The burden of Nineveh
Of the city of Nineveh, and the greatness of it, (See Gill on
Jonah 1:2); (See Gill on
Jonah
3:3); Jonah was sent to this city to threaten it with
ruin for its sins; at that time the king and all his people
humbled themselves and repented, and the threatened destruction
was averted; but they relapsing to their former iniquities, this
prophet foretells what would be their certain fate; very rightly
therefore the Targum, and some other Jewish writings F13,
observe, that Jonah prophesied against this city of old; and that
Nahum prophesied after him a considerable time, perhaps at a
hundred years distance. This prophecy is called a burden; it was
taken up by the prophet at the command of the Lord, and was
carried or sent by him to Nineveh; and was a hard, heavy,
grievous, and burdensome prophecy to that city, predicting its
utter ruin and desolation; and which, as Josephus F14 says,
came to pass hundred fifteen years after this prophecy; and which
event is placed by the learned Usher F15 in the year of the
world 3378 A.M., and which was 626 B.C.; and by others
F16 in the year of the world 3403 A.M.,
of the flood 1747, in 601 B.C.; but by Dean Prideaux F17 and
Mr. Whiston F18, in 612 B.C.; the book of the
vision of Nahum the Elkoshite;
no other prophecy is called, a book but this, as Abarbinel
observes; and gives this reason for it, because the other
prophets immediately declared their prophecies, as Jonah; but
Nahum never went to the Ninevites, but wrote his prophecy in a
book, and sent it to them. It is called "the book of the vision";
what it contains being made known to him by the Lord in a vision,
as was common; hence the prophets are called seers; and the
prophet is described by the place of his birth, an Elkoshite;
though some think he is so called from his father, whose name was
Helkesi, and said to be a prophet too, as Jerom relates; and with
this agrees the Targum, which calls him Nahum of the house or
family of Koshi; but Jarchi says that Elkosh was the name of his
city; Aben Ezra and Kimchi are in doubt which to refer it to,
whether to his city, or to his ancestors; but there seems no
reason to doubt but that he is so called from his native place;
since Jerom F19 says, that there was a village in
Galilee called Helkesi in his days, and which he had seen; though
scarce any traces of the old buildings could be discerned, it was
so fallen to ruin, yet known, to the Jews; and was shown him by
one that went about with him; and which is, by Hesychius
F20 the presbyter, placed in the tribe
of Simeon. This is another instance, besides that of Jonah,
disproving the assertion of the Jews, that no prophet rose out of
Galilee, ( John 7:52 ) .