Background of the Book of Zechariah

The Hebrew name for the Book of Zechariah is “Zechariah” (זכריה / Z’kharyah), and it’s the eleventh book in the Book of the Twelve Prophets (תרי עשר / Trei Asar). In the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, Zechariah is placed after the Book of Haggai. Through the Book of Haggai, God declared that the time for […]

Background and Author Introduction to the Book of Malachi

The Hebrew name for the Book of Malachi is “Malachi” (מלאכי / Mal’akhi), and it is the last book in the Book of the Twelve Prophets (תרי עשר / Trei Asar). In the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, Malachi is placed after the Book of Zechariah. Through Zechariah, God declared how He would prepare the environment […]

Historical Background and Author Introduction to the Book of Habakkuk

The Hebrew name for the Book of Habakkuk is “Habakkuk” (חבקוק/Khavaquq), and it is the eighth book in the Book of the Twelve Prophets. In the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, Habakkuk is placed after the Book of Nahum, declaring that God will use the Chaldeans to discipline Judah, and then use other nations to judge […]

Historical Background and Author Introduction to the Book of Zephaniah

The Hebrew name for the Book of Zephaniah is “Zephaniah” (חבקוק /Khavaquq), and it is the ninth book in the Book of the Twelve Prophets (תרי עשר / Trei Asar). In the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, Zephaniah is placed after the Book of Habakkuk. Through Habakkuk, God prepared the people to accept the coming discipline, […]

Assyrians

The Assyrians, also known as Syriacs, are a people primarily residing in northern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq, particularly around the Euphrates and Tigris rivers). They boast a rich history spanning nearly 4,000 years. In ancient times, Assyria was a militaristic state, frequently engaged in warfare, and its empire, extending across Asia and Africa, once flourished. However, […]

“No Amon” in Nahum

[Nahum 3:8-10] “Are you better than Thebes [No Amon], which was situated by the Nile, with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water? Ethiopia and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libyans were your helpers. Yet she was carried away; she went into captivity; her little ones were […]

  Ancient Assyrian Prophecy

[Nahum 1:8] “But with an overwhelming flood he will make an utter end of Nineveh, and darkness will pursue his enemies.” [Nahum 2:6] “The river gates are opened; the palace is engulfed.” According to the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (90–30 BC) in his Bibliotheca Historica (Book II), the Assyrians had an ancient prophecy: “no […]

The Prophet Nahum

Tradition holds that the author of the Book of Nahum is Nahum, a prophet from the Southern Kingdom. Details of Nahum’s life are unknown, and the location of his hometown, “Elkosh,” remains unconfirmed to this day. Some suggest it was north of Nineveh, others south of Jerusalem, and still others Capernaum in Galilee (whose name […]

Historical Background of the book of Nahum

The Book of Nahum (נחום / Nakhum in Hebrew) is the seventh of the twelve Minor Prophets. It follows the Book of Jonah, which declares forgiveness for Nineveh, and precedes the Book of Micah, which addresses the discipline of Judah. Nahum delivers a message of comfort to God’s people by announcing the final judgment on […]

The Prophet Micah

Micah is a shortened form of “Micaiah” (Judges 18:2) and “Micaiah” (1 Kings 22:8). The name means “Who is like the Lord?” The prophet Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries, ministering during the same period. While Isaiah came from a wealthy, upper-class background, Micah was a simple countryman from Moresheth, a village located in the fertile […]