Nahum 1:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

'There shall arise,' he proclaims, "from the earth a breath that will confront you and blind you from wrongdoing" (Nahum 2:1). But let us return to the beginning. 'Rejoice, O Judah, in your festivals, and keep your commitments; for the wicked shall no longer pass through you.' What festivals? The ancient ones, which prefigure the new. The first day of Unleavened Bread, if examined closely, represents suffering. Next comes the day of Pentecost, an image of the coming of the holy and honorable Spirit. The Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes the heavenly dwellings. Therefore, the Lord, in illustrating that these temporary dwellings were a foreshadowing of the everlasting ones, said to the wealthy of this world: 'Make friends for yourselves with unrighteous wealth, so that when you are in need, they may welcome you into eternal homes' (Luke 16:9). The temporal dwellings thus served as a representation of the eternal abodes. As the work of Christ completed the ancient symbols and initiated new grace, the prophet appropriately urges, 'Rejoice, O Judah, in your festivals, fulfill your obligations'; signifying that 'the wicked shall no longer pass through you.' The old is renewed through grace, 'for they are completely annihilated.' The serpent's word was lifted upon the cross by Moses in the wilderness and of the divine Trinity.

Furthermore, it is declared: ‘This one shall build My city, and let My exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts’” (Isaiah 45:1-2, 13). The messenger of peace will come to the Israelites, announcing Cyrus’s campaign, when they would cast off their chains of captivity, shatter the rod of oppression, and be freed from their grievous bonds, returning to their homeland in gladness.

If one wishes to connect these words to the message of the holy Baptist, it would be appropriate, for he preached in the wilderness, as if calling from the mountains, sharing the good news of peace through Christ. How beautiful and swift are the feet of him who proclaimed: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” (Isaiah 40:3). Rejoice, O Judah, celebrate your festivals, fulfill your vows, for you will not be required to follow the path of your promises. As the law instructed that sacrifices should only be offered within the holy court, the designated place “which the Lord your God shall choose...” (Deuteronomy 12:26), the Israelites, living as exiles among the Persians and Medes, found themselves unable to carry out the commandments of the law, to observe their customary feasts, or to offer sacrifices and thanksgivings as mandated by the law. They may have even hesitated to sing praises to God. This is corroborated by the words of the divine David, who expressed the sorrow of the Babylonian exiles: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion; we hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it” (Psalm 136:1-2), adding, “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 136:4). As I mentioned, being far removed from their homeland, temple, and holy places, they could not fulfill the requirements of the law. However, upon their eventual release from captivity, either the messenger of peace, whose feet are swift, or the prophet himself would announce to them that they could celebrate their festivals, sing songs of gratitude, and perform their duties without obstruction. He foretold that soon their adversaries would be defeated; they would not endure as a lasting threat, nor experience eternal prosperity, for Babylon (or the kingdom of Assyria) would cease to exist, humbled and erased from memory.

Let the true spiritual Jew take heed of these truths: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Romans 2:28-29). Therefore, such a one will joyfully observe the feasts, his faith firmly resting in Christ, having been sanctified by the Spirit, radiating the grace of sonship, offering himself as a pleasing aroma to God through acts of virtue, purity, self-discipline, courage, patience, love, trust, charity, kindness, and forbearance; such sacrifices are well-pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:16). Moreover, let the spiritual Judah be aware of all his enemies, who will face destruction, destined for eternal punishment, as Christ commanded the unclean spirits to depart into the abyss, granting His followers strength to resist foes, to bravely contend against sinful desires, and to overcome sin, “to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). It is destined to occur, and it cannot be avoided, for the downfall of Nineveh will surely come. The proclamation that “it has passed away” signifies that it has already faced destruction, and “it has erupted,” indicating it has been completely devastated and obliterated.

Nevertheless, after an angel brought destruction upon his army, and his flight and demise were announced, they observed the Passover with great solemnity in the second month. Therefore, these words convey the following message: Do not be anxious, O Judah, sovereign in Jerusalem, for your adversary has been slain in the temple of his deity. Behold, a messenger approaches you, swiftly traversing the mountains and hills, announcing from a distance, like a sentinel, the death of Sennacherib and the city’s liberation from his dominion. Observe the feasts and fulfill your commitments made to God for the downfall of your foe: no longer shall the wicked and apostate pass through you, for this is what "Belial" signifies. He has perished entirely, meaning the army, the king, and the Assyrian dominion are utterly vanquished. This interpretation applies to the literal meaning, yet in a sacramental sense, it is revealed to the churches and souls professing the Lord that the devil, who once laid waste to you and oppressed you with a heavy burden, has perished along with the idols of his making; therefore, observe your feasts and fulfill your commitments before God, constantly praising Him with the angels, because no longer shall Belial pass through you, concerning whom the apostle questions, "What is the fellowship of Christ with Belial?" (2 Cor. 6:15). Indeed, after the destruction of Nineveh, he was entirely eliminated. If there should arise a severe persecution, akin to that during the reigns of Valerian, Decius, or Maximian, we would say to the Church, Rejoice, Judah, in your celebrations and fulfill your vows, etc. The Septuagint version states, Rejoice, O Judah, in your feasts, fulfill your vows, for the enemies shall no longer advance; the offering is complete, accomplished; the one who blows upon your face approaches, delivering you from distress. I have already pointed out that due to translation discrepancies, the divisions are not equally apportioned, and the sense of the Hebrew text cannot align with the divisions of the Septuagint translation. Hence, what is now conveyed has the following significance: Since, O child of the Church, your enemies shall no longer bear seed in their name, their rod shall be shattered, their bonds shall be loosened, and the one proclaiming peace to you shall arrive; therefore, observe your feasts—not through wine and earthly indulgences, as the carnal Jews believe, but through spiritual joys and the sweetness of the river (Psalm 35:9). Fulfill your commitments, O Judah, for your adversaries who seek to reduce you to ruins—who wish you to wear the guise of an old man—shall no longer invade you; for that which is old ages and that which ages is on the brink of destruction. The world has reached its conclusion, the enemy has been defeated; Christ approaches you, who once blew upon your face as He formed you from dust, and who after His resurrection breathed on the apostles saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). He will also rescue you from distress. For when Nineveh falls and peace departs, then calamity shall also cease.