When was Nahum written?

The prophet Nahum ministered in Judah during the seventh century BC, when hostile neighbors such as the Assyrian Empire posed a serious threat. His message emphasized that the God of Israel is sovereign over all nations and will judge those who oppress His people. The book of Nahum was likely written around 650 BC. A strong indication of the accuracy of this date is the book’s foretelling the future destruction of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital. Nineveh fell in 612 BC.

Identifying Nahum as the author places the book’s composition during his lifetime in the seventh century BC. The opening verse introduces both the prophet and the subject of his message: “A prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite” (Nahum 1:1). This introduction sets the stage for God’s declaration of judgment against the city. The verses that follow (Nahum 1:2–6) describe God’s character as just, powerful, and slow to anger. These attributes explain His readiness to judge the Ninevites, a judgment that was fulfilled in 612 BC.

Nahum’s ministry began after 663 BC, when the city of Thebes in Egypt fell to the Assyrians. Against this historical backdrop, Nahum warns Nineveh, “Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall” (Nahum 3:8). Like Thebes, Nineveh would fall under God’s judgment. As Nahum declares at the end of the book, “Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal” (Nahum 3:19).

Additional support for dating Nahum’s ministry comes from his depiction of Assyria as an active and dominant power rather than a fallen nation. For instance, Nahum portrays Assyria as having many allies and great strength: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be destroyed and pass away. Although I have afflicted you, Judah, I will afflict you no more’” (Nahum 1:12). He also describes Assyria’s thriving economy: “You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away” (Nahum 3:16). These descriptions indicate that Nahum was writing while Assyria was still at the height of its power.

Although Nahum does not mention the king of Judah by name, another passage suggests that the prophet’s ministry likely took place during the reign of Manasseh, who ruled from 695 to 642 BC. For example, 2 Chronicles 33:11 directly links Manasseh with Assyria, “So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.” This connection strengthens the case that Nahum ministered during a time when Assyria imposed its strength on Judah.

Even though God would ultimately deliver Judah and defeat Assyria, life for God’s people would get harder before it got better. Still, God promised to be with His people, even when they were corrupt or suffering under foreign oppression. Nahum wrote, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7). Writing in the seventh century BC, Nahum offered hope to people who could not yet see their future victory but were called to trust God anyway.