Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Argumentum
Jonah, preaching against Nineveh and threatening its destruction within forty days, converted it to repentance; through which it escaped and averted the threats and destruction threatened by Jonah. But afterwards, returning to its nature and to its crimes and tyranny, it provoked God's wrath against itself once more, especially when it tyrannically invaded and destroyed other nations, and in particular the Israelites, that is, the ten tribes. Therefore after Jonah, God sent Nahum, who would renew and recall Jonah's threats against Nineveh. Moreover, Ribera proves at length in chapter II, number 5 and following (whom Torniellus follows at year of the world 3321) that Nineveh was not destroyed on account of its first relapse into crimes, which immediately followed the repentance performed under Jonah's preaching, but on account of another much later transgression. For on account of that earlier relapse of the Ninevites under Sardanapalus, God immediately punished them by allowing them to be subjugated by Arbaces the Mede and Belosus the Babylonian. For these captured Nineveh and compelled Sardanapalus to take his own life. But Nineveh, devastated by Arbaces, afterwards flourished again and had several most powerful kings, namely Pul, Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, and Esarhaddon, who harassed and oppressed the Israelites, as is evident from the fourth book of Kings; and under them it returned to its former crimes and tyranny. Therefore Nahum here again threatens God's vengeance and destruction upon it and upon all Assyria (for Nineveh was its capital), who, like a new Jonah proclaiming a new punishment, directed these threats against it after the ten tribes had been led away into Assyria, which occurred in the sixth year of Hezekiah. Hence it is clear that he prophesied after the sixth year of Hezekiah, but before his fourteenth year, in which Sennacherib king of the Assyrians invaded Judea and besieged Jerusalem; for Nahum here predicts his coming and the liberation of Jerusalem and Hezekiah from him. So say St. Jerome here in his Preface, Theodoret, Theophylact, Remigius, Haymo, Albert, Hugo, Ribera, a Castro, and others generally.
Hear St. Jerome: "After Jonah," he says, "Micah is placed, and after Micah Nahum, who is interpreted as 'consoler'; for already the ten tribes had been led into captivity by the Assyrians under Hezekiah king of Judah, under whom also now the vision against Nineveh is seen for the consolation of the exiled people. Nor was it a small consolation, both for those (the Israelites, or ten tribes) who were already serving the Assyrians, and for the rest who under Hezekiah from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin were besieged by the same enemies, to hear that the Assyrians too would be captured by the Chaldeans." From this it again follows that from the beginning of Jonah's prophecy to Nahum about 90 years had elapsed. Therefore the Hebrews in Seder Olam err, and following them Vatablus, Arias, and Genebrardus in their Chronology, who count only 40, because they think that Nahum, Joel, and Habakkuk prophesied under Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, but were silent about his name since he was wicked. For Jonah, as I showed in his Introduction, began to prophesy in the time of Jeroboam and Sardanapalus, at the beginning of the reign of Uzziah king of Judah; therefore since Uzziah reigned 52 years, then his son Jotham 16 years, after Jotham Ahaz 16 years, and after Ahaz Hezekiah succeeded, in whose sixth year or shortly after Nahum prophesied; if you add up all these years, you will arrive at the 90 I mentioned. Torniellus, at year of the world 3321, judges that Nahum began to prophesy one year before Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem, that is, in the thirteenth year of Hezekiah; for in his fourteenth year Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem. If this is true, it follows that between Nahum and the beginning of Jonah 97 years elapsed.
Moreover this prophecy of Nahum was fulfilled, and Nineveh with the kingdom of the Assyrians was overthrown, about the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, as I shall show at the beginning of chapter II. Therefore from this prophecy of Nahum to its fulfillment, that is, to the destruction of Nineveh, about 138 years elapsed. For Nahum began around the sixth year of Hezekiah, who then reigned for 23 more years (for he reigned 29 years in all); his son Manasseh succeeded him, who reigned 55 years. Amon succeeded him for two years; then Josiah for 34 years;
then Jehoiakim for 11 years; then Zedekiah for 11 years; under whom in his eleventh year Jerusalem was destroyed by the Chaldeans, and then five years later Nineveh was overthrown by the same. Add up these years, and you will have the 138 I mentioned. From what has been said, it follows that Clement of Alexandria errs, who in book I of the Stromata judges that Nahum prophesied after Ezekiel, that is, after the fifth year of the exile of Jehoiachin to Babylon. Josephus too is less than correct, in book IX, Antiquities XI, when he writes that Nahum began to prophesy under Jotham, who was the grandfather of Hezekiah.
Concerning Nahum, St. Epiphanius writes thus in his Life: "Nahum was born in Elkesi beyond the Jordan river, toward Begabar, of the tribe of Simeon. This is that prophet who after Jonah gave a sign and portent concerning Nineveh, that it would one day be devastated by fresh waters and earthly fire. Which indeed at last came to pass, for when an earthquake encompassed it on all sides, and then water coming from the wilderness occupied all the higher parts of the city. Nahum breathed out his soul in peace, and rests in Begabar in his peaceful abode in death." But concerning this portent, namely that Nineveh would be overthrown by fresh waters, fire, and earthquake, we read nothing expressly in Nahum or in Josephus. Yet Dorotheus says the same in his Life of Nahum, and adds the manner: "For the lake," he says, "by which that city (Nineveh) was surrounded, when an earthquake occurred, submerged and destroyed it; and fire arising from the wilderness consumed its upper part." And something of this sort Nahum insinuates in chapter 1:4, and chapter 2:13, and chapter 2:15, as I shall note there. In the same place Dorotheus asserts that Nahum prophesied concerning the resurrection in chapter 1:15.
Tropologically and anagogically St. Jerome says: "It must be known (since Nineveh in Hebrew means 'beautiful'; and this world is called beautiful, whence among the Greeks too kosmos received its name from adornment) that whatever is now said against Nineveh is figuratively proclaimed about the world. For which reason the 'burden,' which the Seventy translate as lemma, and Aquila as herma, in Hebrew is rendered massa, that is, a heavy burden, because it presses down upon that against which it is directed, and does not allow it to raise its neck." And shortly after: "Concerning the consummation of the world, therefore, according to the anagogical sense, O Paula and Eustochium, the prophecy is woven for the consolation of the Saints, so that whatever they see in the world they may despise as passing and perishable, and prepare themselves for the day of judgment, when the Lord will be an avenger against the true Assyrians." The same, in his letter to Paulinus: "Nahum," he says, "the consoler of the world rebukes the city of blood, and after its overthrow speaks: Behold upon the mountains the feet of one evangelizing and announcing peace." For Nahum, or in Hebrew Nachum, is derived from the root nacham, that is, 'he has consoled.' Nahum therefore is the same as Noah, that is, 'consoler,' by apo-
-cope. For of Noah it is said in Genesis 5:29: "And he called his name Noah, saying: This one shall console us from our works and the labors of our hands, in the land which the Lord has cursed." See what was said there. Again, because nacham in the piel form signifies 'to repent,' hence Nahum can also be translated as 'repentant.' Whence Pagninus in the Hebrew Names says: "Nahum means the same as consoler, or penitent, or one who has obtained consolation or repentance; or consolation or repentance." For just as Nahum consoles the pious Israelites with hope of divine help, so he strikes the impious Ninevites with the terror of His threats and drives them to repentance. Let the preacher do the same.