Overview
Nahum proclaims the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. YHWH is slow to anger yet will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, and by judging cruel Assyria He will bring comfort and deliverance to Judah.
Theme YHWH's righteous judgment on an oppressive empire and the comfort of His people
Historical background
The book refers to the Assyrian conquest of Thebes (No-Amon) in Egypt in 663 BC and was therefore written after that event. Nineveh fell in 612 BC to a coalition of Babylonians and Medes, and the Assyrian Empire collapsed shortly thereafter. Nahum is often read alongside Jonah, which recounts Nineveh's earlier repentance.