3535. Nineui
Lexical Summary
Nineui: Nineveh

Original Word: Νινευή
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Nineui
Pronunciation: nee-nev-AY
Phonetic Spelling: (nin-yoo-ee')
KJV: Nineve
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H5210 (נִינְוֵה - Nineveh))]

1. Ninevi (i.e. Nineveh), the capital of Assyria

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Nineve.

Of Hebrew origin (Niynveh); Ninevi (i.e. Nineveh), the capital of Assyria -- Nineve.

see HEBREW Niynveh

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Hebrew origin Nineveh
Definition
variant reading for NG3536, q.v.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3535: Νινευΐ´

Νινευΐ´, , Hebrew נִינְוֵה (supposed to be compounded of נין and נָוֵה, the abode of Ninus; (cf. Fried. Delitzsch as below; Schrader as below, pp. 102, 572)), in the Greek and Roman writings Νινος (on the accent cf. Pape, Eigennamen, under the word), Nineveh (Vulg.Ninive (so A. V. in Luke as below)), a great city, the capital of Assyria, built apparently about , on the eastern bank of the Tigris opposite the modern city of Mosul. It was destroyed (about) , and its ruins, containing invaluable monuments of art and archaeology, began to be excavated in recent times (from 1840 on), especially by the labors of the Frenchman Botta and the Englishman Layard; cf. Layard, Nineveh and its Remains, Lond. 1849, 2 vols.; and his Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon, Lond. 1853; (also his article in Smith's Dict. of the Bible); H. J. C. Weissenborn, Ninive as above Gebiet etc. 2 Pts. Erf. 1851-1856; Tuch, De Nino urbe, Lipsius 1844; Spiegel in Herzog 10, pp. 361-381; (especially Fried. Delitzsch in Herzog 2 (cf. Schaff-Herzog) x., pp. 587-603; Schrader, Keilinschriften as above with index under the word; and in Riehm under the word; Winers Grammar, Robertson Smith in Encyc. Brit. under the word); Hitzig in Schenkel 4:334ff; (Rawlinson, Five Great Monarchies etc.; Geo. Smith, Assyrian Discoveries, (Lond. 1875)). In the N. T. once, viz. Luke 11:32 R G.

Topical Lexicon
Historical Setting

Nineveh, situated on the east bank of the Tigris River opposite modern-day Mosul (Iraq), was one of the oldest and most influential cities of Mesopotamia. According to Genesis 10:11, Nimrod established it early in post-Flood history. Its strategic position astride major trade routes, combined with access to fertile agricultural land and waterways, enabled Nineveh to become the royal residence and, eventually, the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib (reigned 705–681 BC). Massive walls, palaces, temples, and an extensive system of canals and aqueducts testified to its wealth and power.

Nineveh in the Pentateuch and Historical Books

The first Scriptural notice (Genesis 10:11–12) links Nineveh with the beginnings of organized human government. Later narrative books do not describe Israelite contact with the city directly, yet Assyrian kings ruling from Nineveh profoundly affected the Northern Kingdom. Tiglath-Pileser III’s campaigns (2 Kings 15:29), Shalmaneser V’s siege of Samaria (2 Kings 17:5–6), and Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah (2 Kings 18–19) emerged from imperial policies shaped in Nineveh’s corridors of power.

Jonah’s Mission and the Mercy of God

The book of Jonah centers on Nineveh at the height of Assyrian brutality. The Lord’s call, “Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach against it” (Jonah 1:2), displays God’s sovereign concern for Gentiles otherwise alienated from Israel’s covenant. Following Jonah’s reluctant obedience, the king and citizens “believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth” (Jonah 3:5). Their repentance halted impending judgment: “When God saw their deeds … He relented of the disaster” (Jonah 3:10). This episode illuminates divine compassion, the efficacy of Spirit-empowered proclamation, and the breadth of salvation offered to all who repent.

Prophetic Oracles of Judgment

Within a few generations, Nineveh reverted to violence and idolatry. Nahum, writing roughly a century after Jonah, foretold the irreversible downfall of the city: “I am against you, declares the LORD of Hosts. I will burn your chariots in smoke” (Nahum 2:13). His three-chapter oracle depicts siege, bloodshed, and desolation fulfilled in 612 BC when a Median-Babylonian coalition breached its walls. Zephaniah likewise pronounced, “He will stretch out His hand … and He will make Nineveh a desolation” (Zephaniah 2:13). The complete disappearance of a metropolis once synonymous with invincibility underscores the certainty of divine retribution against obstinate evil.

Nineveh in the Gospels

The Greek word numbered Strong’s 3535 does not appear in the New Testament; nevertheless, Jesus references the repentant “men of Nineveh” (Matthew 12:41; Luke 11:32) to expose the hardness of His contemporaries. “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it” (Matthew 12:41). Their earlier response to limited revelation highlights the culpability of those who reject the greater light of Christ’s own ministry.

Archaeological Confirmation

For centuries Nineveh’s ruins lay buried. Systematic excavations beginning in 1845 (notably by Austen H. Layard) uncovered palace reliefs, royal annals, and libraries—most famously Ashurbanipal’s cuneiform tablets. These findings corroborate biblical descriptions of Assyrian power, brutality, and eventual collapse, lending historical texture to passages in Kings, Chronicles, Isaiah, Jonah, and Nahum.

Theological Themes and Ministry Application

1. Universality of God’s Call: Jonah demonstrates that the Lord’s redemptive plan transcends ethnic boundaries. This truth fortifies missionary proclamation and urges believers to engage every culture with the gospel.

2. Repentance and Relenting: Nineveh’s temporary reprieve illustrates the principle articulated in Jeremiah 18:7-8—that sincere repentance averts divine wrath. Preachers may confidently invite response, knowing God “desires all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4).

3. Certainty of Judgment: Nahum’s fulfillment teaches that delayed justice is not denied justice. It solemnly warns nations and individuals who persist in sin.

4. Greater-than-Jonah Motif: Jesus’ comparison places Himself at the center of redemptive history. The Ninevites’ example calls modern hearers to heed Christ without delay.

Summary

Nineveh traces a dramatic arc from early prominence, through unprecedented repentance under Jonah, to catastrophic ruin foretold by Nahum. Its account magnifies divine holiness and mercy, providing enduring lessons for personal faith, corporate revival, and global mission.

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3534
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