Nachum 1 נחום א׳

מַשָּׂא נִינְוֵה. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן ״מַטַּל כָּס דִּלְוָוט לְאַשְׁקָאָה יָת נִינְוֵה״.

The harsh prophecy concerning Nineveh Heb. מַשָׂא. The burden of the cup of the curse [which was] to be given Nineveh to drink.

סֵפֶר חֲזוֹן נַחוּם. חָזוֹן נָקוּד קָמָץ לְפִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ דָבוּק וְאֵינוֹ דוֹמֶה לַחֲזוֹן יְשַׁעְיָהוּ שֶׁהוּא נָקוּד חֲטַף פַּתַּח, וְכֵן פֵּרוּשׁ סֵפֶר חֲזוֹן כְּבָר נִכְתַּב עָלֶיהָ, וְהוּא נְבוּאַת יוֹנָה בֶּן אֲמִתַּי וְעַתָּה חָזַר וְנִתְנַבֵּא עָלֶיהָ נַחוּם הָאֶלְקוֹשִׁי אֶת הַמַּשָּׂא הַזֶּה. אֶלְקוֹשׁ הָיָה שֵׁם עִירוֹ, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״מִלְּקַדְמִין אִתְנַבִּי עֲלָהּ יוֹנָה בַּר אַמְתַּי וְתָבַת מֵחוֹבָהָא, וְכַדּוּ דְּאוֹסִיפַת לְמֵיחְטֵי תָּב וְאִתְנַבִּי עֲלָהּ נַחוּם דְּמִבֵּית אֶלְקוֹשׁ״.

The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite—חזון is vowelized with a “kamatz” (חָזוֹן) since it is not in the construct state, and it is unlike “חֲזוֹן יִשַׁעְיָהוּ,” the vision of Isaiah, which is vowelized with a “hataf pattah.” This is its meaning: A book of vision has already been written concerning it [Nineveh], the prophecy of Jonah son of Amittai; and now, again, Nahum the Elkoshite prophesied this harsh prophecy over it. Elkosh is the name of his [Nahum’s] city. And so did Jonathan paraphrase: In early times, Jonah son of Amittai prophesied concerning it, and they repented of their sins, and when they continued to sin, Nahum of the house of Elkosh prophesied further concerning them. the Elkoshite—That city is in the province of Ballynia, which is in the state of Eretz Israel, although it is outside the Holy Land. Proof of the matter is that there is gold, silver, and salt dust near it because the Dead Sea, which is near Eretz Israel, goes there under the earth. In this state they do not crown a king the son of a king [i.e., the throne is not hereditary]; and they are of the seed of Judah. [Sod Mesharim]

אֵל קַנּוֹא וְנוֹקֵם ה׳. עַל זַרְעוֹ שֶׁל סַנְחֵרִיב נִתְנַבֵּא נַחוּם וּבִימֵי מְנַשֶּׁה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּסֵדֶר עוֹלָם.

The Lord is a jealous and vengeful God—Nahum prophesied concerning Sennacherib’s descendants, and in the time of Manasseh, as we find in Seder Olalm (ch.20).

אֵל קַנּוֹא וְנוֹקֵם ה׳. מֵאָז שֶׁנִּפְרַע לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגַם עֲדַיִן עַתָּה נוֹקֵם הוּא וּבַעַל חֵמָה וְעָתִיד הוּא לִהְיוֹת נוֹקֵם לְצָרָיו שֶׁהֶחֱרִיבוּ אֶת אַרְצוֹ וְהִגְלוּ אֶת עַמּוֹ וְנוֹטֵר הוּא אֶת אֵיבָתוֹ לַבַּבְלִיִּים. וְר״שׁ אוֹמֵר שָׁלוֹשׁ נְקִימוֹת הַלָּלוּ כְּנֶגֶד שָׁלוֹשׁ גְלִיּוֹת שֶׁהִגְלָה סַנְחֵרִיב אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּסֵדֶר עוֹלָם.

The Lord is a jealous and vengeful God—from the time He avenged Israel upon their enemies, and now too, He is still vengeful and full of wrath. He is destined to wreak vengeance upon His adversaries who destroyed their land and exiled His people. and he bears a grudge Heb. וְנוֹטֵר, lit. watches. He lays up His hatred for His enemies. Rabbi Simon says: These three expressions of vengeance correspond to the three exiles to which Sennacherib exiled Israel, as we find in Seder Olam (ch. 23).

ה׳ אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וּגְדָל כֹּחַ. גְּדָל כֹּחַ הוּא וְהַיְכֹלֶת בְּיָדוֹ לְהִנָּקֵם וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא מִהֵר נִקְמָתוֹ לְפִי שֶׁאֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם הוּא וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם נַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה.

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power—He is great in power, and He has the ability to wreak vengeance. The reason He did not hasten His revenge is that He is slow to anger, but, in any case, He will not acquit.

ה׳ בְּסוּפָה וּבִשְׂעָרָה דַּרְכּוֹ. הֵם שְׁלוּחָיו לְהִפָּרַע מֵאוֹיְבָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּמִצְרַיִם (שמות יד:כא) ״בְּרוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה״, וּבְדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל (איוב ד:ט) ״מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלוֹהַּ יֹאבֵדוּ״, בְּצֹר נֶאֱמַר (יחזקאל כו:כו) ״רוּחַ קָדִים שִׁבְּרֵךְ״.

the Lord - His way is with a tempest and with a storm—They [the tempest and storm] are His messengers for wreaking retribution upon His enemies, as it is stated concerning Egypt (Exod. 14:21): “with a mighty east wind”; and concerning the generation of the Flood (Job 4:9): “From the breath of God they perish.” Concerning Tyre, it is stated (Ezek. 27:26): “The east wind has broken you.”

וְעָנָן אֲבַק רַגְלָיו. גַּם הוּא דֶּרֶךְ נִקְמָתוֹ, (שמות יד:כד) ״וַיַּשְׁקֵף אֶל מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם בְּעַמּוּד אֵשׁ וְעָנָן״, (יחזקאל ל:יח) ״הִיא עָנָן יְכַסֶּנָּה״.

and cloud is the dust of His feet—That, too, is the way of His vengeance. (Exod. 14:24) “And the Lord looked over the camp of the Egyptians with a pillar of fire and cloud”; also, (Ezek. 30:18) “As for her, a cloud shall cover her.”

גּוֹעֵר בַּיָּם. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, וְדֻגְמָא הוּא כְּלַפֵּי הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלוּ לַמַּיִם, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיהו יז:יב) ״לְאֻמִּים כִּשְׁאוֹן מַיִם כַּבִּירִים יִשָּׁאוּן״.

He rebukes the sea—To be understood [both] according to its apparent meaning, and as a figure describing the nations, who are compared to water, as the matter is stated (Isa. 17:12): “Like the rushing of mighty waters they rush.”

וְכָל הַנְּהָרוֹת הֶחֱרִיב. כָּאן נִבָּא שֶׁעָתִיד הַקָּבָּ״ה לְהַמְלִיךְ אֶת נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר (ירמיה כה) בִּימֵי יְהוֹיָקִים וְיִתֵּן אֶת אַשּׁוּר וְאֶת כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת לַחֶרֶב.

and He has dried up all the rivers—Here he prophesies that the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to crown Nebuchadnezzar in the days of Jehoiakim, and He will deliver Assyria and all the lands to the sword.

אֻמְלַל בָּשָׁן וְכַרְמֶל. מוֹשָׁבוֹת הַטּוֹבִים.

Bashan and Carmel—The good dwelling places.

וּפֶרַח לְבָנוֹן אֻמְלָל. חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פֵּרְשׁוּ כְּלַפֵּי מִינֵי מְגָדִים שֶׁנָּטַע שְׁלֹמֹה בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁהָיוּ שֶׁל זָהָב, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ גּוֹיִם לַהֵיכָל יָבְשׁוּ.

and the blossoms of the Lebanon are cut off—The Sages of Israel explained this as an allusion to the various types of sweet fruit that Solomon planted in the Temple, which were gold; and as soon as the gentiles entered the Temple, they withered. [from Yoma 21b, 39b]

הָרִים רָעֲשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ. הַמְּלָכִים וְהַשָּׂרִים מֵהַכַּשְׂדִּים יִפְחֲדוּ מִגְּזֵרָתוֹ.

Mountains quaked because of Him—The kings and the princes (of the heathens) shall fear His decree.

וַתִּשָּׂא הָאָרֶץ. מַשְׂאַת עָשָׁן.

raised up Heb. וַתִּשָׂא ; i.e., raised up a pillar of smoke.

נִתְּכָה. הִגִּיעַ לָאָרֶץ, כְּמוֹ (שמות ט:לג) ״וּמָטָר לֹא נִתַּךְ אָרְצָה״.

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

נִתְּצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ. מֵאֵימָתוֹ.

have been broken up by Him—by His fear.

טוֹב ה׳ לְמָעוֹז. וְאַף בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא נִפְרָע מֵאוֹיְבָיו לֹא זָזוּ רַחֲמָיו מִלְּהֵיטִיב לִירֵאָיו, וְלֹא כְּמִדַּת בָּשָׂר וָדָם שֶׁכְּשֶׁהוּא עָסוּק בָּזוֹ אֵינוֹ פָּנוּי בָּזוֹ, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טו:ג) ״ה׳ אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה ה׳ שְׁמוֹ״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא בִּמְכִלְתִּין.

The Lord is good yea, a stronghold—Even when he inflicts retribution upon His enemies, His mercies do not cease to do good to those who fear Him. [This ability is] unlike the trait of [a man of] flesh and blood, who, when he is busy with one thing, is not free to [simultaneously] do another thing, as the matter is stated (Exod. 15:3): “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His Name.” [This is] as it is stated in Mechilta (ad loc.)

וְיֹדֵעַ. אֶת צָרְכֵי חוֹסֵי בוֹ.

and is cognizant of—the necessities of those who trust in Him.

וּבְשֶׁטֶף עֹבֵר. וּבְחֵמָה שׁוֹטֶפֶת.

But, with an overrunning flood—with flooding wrath.

כָּלָה יַעֲשֶׂה מְקוֹמָהּ. שֶׁל אֶרֶץ, וּמוּסָב זֶה עַל ״וַתִּשָּׂא הָאָרֶץ מִפָּנָיו״ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה.

He shall make a full end of its place—the place of the land. This refers back to “and the land raised up from before Him,” as is stated above.

כָּלָה הוּא עֹשֶׂה. לְנִינְוֵה וּמַלְכֵי אַשּׁוּר לֹא יִשְׁנֶה לָהֶם עוֹד פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת.

He will make a full end—of Nineveh and the kings of Assyria. He will not repeat this to you again.

כִּי עַד סִירִים סְבֻכִים. כְּלוֹמַר פִּתְאֹם תָּבֹא עֲלֵיהֶם מַכָּתָם וְלֹא יֵרְדוּ מִכְּבוֹדָם מְעַט מְעַט, כִּי בְּעוֹד שֶׁהַסִּירִים וְהַקּוֹצִים נִסְבָּכִים נִשְׁרָשִׁים בְּחָזְקָה.

For, while the thorns are entangled—I.e., their destruction will come upon them suddenly, and they will not descend from their honor gradually, but while the thorns and the briers are [yet] entangled; i.e., strongly rooted.

וּכְסָבְאָם סְבוּאִים. וְעוֹדָם בְּמִשְׁתֵּיהֶן וּבְשִׂמְחָתָן, וְיֵשׁ פּוֹתְרִין ״כִּי עַד סִירִים״ לְשׁוֹן ׳הֲסָרָה׳.

and the drunkards are drinking—While they are at their feasts and in their joy. Some interpret כִּי עַד סִירִים as an expression of הֲסָרָה, removal.

אֻכְּלוּ כְּקַשׁ יָבֵשׁ. אֲשֶׁר נִתְמַלֵּא וְנִגְמַר בִּשּׁוּלוֹ וְיָבֵשׁ.

they are consumed like dry stubble, fully ripe—Whose ripening has become full and complete, and it has dried out.

מָלֵא. אשובי״ר בְּלַעַ״ז, וְכֵן ״מְלֵאָתְךָ״, ״הַמְלֵאָה הַזֶּרַע״.

fully ripe Heb. מָלֵא ; asovir, to be filled, in O.F And so (Exod. 22:28): “Your ripe fruits (מְלֵאָתְךָ)”; (Deut. 22:9) “The ripe fruit (הַמְלֵאָה) of the seed.”

מִמֵּךְ. אַתְּ נִינְוֵה.

From you—you, Nineveh.

יָצָא. סַנְחֵרִיב הַחוֹשֵׁב רָעָה, דִּמָּה לְהַחֲרִיב דִּירַת מַטָּה וּמַעְלָה. כָּתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר (מלכים ב יט:כג) ״וְאָבֹא מְלוֹן קִצֹּה״, וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר (ישעיהו לז:כד) ״וְאָבֹא מְרוֹם קִצּוֹ״. בִּתְחִלָּה אַחֲרִיב דִּירָה שֶׁל מַטָּה, וּלְבַסּוֹף דִּירָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּחֵלֶק (דף צד).

emanated—Sennacherib, who plots evil, who thought to destroy the earthly abode and the heavenly abode. One passage reads (II Kings 19:23): “And I will come to its remotest lodge”; and one passage reads (Isa. 37:24): “Its remotest height.” “First I will destroy His earthly abode, and then I will destroy His heavenly abode” - as found in the chapter “Chelek“ (Sanh. 94b).

אִם שְׁלֵמִים וְכֵן רַבִּים. יָפֶה תַּרְגּוּם שֶׁל יוֹנָתָן מְיֻשָּׁב עַל הַמִּקְרָא: ״אִם יְהוֹן שְׁלֵמִים בְּעֵצָה״ שֶׁיְּהוּ כֻּלָּם שָׁוִים בְּהַסְכָּמָה אַחַת, וְכֵן אִם יִהְיוּ רַבִּים מְאֹד אַנְשֵׁי נִינְוֵה אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וְכֵן אַף אִם גָּזּוּ חִדְּקַל וְעָבְרוּ אֶת פְּרָת לָצוּר עָלֶיהָ לֹא יַצְלִיחוּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי ״עִנִּיתִיךְ וְלֹא אֲעַנֵּךְ עוֹד״. וְעוֹד שָׁמַעְתִּי: ״אִם שְׁלֵמִים״ – אַנְשֵׁי נִינְוֵה בִּגְדֻלָּתָם, ״וְכֵן״ – אִם יְהוּ עוֹד רַבִּים וְנִכְבָּדִים יוֹתֵר, ״וְכֵן נָגוֹזּוּ וְעָבָר״ – וְכֵן אֲגִיזֵם וְאַעֲבִירֵם. הֲרֵי זֶה כְּמוֹ (שמות א:יב) ״וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ כֵּן יִרְבֶּה״.

Though they be at peace and likewise many Jonathan’s Targum is very appropriate to the verse: If they [the people of Nineveh] are at peace in their counsel, that they will all be of one accord; and likewise, if the people of Nineveh, your enemies, are many, O Jerusalem; and likewise, even if they have crossed the Tigris and passed over the Euphrates to besiege it, they will not succeed, for I have afflicted you; I will no longer afflict you. I have heard further (this rendering): If they are perfect—the people of Nineveh, in their greatness. and likewise—if they will be still greater and more honored. and so they shall be cut down and pass away—And so I will cut them down and take them away. This is like (Exod 1:12) “And the more they would afflict them, the more they would multiply.”

וְעִנִּיתִךְ לֹא אֲעַנֵּךְ עוֹד. אֲעַנֶּה אוֹתְךָ בַּפַּעַם הַזֹּאת כָּלָה וְנֶחֱרָצָה וְלֹא אֶזְקַק לְךָ עוֹד. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ לְעִנְיַן מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה בְּמַסֶּכֶת גִּטִּין, אַךְ אֵינוֹ עַל סֵדֶר שְׁאָר הַנְּבוּאָה.

and I will no longer afflict you—I will afflict you this time with destruction and annihilation, and I will no longer be involved with you. Our Sages expounded upon this concerning the practice of charity in Tractate Gittin (7a), but it does not fit in with the context.

וְעַתָּה אֶשְׁבֹּר מֹטֵהוּ מֵעָלָיִךְ. שְׁכִינָה אוֹמֶרֶת כֵּן לַנָּבִיא שֶׁהוּא יִשְׂרְאֵלִי: אֶשְׁבֹּר מֹטֵהוּ שֶׁל אַשּׁוּר מֵעָלֶיךָ וּמֵעַמִּי.

And now I will break off his yoke from you—The Shechinah says this to the prophet, who is of Israel: I will break off the yoke of Assyria from you and from My people.

וְצִוָּה עָלֶיךָ ה׳. עַתָּה מוּסָב הַדִּבּוּר אֶל מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר.

And the Lord shall command concerning you—Now the king of Assyria is being addressed.

לֹא יִזָּרַע מִשִּׁמְךָ עוֹד. לֹא יַעֲמֹד מִמְּךָ מֶלֶךְ.

No more [offspring] Of your name shall be sown—No king shall arise from you.

מִבֵּית אֱלֹהֶיךָ אַכְרִית פֶּסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה. וְאָשִׂים אֶת בֵּית אֱלֹהֶיךָ קִבְרֶךָ. שָׁם תִּבְרַח לְהִמָּלֵט וְשָׁם תֵּהָרֵג, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב שֶׁנֶּהֱרַג אָבִיךָ בֵּית נִסְרוֹךְ אֱלֹהָיו.

I will make your grave—I will make the house of your god your grave, for you shall flee there to escape, and there you shall be slain, as your father was slain in the temple of Nisroch, his god.

כִּי קַלּוֹתָ. בְּעֵינַי.

for you have become worthless—in My eyes.