NAHUM

(Naʹhum) [Comforter [that is, an encourager]].

1. An Israelite prophet of the seventh century B.C.E. and the writer of the book bearing his name. Nahum may have been in Judah at the time he recorded his prophecy. (Na 1:15) His being an Elkoshite evidently means that he was a resident of Elkosh, possibly a city or village of Judah.​—Na 1:1; see ELKOSHITE.

Since Judah had thus suffered long under the heavy hand of Assyria, Nahum’s prophecy regarding Nineveh’s imminent destruction was good news. As if Assyria had already experienced its downfall, Nahum wrote: “Look! Upon the mountains the feet of one bringing good news, one publishing peace. O Judah, celebrate your festivals. Pay your vows; because no more will any good-for-nothing person pass again through you. In his entirety he will certainly be cut off.” (Na 1:15) No longer would there be any interference from the Assyrians; nothing would hinder the Judeans from attending or celebrating the festivals. The deliverance from the Assyrian oppressor would be complete. (Compare Na 1:9.)