The Book of Nahum, addressed to Nineveh, stands in stark contrast to Jonah among the minor prophets. While Jonah's prophecy to Nineveh is a mere single line, Nahum dedicates three entire chapters in prophetic form, detailing the reasons for Nineveh's impending fall and the manner of its destruction. Unlike most minor prophets that conclude with promises of restoration or positive notes, Nahum, like Jonah, ends with a question mark. Yet, in the eyes of the Israelites, Nahum's conclusion carries a positive undertone despite the question, as it foretells a severe and crushing defeat of Nineveh for all its wickedness.

The Book of Nahum is connected to the Hebrew word "nahamb," which conveys the idea of change, often tied to a sigh of grief or relief. This term, from which the prophet Nahum's name is derived, typically signifies comfort or consolation, though Nahum's prophecies brought grief to the Assyrians as a response to their actions against Israel. His messages from God offered relief to Israel, who sought justice for the oppression they endured at the hands of the Assyrians. Thus, Nahum's name and role embody both aspects of "nahamb"—grief for the judged and consolation for the oppressed.

The book of Nahum, often seen as a sequel to Jonah, centers on the fall of Nineveh in 616 BC, about a century and a half after Jonah's ministry when the city was spared due to repentance. This time, as Nahum conveys through vivid lyric poetry, Nineveh would be humbled, left empty, desolate, and waste. Little is known of Nahum himself, beyond his name meaning comfort or consolation and his possible hometown of Elkosh, potentially linked to Capernaum or a southern Judah location like Beth Gabra. His three-chapter prophecy begins with a burden against Nineveh, addressing the Assyrians directly and introducing them to the might of Israel's God, who sends a message of woe. Dated between 660 and 630 BC, during late Manasseh's or early Josiah's reign, Nahum's prophecy is striking given Nineveh's immense size, strength, and historical endurance since Nimrod's time. Despite its formidable fortifications, Nahum's detailed predictions, including the palace dissolving due to flooding during the siege, proved accurate as the city fell to Babylonian and Median forces. Unlike many Minor Prophets, Nahum's work focuses strictly on Nineveh's downfall, without direct Messianic prophecies, though it echoes hope in the good tidings of Assyria's fall as Judah's longtime enemy.