Nachum Acrostic

B”H

In the first half of the first chapter of Nachum, half an acrostic can be easily identified.  The second half requires changing verses around and also focusing on when letters are repeated at the beginning of the sentence.


א. מַשָּׂא נִינְוֵה סֵפֶר חֲזוֹן נַחוּם הָאֶלְקֹשִׁי:

1. The harsh prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

ב. אֵל קַנּוֹא וְנֹקֵם יְהֹוָה נֹקֵם יְהֹוָה

2. The Lord is a jealous and vengeful God

וּבַעַל חֵמָה נֹקֵם יְהֹוָה לְצָרָיו וְנוֹטֵר הוּא לְאֹיְבָיו ג. יְהֹוָה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם:

and is full of wrath; the Lord avenges Himself upon His adversaries, and He bears a grudge against His enemies.  3. The Lord is slow to anger

 וּגְדָל כֹּחַ וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה יְהֹוָה בְּסוּפָה וּבִשְׂעָרָה

and great in power, but He will surely not acquit; the Lord-[His way] is with a tempest and with a storm and cloud is the dust of His feet.

 דַּרְכּוֹ וְעָנָן אֲבַק רַגְלָיו ד. גּוֹעֵר בַּיָּם וַיַּבְּשֵׁהוּ וְכָל:

His way; and cloud is the dust of His feet.  4. He rebukes the sea and dries it up, and He has dried up (and) all...

 הַנְּהָרוֹת הֶחֱרִיב אֻמְלַל בָּשָׁן וְכַרְמֶל וּפֶרַח לְבָנוֹן אֻמְלָל:

the rivers; Bashan and Carmel are cut off, and the blossoms of the Lebanon are cut off

 ה. הָרִים רָעֲשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְהַגְּבָעוֹת הִתְמֹגָגוּ

5. Mountains quaked because of him and the hills melted,

וַתִּשָּׂא הָאָרֶץ מִפָּנָיו וְתֵבֵל וְכָל יוֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ:

and the land raised up from before Him-and the inhabited earth and all who dwell thereon.

 ו. לִפְנֵי זַעְמוֹ מִי יַעֲמוֹד וּמִי יָקוּם בַּחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ

6. Who can stand before His fury and who can rise amidst His wrath?

 חֲמָתוֹ נִתְּכָה כָאֵשׁ וְהַצֻּרִים נִתְּצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ:

His wrath has reached [the earth] like fire, and the rocks have been broken up by Him.

 ז. טוֹב יְהֹוָה לְמָעוֹז בְּיוֹם צָרָה וְיֹדֵעַ חֹסֵי בוֹ ח. וּבְשֶׁטֶף עֹבֵר כָּלָה:

7. The Lord is good-yea, a stronghold on a day of trouble- and is cognizant of those who trust in Him. 8. But, with an overrunning flood...

 יַעֲשֶׂה מְקוֹמָהּ וְאֹיְבָיו יְרַדֶּף חֹשֶׁךְ ט. מַה תְּחַשְּׁבוּן אֶל יְהֹוָה:

He shall make a full end of its place, and darkness shall pursue His enemies. 9. What do you think of the Lord?
 כָּלָה הוּא עֹשֶׂה לֹא תָקוּם פַּעֲמַיִם צָרָה :

He will make a full end; the trouble will not rise twice.

לֹא יִזָּרַע מִשִּׁמְךָ עוֹד

No more [offspring] of your name shall be sown;

מָלֵא יא. מִמֵּךְ יָצָא חֹשֵׁב עַל יְהֹוָה:

fully ripe. 11. From you has emanated one who plots evil against the Lord,

מֹטֵהוּ מֵעָלָיִךְ וּמוֹסְרֹתַיִךְ אֲנַתֵּק:

his yoke from you, and I will rend your bonds asunder.

  וְכֵן רַבִּים וְכֵן נָגוֹזּוּ:

-and likewise many-and likewise they have crossed

י. כִּי עַד סִירִים סְבֻכִים וּכְסָבְאָם סְבוּאִים אֻכְּלוּ כְּקַשׁ יָבֵשׁ

10. For, while the thorns are entangled and the drunkards are drinking, they are consumed like dry stubble,

וְעָבָר וְעִנִּתִךְ לֹא אֲעַנֵּךְ עוֹד יג. וְעַתָּה אֶשְׁבֹּר

and passed over, I will no longer afflict you. 13. And now I will break off...

פֶּסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה אָשִׂים

a graven image and a molten image; I will make

יד. וְצִוָּה עָלֶיךָ יְהֹוָה

14. And the Lord shall command concerning you;

קִבְרֶךָ כִּי קַלּוֹתָ:

your grave, for you have become worthless.

 רָעָה יֹעֵץ בְּלִיָּעַל יב. כֹּה | אָמַר יְהֹוָה:

 one who counsels wickedness. 12. So said the Lord:

אִם שְׁלֵמִים

Though they be at peace...

 מִבֵּית אֱלֹהֶיךָ אַכְרִית

from the house of your god I will cut off