Albert Barnes Commentary Nahum 1:6

"Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by him." — Nahum 1:6 (ASV)

Who can stand before His indignation? This question appeals to our own consciences: we cannot. It anticipates the self-conviction on each 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, because of the abundance of his works or consciousness of his virtues, not be in need of mercy? Enter not into judgment with Your servant, O Lord, for in Your sight no one living shall 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 those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? (Job 4:18–19).

It would be needless now to prove that human merits are sufficient for no one, and that we are not saved except by the grace of God, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Therefore he (Nahum) says, ‘before His indignation,’ meaning standing face to face before Him in wrath.

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

His fury is poured out – נתך is used for the pouring out of God’s wrath (Jeremiah 7:20; Jeremiah 42:18; 2 Chronicles 12:7). (While שׁפך is more common, here the native meaning of נתך is further emphasized by the addition of כאש.)

Like fire – sweeping away, like a torrent of molten fire, anyone who presumes that he can stand before His Face. This is as He did to the cities of the plain (Genesis 19), the image of the everlasting fire, which will burn up His enemies on every side.

The prophet says, And rocks are thrown down (Psalms 50:3; Psalms 68:3; Psalms 18:8). The rocks are like so many towers of nature, broken down and crushed “by Him”—literally, “from Him.” No act of God is needed; 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 crumbles and is shattered. If, then, those whose hearts are as 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)—are crushed, then who shall stand?