Nahum 1:3

"The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. The LORD has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."

Key Reflection

Nahum 1:3 reveals God's character as both patient and just, emphasizing His willingness to punish sin but also His power to act swiftly when necessary. The imagery of God moving through the storm and clouds, likening them to dust beneath His feet, underscores the divine authority and control over nature. For the original audience, this would have conveyed a powerful message that despite Israel's history of rebellion, God remains sovereign and will ultimately enforce justice, even as He exercises patience with His people.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The Lord is slow to anger -Nahum takes up the words of JonahJonah 4:2as he spoke of God’s attributes toward Nineveh, but only to show the opposite side of them. Jonah declares how God is “slow to anger,” giving men time of repentance, and if they do repent, “repenting Him also of the evil;” Nahum, that the long-suffering of God is not “slackness,” that “He is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” And strong in power -Divine long-suffering gees along with Divine power. God can be long-suffering, because He can, whenever He sees good, punish. His long-suffering is a token, not of weakness, but of power.

More from Nahum 1

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