Chapter 1

Argument

¹ Jonah the wonderful preached to the Ninevites that, unless they repented, they would perish; and Nineveh was the foremost city of the Assyrians. And these men, having been persuaded, and having turned away the divine wrath through repentance, at that time experienced none of the dreadful things that had been threatened; but, such are the affairs of human weakness, afterward they grew slack, and returned to their former wickedness, and did countless other lawless deeds, and dared to make campaigns against Israel. And the ten tribes, both Tiglath-pileser and Shalmaneser enslaved and led away captive. And Sennacherib, having made war upon the tribe of Judah, and having taken many cities, and having besieged Jerusalem itself, and having moved his tongue against God himself, lost in a single night those many thousands; and he himself, having escaped this blow and having come home — in order that he might proclaim the divine power (for it was for this that he was preserved) — within his very palace received the blow at the hands of his own sons. Then a little later, when the kingdom was transferred to the Persians and Medes, Nineveh was given over to utter destruction, at which time Cyrus also set the Israelites free.

² The prophet Nahum, then, who is here in hand, proclaims beforehand this destruction of Nineveh: at once teaching all men that God, being just, leaves nothing without his providence, but lays upon each the penalties that befit him. Therefore Israel, having become impious, he handed over to the Assyrians; and these same men in turn to the Persians, because, when they had received Israel, they treated them savagely. For they did not campaign against Israel as ministering to the divine wrath, but as glutting their own greed, and wishing to lord it over all. Therefore God at that time used them as chastisers and executioners against Israel; but, that they might not suppose that they had accomplished what they did by their own power, he struck down the many thousands of Sennacherib, and at last brought down Nineveh itself together with the kingdom of the Assyrians. For God, when his own people has sinned, hands them over indeed to their enemies; yet he wills that these treat them not without mercy in the things against the divine people. Therefore, if he should see these executioners chastising too bitterly, he lets loose his own wrath upon them as well, that they may learn by experience how great an evil is cruelty. But if someone shall say: How then was Saul cast off, because he dealt more humanely with the Amalekites? — let him hear, first, that the Amalekites were not the people of God, but apostates and enemies; whereas we are speaking about the divine people, whom God wishes to discipline as a father a son, but not to destroy; and next, that God also expressly commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites, and it was not right to transgress the plain command of God. And besides, it was not out of love for mankind that Saul spared Amalek, but out of love of money. The prophet, then, teaches all men, as has been said, the divine providence; and in a particular way he also instills good hopes into the Israelites, that they might not, despairing utterly, fall away from their hope in God; but, looking to him, and armored by their faith in him as the only one able to redeem, might have consolation, since the Assyrians were destined to pay penalties to Cyrus, by whom they too would be released from their captivity. For despair was making them go over to the nations and pursue the customs of those nations. This, then, is the manifest theme of the present prophecy. And the mystery concerning Christ, which lies deep, is here perceived. May he himself grant us to behold it, who enlightens every man that comes into the world, at the same time setting right our character as well, through the good and upright Spirit, of whom the prophecy is an operation.