The burden concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkohshite.
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Cyril of Alexandria
AD 444
An oracle for Nineveh. A book of a vision of Nahum of Elkosh (v.1).
He begins by specifying the purpose of the prophecy, and helpfully makes precise the focus of his attention. He then makes clear who is speaking and from where he comes, saying it is an oracle; that is to say, the prophecy “taken up” and set in our hands has to do with nothing else than Nineveh—in other words, let the oracle of the prophecy be taken as Nineveh. The book bears the inscription, an oracle of Nahum of Elkosh, which is definitely a town somewhere in the country of the Jews; we shall take the phrase of Elkosh to refer not to his father but to a place, making this claim on the basis of the tradition of what has been conveyed to us.
(Haydock)
Ninive was taken by the waters of the Tigris overflowing, at the first siege. (Diod. ii.; Athen. xii.)
The like might happen at the second, though profane authors be silent. (Calmet)
Many think that the flood means great armies, Isaias viii. 7. (Forer.; Vatable)
Septuagint, "He will utterly destroy: those who rise up and his enemies, darkness "(Haydock)
Chaldean, The. adopt the same sense, but Symmachus, agree with us. (Calmet)Ver. 9. Affliction. Septuagint add, "for the same thing, or together. "(Haydock)
Many hence infer, that those who have been slain by God, like the Sodomites, will not be condemned to hell. (Origen, i. Ezec.; St. Jerome.; St. Thomas Aquinas, 3. p. q. 59. a. 5.)
But this principle cannot be always correct. (Calmet)
Their temporal suffering might usher in eternal ones. (St. Gregory, Mor. xviii. 12.)
Ninive shall perish; so that a second blow will not be requisite, 1 Kings xxvi. 8. (Drusius) (Calmet)Ver. 10. Dry. The Assyrians, feasting in the hope...
Burden, or threat. (Worthington)
Septuagint, "assumption "(Haydock) when the prophet saw in spirit the impending ruin. (Theodoret)
Allegorically, Nahum is "the comforter "of the just, shewing that God will avenge their cause against Ninive, "the beautiful "and destroy the world, (kosmos, which also means "beautiful") after which the saints shall reign in eternal glory. (Worthington)
We have described Ninive, Jonas i. (Calmet)
It was overturned first in the year of the world 3257, and again in the year 3378. (Usher)
Elcesite. Some think that Elcesai was the father of Nahum; but most suppose that it was a village Galilee. (Calmet)Ver. 2. The Lord. The six following verses (Haydock) tend to excite attention. (Calmet) Ver. 3. Cleanse. Literally, "cleansing, he will not make innocent. "(Haydock)
The same expression is rendered, No man of himself is innocent before thee, Exodus xxxiv. 7. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "the innocent he will not deem innocent. "(Haydock)
No man is perfect in God...
NAHUM, whose name signifies A COMFORTER, was a native of Elcese, or Elcesai, supposed to be a little town in Galilee. He prophesied, after the ten tribes were carried into captivity, and foretold the utter destruction of Ninive, by the Babylonians and Medes: which happened in the reign of JOSIAS.
