advanced.
5. The Kingdom of God will be set up in its glory as pre-
dicted, but meanwhile Israel must be disciplined and humbled before
it can find a place therein. Nineveh was the nation selected by God
to do this, and therefore its continued preservation was required in
accordance with Yahweh's purpose. The prophet was sent to warn
the Ninevites to desist from their iniquity, and they having done
so, the city was saved, not for its own glory, but to fulfil the Divine
will. As a prophet, Jonah should have acknowledged that Yahweh
would not require anything of him, that was not according to His
purpose, and was not the best thing for Israel in the ultimate. There-
fore the prophet should not have been angry; it did no good!

4. Then said Yahweh, Art thou rightly angry?

5. But Jonah went forth out of the city, and abode on the east side of the city;
and made for himself there a hut and sat under it in the shade, until he should
see what would become of the city.

Yahweh Repraves Jonah — Vv. VERSE 5

4-11 "Jonah sat on the east side of
We reach the end of the drama the city"—He would have ap-
in these verses. By the parables proached the city from the west,
of the gourd, the worm, and the so he must have travelled
east wind, Jonah was educated in throughout it in the course of his
the Divine purpose. He was shown preaching. He thoroughly fulfilled
the folly of his anger which stem- the instructions of Yahweh, and
med from ignorance, and was given thus paid his vows.
a revelation of God's ways. Such "Made him a booth" — The
knowledge will help us to rise word, in the Hebrew is sukkah,
above depression and reveal clearly and is used of those temporary
for our guidance the Divine will dwellings built by the Israelites at
and purpose. Succoth when they came out of
Egypt and the booths erected at
VERSE 3 the Feast of Tabernacles, that re-
"Doest thou well to be angry?" called Yahweh's goodness to them
—Jonah felt that he did well to in delivering them from the enemy
be angry, but then he was ignor- (Lev. 23:41-44). The word implies
ant of the full purpose of Yah- a very temporary dwelling, quite
weh who had decreed that a time unfit for shelter from the hot,
would come when His purpose burning sun which would beat
would be preached to Gentiles. down upon Jonah. But it was a
Similarly, the preaching of the significant dwelling, for it recalled
Truth to Gentiles, caused anger the Feast of Tabernacles (or
in the early Ecclesia, among those Booths) which spake of Yahweh's
who did not realise that the Divine goodness to Israel. It should have
purpose required it. reminded Jonah of the Divine
46
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

6. Now Yahweh God appointed a gourd and caused it to come up over Jonah that
it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his vexation, — and
Jonah rejoiced over the gourd with great rejoicing.
7. But God appointed a worm, at the uprisings of the dawn, the next day, — and
it smote the gourd that it withered.

mercy and goodness in delivering prophet with the gourd He caused

Israel from Egypt, and the need to grow. He had caused Jonah to
to manifest similar mercy to rejoice in the protection it afforded,
others, but apparently it did not, as the prophet had also rejoiced in
for he sat there awaiting the fate the prosperity of his people; but
of the city. Yahweh could as easily dry up
"Till he might see what would Israel with a symbolic "east wind"
become of the city" — Evidently (see Hos. 13:15), with or without
he traversed the city during the the help of Nineveh, as He finally
course of his preaching mission, did the gourd. In spite of
and proceeded to the east of the Israel's political power at the time,
city, to await the result of his and the influence of Jonah within
preaching, and the effect of the the nation, Jeroboam II was a
Divine mercy on the city. Mean- wicked king, and Israel a deca-
while, the people gave themselves dent nation doomed to punishment,
up to acts of repentance, and as Amos proclaimed in the court
Jonah could see that a reprieve of the king when he ascended there
would be granted it. So hot was to proclaim Yahweh's indictment
his anger, that the vexed, indignant against it because of its wicked-
prophet sheltering under the shade ness (Amos 7:7-17).
of the inadequate booth hardly "Τα deliver him from his grief"
felt the heat of the blazing sun —The mercy of Yahweh, in pro-
above. viding the gourd, gave the pro-
phet some comfort in his vexa-
VERSE 6 tious irritability. This, however,
"God prepared a gourd"—The was designed to teach him a spirit-
specific plant thus described is ual lesson which would have com-
unknown, and does not matter. pletely stilled his grief.
Sufficient is it to know that it
rapidly grew to provide the pro- VERSE 7
phet with necessary and adequate "God prepared a worm"—Yah-
shelter. Thus he experienced the weh, in His mercy, had caused
mercy of Yahweh. But he had the gourd to grow, and in His
done nothing to deserve this; and wisdom, to teach the prophet a
had not even requested it. In that lesson, He destroyed it. The para-
he was like the Ninevites! The ble of the gourd revealed that
gourd had grown up very quickly, Yahweh advances and retards men
and Jonah had been refreshed by and nations in accordance with
its presence and the shade it af- His purpose and wisdom; and
forded. He was "exceeding glad through the prophet the lesson was
of the gourd," as he was of Is- later conveyed to Israel. Thus the
rael's rising power at that time Book of Jonah was preserved for
(2 Kings 14:25). But who had posterity. Through it, the people
advanced Israel's power? Was it were taught that as the protection
Jonah? Was it Jeroboam? No, it Yahweh had afforded the nation
was Yahweh! He had power both had not resulted in their reforma-
to raise up, and to cast down, as tion, He would remove it. He had
was indicated in the sudden "prepared a worm" for that pur-
growth and equally quick wither- pose, and Israel would be weak-
ing of the gourd. He had ad- ened from within; He had prepared
vanced Israel in spite of its stub- a blighting wind, and Assyria
bornness, as he had protected the would dry up the weakened nation
47
 PROPHECY OF JONAH
8. And it came to pass at the breaking forth of the sun that God appointed a
sultry east wind, and the sun smote upon the head of Jonah that he became
faint, — and asked his life that he might die, and said, It were better for me
to die than to live.
9. Then said God unto Jonah, Art thou rightly angry over the gourd? And he
said, I am rightly angry unto death.
10. Then said Yahweh, Thou wouldest have spared the gourd, for which thou
hadst not toiled, neither hadst thou made it grow, — which as the off-spring
of a night came up, and as the offspring of a night perished;

from without. Within about sixty hot rays of the sun beat down
years of the completion of Jero- directly upon his head.
boam's reign, Shalmaneser the As- "Wished in himself to die"—
syrian took the northern kingdom The Hebrew, shahel, translated
of, Israel into captivity, and the "wished," signifies "to ask," or
parable of the gourd and the worm "enquire." So, literally, Jonah
had had partial fulfilment. "asked for his life to die" (see
VERSE 8 Rotherham). He still acknowledged
his dependence upon God, and
"God prepared a vehement east in asking for death under the cir-
wind"—The gourd, the worm, and cumstances, perhaps had the re-
the east wind were all prepared quest of Moses, made under similar
of Yahweh, even as the punish- conditions, in mind (Exod. 32:32).
ment Israel was to experience
would be a work of God. Israel VERSE 9
(represented by Jonah) had shel-
tered under the protection that "Doest thou well to be angry
Yahweh had provided, but He for the gourd?" — The prophet
could as easily withdraw it, as He might well reason from the des-
caused the gourd, eaten within truction of the gourd, that Yah-
by the worm, to wither before weh would withdraw His protective
the hot, blighting east wind. The mercy from Israel by granting a
distress that Jonah felt when the reprieve to Assyria. So he replied,
protection was withdrawn would "I do well (have cause) to be
then be experienced by the nation, angry, even unto death." If he
until, like Jonah, it would be caus- viewed the destruction of the gourd
ed to say: "It is better for us to as a sign that Assyria was to be
die than to live" (cp.Deut. 28:67). spared to punish Israel, one can
The Book of Jonah, therefore, con- well understand his anger.
stituted first an exhortation to Is-
rael to repent, and afterwards a VERSE 10
sign of the work of Messiah. "Then said Yahweh"—In these
Meanwhile, as the booth that Jon- last two verses the whole experi-
ah had erected did not provide ence of Jonah is summed up in
adequate protection against the such a way as to completely silence
fierce rays of the sun that beat him. The book ends abruptly; but
down upon him, no more would its very abruptness is thought-pro-
the might of Jeroboam provide voking, and seems designed to
sufficient protection against the ris- impress the lesson of the book
ing power of Assyria which consti- on those who are prepared to heed
tuted Yahweh's rod to punish His it.
people, as they had been already
warned (Isa. 10:5-15). "Thou hast had pity on the
gourd, for which thou hast not
Instead of "vehement," the RV labored"—Jonah would have spared
has "sultry." The expression de- the gourd which had ministered
notes a particularly scorching, des- to his comfort, but was not
tructive wind (cp.Gen. 41:23 Ezek. prepared to spare the Ninevites
17:10), which, perhaps, tore down who had repented, and had given
Jonah's booth, so that the fierce, God honor. Thus he looked at
48
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

And was not I to spare Nineveh, the great city, — wherein are more than
twelve times ten thousand human, beings who cannot discern between their
right hand and their left, besides much cattle?

the problem of mercy and severity To pose it was to answer it!

from a completely personal view- "More than sixscore thousand
point. He would spare Israel whose persons"—The Hebrew, ribbo sig-
wickedness deserved punishment; nifies twelve myriads. This is
but not the Ninevites whose re- a significant number to select, as
pentance was a reproach to un- it naturally draws comparison with
repentant Israelites. the twelve tribes (myriads) of Is-
"Which came up in a night, and rael. Gentiles can become "of the
perished in a night" — Just as commonwealth of Israel" (Eph. 2:
quickly as the gourd grew up, 11) by repentance and baptism into
so it perished. Whilst it stood it Christ Jesus, and the use of a
was pleasant to Jonah, so that word signifying "twelve myriads"
he would have spared it. But he seems to point to the fact that
was no more responsible for its once Israel had cast off God, Yah-
growth than he was for the pros- weh would turn to the Gentiles,
perity Israel then experienced, to "take out of them a people for
or the adversity Assyria had suf- His name" (Acts 15:14), and that
fered. It is Yahweh Who advances the people so selected would con-
and retards nations, and He does stitute the twelve tribes of Israel
so in wisdom, and for His often in a spiritual sense (Eph. 2:11;
hidden purpose. Like the pleasure Rev. 7). This symbolic significance
he obtained from the shade of could well be the reason why this
the gourd, Jonah rejoiced in the number was selected, for, certainly,
extension of Israel's power, but it is in accordance with the type
Yahweh, Who knew better what as fulfilled by the Lord Jesus.
was best for all concerned, had Why should the angel select
appointed Nineveh to do it. children in assessing the population
Jonah had to recognise that of mighty Nineveh? It seems that
there was wisdom and purpose in he was reminding Jonah that there
Yahweh's treatment of the gourd. was a large number in Nineveh of
He caused it to grow, to give such tender age as to be as yet
the prophet shade; He caused it to uninfluenced by the normal wicked-
wither, to teach Him a lesson. ness of the city, and therefore
There is wisdom and purpose in all susceptible to the influence that the
that Yahweh does, as the now prophet's teaching might bring
silenced prophet realised. upon them.
VERSE 11 "That cannot discern between
their right hand and their left
"Should not I spare Nineveh?" hand" — This description suggests
—Of course He should—both for very young children (Deut. 1:39),
the salvation of souls, and for the who might be guided into right
punishment of Israel, which ulti- ways, and moulded by Divine in-
mately occurred at the hands of struction. They were not respon-
that nation (2 Kings 18:9). Never- sible for the wickedness of the
theless, once Nineveh had perform- nation, and the reprieve granted
ed the pleasure of Yahweh, it, too, the city would give them oppor-
would be destroyed (Isa. 10.12). tunity to repent. It has been as-
Meanwhile, it is for Yahweh's ser- sessed from this number of very
vants to recognise that "the long- young children that the population
suffering of God is salvation" (2 of the city could be approximately
Pet. 3:15), and that He "does not 600,000, but nothing definite can
do without cause all that He be arrived at from this figure. It
does" (Ezek. 14:23). The prophet depends upon what age is indi-
had no counter to this question. cated in the expression used. No
49
 PROPHECY OF JONAH

doubt, the population of the city future of man who is made in His
was much larger than this figure image. A nation must justify the
would suggest. Divine displeasure before Yahweh,
who is a God of love, will punish
"And also much cattle"—God's it (Gen. 15:16), for He is merci-
mercy is over all His creation. ful, as Jonah had already acknow-
He preserves both man and beast ledge (Jon. 4:2).
(Ps. 36:6; 145:9). If His care ex- Jonah, like Job before him, was
tends to the brute creation, He effectively silenced by Divine wis-
is certainly concerned with the dom.

Summary
The remarkable experiences of Jonah were recorded and
included in the Hebrew canon of Scripture, to set before the
people a compelling message of exhortation and warning. Rightly
considered, the book should have taught the people of Israel
that they could not rest on the fact that they were the promised
nation, for as easily as Yahweh caused the gourd first to grow
and then to wither, so He could and would punish His people.
It also set forth in parabolic, prophetic form the mission of
the coming Messiah, the ideal Israelite. The outpouring of the
spirit in the form of a Dove, the declaration of the Lord that
he comprised the antitypical Jonah, should have directed the
people to the Book of Jonah, and caused the spiritually minded
among them to see a little further into the Divine purpose. But
they were so blind, that some of their leaders and teachers
declared: "Search and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no pro-
phet" (John 7:52). However, Jonah was a Galilean. Perhaps
they meant, no prophet in Judah. But whatever they meant, these
leaders were self-deceived as to the position and mission of the
Lord (John 3:2).
Led by such blind leaders of the blind, the people refused to
heed the sign of the prophet Jonah, and became involved in a
calamity similar to that which was threatened against the Nine-
vites. Thus Jonah's experiences set forth the ways of Providence,
with particular emphasis on His wondrous longsuffering, in
which is discovered salvation.
From the record of Jonah, we naturally turn to the prophecy
of Nahum who revealed that God is not mocked, and that He is
just in His mercy and holiness, and will by no means acquit the
guilty. Jonah the Dove and Nahum the Comforter both typed
Christ but the former in relation to his first advent, and the latter
in relation to his second advent; the former as the Lamb, the
latter as the Lion.
50
 Nahutn Tolls the
Death-Knell over Nineveh

A Verse by Verse Exposition of

THE PROPHECY OF NAHUM

 Nahutn: The Comforter
A Sequel To Jonah.
The message of Nahum provides a sequel to that of
Jonah who had ministered to Israel some 150 years earlier.
Jonah proclaimed a message of mercy and repentance; Nahum,
one of indictment and doom.
Together, their messages illustrate Yahweh's way of deal-
ing with sin. He prolongs the day of grace, but in the end He
visits punishment upon iniquity.
Thus Jonah preached forgiveness, and Nahum proclaimed
judgment. Jonah did so on the grounds that "Yahweh is slow
to anger" (Jonah 4:2), and Nahum did so because Yahweh is
"a jealous God" (Nah. 1:2).
Nahum's indictment, following on Jonah's appeal, reveals
that wrath restrained is but wrath reserved.
Nahum commenced where Jonah finished. Jonah had
declared that Yahweh is "a gracious God, and merciful, slow
to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest of the evil"
(Jonah 4:2). Nahum acknowledged that Yahweh is "slow to
anger," but adds that He will "not acquit the wicked" (Nahum
1:3). Between them they reveal the two-fold character of Yah-
weh: His "goodness and severity" (Rom. 11:22), as it is re-
vealed in the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles.
The two-fold character of Yahweh, as exhibited in the
joint-preaching of Jonah and Nahum, was first proclaimed to
Moses (Exod. 34:6-7) in the following terms:
JONAH NAHUM
"Merciful, gracious, longsuffer- "That will by no means clear
ing, abundant in goodness and the guilty, visiting the iniquity of
truth, keeping mercy for thous- the fathers upon the children, and
ands, forgiving iniquity and trans- upon the children's children, unto
gression and sin." the third and fourth generation
of those who hate Me." (Deut 5:
9-10.)
This two-fold aspect of the Divine character, is seen in
every incident of Israel's history where Yahweh has mani-
fested Himself. The deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea re-
vealed His merciful, loving kindness to the nation; but, at the
same time, His severity was manifested in "visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children" of Egypt. His destruction of
the Jewish State demonstrated that He will "by no means clear
the guilty;" but, at the same time, His careful discrimination
between the righteous and wicked within the nation, and His
deliverance and protection of the former, as the history of
Daniel and others show, reveal that He is both just and merci-
ful. The destruction of guilty Judea in A.D. 70 was a revela-
52
tion of the "severity" of Yahweh, but "goodness" was at the
same time extended to the Christians who were granted oppor-
tunity to flee to Pella.
So the "goodness and severity" of Yahweh has always been
magnified, and the appeal has ever been to His people to seek
His goodness.
The first and second advents of the Lord Jesus exhibit this
twofold aspect of the Divine character. He came first, as the
Lamb of God for the salvation of the world, and as such, he
exhibited mercy, graciousness, longsuffering, and forgiveness.
He comes again as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, to rend those
who hate Yahweh, and pour out upon a guilty world the judg-
ment written.
As Jonah prefigured the work of Christ at his first com-
ing; so Nahum foreshadowed his work at his second coming.
These two short books, therefore, supplement each other,
and in a very dramatic and wonderful manner, set forth a bal-
anced view of the Divine character, and the work of Yahweh
through His Son at his two advents.
A Type Of Christ.
Both Jonah and Nahum, therefore, are types of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Jonah, who preached repentance to the Ninevites,
foreshadowed the Lord as Savior and Redeemer, such as he
appeared before men at his first advent. Nahum, who pro-
claimed judgment against the Ninevites, depicted his work
at his second coming.
Nahum's name means "The Comforter"', and this provides
an epitome of his message, for though it is one of destruction
and doom to Nineveh, it is one of relief to oppressed Israel.
In Eureka, Brother Thomas has epitomised the comforting
message of this book, by summarising it in similar terms as the
following:
Nahum saw Israel oppressed by Nineveh; and predicted
its overthrow, because its monarch was wicked, and imagined
evil against Yahweh. But Israel's deliverance from the Assyrian
by the fall of Nineveh was only the type of a greater deliver-
ance at the apocalypse of Messiah. The prophet Micah, there-
fore, looking forward to this, says:
"This man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into
our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise
against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men, and they shall
waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in
the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when
he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders"
(Micah 5:5-6).
Micah here likens the Gogian confederacy to the Assyrian
53
in the land, and predicts that Christ shall destroy its power
completely.
Nahum saw Nineveh in a similar light, for he declared:
"Behold upon the mountains the feet of Him that bringeth good
tidings, that publisheth peace! Ο Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform
thy vows; for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly
cut off" (Ch. 1:15).
This describes the condition that shall come to Judah con-
sequent upon the destruction of Nineveh, and as this is yet in
the future, the prophecy of Nahum concerning the destruction
of Nineveh has a double application: it primarily related to his-
toric Nineveh of the past, but it also relates to the Nineveh yet
to be destroyed by Christ at his coming as shown in Micah's
prophecy.

Babylon And Nineveh As Types.

A comparison of the prophecies of the Old Testament
relating to historic Babylon, and those of the New Testament
concerning mystical Babylon, reveals that the destruction of the
former foreshadowed that of the latter.
The language of Jeremiah 51 is very similar to that of
Revelation 18.
The former predicts the complete and final overthrow of
historic Babylon; the latter describes the utter destruction of
mystical Babylon.
Babylon of the past, therefore, was a type of the political-
religious order of European Catholicism, with its headquarters
in Rome.
What of Nineveh?
The reference in Micah 5:5-6, quoted above, shows that
Nineveh foreshadowed the military power of the latter-day Gog,
to be overthrown by Christ, who will then invade his territory.
Nineveh was destroyed before Babylon, and Gog will be
overthrown before the Catholic confederacy of Europe will be
overcome by the invading forces of Christ's army (Zech. 9:13-
17).
Further, Babylon was subject to the Assyrian power
at the epoch of its destruction, and when the latter day "Assy-
rian" marches into the land of Judah at the time of the end
(Mic. 5:5-6), like his ancient counterpart, he will have con-
federated modern Babylon, or Catholic Europe, within his
power.
In the light of this type and anti-type, Nahum's descrip-
tion of Nineveh's fall, has a very pointed application today.
54
 The Man Nahum.
All that we know of Nahum is recorded in his book, and
the details are very scanty.
He is described as "the Elkoshite." It is presumed (but is
by no means certain), that Elkosh was in Galilee, and the ruins
of El-Kauzeh in Naphtali are supposed by some to be those of
Elkosh. If he were of Galilee, he doubtless migrated to Judah,
for his words of comfort are directed to the people of Judah
(Ch. 1:15). Perhaps when the Assyrian Esarhaddon re-popu-
lated the northern province with a mixed people after the de-
portation of the ten tribes (2 Kings 17:5-6, 24), Nahum may
have migrated south. This, however, is conjecture. What is cer-
tain is that he addresses Judah.
The name of the prophet is preserved in the name of the
town that the Lord Jesus so much frequented: the Village of
Capernaum, for Capernaum signifies the Village of Nahum, or
of Consolation.
The Lord was so closely associated with Capernaum, that
it is styled "his own city" in the Gospel record (cp. Mark 2:1
with Matt. 9:1). It is rather significant, in view of our joint
consideration of the prophets Jonah and Nahum, that the Holy
Spirit should come upon Jesus in the form of a Jonah (a Dove)
at the commencement of his public ministry, and that he identi-
fied himself with the sign of Jonah; and that also he should be
closely connected with the village of Nahum, or Capernaum!
These hints should have caused his followers to study those
two small books of the Old Testament, to obtain a better con-
ception of who the Lord was, and what was his mission.
From Nahum 3:8, it is obvious that he prophesied after
the destruction of Thebes in Egypt. This was brought about by
Assurbanipal of Assyria approximately B.C. 665. Nahum, there-
fore, would have been a contemporary of Manasseh whose
reign was followed by the short one of Amon, and the longer
one of "good king Josiah." His ministry was some time before
that of Zephaniah, who also predicted the complete and utt$r
overthrow of Nineveh.
In the Hebrew, Nahum's book is set forth in poetic style.
One writer has described his style in the following terms:
"Nahum forms a beautiful, vivid, pictorial poem on the grandeur,
power and justice of God, and on the conflict between Yahweh and
the cruel, defiant world empire of Nineveh. None of the minor pro-
phets seem to equal Nahum in boldness, ardour and sublimity. His
prophecy forms a regular and perfect poem; the exordium is not merely
magnificent, it is truly majestic; the preparation for the destruction of
Nineveh, and the description of its downfall and desolation, are
expressed in the most vivid colors, and are bold and luminous in the
highest degree."
Nahum's book is a vivid, descriptive book of action, writ-
55
ten by a true patriot of Zion. He rejoiced in the overthrow of a
brutal, violent enemy, and saw it as the triumph of righteous-
ness over evil, of light over darkness, of Zion over Nineveh, of
the things of the spirit over those of the flesh politically man-
fested. No true son of Zion can read the book unmoved. He
must rejoice in anticipation of the destruction of Gentile
darkness as he foresees the time when "upon the mountains"
will be seen "the feet of him (Christ) that bringeth good tid-
ings, that publisheth peace!4' (Nahum 1:15.) May that day soon
come.

THE REJOICING CITY — A DESOLATION

Far away from the highways of modern commerce,
and the tracks of ordinary travel, lay a city buried in the
sandy earth of a half-desert Turkish province, with no cer-
tain trace of its place of sepulchre. Vague tradition said that
it was hidden somewhere near the river Tigris; but for a
long series of ages its known existence was a mere name —
a word. That name suggested the idea of an ancient capital
of fabulous splendor and magnitude, vast, but scarcely real:
"the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly; that said in her
heart, I am, and there is none beside me;" and which was to
become "a desolation and dry like a wilderness."
More than two thousand years had it lain in its un-
known grave, when a French savant and a wandering Eng-
lish scholar, urged by a noble inspiration, sought the seat
of the once powerful empire, and searching till they found
the dead city, threw off its shroud of sand and ruin, and
revealed once more to an astonished and curious world the
temples, the palaces and idols. The Nineveh of Scripture,
the Nineveh of the oldest historians — glorying in a civilisa-
tion of pomp and power, all traces of which were believed
to be gone. The proofs of ancient splendor were again be-
held by living eyes, and, by the skill of draftsmen and the
pen of antiquarian travellers, made known and preserved
to the world .
(From Nineveh and its Palaces by Bonomi.)

56
 Analysis of the
Book of Nahutn
The book has but one theme: the destruction of Nineveh.
Obviously the repentance of the Ninevites at the preaching of Jonah
had not been lasting, the brutal Assyrian kings had marched against
Israel, blaspheming Yahweh (2 Kings 18:25, 30, 35), and the
northern Kingdom had fallen. Subsequently Rab-shakeh, on
behalf of Sennacherib, challenged Judah and Yahweh in the
name of the gods of Assyria. He declared to the people:
"Hearken not unto Hezekiah when he persuadeth you, saying,
Yahweh will deliver us!" (2 Kings 18:32). Boldly he continued
to blaspheme, declaring that Yahweh had not the power to
deliver from the might of Assyria (v. 35).
Yahweh accepted the challenge (2 Kings 19:22-23), and
Sennacherib was overthrown by the angel of death. In the
dramatic overthrow of Sennacherib's forces there was fore-
shadowed the coming destruction of Gog. Later this became
the theme of Nahum who predicted that Nineveh would perish
in as violent and complete a way, as she in her brutality and
cruelty had brought other nations to their doom. Nahum's book
constitutes a prophetic sigh of relief that at last the vile perse-
cutor of humanity would be brought to an end! To epitomise
the theme of the prophecy we select the following title:
NAHUM TOLLS THE DEATH-KNELL OVER NINEVEH!
The theme is expressed in Ch. 1:3, 14: "Yahweh will not
at all acquit the guilty," and "I will make thy grave; for thou
art vile."
The three chapters conveniently set forth the three sections
of his theme.
CHAPTER 1 — NINEVEH'S DOOM DECLARED
The character of Nineveh's Judge vv. 1-8.
The Declaration of Nineveh's doom vv. 9-11.
The Proclamation of Comfort to Nineveh's Oppressed . vv. 12-15.
CHAPTER 2 — NINEVEH'S DOOM DESCRIBED
The city besieged w . 1-5.
The city overwhelmed vv. 6-10.
The city made desolate vv. 11-13.
CHAPTER 3 — NINEVEH'S DOOM DESERVED
The cause of the overthrow w . 1-5.
The lesson of the overthrow vv. 6-13.
The certainty of the overthrow vv. 14-19.

57
 CHAPTER 1
Nineveh's Doom Declared
The character of Yahweh, the Divine Judge of Nineveh, is
such that He cannot for ever tolerate injustice, blasphemy and
cruel oppression. He is kind and merciful, and desires not the
death of any, but He is also just, and will not acquit the
guilty. There is comfort and assurance in that fact, and Nahum
the Comforter set it forth for all to learn and profit by.
Yahweh is not only merciful yet just, but of great power.
None can stand before Him: not even mighty Nineveh, then
the earth's most powerful and brutal Empire. Because of His
power, Yahweh is a stronghold to those who shelter under His
protective care. On the basis of his character the grounds of
mercy, justice and power, the doom of Nineveh was pro-
nounced. In it was seen the severity of Yahweh, but also His
goodness to those prepared to hearken to the Gospel, or the
good tidings proclaimed upon the mountains of the holy land.
Thus on the one hand, Nahum proclaimed Yahweh's declara-
tion of war; and on the other hand His offer of peace. And
people were called upon to "Behold the goodness and severity
of God" (Rom. 11:22).
The very nation against which Nahum now pronounced his
message of doom was that which had experienced the Divine
goodness under Jonah. So Paul draws out the exhortation for
us to heed: "Towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in His
goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." As Rotherham
comments: "Out of the full-orbed perfection of Yahweh comes
the twofold manifestation, designed to alarm His foes and assure
His friends."
This is shown in the chapter before us. The Character of
Nineveh's Judge is revealed to be both just and merciful (vv.
1-8), and the working out of these attributes is revealed in both
the judgments proclaimed against Nineveh (vv. 9-11), and the
mercy ensured towards Judah (vv. 12-15).
From this we can conclude that God has not ceased to guide
those who fear Him, or to use the chastening rod when love and
justice require it. The coming age will see His complete goodness
which will heal all hearts and dry all tears.

58
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

CHAPTER 1 And his foes will he pursue into

1. The oracle on Nineveh, — the darkness.
scroll of the vision of Nahum, the 9. What can ye devise against Yah-
Elkoshite. weh?
2. A God jealous and avenging is A full end is he making, —
Yahweh, Distress shall not rise up twice!
An avenger is Yahweh, and a lord 10. Though they were like thorns in-
of wrath, tertwined,
An avenger is Yahweh towards His And as drunkards drenched with
adversaries, their drink
And a retainer (of anger) is He to Yet have they been devoured, like
His foes. stubble fully dry.
3. Yahweh is slow to anger, but great 11. Out of thee hath one come
in vigor, forth —
He will not leave unpunished, — Plotting, against Yahweh, wicked-
As for Yahweh in storm-wind and ness, -—
in vempest is His way, A counsellor of the Abandoned
And clouds are the dust of His One.
feet. 12. Thus saith Yahweh,
4. Who rebuketh the sea, and hath Though they be in full force,
made it dry, And so in great numbers,
And all the streams hath He dried Yet even so have they been cut
up, off and have passed away, —
Withered are Bashan and Carmel, If I humble thee once
Even the bloom of Lebanon is I will not humble thee again.
withered: 13. Now therefore will I break his
5. Mountains have trembled because yoke from off thee,
of him, And thy fetters will I tear off.
and the hills have melted, •— 14. Then will Yahweh give command
and the earth hath lifted itself concerning thee,
up at his presence, None of thy name shall be sown
The world also, and all who dwell any more, —
therein. Out of the house of thy gods will
6. Before his indignation who shall I cut off carved image and molten
stand? image
And who shall abide the glow of I will appoint thy grave,
his anger? For thou art of little esteem.
His wrath hath been poured forth
like fire, 15. Lo! upon the mountains
And the rocks have been broken The feet of one, who bringeth
down because of him. Good Tidings
7. Good is Yahweh, as a protection who publisheth Prosperity!
in the day of distress, — Celebrate, Ο Judah, thy pilgrim
And one who acknowledgeth them festivals,
who seek refuge in him. Fulfil thy vows,
For not again any more shall the
8. But with an overflow rolling on a Abandoned One pass through
full end will he make of them thee,
who rise up against him, — He hath been wholly cut off.

The Character of Nineveh's Judge ening prophecy (Hab. 1:1).

— Vv.1-8 "Nineveh"—The reformation af-
The glory of Yahweh is mani- fected by the preaching of Jonah
fested in His just wrath against 150 years before had been only
His enemies, His merciful kindness superficial. The longsuffering of
to His people, and His majesty Yahweh was now at an end, and
and power in both (cp. Exod. 34: Assyria having fulfilled His pur-
6-7). pose in taking the ten tribes into
captivity, was about to be pun-
VERSE 1 ished for her sins. Yahweh was
"The burden" — The Hebrew perfectly just in punishing Assyria,
word is Massa, and signifies "to even though the brutal nation had
lift," "to raise up," and hence fulfilled His purpose, for as He
something which is heavy or bur- revealed to Isaiah (see Isa. 10:5-
densome, something weighty and 16), in all that Assyria had done,
depressing, Thus a weighty, threat- the nation had not been actuated
59
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

by motives other than its own sel- An extension of political existence

fish aggrandisement. had been granted the nation con-
"The book of the vision"—Na- sequent upon the repentance of
hum saw in vision what he re- the people through the preaching
cords, and thus presents it with of Jonah, but they had long for-
all the vigor of a personal eye gotten his warning message. Jon-
witness. See the use of the ex- ah revealed that Yahweh's wrath
pression in Isaiah 1:1; cp. Ch. 2:1. against Nineveh would be re-
strained, but Nahum showed that
VERSE 2 it was still held in reserve, and
because of the sin of the nation
"God is jealous"—The margin it would be poured out despite
renders this better as: "Yahweh is the current prosperity. In complete
a jealous God, and a revenger, conformity with his prediction,
etc." The word "God" is El, and Nineveh fell within a compara-
signifies power, strength, and tively short time of Nahum's pro-
might. It defines God as out- phecy. To Israel it must have
standingly mighty and as such, seemed as though Yahweh had
able to vindicate Himself. He is hidden His face during the period
jealous, that is, He will not share of Assyrian prosperity and triumph,
the love due to Him with others. but those who exercised true faith
He requires of us that we render and patience, placed their confi-
to Him, undivided loyalty and dence in Him, and were rewarded
love, seeking to please Him in all when He avenged them by des-
the ways of life. As a jealous troying their deadly enemy.
El, He is ready to defend His
honor against all who oppose Him, VERSE 3
or to move for the protection of "Yahweh is slow to anger"—
those who trust Him. The word These words are cited from Exo-
"jealous" comes from a Hebrew dus 34:6-7 where the two-fold as-
root, signifying, to flush up red. pect of the Divine character is
The term indicates that Yahweh described. They were words that
is not unmoved by the circum- Jonah used in complaint (Jonah
stances of life in which His sons 4:2), because he desired to see
find themselves, or by the oppres- the destruction of Israel's ancient
sion they receive from the ungodly. enemy, Assyria. There is both a
"Yahweh revengeth" — Rother- comfort and a threat in the state-
ham renders this as "avengeth." ment that Yahweh is slow to
He will avenge His own. We mani- anger. It reveals that He is not
fest faith in Him when we leave hasty in judgment, and will give
it to Him to do so (Rom. 12:19). opportunity for people to repent;
but, at the same time, it shows
"And is furious"—In the Heb- that mankind can not presume,
rew this is literally rendered: "A merely because Yahweh does not
Master of fury." Rotherham ren- move quickly to punish wicked-
ders it: "a lord of wrath." Yahweh ness. Two passages of Scripture
controls and commands fury, re- come to mind in view of this as-
straining or releasing it when pect of the Divine character. The
necessary. It was restrained, as first one reveals the foolish pre-
far as Nineveh was concerned, sumption of flesh: "Because sen-
through the repentance of the peo- tence against an evil work is not
ple consequent upon the preach- executed speedily, therefore the
ing of Jonah; it was later un- heart of the sons of men is fully
leashed by Yahweh, as predicted set in them to do evil" (Ecc. 8:11);
by Nahum, because the people the second one shows the pur-
reverted to their evil ways. pose of delay: "The long-suffering
"He reserveth wrath"—At the of God waited in the days of
time Nahum spoke, Asyria was en- Noah, while the ark was a pre-
joying a period of great prosperity. paring..." (1 Pet. 3:20. See also
60
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM
2 Pet. 3:15). Yahweh is "slow to in His anger, and so blotting out
anger," to enable those who will, the light of the sun.
to seek the salvation that He ever
extends to men. VERSE 4
"And great in power"—Rother- "He rebuketh the sea and mak-
ham renders the conjunction as eth it dry"—Yahweh's punishment
"but." The fact that Yahweh is of Egypt at the Red Sea is history's
"slow to anger" should never be warning to all oppressors of Israel
misinterpreted as weakness or as (Ps. 106:9; Jer. 32:20) and as such
lack of power to punish and constituted a dire threat to Assyria.
avenge. He is longsuffering, not Christ literally manifested this
through weakness, but because He Divine power over the stormy ele-
has the power both to redeem and ments (Luke 8:24).
to destroy, and therefore can bide "And drieth up all the rivers"
His time to do either. There is —The miracle of the Jordan ex-
always a reason why Yahweh does hibited this. As the Psalmist show-
not make His presence known, ed (Ps. 107:33), this revealed Yah-
though we may not know what it weh's omnipotence (Isa. 50:2). The
is. two great rivers of antiquity were
"And will not at all acquit"— the Nile and the Euphrates (Isa.
He will not treat the guilty as 27:12-13). The Nile representing
innocent. This is a characteristic Egypt, had already been figura-
we should likewise practise, if we tively dried up (Nah. 3:8), and
would manifest the Divine attribute the Assyrian power was about to
(Psalm 15:4). follow suit. It is likened to a river
overflowing its banks. Isaiah de-
"Yahweh hath His way in the clared: "Behold, the Lord bring-
whirlwind and in the storm"—The eth up . . . the waters of the river,
mighty forces of nature are His strong and many, even the king of
to command (see Ps. 148:8; 107: Assyria, and all his glory" (Isa.
25). This statement of fact was 8:7). This political river was about
most applicable to Nineveh, for to be smitten, and its water dried
it had already been dramatically up, as Nahum revealed.
illustrated in the sudden and com-
plete overthrow of Sennacherib's "Bashan languisheth"—According
forces outside Jerusalem (2 Kings to The English and Hebrew Bible
19:35). Whirlwind and storm illus- Students' Concordance, the word
trate the Divine power. The whirl- "Bashan" signifies "fertile." As
wind rises suddenly and is irresis- such, it is descriptive of the reg-
tible in power; like Yahweh's ion, for it is noted as one of the
judgments. A mighty storm defies most fertile districts of the Holy
all human devices of protection Land. It has been said of it, that
in its destructive force; so Yah- the scenery of this elevated tract
weh's power is likewise irresistible. is extremely beautiful; its plains
covered with fertile soil; its hills
"The clouds are the dust of His crowned with thick forests, and at
feet"—Vast and majestic as the every new turn presenting the most
clouds may appear unto us, Yah- beautiful landscapes imaginable.
weh is so much higher as to liken Nahum described it as languishing.
them to the dust of His feet. He mentions also Carmel and
The allusion is to a chariot and Lebanon, because with Bashan,
horses (the cherubic chariot — 2 they geographically represented Is-
Kings 6:17) travelling rapidly, and rael's borders to the west, east
enveloped in clouds of dust. It and north. All this region of the
relates specifically to Yahweh in Holy Land had been brought low
belligerent manifestation figura- by the overthrow of the northern
tively travelling rapidly through kingdom at the hands of Assyria
the heavens, throwing up this (Isa. 33:9). Bashan is east of the
cloudy dust as He rides furiously River Jordan,
61
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

"Carmel" — Carmel signifies a dignation?"—This question is asked

"fruitful field." It is an elegant in relation to the time when Yah-
mountain, jutting out into the weh's judgments are manifested,
Mediterranean, and commanding and the answer is, Certainly not
an impressive view of sea and the wicked (Ps. 76:7; Ps. 1:5).
land. It was the site of Elijah's "Who can abide in the fierceness
contest with the priests of Baal, of his anger?"—The answer to this
and a dominant feature of the is: only the righteous (Isa. 33:14).
northern kingdom. See a similar question asked by
"The flawer of Lebanon lan- Malachi in relation to the second
guisheth" — Lebanon signifies coming of the Lord (Mai. 3:2).
"white," probably because of the "His fury is poured out like
snows that grace its summit. The fire"—Moses warned Israel that
Lebanese range, is a double range Yahweh is "a consuming fire"
of mountains to the far north of (Deut 4:24). As such, He purges
the land of Israel, providing the by fire the evil manifest in His
northern gateway to the promised creation. Thus Sodom and Gom-
inheritance. All these mountains orrah were destroyed by brimstone
to the north of the land are rep- and fire (Gen. 19:24), the Jewish
resented as languishing because the state in A.D.70 was overwhelmed
Assyrian had brought the northern "as by fire" and the Gentile heav-
kingdom to an end. ens and earth of today are to be
similarly consumed (2 Pet. 3).
VERSE 5
"The mountains quake at him9' "The rocks are thrown down by
—Mountains are used in Scripture him"—This figurative language is
as symbols of stability and per- used to describe the result of whirl-
manency (Amos 4:13; Ps. 65:6). wind (v. 3) and earthquake (v. 4)
Thus, mountains quaking represent referred to earlier. Nahum advanc-
nations shaken by adversity. See ed three terrifying manifestations
Jer. 4:23-28; Isa. 24:19; Deut. 32:1, of Divine power by which Yahweh
21-23. overwhelms,the guilty: storm (v. 3),
"The earth is burned at his earthquake (v. 4), and fire (v. 6).
presence"—Rotherham renders this This is a repetition, in exactly the
as "The earth hath lifted itself same order, of those manifestations
up at his presence." The instability of destructive power which were
of the earth suffering from an shown to Elijah when he fled from
earthquake, is used by Isaiah to Jezebel (1 Kings 19:11-12). The
describe the overthrow of Judah "strong wind, earthquake, and fire"
(Isa. 24:19), and the same figure which he there felt and saw, and
is here used to illustrate the re- which caused him to fear and
verses suffered by the northern seek a hidingplace, symbolised his
kingdom. It had experienced a pol- stern ministry which had caused
itical earthquake which had com- seven thousand in Israel who had
pletely overwhelmed it. not bowed the knee to Baal to
hide themselves in fear. But these
"The world and all that dwell manifestations of destructive power
therein"—A further reference to were followed by the still, small
the political order of the northern voice of Yahweh with its message
kingdom. The language is similar of comfort, and this brought Eli-
to that used by Peter to describe jah out of his hiding-place, and
the overthrow of Judah's com- allayed his fear. He was sent back
monwealth in A.D.70 (2 Pet. 3), with a message of comfort to the
showing that his language is fig- seven thousand in Israel, to bring
urative as well. them out of their hiding-places,
and rally their support, that they
VERSE 6 might testify with him in support
"Who can stand before his in- of truth. In similar manner, Na-
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 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

hum passed from the awe-inspiring name of Yahweh is a strong tower:

judgments that would bring mighty the righteous runneth into it, and is
nations crashing to ruin, to pro- safe" (Prov. 18:10). Though it is
claim the comforting, quiet mes- not generally recognised now, the
sage that "Yahweh is good, a time is coming when all the world
strong hold in the day of trouble." will realise this, for men shall see
Meanwhile, however, he warned it exhibited in the redemption of
Judah of the terrifying judgments His people (Jer. 16:19). But what
of Yahweh, which would so shake does such a phrase mean in terms
the political world as to shake of concrete reality? It means that
things of normal stability out of a person comprehends that there is
their place. He describes this as real power in seeking to draw God
mighty rocks being thrown down, into his life, and that in faith, he
or, literally, "torn asunder" by will do what Yahweh requires of
His strength. The significance of him (even though this might result
the expression he used is described in temporary reversal), recognising
by Jeremiah: "Is not My word like that He will avenge him (Rom. 12:
as a fire? saith Yahweh; and like 19). As Yahweh defended Israel in
a hammer that breaketh the rock the past when the people obeyed
in pieces?" (Jer. 23:29). Yahweh's His laws, so He will His people
word is powerful, and needs to today. No weapon forged against
be feared and heeded by those them will prosper in the final analy-
who would please Him (Heb. 4:12). sis, for He will be their vindication
(Isa. 54:17).
VERSE 7
"He knoweth them that trust
"Yahweh is good"—His good- in him"—Rotherham renders this:
ness and mercy is particularly ex- "He acknowledges t h e m . . . " He
hibited in what He does for sin- will take heed of them, and will
ners (Ps. 25:8; Rom. 2:4; 5:8). protect them unto the future. See
Nineveh had experienced mercy Ps. 1:6; 37:18; 2 Tim. 2:19.
in the reprieve granted it follow-
ing the preaching of Jonah; man- VERSE 8
kind generally does so in the Gos-
pel. In it is revealed the "good- "With an overrunning flood He
ness of God" (Rom. 11:22). That will make an utter end"—A flood
goodness, or Gospel, was explained of water is used figuratively of an
to Jethro (Exod. 18:9), made known invading army (Isa. 8:7; Dan. 11:
to Moses (Exod. 33:19), promised 26, 40), and such a "flood" was
to Hobab (Num. 10:29), hoped for used to destroy Nineveh. However,
by David (Ps. 27:13), set forth as the figure is based upon the literal
the heritage of the elect by the in this case, for the city was partly
Psalmist (Ps. 65:4), and will be destroyed by a literal flood of water
granted the poor in spirit (Ps. 68: (see Nahum 2:6).
10). It is to be manifested partic- "Of the place thereof"—By "the
ularly towards Israel (Isa. 63:7; place" is meant Nineveh. However,
Jer. 31:12); the saints are to be Rotherham, following the Septua-
satiated with it (Jer. 31:14); the gint and the Chaldee, renders: "A
whole world is to witness its ef- full end will he make of those who
fect (Jer. 33:9), and it is destined rise up against him." This rendition
to become the subject of millenial relates the subject to Yahweh, and
songs of victory (Zech. 9:17). shows how He will expend ven-
"A strong hold in the days of geance upon His enemies.
trouble"—Yahweh is a defence. "And darkness shall pursue his
When confidence is placed in Him, enemies"—Rotherham renders: "And
and men lean on His strength, they his foes will he pursue into dark-
lay hold of a Source of power that ness." This is a reference to the
is greater than flesh (see Ps. 27:1). final obscurity and end of Assyria,
Wisdom acknowledges that "the them the most powerful nation on
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 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

earth, but finally completely oblit- they cannot be taken by hands

erated so that the very memory of (2 Sam. 23:6-7). What flesh can-
it was forgotten. not accomplish, however, Yahweh
most certainly can!
A Declaration of Nineveh's Doom "While they are drunken as
— Vv. 9-11 drunkards" — The R.V. renders
The complete and utter destruc- this: "Be drenched as it were in
tion of Nineveh is now pro- their drink." Intoxicating liquor is
nounced. The fact that so large often used figuratively for doc-
and powerful a city was brought trine or propaganda (cp. Rev. 18:3)
to such an ignoble end as to and with the aid of such means,
completely fade out of the very in the name of its gods, Assyria
memory of mankind, is an out· fought and established its power
standing illustration of Yahweh's (Isa. 36:18-22). Drunken by such
incomparable power. a dogma, its rulers made the
fatal mistake of challenging Yah-
VERSE 9 weh, and were destroyed. How-
ever, Nahum's words seem to have
"What do ye imagine against Yah- a twofold application, for, accord-
weh?"—How can flesh successfully ing to the historian Diodorus, after
contend against Yahweh? It is im- the enemy had been thrice re-
possible. In every situation He will pulsed from Nineveh, the King
vindicate Himself ultimately, though of Assyria was so elated, that he
in His wisdom this may be delayed. gave himself up to the most
Faith will enable His servants to abandoned festivity, and permitted
wait patiently for Him to manifest his army to indulge in the greatest
Himself. However, Nahum's state- debauchery. In the midst of such
ment has been rendered: "What revelry, when his fighting men
think ye of Yahweh?" as though were rendered largely helpless, the
addressed to the doubters in both city was surprised and taken by
Judah and Assyria. To the former, Cyaxeres and the Medes.
the answer is that Yahweh will not Diodorus Siculus relates: "That
permit His people to be persecuted it was while all the Assyrian army
with impunity but will redeem them; were feasting for their former
and to the latter it is that He will victories, that those about Arbaces,
bring powerful, oppressing Assyria being informed by some deserters,
to an end despite its strength. Prov. of the negligence and drunkenness
21:30; Isa. 10:5-16. in the camp of the enemies,
"He will make an utter end"— assaulted them unexpectedly at
The statement of v. 8 is repeated for night, and falling orderly on them
the sake of emphasis, to show that disorderly, and prepared on them
the prophecy is sure and will most unprepared, became masters of the
certainly be fulfilled (see Gen. 41: camp, and slew many of the
32). soldiers and drove the rest into
the city" (lib. 2).
"Affliction shall not rise up the Diodorus further relates: "There
second time" — Affliction is per- was an old prophecy, that Nineveh
sonified like a powerful oppressor should not be taken, till the river
who will perform his work once became an enemy to the city:
and for all the first time. and in the third year of the
VERSE 10 siege, the river, being swollen with
continued rains, overflowed part of
"For while they" — the refer- the city, and broke down the
ence is to the Assyrians. wall for twenty furlongs; then the
"Be folden together as thorns" king, thinking the oracle was ful-
— Thorns are only worthy of de- filled, and the river become an
struction (Heb. 6:8), though, whilst enemy to the city, built a large
they are hardy and flourishing, funeral pile in the palace, and
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 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

collecting together all his wealth, nified the "Lord of the forest",
and his concubines, and eunuchs, being identified with the impure
burnt himself and his palace with rites of paganism. The blasphemous
them all; and the enemy entered language of Rab-shakeh outside of
at the breach that the waters had Jerusalem showed him to be a
made, and took the city" (lib. 2). "counsellor of Belial".
"Shall be devoured as stubble
fully dry" — Stubble fully dry is Comfort For The Oppressed —
worthless refuse, and is easily and Vv. 12-15.
quickly consumed.
The prophet having pronounced
VERSE 11 the twofold aspect of Yahweh's
character: goodness and severity,
"There is one come out of thee" now illustrates it by showing that
— The one referred to was Sen- powerful Assyria will be cut down,
nacherib whose impiety was typical and downtrodden Judah will flour-
of the general impiety of the ish.
Assyrian kings, and whose doom
not only foreshadowed that of the VERSE 12
whole nation, but also typified the
destruction to be poured out upon "Thus saith Yahweh" — Such
the Assyrian of the last days. a declaration ensures the authori-
Though Sennacherib's dramatic de- tative nature of the proclamation,
feat and ignoble end was already and the assurance that it will ac-
history by the time Nahum pro- complish that which it declares.
phesied, the prophet drew atten- See Isa. 55:11.
tion to this well-known world- "Though they be quiet" — The
shaking incident to point the lesson R.V. renders: "in full strength".
of Yahweh's purpose, not only in The Hebrew word is shalem and
regard to Assyria of the past, but signifies "whole." Though Assyria
also concerning the Gogian-Assyr- will be at the peak of power and
ian of the last days. prosperity, and seemingly impreg-
"That imagineth evil against nable, Yahweh's purpose will be
Yahweh" — This Rab-shakeh did fulfilled against it.
on behalf of Sennacherib when "Yet thus" — The R.V. renders:
he blasphemed Yahweh, and at- "even so".
tacked Jerusalem. He initiated a "Cut down" — the margin gives
holy war by claiming that the the Hebrew as "shorn" or "mown".
God of Israel had not the power Yahweh, the Divine harvester, will
to withstand the might of Assyria mow them down as useless weeds.
(2 Kings 18:28-35). This impious
boast will be repeated by Gog "When he shall pass through"
when, in conjunction with Catho- — The R.V. renders: "And he
licism, he will invade the holy land, shall pass away." The "they" of
and advance against Jerusalem, in this verse relates to the soldiers
fulfilment of Ezekiel 38. in the Assyrian army; the "he"
"A wicked counsellor" — The relates to the power of the Assyr-
margin renders this as "a coun- ian ruler. In Nahum's prophecy,
sellor of Belial." Belial signifies he is set forth as a type of Gog,
"worthlessness". It is rendered the so that these expressions apply not
"wicked" in V.15. Vine, comment- only to those times but are pro-
ing upon 2 Cor. 6:15, declares that phetic of the destruction that shall
be meted out upon the Russian
the word signifies extreme wicked- invader of the land when Yahweh
ness and destruction, the latter in- will "put in the sickle" as Joel
dicating the destiny of the former. 3:13 predicts.
Belial also personifies impure re-
ligion, and it is suggested that "Though I have afflicted thee,
originally the word possibly sig- I will afflict thee no more" —
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 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

These words are spoken to Judah. at the time of the end (Ezek. 38:11,
The oppression the people suffered 12, 16).
from Assyria is shown as coming "Will I cut off the graven
from Yahweh (Isa. 10:5), but now image" — A graven image is one
the promise is given that Judah carved out of wood or stone; a
will be completely relieved of the molten image is one cast in metal.
cruel oppression of that brutal In humiliating the pagan gods of
power. The fact that the prophet Assyria, Yahweh subjected them
promises Israel that her affliction to the same treatment that the
shall completely cease shows that Assyrians had given to the gods
whatever fulfilment his prophecy other nations (2 Kings 19:18).
had in the past, its complete ful-
filment awaits the future. See Jer. "I will make thy grave" — Yah-
30:8; Ezek. 34:27; 39:28-29; Zech. weh declares that He will dig a
14:11. grave for both the king and the
nation; and so Assyria came to a
VERSE 13 complete end. Similar words are
"For now will I break his yoke predicted in regard to Gog and
from off thee" — The breaking his army, and they will be buried
of the Assyrian yoke in the past in the land of Israel (see Ezek.
was a type of what shall yet be. 39:11).
See Mic. 5:5-6. VERSE 15
VERSE 14 "Behold upon the mountains"
— In these words Nahum recorded
"Yahweh hath given a com- the great rejoicing that will be
mandment concerning thee" — witnessed throughout the land of
Yahweh had spoken concerning the Israel consequent upon the de-
nation, both because it had been struction of the Assyrian. The ex-
then closely connected with His pressions seem borrowed from
people, and also because Assyria Isaiah, who used them to describe
typed Gog of the latter days. In the coming of Messiah's kingdom
the days of Hezekiah, Sennacherib (Isa. 52:7; 40:9). They had a
the king of Assyria was over- special typical significance in the
thrown in a remarkable manner, days of Nahum, for following the
that foreshadowed the future des- long, wicked reign of Manasseh,
truction of Gog in the land. Because and the brief reign of Amon,
of that, greater detail is recorded Josiah ascended the throne in
concerning those events. Jerusalem. He restored the Temple
"No more of thy name be sown" worship, revived the national cove-
— Nineveh was brought to a com- nant with Yahweh, destroyed the
plete end; its very memory was Baal worship, and saw the de-
destroyed, and that, also, will be struction on Nineveh, predicted by
the fate of the latter-day mani- Nahum. He was a typical king,
festation of Assyrian power (cp. pointing forward to the Lord
Dan. 7:11). Jesus Christ. In him, therefore,
"Out of the house of thy gods" there was an incipient fulfilment
— Sennacherib was murdered of this Messianic prophecy, though
whilst worshipping in the Temple the complete application of it,
of Nisroch (Isa. 37:38), which awaits the coming of the Lord
illustrated the inability of his gods Jesus Christ. Christ will proclaim
the Good Tidings to Jerusalem; he
to save. What a contrast this was will set forth the principles of
to the earlier boasts of his officer peace, and he will do this after
who had lauded their power to the latter-day Assyrian has been
the Israelites on the walls of be- overthrown.
sieged Jerusalem! His boastful im-
piety was characteristic of the "O Judah, keep thy solemn
whole nation, as it will be of Gog feasts" — These had been inter-
66
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

rupted whilst the enemy had been Jesus will appear to those in the
triumphant in the land; they were land after the destruction of Gog
restored by Josiah (2 Chron. 34:31, (Zech. 12:9-14). The result of
35:1). as they will be also by the revelation and instruction that
the Lord Jesus Christ (Ezek. 45:20- shall be brought to them at that
25). The prophecy shall have its time, will be a complete change
complete fulfilment, therefore, in of heart on the part of the people
the future age, when the Temple (Jer. 3:17-25; Ezek. 20:37-38; Rom.
will be re-established, and Divine 11:26).
worship again conducted in Jeru- "For the wicked" — Literally,
salem. "for the man of Belial." See mar-
"Perform thy vows" — Vows are gin, and note at v.ll. Rother-
often made in times of trouble ham renders this as "the wicked
when beseeching Yahweh for help. one." It has primary application
There is a time of trouble coming to the Assyrian king in the past,
for Jewry (Jer. 30:5-8), when the and to Gog in the future.
latter-day Assyria will overflow the "Shall no more pass through
land. This shall cause the people thee" — The Assyrian was cut off,
to seek God's help, and vow vows never again to invade Judah. That
before Him. The deliverance and also will be the fate of the Rus-
salvation that will be brought to sian Gog, the Assyrian of the last
them will cause them to "perform days. See Micah 5:5; Zech. 14:21;
their vows." Elijah will be sent Joel 3:17. On this note of victory
forth to those Jews scattered and relief the first section of the
abroad (Mai. 4:5-6), and the Lord prophecy ends.

GOD GUIDES THE DESTINY OF NATIONS

Not a kingdom has been established, nor a king dethroned, but
it has formed a move, which has contributed to the maturity of the
present crisis, which will ultimate in the introduction of the King-
dom of God. This truth is beautifully expressed in the words of
the prophet, saying, "Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever;
for wisdom and might are his: and He changeth the times and the
seasons; He removeth kings and setteth up kings . . ." This is the
reason why men and women with so little wisdom, or rather pos-
sessed of so much positive folly and imbecility, are able to rule the
nations without "setting on fire the course of nature."
When their wickedness and stupidity become obstacles to His
purpose, He removes them out of the way, and introduces other
actors upon the stage. In this way, He controls and regulates the
world's affairs; but in every interference He shapes the course of
events towards the consummation predetermined from the founda-
tion of the world.
— J. Thomas (Elpis Israel).

67
 CHAPTER 2
Nineveh's Doom Described
This chapter presents a graphic word-picture of the sudden
attack and destruction of Nineveh. Nahum wrote as an eye-
witness, reporting what he actually saw. In vivid detail he de-
scribed the savage joy of the attackers, and the despondent fear
of the besieged. He saw the walls breached and the invading
host enter the streets of the city, slaying and destroying as they
did so. The streets ran with blood; they echoed with the clash
of arms, the shouts of the victors and the despairing cries of
the vanquished. Confusion reigned supreme as violence, blood-
shed and fear stalked the doomed city. But that did not com-
plete the disaster. The river Tigris rose in flood, and the main
defences of the city were swept away. It was now completely open
to any enemy who might attack it, and this commenced a period
of humiliation and degradation that finally brought Nineveh to
utter desolation. It was completely overwhelmed, and the flower
of its citizens were taken into captivity. Instead of a wealthy,
powerful and populous city, there remained nothing but a
desolation, with wild beasts sheltering in what was once the
palaces of nobles.
CHAPTER 2 as they taber upon their heart.
He that breaketh in pieces hath Yet as for Nineveh like a reser-
come up over thy face, voir of waters are her waters, —
Keep the keeps, But those men are in flight!
Watch the way, Stand! Stand!
Brace the loins, But no one is turning.
Make vigour very firm, Plunder silver, plunder gold, —
And there is no end to the costly
For Yahweh hath restored the furnishing,
excellency of Jacob, like the Rich with every article of delight.
excellency of Israel, <— 10. Emptiness, yea turned to empti-
For the plunderers have plundered ness, aye deserted (is she)!
them, With heart unnerved,
And their vine branches have they And a tottering of knees,
marred. And anguish in all loins,
3. The shield of his heroes is made And the faces of them all have
red withdrawn their colour.
The men of war are clad in 1 1. Where is the lair of the lions?
crimson, Yea the very feeding place of the
On fire are the chariot-steeds, on young lions, —
the day he maketh ready, — Where walked the lion, the lion-
And the lances are put in motion. ess, the lion's whelp,
4. In the streets madly go the With none to make them afraid?
chariots,
They rush along in the broad- 12. The lion used to tear in pieces
ways, — enough for his whelps,
Their appearance is like torches, And to strangle for his lion-
As lightnings hither and thither esses, —
do they run. And then fill with prey his holes,
5. Let him call to mind his nobles, And his lairs with what he had
They shall stumble as they go — torn.
Let them hasten to her wall, 13. Behold me! against thee,
Yet the storming cover is Declareth Yahweh of hosts,
prepared. Therefore will I burn up in
6. The gates of the rivers have been smoke her chariots,
opened. — And thy young lions shall be de-
And the palace doth quake. voured by the sword, —
7. And Huzzab hath been taken So will I cut off out of the
captive — hath been led up, — earth, thy prey,
and her handmaids are making a Nor shall be heard any more the
moan like the sound of doves, voice of thine envoy.
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 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

"The City Besieged" — Vv. 1-5. very graphically describes the state
According to history, Nineveh of panic within the city as the
was destroyed by the Medes allied enemy successfully prosecuted his
to the Babylonians, but in actual attack. The call is to "keep the
fact, it was Yahweh Who over- munition," or to man the fortresses
threw the city. The Medes acted and towers.
as His army, directed against "Watch the way" — Set the
mighty Nineveh that had dared to guards and sentinels in their places.
challenge Him as an enemy. "Make thy loins strong" — Do
VERSE 1 not give way to fear. The loins
were considered by the Hebrews
«He that dasheth in pieces" — as the seat of strength (.2 Chron.
The margin renders this as "The 10:10; Job 40:7; Ezek. 29:7; 1 Pet.
disperser, or, hammer." Rother- 1:13). To gird up the loins sig-
ham translates as "He that breaketh nified to encourage oneself.
in pieces." The reference is to
the Medes who raced the Babylo- VERSE 2
nians in the attack upon Nineveh.
Successfully breaching the city, "For Yahweh hath turned away
they completely overwhelmed Assy- the excellency of Jacob" — Instead
rian resistance, and so fulfilled of "turned away," the R.V. has
Yahweh's Word which is described "bringeth again," and Rotherham
as a hammer (Jer. 23:29—though has "restored." The word "excel-
this is a different word in the lency" (Heb. gavooth) signifies
Hebrew). Previously, Yahweh had "pride" (see margin), or "majesty"
used Assyria (as He later did (see Strong's Concordance). Nahum
Babylon) as His hammer and sickle therefore predicted the restoration
against the nations (Jer. 50:16,23). of majesty to Jacob, or Israel
It is significant that the symbol after the flesh. Nineveh's fall, in
of the latter-day Assyrian is the ancient times, led to the elevation
"hammer and sickle"! of Judah under Josiah, but, of
course, the prophet saw beyond
"Before thy face" — Into your those times to the future when the
actual presence, attacking the very latter-day Assyrian shall be broken,
city. and true and complete majesty
"Keep the munition" — Nahum shall come to Israel. Meanwhile,

THE DEFEAT OF ASSYRIA BY THE MEDES

For a considerable period, the Medes were dominated by the
Assyrians. The death of Ashurbanipal of Assyria (approx. 626
B.C.) was followed by the sudden and rapid decline of the
Empire. Babylon revived under Nabopolassar, Media asserted its
independence under Cyaxares, and the two nations entered into a
pact or agreement to attack Assyria. For a moment the proposed
attack was delayed by the invasion of the brutal and barbarous
Scythians who suddenly appeared and indiscriminately attacked
nations in their path. This delayed the end of Assyria. In 614
B.C., however, Media and Babylon again entered into alliance and
jointly attacked Assyria. Ashur was destroyed by the Medes, for
Nabopolassar of Babylon did not arrive in time. However, the
two kings: Nabopolassar of Babylon and Cyaxares of Media,
met among the ruins of the fallen city, and pledged themselves
to friendship and confederacy. In 612 a joint Median-Babylonian
attack was made on Nineveh, and the city was overthrown.

69
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM
the ascendancy of such a deadly Ezek. 36:22; Rom. 11:28) has pre-
enemy as Nineveh, preaching a served it from the utter destruc-
blasphemous, anti-semitic philoso- tion that it has deserved. In this
phy must inevitably be at the ex- fact, faith is strengthened by the
pense of Israel and the things realisation that God is true to
that the people of God stand for; His word (Titus 1:2), and that
but with its decline, Israel shall His mercy is boundless. In due
rise. "Jerusalem shall be trodden time, He will "save her that
down of the Gentiles, . until the halteth" (Zeph. 3:19), an expres-
times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" sion that points to the figurative
(Luke 21:24), and so the "good- limping of Israel consequent upon
ness and severity" of God are the nation's wrestling with God
again contrasted one with the during the centuries of Gentile
other (Rom. 11:22). domination. On the basis of
Jacob's experience, Hosea appealed
"As the excellency of Israel" — to Israel: "Turn thou to thy God;
Great as the excellency of Jacob keep mercy and judgment, and
was (and as such, the patriarch wait on thy God continually"
received the blessing of God, a (Hos. 12:3-5). The time is coming
large family, and much wealth), when the significance of Jacob's
the "excellency of Israel" is far changed status will be manifested
more honorable. The term recalls in the whole nation, for its glory
the Divine blessing that was be- or majesty will be restored, and
stowed upon Jacob after he had instead of being viewed as the
wrestled all night with the angel supplanter, it will be set forth
(Gen. 32:28). He was then told, before all mankind as a princely
"He who strives with God and nation: a Prince with God. At
prevails, will certainly prevail with that time, the antitypical Nineveh
man" (Gen. 32:28-Heb.). Jacob's will be completely overthrown
blessing was incorporated in the (Micah 5:5-6). The fear that
name that the angel then gave Israel after the flesh has experienced
him, and which proclaimed his towards the Gentiles shall disap-
changed status before God. Instead pear with the dawning of that
of being known as the supplanter new day (Mai. 4:1-2).
(Jacob), he was now given the
honored name of a prince with "For the emptiers have emptied
God (Israel). But, in spite of the them out" — Rotherham renders:
blessing, his wrestling with God "The plunderers have plundered
(the angel) did not leave him them" — a reference to the treat-
unmarked, for, like Jewry which ment that Israel has received from
has also striven with God (and the Gentiles.
during that night of fear, Jacob "And marred their vine branches"
typed his posterity), he suffered — The figure of Israel as a vine,
in consequence. The night of is frequently set forth in Scripture
wrestling left him lame. He limped (Ps. 80:8; Isa. 5:7; Jer. 12:10, etc.).
upon his thigh. Yet he prevailed, The branches of this vine have
and because of that he should been ruthlessly broken down by
have had no fear of Esau. With the Gentiles. Their intent has been
the dawning of the new day, merely to destroy. That is not so
when Esau finally came upon with Yahweh, however, in any
Jacob, the latter found that he disciplinary action He has extended
was Divinely protected, and had towards the nation. His intent is
really no need to fear his brother. to "prune" the vine, that it might
So the remarkable type will be produce even better fruit (John
worked out with Israel after the 15:2); theirs has been merely to
flesh. During the night of Gentile mar. They have ruthlessly tried to
times, the nation has striven with destroy Israel by their bitter per-
God, and only the unalterable secution which has brought death
promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:2; to millions. Yahweh is not un-
70
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM
moved by such an attitude (see mander before the attack upon the
Jer. 51:5), and will repay it by city.
punishing those who so treat His "The fir trees shall be terribly
neople, even though their violence shaken" — The R.V. renders this
has stemmed from complete ig- as "spears;" Rotherham has: "The
norance of His purpose (cp. Jer. lances are put in motion."
50:7).
VERSE 4
VERSE 3 "The chariots shall rage" — See
"The shield of his mighty men Jer. 46:9. They shall dash madly
is made red" — Having indicted about.
Nineveh, and revealed that the "The streets" — According to
punishment about to be meted out Dr. Strong, the Hebrew word
to her was just, Nahum proceeded chuwts signifies "outside". It is
to describe the attack upon the derived from a root, "to sever"
city. He graphically depicted the or "separate," as by a wall. Nahum,
enemy's approach, and the fear therefore, describes how that the
that swept the city as the walls besieged in the city, would view with
were breached. The "redness" of fear the approach of the chariot
the shields probably alluded to the forces of the enemy, as they dash
highly polished copper with which madly about outside the city wall
they were sometimes covered (Jos. itself. Thus in v.3 there is described
Ant. 13, 12, 5), and which is a the approach of the enemy; in v.4
symbol of the flesh. They were the attack on the wall; and in v.5
"made red" as the soldiers pol- the defence.
ished them in preparation for the "They shall seem like torches"—
attack, and as they flashed in the The margin renders: "their show"
sun. Though recorded from the shall be like torches. With the bright
standpoint of an eye-witness, Na- sun gleaming on them, the polished
hum's words were prophetic. steel and weapons of war shall flash
"The valiant men are in scarlet" forth like fire.
— This seems a reference to the "They shall run like the light-
military uniforms of the Medes nings"— Referring to their speed.
and Babylonians, with whom scar- VERSE 5
let seemed to have been a favorite
colour (Ezek. 23:14). The Assy- "He shall recount his worthies"
rians, on the other hand, seem — Notice the margin. The king
to have preferred blue (Ezek. 23:6). of Assyria will organise for the
defence of the city, and will call
"The chariots shall be with out his captains for that purpose.
flaming torches" — The R.V. ren- Cp. Ch. 3:18.
ders: "The chariots flash with
steel." One authority has stated "They shall stumble in their walk"
concerning these ancient chariots: — They will stumble through fear
"They were conspicuous for shin- or drunkenness (cp. Ch. 1:10), and
ing metal, and were hung around in either case will reveal their
with gleaming weapons and figures incompetence for the work of de-
of the heavenly bodies. They car- fence.
ried bright-armed warriors which "They shall haste to the wall
added to their spectacular appear- thereof" — To defend it.
ance. The horses were covered "The defence shall be prepared"
with trappings, and were fastened — As the attackers would bring
to poles of glittering steel, all of
which flashed in the sunshine." their weapons of offence, such as
battering rams, to bear upon the
"The day of his preparation" — wall, counter measures would be
See Isa. 13:4. One can imagine taken by the Assyrians to provide
the chariots drawn up in line, adequate cover against the storm
and being reviewed by the com- (see Mg.). But it all proved in vain.
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

The City Is Overwhelmed — Vv. enemy would cause the royal

6-10. power to melt in fear. According
History records that a sudden to the historian, the king com-
flooding of the Tigris swept part mitted suicide when he heard that
of the wall of Nineveh away, and the city walls had been breached.
through this breach the enemy
swarmed in to overwhelm the city. VERSE 7
"And Huzzab shall be led away
VERSE 6 captive" — The margin gives the
meaning of Huzzab as "That which
"The gates of the rivers shall was established." The word signifies
be opened" — The ancient his- "firm" or "bold" and is used as
torian, Didorus Siculus declared an appellative for Nineveh whose
that "there was an old prophecy, power was so mighty, as to sug-
that Nineveh should not be taken, gest that the city was established
till the river became an enemy upon such a firm foundation as
to the city: and in the third year never to be overthrown. Similar
to the city: and in the third year of appellatives are used for the other
the siege, the river, being swollen nations. Thus Egypt is called Ra-
with continual rains, overflowed hab (or the arrogant) — see Ps.
part of the city, and broke down the 89:10; the king of Assyria is
wall for 20 furlongs; then the king, called Jareb (or the contentious —
thinking the oracle was fulfilled, see Hos. 5:13); Jerusalem is called
and the river become an enemy to Ariel (or El's lion —Isa. 29:1).
the city, built a large funeral pile There is a play upon words in
in the palace, and collecting to- Nahum's statement, as he proclaims
gether all his wealth, and his con- that that which was established
cubines, and eunuchs, burnt him- "shall be led away captive." The
self and his palace with them all; margin renders this as "discovered",
and the enemy entered at the and the R.V. has "uncovered," or
breach that the waters had made, laid bare, a term that speaks of
and took the city." Nineveh's nakedness (cp. Rev. 16:
There is archaeological evidence 15).
of this destruction. Professor Raw- "She shall be brought up" —
linson, in Ancient Monarchies, vol. The R.V. has "carried away."
ii, p. 397, records: "At the north-
west angle of the city, there was a "Her maids shall lead her as
sluice or flood-gate, intended mainly with the voice of doves"—Instead of
to keep the water of the Khosr- "lead her" the R.V. has "mourn".
su, which ordinarily filled the city The voice of doves is likened
moat, from flowing off too rapidly elsewhere to the voice of mourn-
into the Tigris, when that stream ing (Isa. 38:14).
rose above its common level. A "Tabering upon their breasts"—
sudden and great rise in the Tigris This was the normal custom in
would necessarily endanger this times of mourning. See Luke 18:13;
gate, and if it gave way beneath 23:48.
the pressure, a vast torrent of
water would rush up the moat VERSE 8
along and against the northern
wall, which may have been under- "But Nineveh is of old like a
mined by its force, and have pool of water" — The margin
fallen in." renders "of old," as "from the
days that she hath been," so that
"And the palace shall be dis- at this point Nahum begins to re-
solved" — The margin renders view the past, and consider the
this as "molten." Rotherham has ancient glory of the doomed city.
"doth quake." The sudden, unex- Rotherham renders: "As for Nine-
pected successful attack of the veh, like a reservoir of waters are
72
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

her waters." Her wealth and power gold and 'pleasant furniture' which
has been like a reservoir replen- the palaces contained; scarcely any-
ished from tributaries. These tri- thing, even of bronze, escaped the
butaries are the nations whose spoiler."
wealth was poured into the mighty Thus the archaeologist confirms
and brutal city, constantly replen- Scripture.
ishing her wealth. See Rev. 17:15.
"Yet they shall flee away" — VERSE 10
The reference is to the army, the "She is empty, and void, and
symbol of Assyrian power. Though waste" — So completely was
it once dominated these nations, it Nineveh overthrown, that by the
shall ignominously flee before the second century A.D., the very site
enemy. of the city was in doubt.
"Stand, Stand, shall they cry"— "The heart melteth," etc. —
The prophet graphically described This is indicative of the fear that
how the fear-stricken army would should so dominate the Assyrian
flee. The officers would order the soldiers as to make them useless
soldiers to stand and resist the for battle.
enemy, but in vain. "Much pain in all loins" — Like
"None shall look back"—Note the pangs of labor. See Isa. 13:81
the marginal rendition: "None shall "Faces gather blackness" — The
cause them to turn." They shall
flee in panic-stricken terror. R.V. renders: "Are waxed pale."
VERSE 9 The City Is Made Desolate —
"Take ye the spoil of silver, of Vv. 11-13.
gold" — The city shall be laid The city was so completely over-
open to rapine and spoliation. whelmed that the site reverted
"There is none end of the store back to its original desolate con-
and glory" — The wealth of the dition, so that where once were
world was poured into ancient found busy concourses of people,
Nineveh, only to become the spoil there now assembled the wild beasts
of its enemies when it fell before of the wilderness. This is a token
their attack. Concerning the wealth of the end of Gentile power.
of Nineveh, Bonomi, in "Nineveh
and its Discoveries" wrote: "The VERSE 11
riches of Nineveh are inexhaustible, "Where is the dwelling of the
her vases and precious furniture lions" — The lion is used in
are infinite, copper constantly oc- Scripture as a symbol of Assyria
curs in their weapons, and it is and Babylon (Jer. 2:15; 4:7; 50:17;
most probable a mixture of it Dan. 7:4). The dwelling place of
that was used in the materials of the Assyrian lion was Nineveh;
their tools. They had acquired the but prophetically Nahum saw it
art of making glass . . . The well deserted and desolate. The lion
known cylinders are a sufficient was an appropriate symbol for
proof of their skill in engraving Assyria, because it was used by
gems. Many beautiful specimens of them as a national emblem. Nergal,
carving in ivory were also dis- the war god of Assyria, was a
covered . . . The condition of winged lion with a man's face.
the ruins is highly corroborative
of the sudden destruction that "The feeding place of the young
came on Nineveh by fire and sword lions" — In accordance with the
. . . It is evident from the ruins symbol, the feeding place of such
that both Khorsabad and Nimroud would be the subject countries.
were sacked and then set on fire. "The lion, even the old lion" —
Neither Botta nor Layard found The R.V. renders with Rother-
any of that store of silver and ham: "And the lioness." The pic-
73
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM
ture drawn is that of the lion Divine name signifies "He will be"
family as a whole, representative from the root Ehyeh, to be, or be-
of the Assyrian empire. come. Yahweh of hosts, or armies,
therefore, proclaims what He will
VERSE 12 yet become in the earth, for He
-The lion did tear in pieces" — will yet manifest Himself in an
This is a reference to the ruthless, army that will destroy the latter-
brutal cruelty of the Assyrians. day Assyrian. Christ is the Com-
The pages of history are nowhere mander in chief of that army
more bloody than in the records (Isa. 55:4), and his followers have
of the wars of the Assyrians. It been recruited as soldiers in train-
is said that they contributed nothing ing for the spiritual warfare he
to the progress of humanity, and has set for them (2 Tim. 2:3),
left only a heritage of extreme and which is preparatory to them
brutality. playing their part in overthrowing
the powers that be, in order that
"Ravin" — The word signifies God's kingdom may be established
something torn, i.e. the prey. on earth (Psalm 149:5-9; Dan.
VERSE 13 2:44). The future warfare of
Yahweh of Armies is described in
"I am against thee, saith Yahweh Revelation 19:11-21.
of hosts" — Yahweh of hosts is
the militant title of Deity, indica- Yahweh of hosts waged war with
tive of that heavenly Elohistic the Assyrian in the past, and will
army, the captain of which ap- do so with its modern counter-
peared to Joshua just before the part in the future (Isa. 9:7; Mic.
attack on Jericho (Josh. 5:14). This 5:6).
heavenly army was sent to protect "I will burn her chariots in the
Elisha (2 Kings 6:17). It fought smoke" — Nahum predicted the
for Judah against Israel (2 Chron. destruction of Assyrian military
13:11-16), so that the king could power. This was the work of Yah-
say: "Behold, God Himself is with weh, and the Medes were but His
us for our captain." Hezekiah re- agents to accomplish His work.
lied upon this army when he was See also Ezekiel 39:9.
threatened by the Assyrian king,
and he strengthened the people by "The sword shall devour thy
exhorting them: "Be strong and young lions" — The princes and
courageous, be not afraid nor dis- officials of the Assyrian empire
mayed for the king of Assyria, nor would be put to the sword.
for all the multitude that is with "I will cut off Thy prey from
him; for there be more with us the earth" — The Assyrian will no
than with him; with him is an arm longer have the power to ravage
of flesh; but with us is Yahweh other countries, and spoil them
our God to help us, and to fight of prey.
our battles" (2 Chron. 32:7-8). "The voice of thy messengers
Christ, likewise, made reference to shall no more be heard" — The
this heavenly army (Matt. 26:53).
godless boasts of Assyrian emis-
"Yahweh of hosts," however, is saries, such as Rab-shakeh (Isa.
a prophetic title. "Yahweh," the 36:12-20) shall cease for ever.

THE ARMY OF YAHWEH

"Let the saints be joyful in glory . . . 'Let the high praises of
God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand . . .
To execute vengeance . . . and punishments . . . to bind their kings
with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon
148).
74
 CHAPTER 3
Nineveh's Doom Deserved
History testifies that of all the oppressors of Israel, Assyria
was the most brutal. Wherever its armies penetrated, they left
a trail of pillage, bloodshed and ruin. From the first, the Assy-
rians were hunters and warriors, and when they turned to war,
their persistent efforts at conquest gradually hardened the nation
into a very efficient fighting machine. The Assyrians were essen-
tially a military people, strongly differentiated in this respect
from the commercially inclined Babylonians.
One of their kings, Ashur-nasir-pal, has left a detailed
account of his conquests, and they form a catalogue of pitiless
torture and destruction: "I took the city, their fighting men I
put to the sword, and I cut off their heads. Many I captured
alive and the rest I burned with fire. Heaps of corpses and of
heads I piled up over against their city gate, and seven hundred
men I impaled on stakes around the city. Their young men and
maidens I burned in the fire, and I laid waste their city and
turned it into heaps of ruins."
The general policy of Assyria was the complete annihila-
tion of the enemy, and this objective was pursued with ruthless
brutality. Cities were destroyed, captives were treated with the
most barbarous brutality, nations were taken into captivity and
scattered into foreign lands, torture was common.
Nahum described this in his third chapter. He records that
so violent and bloodthirsty were the Assyrians, that the whole
world rejoiced at their downfall; they had not a friend to lament
their plight. Moreover, so complete was the destruction of Nine-
veh, as predicted by Nahum, that it undermined the strength
of the whole nation which soon disappeared as completely as
the city. One historian has written: "The fall of the Assyrian
kingdom was followed by the almost complete disappearance of
the Assyrian people themselves, which is a phenomenon with-
out parallel in the annals of ancient history. Nor is it possible
to discover any lasting Assyrian influence on the history of later
ages, unless it be in the political organisation . . . of subsequent
oriental monarchies conforming to the same type of polity*
(The Assyrians — C. Winckworth).
The chapter before us can be conveniently divided into
three sections: 1. — the cause of the overthrow (vv. 1-4); 2. —
The lesson of the overthrow (vv. 6-13); 3. — The certainty of
the overthrow (νv. 14-19). As with the rest of the prophecy,
though this chapter primarily related to Assyria in the past, it
also has an application to the Assyria of the latter days.
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM
CHAPTER 3 thee,
1. Alas for the city of bloodshed! And shall say,
All of it deceit, Destroyed is Nineveh!
of violence full, Who will bemoan her?
none releaseth prey! Whence shall I seek any to
comfort thee?
2. The sound of the whip, 8. Art thou better than No-amon,
And the sound of the rushing Who sat among the Nile-streams,
wheel, — Waters round about her, ·—
And horse galloping, Whose fortress was the sea,
And dancing chariot rattling along. From the sea her wall.
3. Horsemen uplifting both the 9. Ethiopia was her strength, and
flashing sword, and the lightning Egypt —
spear,
Aye, a mass of slain, and Yea without end, —
A weight of dead bodies, — and Put and Lubim were among thy
No end of corpses, helpers.
So that they stumble upon their 10. Yet she was given up to exile,
corpses. She went into captivity,
4. Because of the multitude of the Even her babes were dashed to
unchaste doings of the unchaste the ground at the head of all the
one, streets —
Fair in grace, mistress of secret And for her honourable men cast
arts, — they lots,
Who hath been selling And all her great men were
Nations by her unchaste doings, bound together in chains.
Families by her secret arts. 11. Thou too shalt be drunken,
5. Behold me! against thee, Thou shalt hide thyself, —
Declareth Yahweh of hosts, Thou too shalt seek shelter from
Therefore will I remove thy skirts the foe:
over thy face, — 12. All thy fortresses shall be fig-
And let nations see thy naked- trees with first-ripe figs:
ness, and kingdoms thy shame. If they be shaken then shall the
6. And I will fruit, fall on the mouth of the
cast upon thee abominable filth, eater.
and
treat thee as foolish, — and 13. Lo! thy people are women in thy
set thee as a gazing-stock. midst,
To thy foes have been set wide
7. And it shall come to pass that open the gates of thy land, —
all who see thee shall flee from A fire hath devoured thy bars.

The Cause Of The Overthrow — roots, or with the bleeding heads of

Vv. 1-5. the slain tied around the necks of
Nahum showed that the cause the living who are reserved for
of Nineveh's overthrow was her further torture (See Nineveh and
gross cruelty and idolatry. Babylon, Layard). Assyria con-
tributed nothing to civilisation in
VERSE 1 the furtherance of culture or
"Woe to the bloody city" — knowledge, and is only noted for
The margin transfers this to the its brutality.
"city of bloods," or of violence. "Full of lies and robbery" —
Nineveh's gross cruelty is well Rotherham renders: "robbery" as
known to historians and is attested "violence." Assyria was noted for
by monuments on which are de- treachery (lies) and violence.
scribed or portrayed prisoners im- "The prey departeth not" —
paled alive, flayed, beheaded, drag- The rapacity of Assyrians is never
ged to death with ropes passed satisfied. They hoard up the prey,
through rings in their lips, blinded and in their greed demand more.
by the king's own hand, hung up
by hands or feet to die in slow
torture (See Nineveh and Its Dis- VERSE 2
coveries, Bonomi). Others are "The noise of a whip" — In
shown having their brains beaten vivid language the prophet de-
out, their tongues torn out by the scribed the approach of the
76
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

enemy. He evidently saw this in The Greek word is pharmakia, and

vision, and recorded what he saw. it signifies the removing of an evil,
Prophets were called "seers" for or the infliction of one, by means
that reason (1 Sam. 9:9; 1 Chron. of a drug. In the case of religion
9:22; 26:28; 29:29). Isaiah record- the drug comprises false doctrine.
ed the "vision" which "he saw" For example, the theory of an im-
(Isa. 1:1; 2:1). Nahum heard the mortal soul has acted as a mental
sound of the whip, the noise of drug. This is witchcraft, and
the wheels, the hoof-beats of the should be destroyed. Assyria and
galloping horses, and the creak Babylon were both mistresses of
of the lurching chariots. such witchcrafts.
VERSE 3 "That selleth nations" — Entire
nations were deprived of freedom,
"The horseman lifteth up both and taken into captivity, by
the bright sword and the glittering Assyria.
spear" — The margin gives the
Hebrew: "The flames of the sword, VERSE 5
and the lightning of the spear."
Nahum saw and described the "Behold I am against thee, saith
flash of the sun as it was reflected Yahweh of hosts" — See Ch. 2:13.
on the steel weapons of the in- Yahweh of hosts is the militant
vaders. He saw the sword and title of Deity, and the statement
spear held triumphantly aloft. of this verse constitutes His de-
claration of war against brutal,
"They stumble upon their vicious, evil Assyria.
corpses" — These words describe
the terrible carnage of war. Na- "I will discover thy skirts upon
hum saw the city breached, the in- thy face" — Rotherham renders:
habitants paralysed with fear, the "Therefore will I remove thy skirts
invaders driving their chariots over thy face." Yahweh will treat
through the streets with sword and Assyria as the harlot that she is,
spear uplifted to strike, and leav- and will reveal her shame for all
ing a trail of devastation and death mankind to see. See Isa. 3:17;
behind them. So terrible was the Jer. 13:26; Lam. 1:8.
slaughter, that the vehicles were "I will shew the nations thy
impeded by the heaps of the nakedness" — They shall see her
slain. for what she is: an adulteress; her
sin shall be made manifest to the
VERSE 4 nations (Cp. Rev. 16:15).
"Because of the multitude of the
whoredoms"—Because of Assyria's The Lesson Of The Overthrow —
idolatry with which was associated Vv. 6-13
gross immorality.
The sudden and complete de-
"The well favoured harlot" — struction of such a mighty and
This is a reference to the lavish powerful city revealed that flesh
display of the Temples and Cities is helpless against Yahweh's mighty
of Assyria; but though so dazzling power. In this section of his pro-
without, it was filled with rotten- phecy, Nahum showed that power
ness within. built upon such principles as those
"The mistress of witchcrafts" — upon which Nineveh's was built,
Heb. kesheph, "to inchant or prac- cannot hope to succeed. The
tice magic," i.e. to weave a spell. righteousness of Yahweh demands
This relates to Assyria's skill in that He move against such.
seducing nations (cp. Isa. 36:16-
17). In Galatians 5:20, "witch- VERSE 6
craft" is used to describe the "I will cast abominable filth upon
stupifying effects of false doctrine. thee" — The metaphor is that of
77
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

a vile woman caught in her iniqui- panipal about B.C. 665, and was
ty, and exposed to the insults and greatly reduced in splendour and
ill treatment of the rabble. power to gradually fall into ruin.
"Will set thee as a gazingstock" Nahum used the lesson of the
— The destruction of Nineveh fall of this, the world's wonder
would become an object-lesson to city of antiquity, to point out to
all nations, that all might see and Nineveh that she could not claim
take warning from her fate. any greater fame or beauty than
Thebes which came to an end, and
VERSE 7 that her predicted demise would
also take place. Populous No, or
"All shall flee from thee" — No Amon signifies "The House of
God knew that the nations had Amon," and Amon was the solar
no love for Nineveh, and in the god of Egypt. It suffered an
time of her need would flee from eclipse at the hands of the Assy-
her in case they were involved in rians; and the latter was about
the same calamity. This came to to experience the same fate at
pass in the day of her destruction; the hands of Yahweh. This refer-
all rejoiced at her fall. ence to Thebes assists in dating
VERSE 8 the period of Nahum, which must
have been after B.C.665, but be-
"Art thou better than populous fore the destruction of Nineveh.
No" — According to the margin,
"populous No" should be rendered "Whose bulwark was the sea" —
"No Amon". This is a reference Thebes was situated on both sides
to the city of No-Thebes of the of the Nile, not on the Mediter-
god Amon (signifying "populous"). ranean Sea. However, large rivers
Thebes was considered the most are sometimes referred to as seas
splendid city of Egypt. Diodorus in Scripture (see Isa. 19:5; 27:1;
visited it in 57 B.C. and found Jer. 51:36), and this explains
it largely in ruins. However the Nahum's use of the term.
evidence of its past greatness re- "Her wall was from the sea" —
vealed a most magnificent and Thebes was surrounded by a power-
luxurious city, so that he claimed ful wall which is reputed to have
that it was, in the day of its had at least one hundred gates.
glory, the most beautiful and most In addition to this, the river Nile
stately city, not only of Egypt, and associated canals formed ad-
but of all the world. It was adorn- ditional defence, so that Nahum
ed with elegant public buildings, was able to describe her wall as
magnificent temples, and rich being from the sea. Altogether,
memorials, while some of its pri- Thebes was a very powerful city;
vate houses were four or five yet it fell, forshadowing the fate
storeys high. It contained the of Nineveh! And the fate of Nine-
Temple of Karnach which was, and veh foreshadows the fate of the
even in its ruinous state still is, a present-day mighty cities of the
marvel. Thebes was called by the Gentiles.
Egyptians, "The House of Amon,"
"The Mysterious City," "The City "Ethiopia was her strength" —
of the Hidden Name," "The City The 25th dynasty of Egypt was
of the Lord of Eternity," "The Ethiopian in character, moreover
Mistress of Might," and so on. Ethiopian soldiers were reckoned
It was splendidly situated, in a among the best of Egypt's forces
most fertile and attractive part of (2 Chron. 12:3), illustrating Na-
the land, on both sides of the hum's comment.
Nile, and through its gates the "Egypt was her strength" — De-
wealth of Egypt passed to make spite the fact that Thebes was
this glorious city even more res- supported by the cream of Egyp-
plendent. But Thebes was taken tian forces (the Ethiopians), and
and sacked by the Assyrian Assur- that / she commanded the wealth
78
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

and resources of Egypt itself, it VERSE 11

was brought to an ignominous "Thou also shalt be drunken"—
end. This should have been a Nineveh was warned that it would
warning to Nineveh, but it was likewise be made to drink the
not. Thebes was once the residence cup of affliction, like Thebes (Jer.
of the Pharaohs, and the splen- 25:15, 17, 27).
dour of its ruins, even today, in-
dicates the magnificence of the "Thou shalt be hid" — Rother-
city in its heyday. ham renders this: "Hide thyself."
The prophet ironically bids them
"It was infinite" — Rotherham to hide from the impending trouble
renders "infinite" as "without in recognition of their helplessness,
end." 2 Chron. 12:3 states that but knowing it would be in vain.
her soldiers were "without num-
ber." "Thou shalt seek strength be-
cause of the enemy" — Nineveh,
"Put" — This is identified with in desperation, would look for
Punt, or modern Somaliland, and allies to help, but as with Thebes
thus provides an indication of before her, it would be in vain.
her widespread influence. There is only One reliable Source
"Lubim" — The Libyans. Libya of strength in time of need, but
is towards the west of Egypt, Assyria had no claim to it (Ps.
indicating that the latter nation 37:37-40).
had extended its power and in-
fluence far to the east and west, VERSE 12
and yet it was destroyed. "All thy strongholds shall be like
fig trees with the firstripe figs" —
VERSE 10 This is a very descriptive figure
of speech, for firstripe figs fall at
"Yet was she carried away" — the least shake of the tree by
The defeat of Thebes is recorded those seeking them (Isa. 28:4). The
in Assyrian annals, and was re- analogy indicates the ease with
ferred to by the prophet to show which the strongholds would fall
Nineveh that her wealth, power and to the enemy.
glory would not save her.
"Young children dashed in pieces VERSE 13
at the top of all the streets" —
This brutal treatment of children "Thy people are women" — The
was done in the most public Assyrian men would become as
places, and was the normal treat- women, in the sense that they would
ment carried out by the Assyrians be fearful and terrified at the fierce
against their enemies. This savagery attack of the enemy, and so would
was practised as a warning to the be unable to fight effectively. A
defeated as to how ruthlessly they similar expression is used in re-
would be punished if they dared gard to Egypt (Isa. 19:16), Baby-
to resist. lon (Jer. 51:30) and Israel (Isa.
3:12) under similar circumstances.
"Her great men were bound in
chains" — The most honorable "The gates of thy land shall be
men of defeated nations were set wide open" — The gates of the
usually cruelly dragged along into land refer to the approaches and
captivity bound by a rope fastened passes leading into Assyria which
to a ring in the lip. Figuratively, would be easily taken by the
the Assyrian was repaid in similar enemy, leaving the city itself open
fashion (2 Kings 19:28), a treat- to attack. (See Jer. 15:7; Mic. 5:6).
ment reserved of Yahweh for the The "gates of the land" are in con-
latter-day Assyrian, when He will trast to the "gates of the rivers"
"put hooks in his jaws" and lead referred to in Ch. 2:6:
him forth (Ezek. 38:4). "Fire shall devour thy bars" —
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 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

The bars refer to the gates that "Lay hold of the brick mould"
barred access to the city itself. i.e. get busy making bricks to
Excavations reveal that Nineveh build up your walls — for you
was partly destroyed by fire. will need them!
VERSE 15
The Certainty Of The Overthrow
— Vv. 14-19. "There shall the fire devour
thee" — The word of Yahweh is
It must have appeared incredible so sure that in the very places
to the contemporaries of Nahum where the Ninevites would make
that so mighty and ancient a city their greatest preparations they
as Nineveh should be so com- would experience their greatest de-
pletely, suddenly and quickly over- feats. Not only would the waters
thrown, and yet God's word was of the river rise up against the
completely fulfilled. Today, the brutal and wicked city (Ch. 2:6),
ruins of the ancient city testify but fire also would devour the
to the truth of Bible prophecy. walls, whilst the sword would con-
And now we live at the thresh- sume the people.
hold of the destruction of Assyria's
modern antitype! The nations are "It shall eat thee up like the
building up their power; the word cankerworm" — The Hebrew
of God is ridiculed on all sides; word yeleq signifies "devourer," and
the flesh is everywhere in the occurs in Joel 1:4. The enemy
ascendency, and seems so strong would attack Nineveh as suddenly
and permanent. But the fate of and destructively as would a
ancient Nineveh is a graphic re- swarm of devouring locusts, sud-
minder that it is Yahweh's power denly alighting upon a field and
that shall finally prevail, and mod- quickly consuming existing vege-
ern civilisation shall be overthrown tation.
just as completely as was ancient "Make thyself many as the can-
Nineveh. kerworm" — The prophet invited
the Assyrians to assemble all its
VERSE 14 forces, and multiply them as she
"Draw thee waters for the siege" will, but she would not prevail.
— The prophet ironically bids the See the similar ironical invitation
Ninevites to prepare for a long in Ezekiel 38:7; Joel 3:11.
siege, for in spite of all their "Make thyself many as the lo-
efforts they would be overthrown. custs" — The Hebrew word is
See also the ironical invitation of harbeh, and signifies "increaser"
Ezekiel to Gog, the latter-day from the way in which locusts
Assyrian (Ezek. 38:7). rapidly increase. But, warned the
"Go into clay, and tread the prophet, no matter how Assyria
morter" — The soil adjacent to might imitate the locusts in that
ancient Nineveh is of such a ten- regard, and rapidly increase its
acious quality that when mixed forces, it would still be overthrown.
with water, and kneaded, it easily
can be formed into bricks, whether VERSE 16
sun-dried or kiln-baked. Both kinds "Thou hast multiplied thy mer-
were used, and the clay was usualy chants above the stars of heaven"
mixed with chopped straw. The pro- — The military power of Assyria
phet mocked the Ninevites by in- was rivalled by its commercial
viting them to make the greatest strength. This provided the nation
preparation for the defence and with the resources to continue its
strengthening of their city if they campaigns of conquest, and added
would, but their efforts would all to the seeming prosperity and
be in vain. permanence of Nineveh.
"Make strong the brickkiln" — "The cankerworm spoileth and
The R.V. margin renders this: fleeth away" — The cankerworm
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 PROPHECY OF NAHUM

appears, strips a field bare of its order, when they march, as an

verdure, and then moves on. The army. At evening they descend
invader would treat Nineveh in from their flight, and form, as it
similar fashion. It would be des- were, their camps. In the morning,
troyed, and the conquerors would when the sun has risen consider-
then move on to further conquests. ably, they ascend again, if they
do not find food, and fly in the
VERSE 17 direction of the wind (Prov. 30:27;
"Thy crowned are as the locusts" Nah. 3:16,17). They go in im-
— Rotherham, following the LXX, mense numbers (Jer. 46:23), and
renders: "Thy mercenary crowds occupy a space of ten or twelve
are like the swarming locust." This miles in length, and four or five
rendition implies the ever increas- in breadth, and so deep that
ing commercial population of Nine- the sun cannot penetrate through
veh; if the A.V. is followed, how- them; so that they convert the
ever, it suggests the great increase day into night, and bring a tem-
of those in authority. porary darkness on the land (Joel
2:2, 10; Exod. 10:15). The sound
"Thy captains" — The Hebrew of their wings is terrible (Joel
word is Taphsar, and it appears to 2:2). When they descend upon the
have been an Assyrian title. The earth, they cover a vast track a
only other place where it is used foot and a half high; if the air
is in Jer. 51:27. It suggests those is cold and moist, or if they
who have been elevated into com- be wet with the dew they re-
manding positions of authority. main . . . till they are dried and
"As the great grasshoppers" — warmed by the sun (Nah. 3:17).
Rotherham renders this as, "Swarms Nothing stops them. They fill the
of locusts." The Hebrew word, ditches which are dug to stop
gowb, signifies "to grub." The ref- them with their bodies, and ex-
erence here, however, is not so tinguish by their numbers the fires
much to the grasshopper as such, which are kindled. They pass over
as to its habit, as Nahum's subse- the walls and enter the doors and
quent comments suggest. windows of houses (Joel 2:7-9).
"Which camp in the hedges in They devour everything which is
the cold day" — These grasshop- green, strip off the bark of trees,
pers become torpid in cold weather, and even break them to pieces by
and cease their activities. Nahum their weight (Exod. 10:12-19; Joel
likened the captains of Nineveh 1:4, 7, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20; 2:3)."
to them, predicting that they A locust attack is therefore a
would become inefficient and torpid terrifying experience, and by use
in the day of calamity. of the symbol the Ninevites knew
what to expect.
"Their place is not known where
they are" — Grasshoppers disap- VERSE 18
pear as suddenly and as unexpect-
edly as they appear, and Nahum "Thy shepherds slumber" — The
likened the Assyrian captains to nation's guides and counsellors
them. Adversity would find them would sleep as in death (Ps. 76:5-
gone! 6). They would not manifest the
In view of Nahum's use of the vigilance necessary under such
locust as a symbol, both of the conditions.
enemies of the Assyrians, as well "Thy nobles shall dwell in the
as its own people and rulers, the dust" — The margin renders
following account of the habits "nobles" as "valiant ones" or war-
of these creatures is interesting and riors. Assyrian warriors would be
helpful: "Vast bodies of migrating slain; the people would be scat-
locusts, called by the orientals the tered; none would be able to re-
armies of God, lay waste the gather them, or restore the power
country. They observe a regular of Nineveh.
31
 PROPHECY OF NAHUM
VERSE 19 "All that hear the bruit of thee"
«There is no healing of thy — All that hear the report of thee,
bruise" — The R.V. renders s h a 1 1 r u e J o l f · There will be no
"bruise" as "hurt." The word in sympathy for brutal Assyria nor
the Hebrew signifies a "fracture," N m eveh.
such as the seed of the woman «For u p o n w n o m hath n o t ^
is to administer the seed of the wickedness passed continually" —
serpent (Gen. 3:15). The latter- A 1 1 su ff ered f r o m Assyrian cruelty
day Assyrian will represent the a n d a g g r e s s i o n j a n d a l l w o u i d r e .
Seed of the Serpent in political j o i c e i n i t s o v e r t hrow. The whole
manifestation, to be fractured on w o r l d l a y a t i t s f e e t a t o n e t i m e 5
the head, by the stone power of a n d t h e w h o l e w o r l d w a s r e i i e v e d
Darnel 2:44-.There will be no a t i t s d o w n f a l L A s the nations
healing of that bruise, or hurt! rejoiced over the destruction of
"Thy wound is grievous" — The Nineveh in the past, so they will
literal word signifies "a blow." rejoice when, at last, the latter-
It is the same word as is rendered day Assyrian, Russian Gog will be
"plagues" in Lev. 26:21; Deut. finally overthrown, (Mic. 5:6-7; 4:
28:59, etc., and signified the pun- 3) and the Kingdom of God will
ishment that Yah wen would ad- replace Gentile might (Isa. 2:2-4).
minister to this evil people. "Even so come, Lord Jesus!"

The Dramatic Sequel:

A Rejoicing World
Vividly, dramatically, Nahum spoke his message to the
people. He took them, as it were, outside the walls of mighty Nine-
veh as the enemy prepared to attack it; and then he led them
within, that they might see the fear and consternation that
would sweep the brutal city as it awaited its moment of doom.
He graphically portrayed the chariots massed against the city,
the sun gleaming on the lances, swords and other weapons of
war, the horses straining to be off, the soldiers ready for the
attack; and then he revealed the defenders either paralysed with
fear, or carousing in drunken pleasure whilst awaiting the out-
come. It is a picture, not only of those times, but also of the
future.
The downfall of the brutal power of the north would be
celebrated by the proclamation of the Gospel message proclaim-
ing peace and goodwill to the people of God, causing happiness
to hearts previously heavy with dread.
Nahum's prophecy concludes on a note that illustrates the
meaning of his name as the Comforter, for it states that the
destruction of Nineveh would be applauded by the rejoicing of
all people as they felt the shackles of oppression removed from
them. There would be general acclamation at the report of the
calamity that would overwhelm Nineveh! The news would be
received with joy, and a period of world-wide rejoicing would
result.
82
 How true this is of the future, when the antitype of ancient
Assyria and Nineveh will meet its doom at the hands of the
Lord Jesus Christ (Micah 5:5-6). The world will at first stand
in awe at the terrible and decisive overthrow, but then, as it
comes to recognise the significance of it, and experiences the
results of it, it will spontaneously burst into acclamation that
the flesh in political manifestation has been overthrown, and
men are freed to worship Yahweh in the beauty of holiness.
The world is approaching the time when the latter-day
Assyrian will be revealed. Already, preparations to defend that
which he claims as his own are well in hand. Soon the world
will be plunged into Armageddon, and the prophetic pictures of
the Word will become a reality in the earth. The Stone power
will destroy the Image to the ultimate joy of all mankind. All
will applaud the overthrow of Gog, and the consequent proclam-
ation of peace to all mankind conditional upon their acceptance
of the righteous rule of Messiah. For the true comforter of Zion
will be here to "build again the tabernacle of David which is
fallen down; to build again the ruins thereof and set it up; that
the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gen-
tiles upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth
all these things" (Acts 15:16-17).
May we rejoice with all mankind in that day, not merely in
the fact that the latter-day Assyrian has been overwhelmed, but
that we have gained the victory over the world through our
faith, and have been granted the grand gift of heavenly health,
even life eternal.

2 THE PROPER USE OF THE PROPHETIC WORD

S
In ages past, God has had among the nations a people of His
own. These are wise in the wisdom of God, and venerate His word
above all things. Though not His counsellors, He has graciously
condescended to inform them what He intends to do before it comes
to pass. Hence, it is testified by the prophet that "the Lord God will
surely do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the
prophets". This revelation is made that His people's faith may be
confirmed and enlarged, and that in every generation they may know
the times and seasons to which they stand related. Knowing the
signs, they are enabled to discern the times; and while consternation
and dismay cause men's hearts to fail they are courageous, and
rejoice in perceiving the approach of the Kingdom of God.
jj This is the proper use of the prophetic word.
$
— J. Thomas, Elpis Israel.

83
 VALUABLE VERSE BY
VERSE EXPOSITIONS
Other titles in this series are as follows:
* PROPHECIES OF THE RESTORATION
— Ezekiel Chapters 33-39
* JOEL: PROPHET OF GLOOM
AND GLORY
— The Prophecy of Joel
* TO THE STRANGERS SCATTERED
ABROAD
— 1st Epistle of Peter
* CONTENDING EARNESTLY FOR THE
FAITH
— 2nd Epistle of Peter and Jude
* DESPISE NOT THE DAY OF SMALL
THINGS
— Prophecy of Zechariah
* APOCALYPSE EPITOMISED
— Book of Revelation
* CONSIDER YOUR WAYS
— Prophecy of Haggai and Zephaniah
* THE STORY OF RUTH
— Book of Ruth
These detailed commentaries are available from
Ecclesial Librarians, or direct from
LOGOS PUBLICATIONS,
West Beach Post Office,
South Australia, 5024.

,J