GOD CONDEMNED the ruling nobility of Assyria in the Book of Nahum—or did He?
We continue our study of Nahum and the links between Assyria and Babylon, especially at the supernatural level. Our theory is that Assur, translated “Assyria” in our Bible, may refer to Assur, the chief deity of the Assyrians—a god equated with Enlil of Babylon and El of Canaan.
The Hebrew word translated “nobles” or “officers” (ʾʾʾʾ’addirekha) is used in Psalm 16:3 (“the excellent ones”) and Ezekiel 32:18 (“majestic,” “powerful,” or “famous” nations) to describe entities in the underworld. The corresponding word is found in pagan texts from Ugarit and Phoenicia to refer to the spirits of the Rephaim—in one case mentioning Og, the king of Bashan in the days of Noah!
So, there appears to be more going on in Nahum that just a condemnation of the king of Assyria. We view this as an “already but not yet” prophecy of the destruction of Assur/Enlil/El, the divine rebel known to the Hebrews as Shemihazah (leader of the “sons of God” in Genesis 6), Molech, and Abaddon.
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