Theme - The theme of his prophecy is the approaching fall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, which had held a pre-eminent place among the nations for centuries and was noted for its cruelties and barbarities upon conquered peoples. Differences of opinion prevail as to the date of Nahum's prophecy, some placing it in the reign of Hezekiah, or between 720 and 698 B.C. The fact that he refers to the fall of Thebes in Egypt, which took place under Assyria in 664., and the burden of his prophecy being the fall of Nineveh, which occurred in 607 B.C., seems to fix definitely the time of his writings between these two dates. The unsuccessful attack of Cyaxares on Nineveh in 623 B.C. was probably the occasion of Nahum's prophecy, rather than the unsuccessful war of Assyria against Hezekiah. Quite certainly, however, Assyria's cruelties in the conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the destructive raids in Judah moved the prophet to declare God's judgment against the nation.

In style, Nahum is bold, fervid, and eloquent; dealing only with the judgment of God against Nineveh, he says nothing of the sins of Judah. In doctrine, he emphasizes the sovereignty of God over the world and the demand for personal and national righteousness. He emphasizes vengeance and mercy as the two-fold manifestation of divine holiness, one resulting in the destruction of the wicked, the other in the salvation of the righteous.

Outline - The analysis is simple: I. The Doom of Nineveh Pronounced (1) II. The Siege and Fall of Nineveh Predicted (2) III. The Sins for Which Nineveh is Doomed (3)