Feast day: 1 December

Commemoration of the Holy Prophet Nahum

The holy prophet Nahum, one of the twelve so-called minor prophets, came from Galilee, from the village of Elkosha [1].

The main content of the book of Nahum is a prophecy of the fall and destruction of Nineveh [2], a prediction of the calamities that the righteous Lord will bring upon this city, and the most vivid image of the final and complete destruction of this great and strongly fortified city. The prophet Nahum predicts the destruction of Nineveh as a punishment for its iniquities, and especially for the destruction of the kingdom of Israel and for Sennacherib's blasphemy against Jehovah [4]. Thus, Nahum repeats the terrible prophecy that was pronounced on Nineveh by the prophet Jonah; Jonah's prophecy about the destruction of Nineveh (Jonah 2:2) was not revoked, but only postponed. The Ninevites, having repented for a short time after the preaching of the prophet Jonah, seeing that his prophecy had not been fulfilled in them, again turned to their former evil deeds; by this they again angered God and offended His long-suffering.

The reason for the prophecy was the following: when Sennacherib's army was miraculously destroyed under the walls of Jerusalem, and Sennacherib withdrew with a threat, the Jews, although they were glad of this deliverance, feared that Sennacherib, enraged by the failure, would again gather an army, even larger than before, and would appear again, as he threatened, under the walls of Jerusalem. In order to calm and encourage the Jewish people, the prophet Nahum made his speech, in which he predicted the final destruction of Nineveh, which would be destroyed by a strong flood of waters, and the treasures of the city would be plundered and destroyed by fire [5].

The entire book of the prophet Nahum is one successive exposition of God's formidable decree about the destruction of Nineveh because of the fact that from it came the one who devised evil against Jehovah (i.e., Sennacherib), and the kingdom of Judah is predicted to be freed from the yoke of Assyria. Then follows the description of the siege and the destruction of Nineveh itself, and finally it is explained that Nineveh fully deserved such a fate by her idolatry, and especially by her debauchery and sorcery, by which she enslaved the nations. Therefore, no means of defense will save it, and all nations will rejoice that they have been delivered from such a cruel oppressor [6].

The time of the ministry of the prophet Nahum refers to the second half of the reign of the Judean king Hezekiah, i.e. to 745714 years B.C. (after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel).

Nothing is known about other circumstances of the prophet's life. According to legend, he died at the age of 45 and was buried in his homeland.

Kontakion, tone 4:

Thy pure heart, enlightened in spirit, the prophecies were the brightest friend: for behold that the present is far away. For this reason we revere thee, O blessed prophet, glorious Nahum.

The Life of the Holy Righteous Philaret the Merciful

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7), said the Lord. This came true in the case of Blessed Philaret the Merciful, who for his great mercy to the poor received from God a rich reward both in the present life and in the life to come, as his blessed life bears witness to this.

Blessed Philaret lived in Paphlagonia [1] in a village called Amnia [2]. His noble parents, George and Anna, raised him from childhood in piety and the fear of God, and his life was adorned with chastity and all other virtues. Having reached the age of maturity, Philaret entered into marriage with a noble and rich maiden, named Theozva, from whom he had three children: a son - John and two daughters - Hypatia and Evanthia. God blessed Blessed Philaret, as in the former times of the righteous Job, both with the increase of his possessions and abundant riches. He also had numerous herds and villages, fruitful fields and abundance in everything; His treasuries were full of all earthly goods, and a great multitude of male and female servants served at his house. And Filaret was known as one of the famous nobles of that country. Possessing such great wealth and seeing how many were at the same time suffering from poverty and extreme poverty, he felt compassion for them and, in tenderness of soul, said to himself: