Nahum 1:6

6. Nah_1:6 draws the general conclusion from the preceding. The description, Nah_1:2-5, is one of the manifestation of the Lord on the more terrible side of His being. For though His revelation of Himself at the Exodus and later (Jdg_5:4-5) had for its purpose the delivery of His people, this implied wrath and vengeance upon their enemies (Hab_3:12-13). Hence the exclamation, Who can stand before his indignation! cf. Mal_3:2.

His fury is poured out] A common figure, particularly in Jer., e.g. Jer_7:20, Jer_42:18, Jer_44:6; cf. 2Ch_12:7; 2Ch_34:21; 2Ch_34:25; and Dan_9:11; Dan_9:27. The expression “poured out like” may mean, is poured out and acts like fire, or the idea may be that of a fiery stream; Isa_30:33, “the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.”

rocks are thrown down] or, rent in pieces. The word is used of throwing down an altar, Jdg_6:30, beating down a tower, Jdg_8:17, high places, city walls and cities themselves, 2Ki_23:8; 2Ki_25:10; Jer_39:8; Jer_4:26. The rending of the rocks is not ascribed to the fire but to Jehovah Himself (by Him, lit. from Him, because of Him); but several writers have suggested by it. The second half of Nah_1:6 continues the idea of the first half, the impossibility of standing before His anger: it is a flood of fire.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Nah 1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

Ver. 6. Who can stand before his indignation?] A glass bottle may as well stand before a cannon shot. There is no standing before a lion, much less before a devouring fire, least of all before an angry God. When our Saviour did but put forth a beam of his Deity, and said, "I am he," the stout soldiers fell to the ground, Joh 18:6, and there they had lain if he had not licensed them to rise again. Quid autem iudicaturus faciet, qui iudicandus hoc fecit? (Augustin.) The wicked shall not stand in judgment, saith David, Psa 1:5.

Who can abide in the fierceness of his anger?] Heb. in the inflammation of his nostrils, Collectumque premens volvit sub naribus ignem. Thus the prophet describeth God’s terrible executions of justice on the Church’s enemies, pulcherrimis metaphoris, hypotyposi evidentissima, et distributionis artificio insignissimo, by most elegant metaphors, evident demonstrations, and artificial distributions (Crocius in loc.).

His fury is poured out like fire] A metaphor either from metals melted or from showers of rain, such as God poured down upon Sodom (whereunto probably the prophet here alludeth, as Nah 1:8, to Noah’s flood), flaming showers, Jer 7:20; Jer 44:6.

And the rocks are thrown down by him] That is, by his fierce wrath, when it is at the full height; as the fire which at first burns a little within, upon a few boards and rafters, but when it prevaileth, bursteth out in a most terrible flame, as thunder; which we hear at first, a little roaring noise afar off, but stay awhile, and it is a dreadful crack, cleaving the very rocks. See Jer 4:28; Jer 4:24 Mat 27:51.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Nah_1:6

Who can stand before His indignation?

Repentance through fear

This and similar passages address themselves directly to our fears. The term fear of God in Scripture, does not always bear the same meaning. Them is a filial fear, and them is a servile fear. Servile fear gives place to filial when God becomes known to us as our reconciled Father in Christ. We begin with the dread of God. The dread drives us to the Cross. Mistakes are often made as to that fear of God which we denominate servile. Christians are afraid of fear, looking with suspicion on any part which fear may have had in moving them to forsake evil ways, as if it were a base and ungenerous agent, which ought not to have had share in the great work of conversion. Whilst so much of the Bible speaks of fear, fear cannot be without its use in religion.

I. What misapprehension may there be in reference to the use of fear? Noah, in preparing the ark, is said to have been moved with fear. It was dread of impending wrath. Fears may rightly move us to genuine and acceptable repentance. We are so constituted as to be just as accessible through fear as through hope. We feel that with the great mass of men we can make no way without appealing to their fears. Men must commonly be wrought upon by fear through what they are incurring rather than through what they are losing. We must come down upon them with tidings of disaster. Let a man continue his struggles and his endeavours even though he feel actuated only by fear, and in due time other motives shall gain sway in his breast.

II. The legitimate use of such awful denunciations as these in the text. Or the way in which threatenings ought to be employed by the preacher. St. Paul says, Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men. Neither should the engine of terror be otherwise used by the present ministers of Christ. Threatenings are to be employed as inducements to the laying hold on the succour provided by Christ, (H. Melvill, B. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:6 The Hebrew word translated rage is repeated from 1:2. Its repetition brackets 1:2-6 as a single poetic unit.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

If all creatures be at God’s commandment, and none is able to resist his wrath, shall man flatter himself, and think by any means to escape, when he provoketh his God to anger?

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

fury is poured out like fire--like the liquid fire poured out of volcanoes in all directions (see Jer 7:20).

rocks are thrown down--or, "are burnt asunder"; the usual effect of volcanic fire (Jer 51:25, Jer 51:56). As Hannibal burst asunder the Alpine rocks by fire to make a passage for his army [GROTIUS].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Prophet shows here why he gave in the part noticed in the last lecture, such an awful description of God; it was that men might know, that when they shall come before his tribunal, no one will be able to stand unless supported by his favor. Of the Prophet’s main object we have sufficiently spoken, nor is it necessary to repeat here what has been stated. It is enough to bear this in mind, — that as the enemies of the Church relied on their power; and daringly and immoderately raged against it, the judgment of God is here set before them, that they might understand that an account was to be rendered to him whose presence they were not able to bear. But the question has more force than if the Prophet had simply said, that the whole world could not stand before God: for he assumes the character of one adjuring. After having shown how terrible God is, he exclaims, Who shall stand before his indignation? and who shall be able to bear his wrath? for his indignation, he says, is poured forth as fire. The Hebrew interpreters have here toiled in vain: as the verb נתך, nutae, means to pour forth it seems to them an inconsistent expression, that the wrath of God should be poured forth as fire; for this would be more suitably said of some metal than of fire. But to be poured forth here is nothing else than to be scattered far and wide. Poured forth then is thy wrath as fire; that is, it advances every moment, as when a fire seizes a whole forest; and when it grows strong, we know how great is its violence, and how suddenly it spreads here and there. But if a different meaning be preferred, I do not much object to it, “His wrath, which is like fire, is poured out.”

Some think that the Prophet alludes to lightnings, which, as it were, melt through the air, at least as they appear to us. But as the meaning of the Prophet is sufficiently evident, there is no need of anxiously inquiring how fire is poured out: for I have already mentioned, that the Prophet means no other thing than the wrath of God spreads itself, so that it immediately takes hold, not only of one city but also of the widest regions and of the whole world, and is therefore like fire, for it passes through here and there, and that suddenly.

He then says, that rocks are also broken or dissolved before him We must be aware how great our brittleness is. Since there is no hardness which melts not before God, how can men, who flow away of themselves like water, be so daring as to set themselves up against him? We hence see that the madness of men is here rebuked, who, trusting in their own strength, dare to contend even with God, because they forget their own frailty. This is the import of the whole. It now follows —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

Who can stand before his indignation?.... No creature whatever; no man nor body of men; not Nineveh, and the inhabitants of it; nor the whole Assyrian empire:

and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? not the great men of the earth; not kings or generals of armies; not kingdoms and nations, ever so numerous and powerful; but all must be consumed by him, who is a consuming fire; see Jer 10:10;

his fury is poured out like fire; or like metal that is melted by fire, and poured out by the force of it; or like fire of lightning poured out of the heavens, which is quick, powerful, and penetrating, and there is no resisting it:

and the rocks are thrown down by him; by the Lord, by his wrath and fury; kingdoms that seemed as strong and immovable as rocks and mountains are thrown down; as such have been by the force of fire bursting from the midst of them, as Etna, Vesuvius, and others.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Who can stand before His indignation? - This question appeals to our own consciences, that we cannot . It anticipates the self-conviction at every day of God’s visitation, the forerunners of the lust. The word rendered “indignation” is reserved almost exclusively to denote the wrath of God. : “Who can trust in his own righteousness, and, for the abundance of his works or consciousness of his virtues, not be in need of mercy? ‘Enter not into judgment with Thy servant, O Lord, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified;’ and in Job it is said truly, ‘Behold He put no trust in His servants, and His Angels He charged with folly. How much less in them that dwell in houses of’ clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which ewe crushed before the moth?’ Job 4:18-19. It were needless now to prove, that man’s own deserts suffice to no one, and that we are not saved but by the grace of God, ‘for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God’ Rom 3:23. Wherefore he saith, ‘before His indignation,’ standing face to Face before Him in wrath.”

Literally, “in the Face of:” guilt cannot look in the face of man, how much less, of God. The bliss of the righteous is the punishment of the wicked, to behold God face to Face. For “whoever trusts in his own works deserves His indignation. and thinking he stands, righteously does he fall.”

His fury is poured out - נתך is used of the pouring out of God’s wrath, Jer 7:20; Jer 42:18; 2Ch 12:7 (as more commonly שׁפך here its native meaning is brought out the more, by adding כאש.

Like fire - , sweeping away, like a torrent of molten fire, him who presumes that be can stand before His Face, as He did the cities of the plain Gen. 19, the image of the everlasting fire, which shall burn up His enemies on every side. “And rocks are thrown down” Psa 97:3; Psa 50:3; Psa 68:3; Psa 18:8. The rocks are like so many towers of nature, broken down and crushed “by Him” literally, “from Him.” It needs not any act of God’s. He wills and it is done. Those who harden themselves, are crushed and broken to pieces, the whole fabric they had built for themselves and their defenses, crumbling and shivered. If then they, whose hearts are hard as rocks, and bold against all peril, and even Satan himself, whose “heart is as firm as a stone, yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone” Job 41:24, shall be crushed then, who shall abide?

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Like fire. Septuagint, "melts kingdoms."

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Who can stand before his indignation? since God can do all this, who among the Assyrians, who among the Ninevites, what kingdom or monarchy, is mighty enough to resist or defeat the counsel and power of this God, who will ere long rebuke, and pour out his indignation upon them.

Who can abide; be able to endure, or continue in flourishing, peaceful, safe, or joyful state? It is much the same with standing, before mentioned.

The fierceness of his anger; this explains the former; the heat of his anger is his indignation, and no creature can bear it.

His fury: fury in man speaks somewhat culpable and blameworthy, but in God it cannot be so, it is the intenseness of his just and wise displeasure.

Is poured out, with most righteous and wise direction by God himself who is as Nah 1:2, which see.

Like fire; not in the unsteadiness and unruliness, but in the vehemency, spreading nature, and irresistible force of it; as in Sodom’s overthrow.

The rocks are thrown down by him; though foundations do support other things, yet they cannot support themselves against their God when once angry.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. In the face of these terrible manifestations of Jehovah, which may be likened to devouring fire (Deu_4:24), and which break asunder the rocks (Jer_23:29), no human being can stand.

Poured out like fire — The divine wrath in its destructiveness is often likened to a stream of fire (Jer_7:20; Isa_30:33; 2Ch_34:25).

Thrown down — R.V., “broken asunder.” A very slight alteration would give “are kindled,” which, in the light of the parallel clause, seems preferable.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Who can stand?. (Psa_76:7 Joe_2:11 Mal_3:2; comp. Rev_6:17) His fury is poured out like fire; (Deu_4:24) like the brimstone and fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, (Gen_19:24) or like the molten lava that issues from a volcano. (Jer_7:20) Septuagint (reading differently), o yumokei arcav : consumit principatus (Jerome). Are thrown down; rather, are rent asunder. (comp. 1Ki_19:11 Jer_23:29) If such is tile power of God, how shall Assyria resist it?

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Nahum continues to describe Yahweh coming to judge his enemies and to save his people.

Who can stand before his wrath? Who can resist the fierceness of his anger?

These two rhetorical questions mean basically the same thing. They can be translated with statements. AT: "No one can stand before his wrath! No one can resist the fierceness of his anger!" (See: Parallelism and Rhetorical Question)

fierceness of his anger

"intensity of his anger" or "amount of his anger"

His wrath is poured out like fire

Nahum speaks of Yahweh's anger as if it were a liquid that he pours out and which burns like fire. This can be stated in active form. AT: "He pours out his wrath like fire" or "He expresses his fierce anger" (See: Metaphor)

the rocks are broken apart by him

This can be stated in active form. AT: "he breaks apart the rocks" or "he causes the rocks to break apart" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

wrath

anger

fire

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

has reached Heb. נִתְּכָה, has reached the earth, as in (Exod. 9:33) “And rain did not reach (נְתַּךְ) the earth.”

have been broken up by Him—by His fear.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.