the prophecy was written before the final downfall of Nineveh and its capture by the Medes and
Chaldeans, cir. B.C. 625. The allusions to the Assyrian power imply that it was still unbroken. ch.
(Nahum 1:12; 2:8,13; 3:16-17) It is most probable that Nahum flourished in the latter half of the
return of Hezekiah, and wrote his prophecy either in Jerusalem or its neighborhood. The subject
of the prophecy is, in accordance with the superscription, “the burden of Nineveh,” the destruction
of which he predicts. As a poet Nahum occupies a high place in the first rank of Hebrew literature.
His style is clear and uninvolved, though pregnant and forcible; his diction sonorous and rhythmical,
the words re-echoing to the sense. Comp. (Nahum 2:4; 3:3)
Nail
Of finger. (a) A nail or claw of man or animal. (b) A point or style e.g. for writing; see (Jeremiah
17:1)
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•(a) A nail, (Isaiah 11:7) a stake, (Isaiah 33:20) also a tent-peg. Tent-pegs were usually of wood
and of large size; but some times, as was the case with those used to fasten the curtains of the
tabernacle of metal. (Exodus 27:19; 38:20) (b) A nail, primarily a point. We are told that David
prepared iron for the nails to be used in the temple; and as the holy of holies was plated with gold,
the nails for fastening the plates were probably of gold.
Nain
(beauty), a village of Galilee, the gate of which is made illustrious by the raising of the widow’s
son. (Luke 7:12) The modern Nein is situated on the northwestern edge of the “Little Hermon,” or
Jebel-ed-Duhy, where the ground falls into the plain of Esdraelon. The entrance to the place, where
our Saviour met the funeral, must probably always have seen up the steep ascent from the plain;
and here on the west side of the village, the rock is full of sepulchral caves.
Naioth
(habitations), or more fully, “Naioth in Ramah,” a place of Mount Ephraim, the birthplace of
Samuel and Saul, and in which Samuel and David took refuge together after the latter had made
his escape from the jealous fury of Saul. (1 Samuel 19:18,19,22,23; 20:1) It is evident from ver. ( 1
Samuel 20:18) that Naioth was not actually in Ramah, Samuel’s habitual residence. In its corrected
from the name signifies “habitations,” and probably means the huts or dwellings of a school or
college of prophets over which Samuel presided as Elisha did over those at Gilgal and Jericho.
Names
Names of places .—These may be divided into two general classes—descriptive and historical.
The former are such as mark some peculiarity of the locality, usually a natural one, e.g. Sharon,
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“plain” Gibeah, “hill;” Pisgah. “height.” Of the second class of local names, some were given in
honor of individual men, e.g. the city Enoch (Genesis 4:17) etc. More commonly, however, such
names were given to perpetuate that memory of some important historic occurrence. Bethel
perpetuated through all Jewish history the early revelations of God to Jacob. (Genesis 28:19;
35:15) So Jehovah-jireh, (Genesis 22:14) Mahanaim, (Genesis 32:2) Peniel etc. In forming
compounds to serve as names of towns or other localities, some of the most common terms
employed were Kir, a “wall” or “fortress;” Kirjath, “city;” En, “fountain;” Beer, “a well,” etc. The
names of countries were almost universally derived from the name of the first settlers or earliest
historic population.
•Names of persons.—Among the Hebrews each person received hut a single name. In the case of
boys this was conferred upon the eighth day, in connection with the rite of circumcision. (Luke
1:59) comp. Genesis17:5-14 To distinguish an individual from others of the same name it was