Nahum
Nahum is usually classified with the minor prophets. Although we know practically nothing about Nahum as a person, we can judge from the contents of his book that he was not a prophet in the true sense of the word. He was a poet who possessed a remarkable style of writing and who described in unforgettable language the fall of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, in 612 B.C. This event was an occasion for rejoicing on the part of the Jews, especially those in whom the spirit of nationalism was strong. Nahum's original poem is recorded in Chapters 2 and 3. The first chapter contains an acrostic poem — a poem in which the first letter of each line, taken together, forms a name or saying — that is used as an introduction to the book. Possibly the author of the main poem in the second and third chapters may have witnessed the battle that brought destruction to Nineveh, but of this we cannot be sure. The poem opens with a series of denunciations, is followed by a vivid account of the capture of the city, and concludes with a list of sarcastic remarks about a boastful power that is now laid low. For all of its remarkable qualities as an example of poetry, the poem is really a hymn of hate. For centuries, the Hebrew people suffered at the hands of the Assyrians; concerning those bitter experiences, we can see why this poem appealed to the editors who included it with the writings of the prophets.
