Nahum 1:2

2 The Lord is a punisher, and the Lord is venging; the Lord is venging, and having strong vengeance; the Lord is venging against his adversaries, and he is wrathing to his enemies (and he is raging at his enemies).

Nahum 1:2 Meaning and Commentary

Nahum 1:2

God [is] jealous, and the Lord revengeth
He is jealous of his own honour and glory, and for his own worship and ordinances; and will not give his glory to another, nor his praise to graven images; and therefore will punish all idolaters, and particularly the idolatrous Assyrians: he is jealous for his people, and cannot bear to see them injured; and will avenge the affronts that are offered, and the indignities done unto them: the Lord revengeth, and [is] furious;
or, is "master of wrath" ^F21; full of it, or has it at his command; can restrain it, and let it out as he pleases, which man cannot do; a furious and passionate man, who has no rule over his spirit. The Lord's revenging is repeated for the confirmation of it; yea, it is a third time observed, as follows; which some of the Jewish writers think has respect to the three times the king of Assyria carried the people of Israel captive, and for which the Lord would be revenged on him, and punish him: the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries;
on all his adversaries; particularly the Assyrians are here meant, who were both the enemies of him and of his people. The Targum explains it,

``that hate his people:''

vengeance belongs to the Lord, and he will repay it sooner or later; if not immediately, he will hereafter; for it follows: and he reserveth [wrath] for his enemies:
and them for that; if not in this world, yet in the world to come; he lays it up among his treasures, and brings it forth at his pleasure. The word "wrath" is not in the text; it is not said what he reserves for the enemies of himself and church; it is inconceivable and inexpressible.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (hmx leb) "dominus irae", Calvin, Vatablus, Grotius; "dominus excandescentiae", Piscator, Tarnovius; "dominus irae aestuantis, [sive] fervoris", Burkius.

Nahum 1:2 In-Context

1 The burden of Nineveh; the book of (the) vision of Nahum (the) Elkoshite.

2 The Lord is a punisher, and the Lord is venging; the Lord is venging, and having strong vengeance; the Lord is venging against his adversaries, and he is wrathing to his enemies (and he is raging at his enemies).

3 The Lord is patient, and great in strength, and he cleansing shall not make (the wicked) innocent. The Lord cometh in tempest, and the ways of him be in whirlwind, and clouds be the dust of his feet; (The Lord is patient, and great in strength, and in cleansing, he shall not make the wicked innocent, or let them go unpunished. The Lord cometh in the tempest, and his ways be in the whirlwind, and the clouds be the dust of his feet;)

4 he blameth the sea, and drieth it, and bringeth all floods into desert (he rebuketh the sea, and it drieth up, and maketh all the rivers into deserts, or into dry riverbeds). Bashan is made sick, and (also) Carmel, and the flower(s) of Lebanon languished.

5 Mountains be moved together of him, and little hills be desolate. And [the] earth trembled together from the face of him, and the roundness of earth, and all dwelling therein. (The mountains be altogether moved, or shaken, before him, and the little hills be made desolate. And the earth altogether trembled, or shook, before his face, yea, the whole earth, and all those who live upon it.)