Nahum 1:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After Hezekiah's time, a significant period later, King Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, witnessed Nebuchadnezzar besieging Jerusalem after ravaging all of Judea. Ultimately, the holy city was captured, the esteemed temple was set on fire, and the people of Judah were exiled, joining those taken by Sennacherib from Samaria. Thus, has not the Almighty fulfilled His promise made through the Prophet to Israel's descendants, stating, "Thy name shall not be scattered unto them"? Would it not be irrational, indeed a profound sin, to suggest that God could utter a falsehood? For God is incapable of lying. He fulfills His promises in this manner. First, He reminded Israel of its liberation during the era of Cyrus, who vanquished the Babylonian empire. He indicated that thereafter, there would be no further exiles, as those called back to their homeland would live securely in Judah. Despite subsequent wars instigated against them by Antiochus Epiphanes and others, they were never again taken away into captivity, but rather resided peacefully in their own land. In this context, concerning Israel by flesh, the phrase "Thy name shall not be scattered unto them" may be understood. Moreover, the words "Thy name shall not be scattered from thy name to this" rightly pertain to spiritual Israel—those who perceive God with the eyes of faith and are in awe of the glory of the Only-begotten Son. Prior to their conversion, they were under the dominion of foes, yielding to Satan and corrupt powers, ensnared by the most disgraceful earthly desires. In time, however, the power of these former rulers was shattered, and with them, sin was vanquished. Christ has redeemed us, leading us to sanctification through faith, despite our prior dispersion amidst various sinful desires and countless idols. Now, we shall no longer be scattered but will dwell completely in Christ, united by one faith, one baptism, one Lord and Savior, thus joining us to God the Father in a spiritual bond.

From the house of God, I will consume that which I have crafted, and that which I have joined together will be uncovered in your tomb. Israel grievously offended the Lord through betrayal and wickedly forsaking Him who had rescued them, surrendering themselves to idolatrous service; as a result, they were taken captive by their enemies and brought to Nineveh. Even those who remained in Jerusalem were often disinclined to love God, displaying wavering piety, neglecting to please Him, and casting off the duty of His service, while still making sacrifices to Baal, Astarte, and the host of heaven. Yet when God, through His holy prophets, pronounced judgment, declaring that Jerusalem would be annihilated and its people would be exiled to foreign lands, at times, some of the kings sought sobriety, destroying temples and overturning altars, burning the crafted idols. Josiah, specifically mentioned by the man of God, stood out gloriously in this respect during Jeroboam son of Nebat’s time, who led Israel into sin by establishing idolatrous sacrifices to golden calves. He confronted the altar with the Lord's message: "To the altar, saith the Lord, Behold a son is born unto the house of David, and his name is Josiah; he shall eat the sacrifices upon thee, and he that eats upon the high places shall burn the bones of men upon thee" (1 Kings 13:2). The fulfillment of this prophecy is attested by Scripture. In the Fourth Book of Kings, it is recorded that "the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for the sacred grove, and for all the host of heaven, and burned them outside of Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley, and he scattered their ashes into Bethel." He further commanded to burn the Asherah pole that the kings of Judah had made, the high places, and all the altars, as was written concerning him. He took the idol from the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, carried it to the brook Kidron, and burned it, reducing it to dust which he then cast upon the graves of the children of the people (2 Kings 23:4-6).

Thus, you can see how certain remnants became a tomb for some and were consumed from the house of the Lord. Additionally, another scripture corroborates this in the Second Book of Chronicles, which mentions, "In the last year of his reign," referring to Josiah, "he began to seek the Lord God of his father David; in the twelfth year of his reign, he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the Asherim and the carved images. He demolished the altars of Baalim in his presence, along with the incense altars that were above them, and he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles, and he ground the images to powder and scattered their ashes over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He burned the bones of the priests upon their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem" (2 Chronicles 34:3-5). So they perished, as stated, within their very temples and were buried alongside the altars, as prophesied. It is essential to note that Nahum prophesied during Hezekiah’s reign. Following him was Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, who ruled for fifty-five years, succeeded by his son Amon for two years, and ultimately Josiah, during whose reign the prophetic words came to fruition, as previously confirmed in Scripture.

I note these final phrases from the LXX translation are inseparable from the preceding text. In the place of the words ‘because you are held in contempt,’ where the fifth edition has ὅτι ὑβρίσθης, the LXX has rendered it as ‘because swift,’ instead of the Hebrew text which states ‘chi calloth.’ The term ‘swift,’ however, lacks clarity unless connected to the phrase about ‘footsteps’ in the subsequent section.

I will first explore the historical context and then examine the meaning of the traditional (vulgate) translation. The Lord’s declaration, concerning you, Asshur, means that the events you shall face are not by chance nor without divine judgment, but are decreed by God. No longer shall there be descendants from your name, for soon after his return to Nineveh, Sennacherib was slain by his own offspring—refer to Isaiah for this account—and he met his end in the temple of his god where he sought to worship. This reflects the statement, ‘out of the house of thy god I will destroy,’ indicating you will suffer punishment precisely where you sought refuge. The statues and idols shall become your grave, resulting in the shedding of the wicked blood of those who worship idols among the altars and cushions.

Furthermore, according to the translation, LXX must be connected to what follows. ‘There shall be no more,’ it states, ‘seed from thy name.’ The souls of the deceived will no longer take the names for their lands from your teachings, a notion echoed figuratively in the forty-eighth psalm. This cessation of sowing, which previously led to the ruin of both the sower and the one who received the seed, will be advantageous. For you, false doctrines shall cease, and you, who once believed you were alive, will turn away from error, finding that the idols you venerated are but tombs. In your heart, which was once the temple of the god you fabricated, all illusions will cease. This fate awaits you, who formerly conspired against the Lord, when the Word of God, which ever rises upon the mountains—that is, in the souls of those who aspire to higher truths—swiftly reaches you, and when the tumult of past deceits is quieted, it will grant you peace and the gift of faith.

I apologize for my lengthiness, as I struggle to succinctly wrap both the historical and allegorical significance together, particularly given the translation differences that complicate my ability to clearly connect the thoughts presented in the common (vulgate) edition.