Bible Strands
Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Nahum pronounces judgment on Nineveh; this verse sits between the image of God's wrath shattering rocks (v.6) and the flood that will end Nineveh (v.8). It addresses God's people in the moment when Assyria's power seems unsurvivable.
The words — מָעוֹז (ma'oz) means a refuge or stronghold, a place one actively takes shelter in, not a passive safety net. The verb יֹדֵעַ (yodea') carries the sense of intimate, experiential knowing rather than mere awareness.
The thread — The same "Lord knows" formula appears in 2 Timothy 2:19 and John 10:27, and Lamentations 3:25 pairs God's goodness with those who wait for Him. The thread is God's active, personal knowledge of those who commit themselves to Him.
Why it lands — It asks the reader to identify with "those who take refuge" (חֹסֵי, from the verb for seeking shelter) rather than standing neutral in the face of a threat. The verse is not a comfort for the detached; it is a claim that only holds if the person has actually taken cover.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Cross-references
- John 10:27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
- 2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”
- Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
- John 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,
- Psalms 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
- Psalms 100:5 For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.
- Psalms 27:5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.
- Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
- Psalms 1:6 For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
- Galatians 4:9 But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?