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Exodus 20:5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy Godam a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourthgeneration of them that hate me;

Exodus 34:14
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose nameis Jealous,is a jealous God:

Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD thy Godis a consuming fire,even a jealous God.

revengeth.

Deuteronomy 32:35,42
To mebelongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide indue time: for the day of their calamityis at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste…

Psalm 94:1
O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.

Isaiah 59:17,18
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeancefor clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke…

is furious.

Leviticus 26:28
Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

Job 20:23
When he is about to fill his belly,God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rainit upon him while he is eating.

Isaiah 51:17,20
Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling,and wrungthem out…

reserveth.

Deuteronomy 32:34,35,41-43
Is not this laid up in store with me,and sealed up among my treasures? …

Jeremiah 3:5
Will he reservehis anger for ever? will he keepit to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

Micah 7:18
Whois a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delightethin mercy.

the LORD is avenging and full of wrath.
The repetition of "avenging" emphasizes the certainty and intensity of God's justice. His wrath is not capricious but a measured response to sin and injustice. This wrath is directed against those who oppose His will and harm His people. In the cultural context of the ancient Near East, gods were often seen as capricious, but the God of Israel is portrayed as consistent and righteous in His anger. This aligns withRomans 1:18, where God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.

The LORD takes vengeance on His foes
This phrase underscores God's active role in confronting and defeating His enemies. The term "foes" refers to those who oppose God's purposes and oppress His people. This is a reassurance to the faithful that God is not indifferent to their suffering. Theologically, this can be seen as a type of Christ, who will ultimately defeat all His enemies, as described inRevelation 19:11-16, where Christ returns as a conquering King.

and reserves wrath for His enemies.
Here, the idea of "reserves" suggests that God's judgment is deliberate and stored up for the appropriate time. This indicates patience and a desire for repentance, as seen in2 Peter 3:9, where God is described as patient, not wanting anyone to perish. However, for those who persist in rebellion, His wrath is inevitable. This reflects the historical context of Nahum, where Assyria's continued oppression led to their eventual downfall, fulfilling God's promise of judgment.

- Jealousy, in God, is His righteous commitment to protect what is uniquely His. Just asExodus 34:14 says, “For you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

- His jealousy safeguards His covenant people from idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:24).

- “Avenging” assures us that He does not overlook sin.Psalm 94:1 calls Him the “God of vengeance,” affirming that justice belongs to Him alone.

- Key takeaway: God’s jealousy and vengeance are inseparable from His holiness and love. He defends His glory and His people with perfect zeal.

- The verse repeats “avenging” for emphasis, underscoring certainty.Deuteronomy 32:35 echoes, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.”

- “Full of wrath” means God’s anger is neither capricious nor partial; it is complete, proportionate, and perfectly timed (Romans 2:5).

- Wrath flows from His holy nature.Habakkuk 1:13 notes, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil.”

- For believers, Christ absorbs that wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10), but for the unrepentant it remains a sober reality.

- “Foes” and “enemies” point to those who persist in rebellion.Psalm 68:21 affirms, “Surely God will crush the heads of His enemies.”

- Vengeance is active (“takes”) while wrath is held in store (“reserves”), assuring eventual justice even when judgment seems delayed (2 Peter 3:9–10).

- Nineveh, the audience of Nahum, had once repented under Jonah but returned to violence (Nahum 3:1). God’s patience ran its course, proving His vengeance is purposeful, not impulsive.

- For the redeemed, this truth offers comfort: wickedness will not prevail indefinitely (Revelation 6:10).

Nahum 1:2 reveals a God who fiercely guards His glory, faithfully defends His people, and perfectly judges evil. His jealousy protects, His vengeance rectifies wrongs, and His stored wrath guarantees that no sin escapes His notice. Such attributes call us to trust His justice, rest in Christ’s redemption, and live in reverent obedience.

(2)God . . .furious.--Better,A jealous and vengeful God is Jehovah, an avenger is Jehovah, aye, wrathful. This verse lays the groundwork for the declaration of God's sentence against the offending city. There are, of course, several passages in the Law which attribute the same character to Jehovah,e.g.,Exodus 20:5;Deuteronomy 4:24. Nahum's model, however, is a passage of opposite purport, the well-known proclamation of Jehovah's attribute of mercy (Exodus 34:6-7). To that passage the present is a kind of counterpoise,?l kanno v'nokem here being the pendant to?l rachoom v'channoon there.