Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Nahum 1:9-13
God's Purpose Towards Nineveh (Nahum 1:9 a).
God purposes to destroy Nineveh once and for all.
‘What do you imagine against YHWH? He will make a full end. Affliction will not rise up the second time.'
‘What do you imagine against YHWH?' The question may mean, what chance did they think they had to prevent YHWH carrying out His purpose? What sort of defence did they think that they could put up? Alternately it may be asking what plans they had against God's people, followed by the assurance that they would not be able to afflict Judah a second time. Either way their efforts would be futile.
‘Affliction will not rise up the second time.' This was because there would be no second chance. Their destruction would be once for all. For Nineveh it was a final judgment.
‘For though they are like tangled thorns, and are drenched as it were in their drink, they will be devoured utterly as stubble.'
As tangled thorns are tough to penetrate, so Assyria no doubt thought that their city too would be difficult to penetrate, because of the strong defences of the city and their own fighting capabilities. But they had forgotten YHWH. ‘And are drenched as it were in their drink.' This may be a reminder that when men had to face battle they prepared themselves by heavy drinking, or it may be a sarcastic reference to the fact that they were drinking heavily, especially in the face of such troubles, raising the vivid picture of them as tangled thorns well doused to make them difficult to burn. But it would not save them. They will burn well in the flames lighted by the victorious enemy, (but really to be seen as the work of YHWH), just as stubble was totally burned up in the fields.
‘There is one gone forth from you who imagines evil against YHWH, who counsels wickedness. Thus says YHWH, “Though they are in full strength, and likewise many, even so will they be cut down, and he will pass away.” '
These words seem to be addressed to Judah. This would suggest that a plotter had gone to see the Assyrians in order to betray Judah, (and thus YHWH), advising wickedness, that is an attack on Judah, not realising that Assyria's condition would soon be untenable.
But he would be unsuccessful. As indeed Assyria had once before come against Jerusalem in full strength and had been struck down, so it would happen again, but this time even before they came. And the plotter himself would also be slain or have to disappear.
Some, however, see this as referring to Sennacherib, speaking of the past as though it were in the present. He came out thinking evil against Judah, and even challenging Yahweh direct (2 Kings 18:22; 2 Kings 18:33), and he advised his generals to evil deeds.
Then God turns to Judah and reminds them that although those evil men came in full strength and indeed were many (2 Kings 18:17), they were struck down (2 Kings 19:35). And in the end Sennacherib passed away (2 Kings 10:37).
Either way the final point is that all men's plans will finally come to nothing. The story is told of a great man who planned great things. He brought great turmoil on the world, and when challenged by God, cried, ‘And who are you?' And when his world collapsed and he lay in his coffin, God quietly bent down and asked, ‘and who are you?' And closed the lid.