John Calvin Commentary Nahum 1:2

"Jehovah is a jealous God and avengeth; Jehovah avengeth and is full of wrath; Jehovah taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth [wrath] for his enemies." — Nahum 1:2 (ASV)

Nahum begins with the nature of God, so that what he subsequently adds concerning the destruction of Nineveh might be more significant and produce a greater impression on the hearers. The preface is general, but the Prophet afterwards applies it to a special purpose. If he had only spoken of what God is, it would have been cold; at least, it would have been less effective. But when he connects both together, then his doctrine carries its own force and power.

We now understand the Prophet's design. He might indeed have spoken of the fall of the city Nineveh, but if he had referred to this abruptly, ungodly people might have regarded him with disdain, and even the Israelites would perhaps have been less affected. This is the reason why he shows, in a general way, what kind of Being God is.

And he takes his words from Moses; the Prophets are accustomed to borrow their doctrine from him. It is from that most memorable vision when God appeared to Moses after the breaking of the tablets. Therefore, I have no doubt that Nahum had taken from Exodus 34 what we read here. He does not, indeed, give literally what is found there, but it is sufficiently evident that he vividly portrays, as it were, the image of God, through which His nature may be seen.

He says first, that God is jealous (amulus — emulous); for the verb קנא, kona, means to irritate, and also to emulate, and to envy. When God is said to be קנוא, konua, the Greeks render it jealous, ζηλωτὴν, and the Latins, emulous (amulatorem). But it properly signifies that God cannot bear injuries or wrongs.

Though God then for a time overlooks the wickedness of men, He will yet be the defender of His own glory. The Prophet afterwards calls God the avenger, and repeats this three times: Jehovah avengeth, Jehovah avengeth and possesseth wrath, He will avenge. When he says that God keeps for His enemies, he means that vengeance is reserved for the unbelieving and the despisers of God.

There is the same mode of speaking in use among us: Je lui garde, et il la garde a ses ennemis. This phrase, in our language, shows what the Prophet means here by saying that God keeps for His enemies.

And this awe-inspiring description of God is to be applied to the present case, for the Prophet says that God proclaims war against the Ninevites because they had unjustly distressed the Church of God. It is for this reason that he says that God is jealous, that God is an avenger; and he confirms this three times, so that the Israelites might feel assured that this calamity was seriously announced.

For had not this representation been set before them, they might have reasoned with themselves, “We are indeed cruelly harassed by our enemies; but who can think that God cares anything for our miseries, since He allows them so long to be unavenged?” It was therefore necessary that the Prophet should counter such thoughts, as he does here. We now more fully understand why he begins in such vehement language, and calls God a jealous God, and an avenger.

The Prophet afterwards adds that God possesses wrath. I do not take חמה, cheme, simply for wrath, but for the passion or heat of wrath. We ought not indeed to suppose, as it has often been observed, that our passions belong to God, for He remains ever like Himself. Yet God is said to be angry for a time, and forever towards the reprobate, for He is our and their Judge.

Here, then, when the Prophet says that God is the Lord of wrath, or that He possesses wrath, the Prophet means that God is armed with vengeance. And though God overlooks the sins of men, He is not indifferent, nor does He delay because He is without power, or because He is idle and careless. Rather, He retains wrath, as the Prophet afterwards repeats the same thing: He keeps for His enemies.

In short, by these forms of speaking the Prophet intimates that God is not to be rashly judged on account of His delay, when He does not immediately execute His judgments, for He waits for the opportune time.

But, in the meantime, there is no reason for us to think that He forgets His office when He suspends punishment or for a season spares the ungodly. When, therefore, God does not hasten so very quickly, there is no ground for us to think that He is indifferent, because He delays His wrath, or retains it, as we have already said; for it is the same thing to retain wrath as to be the Lord of wrath and to possess it.