The Meaning of Nahum 1:7 Explained

Nahum 1:7

KJV: The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

YLT: Good is Jehovah for a strong place in a day of distress. And He knoweth those trusting in Him.

Darby: Jehovah is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

ASV: Jehovah is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that take refuge in him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The LORD  [is] good,  a strong hold  in the day  of trouble;  and he knoweth  them that trust  in him. 

What does Nahum 1:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In contrast, Yahweh is also good, not just angry and vengeful (cf. Romans 11:22). He Himself is a more secure hiding place than any mountain, hill, or great city, like Nineveh, when people face trouble (cf. Psalm 27:1; Psalm 37:39; Psalm 43:2; Psalm 52:7). Furthermore He knows those who take refuge in Him by drawing near to Him and resting their confidence in Him. He takes note of those who trust in Him as well as those who incur His wrath. Whereas the previous revelations of God reflect His imminent dealings with the Assyrians, this aspect of His character (name) should have encouraged the Israelites to trust and obey Him.

Context Summary

Nahum 1:1-15 - God's Goodness And Righteous Anger
The native city of Nahum was Elkosh, near the Lake of Galilee. The name Capernaum means literally "the village of Nahum." He lived about 150 years after Jonah, who also had been especially concerned with the sins and doom of Nineveh. Though as a Jew he must have dreaded Nineveh, which had already carried Samaria into captivity and was now menacing Jerusalem, he accounted its fate a grievous burden-"the burden of Nineveh." We must never speak of the doom of the ungodly, save from a broken heart.
Nahum 1:1-8 forms a magnificent preamble combining the goodness and severity of God. His dealings with mankind are wrapped in mystery, but He is good and the stronghold of His saints. In Nahum 1:9-15 we see how mad Assyria was to enter into conflict with Jehovah. The fate of thorns in fiercely burning flame is the emblem of their doom. Compare Nahum 1:14 with Isaiah 37:38. When the hour of anguish is past, let us not forget to pay our vows. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nahum 1

1  The majesty of God in goodness to his people, and severity against his enemies

What do the individual words in Nahum 1:7 mean?

Good Yahweh [is] a stronghold in the day of trouble and He knows those who trust in Him
ט֣וֹב יְהוָ֔ה לְמָע֖וֹז בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה וְיֹדֵ֖עַ חֹ֥סֵי בֽוֹ

ט֣וֹב  Good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh  [is] 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לְמָע֖וֹז  a  stronghold 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָעֹוז 
Sense: place or means of safety, protection, refuge, stronghold.
בְּי֣וֹם  in  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
צָרָ֑ה  of  trouble 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרָה 
Sense: straits, distress, trouble.
וְיֹדֵ֖עַ  and  He  knows 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
חֹ֥סֵי  those  who  trust 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: חָסָה  
Sense: (Qal) to seek refuge, flee for protection.
בֽוֹ  in  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular