Nahum 3:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It faced numerous attacks from adversaries, yet received healing afterwards when God showed mercy, alleviating its afflictions. Yet, when it arrogantly turned against the Sovereign of all, it was devastated without remedy, as proclaimed by the prophet: there remained no alleviation for the calamities that beset them. Thus, the blessed prophets compared Jerusalem to Babylon, saying, "Let us heal Babylon, and there is no cure: let us depart, every man to his own way: for her judgment reaches to heaven, and is lifted up even to the stars" (Jeremiah 51:9). The offense against heaven, and sin high above, is that they dared to act insolently not just against any saints, but against the Lord of Hosts. All who hear your news will raise their hands in derision against you: for who will not find your malice ever present? The divine judgment that has decreed Babylon's destruction is evident, as no one will doubt it; rather, all will celebrate and rejoice, mocking its fall, for it has subjected many to unbearable suffering and has inflicted grievous oppression. Its cruelty has been harsh and intolerable to all, even affecting those who were distant from it. Indeed, even Satan, the architect of sin, who casts his net of malice everywhere and has led the heavenly realm into ruin, has been struck down by Christ and stripped of his authority over us. Now, he too might justly hear the words of the Prophet: "All who hear your news will raise their hands in triumph against you: for who will not find your wickedness always present?"

For, Asshur, you have provoked God by ravaging His people and attempting to exalt your lair to the heavens, thus you are deemed proud; your city is in ruin, and after the fall of all the princes who could withstand the enemies, the remaining members of your populace, frail and scorned, have scattered upon the mountains, with no leader to rally them and form a new force. Your affliction is obvious, and your wound is beyond the healing of any physician. Those who hear of the demise of Nineveh, the once mightiest city, and of the Assyrian monarch, who held sway over it, lying injured and half-dead in his own blood, will either be astonished by this significant and unexpected turn of events and clap their hands, or perhaps celebrate in joy, expressing their delight loudly. No one mourns for you, nor weeps over your downfall, since there is none upon whom your malice has not relentlessly fallen. It is rightly said that the king of Assyria’s spite toward his adversaries cannot last indefinitely. Up to this point, I have adopted a historical approach to interpretation. However, before delving into the nuances of the LXX translation, which conveys a markedly different message, we must elevate our understanding above the literal sense of the Hebrew text, recognizing that Nahum's final prophecy serves as an address to the devil, the proud ruler of Assyria, who once boasted, saying, “I will establish the fortress... I will act through wisdom... I will remove the boundaries of languages, and I will strip their strength, shaking the inhabited cities” (Isaiah 10:13-14). Yet to him it is declared: “How you are fallen from heaven, O morning star, and how you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations” (Isaiah 14:12). Nineveh, your beautiful and formidable city, which you claimed as your own to the extent of saying to the Son of God, “All these things have been delivered to me; if you fall down and worship me, I will give it to you” (Matthew 4:9; Luke 4:6-7), is now no more. Your shepherds and the kings beneath you, who failed to nourish the people for their salvation but offered them as sacrifices to satisfy your greed, have succumbed to sleep. All your people and the immense nations that once served you have deserted you and your city, retreating to the mountains and seeking refuge with the apostles and teachers of Christ, and still, not a single leader emerges to gather this crowd that was once yours. The reality of your affliction is known globally; all who once fell under your deceit now rejoice at your downfall, for there are few, if any, whom you have not misled or upon whom your malice has not been directed. It is noteworthy that those in whom the wickedness of the devil remains cannot rejoice at your demise and injury, as they belong to the ranks of the shepherds aligned with the king of Assyria; yet those upon whom your malice has passed rejoice at your fall, as if applauding their deed of righteousness.

Though the Hebrew text conveys destruction up to this point, it ultimately also prophesies the defeat and downfall of the devil himself, the prince of this world, for “the world ... lies in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). The LXX translation persists in addressing the mixture of the world, stating that its shepherds have fallen asleep and that the king of Assyria had lulled them into slumber. Thus, the LXX depicts the actions of the Assyrian concerning others, not what he experiences, omitting the devil’s defeat, affliction, and plights. Therefore, woe to those who promote perverse doctrines in Nineveh! It is stated of them, “Your shepherds have slumbered,” for they have closed their eyes in slumber, resulting in a failure to seek the Lord or find a place for the God of Jacob, nor did they hear of Ephrath, the fruitful church, which they did not discover among the oak trees (Psalm 131:4-6). It is not only the shepherds of this mixture who are lulled to sleep; they have been put into slumber by the king of Assyria. For the king of Assyria understands he cannot deceive the sheep until he first puts the shepherds to sleep. The devil diligently seeks to lull the vigilant souls into slumber. Consequently, during the Lord’s suffering, he caused the apostles to fall into a deep sleep, whom the Savior awakened, saying, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Mark 14:38), and “What I say unto you, I say unto all, watch” (Mark 13:37). Since he relentlessly attempts to induce sleep in those who are awake, the Word of God rouses all whom he has deceived, as if through the enticing yet harmful melodies of sirens meant to induce slumber, proclaiming: “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Ephesians 5:14). Thus, when Christ arrives and the Word of God alongside the teachings of the Church prevails, and when Nineveh, the once beautiful harlot, meets its end, the people, who were previously put to sleep by those false teachers, will swiftly awaken, seeking the mountains of Scripture and discovering there the mountains—Moses, and Joshua’s son Joshua, the mountains of the prophets, the mountains of the New Testament— the apostles and evangelists. When someone escapes to these heights and engages with these divine texts, should they find none to instruct them—“for the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers few” (Matthew 9:37)—their fervor in fleeing to the heights will be validated, and the negligence of the teachers will be laid bare, as it was added, “And there is none to gather them.” Consequently, there shall be no remedy for your brokenness; your inflammation persists. The wise of Nineveh remains unhealed, as they do not abandon their pride, and the wound is kept alive by the daily strikes from the devil. After all this, there is no remedy for their ruin, and while they may believe themselves healthy, their soul is shattered and beaten by the hammer of the world and remains unhealed due to their continued arrogance. However, if one humbles themselves and submits to Christ, “a broken and contrite heart God will not despise,” and “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit” (Psalm 51:19). Ultimately it is declared, “All who hear the news concerning you will clap their hands.” For upon whom has not your malice been directed continually? When you, O mixer, are disciplined, those who hear the tidings will abundantly express joy and excitement in unison, celebrating your fall, for it may be that there are none, or very few, on whom your malice has not perpetually acted. If indeed Nineveh possesses those who are mixers as shepherds and guardians, from whom all false teachings and false pretenses of knowledge stem, then it is to be feared that none escape the influence of the mixer. Take note, however, that it is stated, “into whom your malice has not penetrated, O mixer,” but rather, “upon whom it has not attacked.” For often the arrows of false teachings may attempt to pierce the depths of our souls; yet when we secure the gates, even though the mixer assaults us with all his might and ceaselessly, he cannot breach us, aided by Christ the Lord and by diligently guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4).