THE PROPHET
HABAKKUK

Habakkuk 1

1Unto Habakkuk, complaining of the iniquity of the land, 5is showed the fearful vengeance by the Chaldeans: 12he complaineth that vengeance should be executed by them who are far worse.


1THE1 burden which Habakkuk the prophet 2did see.

1 See Isa. 13 on verse 1. In the following Habakkuk, Hebr. Chabakkuk.

2 Namely, in a vision. See Isa. 1:1.

2O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of 3violence, and thou wilt not save!

3 Namely, in regard that the great ones of the land oppress the insignificant people, or the wicked men the godly ones. See the like phrase, Job 19:7; Jer. 20:8.

3Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold 4grievance? for spoiling and violence are 5before me: and 6there are 7that raise up strife and contention.

4 Or, trouble, as Psalm 10:14. Namely, such as the wicked put upon the godly.

5 The sense is: Wherever I turn myself, there I see nothing else than destruction and violence.

6 Namely, among the people of the Jews, the one is disputing with the other; or, they strive against me and the other prophets. See Jer. 15:10; Hosea 4:4.

7 That is, almost everywhere there are those who raise disputes, quarrels and contentions, even for least and small causes.

4Therefore the law is 8slacked, and judgment 9doth never go forth: for the 10wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment 11proceedeth.

8 Or, the law is weakened, the law of God, and the preaching thereof is no more regarded among the wicked Jews. See Ezek. 33:32. See also Jeremiah 11; 12.

9 That is, it is never expressed; the lawsuits are put off indefinitely; it lasts extensively many years.

10 Compare Psalm 12 on verse 8; 22:12.

11 The impious lawyers do wrest and pervert justice; or, the judges are bribed with gifts and donations; or, they pervert and change justice through favor or envy. But see what such are to experience, Psalm 125:5.

512Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for Ia will work a work 13in your days, which ye will not believe, 14though it be told you.

12 Here the LORD gives an answer to the prophet’s complaint, and it is as if He said, Mark and observe this well whether ever there went forth similar great and grievous judgment upon any, as are the grievous miseries and desolations, which I shall cause to come upon you, O ye wicked Jews, by the Chaldeans. Yet the apostle has extended these words somewhat further, to the punishment of the unbelieving Jews. See Acts 13:41.

a Acts 13:41.

13 That is, in your own lifetime.

14 Or, if it would be related; it shall be so extraordinary great.

6For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and 15hasty nation, which shall march 16through the breadth of the land, 17to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.

15 Hebr. a people making haste, that is, a people which is quick and expeditious in their affairs. See Isa. 5:26, etc.

16 That is, wide and broad through many lands.

17 That is, to subdue and possess as their own, such countries and cities, as did belong to other people and nations, and especially those of the Jews.

718They are terrible and dreadful: 19their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

18 Namely, people.

19 They do everything according to their desire and pleasure, and everything what they do, must be just, according to their dignity.

820Their horses also are 21swifter than the leopards, and are more 22fierce than 23the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come 24from far; they shall 25fly 26as the eagle that hasteth to eat.

20 These words have regard to the first clause of verse 7.

21 That is, lighter.

22 Hebr. sharp, namely of teeth or sight.

23 Hebr. wolves of the evening; that is, such as do range abroad in the evening, or by night to steal the sheep. Compare Jer. 5:6.

24 Namely, from far countries.

25 That is, march on swiftly and with great speed.

26 Compare 2 Sam. 1:23; Job 9:26; Prov. 30:19; Jer. 4:13; Ezek. 17:2; Mat. 24:28.

927They shall come all 28for violence: 29their faces shall sup up as 30the east wind, and they shall gather 31the captivity 32as the sand.

27 Namely, the people of Chaldea.

28 That is, to commit violence.

29 The sense is: Whatever the Chaldeans shall set their eyes on, the same they shall as it were sup, swill, or swallow up through the greediness of their eyes, devouring with their eyes whatsoever they see or meet. See similar phrase, Job 39:24. Hebr. the supping, or lapping of their face shall be toward the east. Others, the regard of their countenance shall be, as if the east wind came against one, which in the land of the Jews used to be very violent and hurtful.

30 That is, into Chaldea, from where these soldiers were to come, for Chaldea is situated north-east from Judea; to which they would direct their eyes to return that way laden with their booty.

31 Or, captives. Hebr. the captivity, that is, the multitude of prisoners.

32 That is, a numberless multitude, even as the sand is passed numbering. See Gen. 41 on verse 49.

10And 33they shall scoff 34at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride 35every strong hold; for 36they shall heap dust, and 37take it.

33 Hebr. he. Namely, Nebuchadnezzar, king of the aforementioned people.

34 As among others, the kings of Egypt, of Tyre, of Zidon, of Arabia, and especially king Zedekiah, as we read in 2 Kings 25:6, 7; Jeremiah 25; 29.

35 That is, at all places of strength, whether they be cities, castles, forts or other fortifications.

36 That is, he shall cause abundance of earth to be brought together to fill the canals and water ditches, or to put up mounts and siege-artillery. Others, he shall gather soldiers in such a multitude as dust.

37 See of the great victories and conquests of king Nebuchadnezzar, Isaiah 23; Jer. 25:22; 47:4; Ezek. 26:3, 7; 27:2; Amos 1:9, and more elsewhere.

1138Then shall 39his 40mind change, and he shall 41pass over, and 42offend, imputing 43this his power unto his god.

38 Namely, after that he shall have captured Jerusalem and other places.

39 Namely, king Nebuchadnezzar.

40 That is, he shall become otherwise minded than he was before, that is, through this prosperity he shall lapse into dreadful arrogance. Compare Isa. 14:13, 14; Dan. 4:30. Other, he shall change like a wind.

41 Namely, into Chaldea or to Babylon. Other, he shall transgress.

42 Namely, against God, through idolatry, presumption and insolence.

43 That is, ascribing unto himself Divine honor and excellence, by reason of his great victories. Compare verse 16. Other, saying that this power of him is of his god, that is, he shall attribute this to his god, namely Bel, that he has done these great things by his powerful operation and assistance. See hereof the first five chapters in Daniel.

12Art thou not 44from everlasting, O LORD my God, 45mine Holy One? 46we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them 47for judgment; and, 48O mighty God, thou hast established them 49for correction.

44 That is, from eternity.

45 Among other names given to God is also this one: the Holy One of Israel. See Psalm 71 on verse 22. See also Isa. 12:6; 43:3; 49:7.

46 That is, we shall not be utterly destroyed by the Chaldeans, but Thou shalt deliver us again by Thy mighty hand.

47 That is, in order that he, namely the king of Babel, execute Thy judgments.

48 Hebr. rock. That is, O Lord, on Whom we rely, to Whom we run for shelter, as to our Rock. These are the prophet’s words in his own and on the peoples’ behalf. Compare Deut. 32:4; Psalm 18:2; 19:14.

49 Namely, both us and others, or himself also, namely, after that he shall have chastised us as the rod and staff of Thine anger. Compare Exod. 9:16.

13Thou art of purer eyes than 50to behold 51evil, and 52canst not look on 53iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them 54that deal treacherously, and 55holdest thy tongue when 56the wicked devoureth the man 57that is more righteous than he?

50 God’s eye is not concealed; He sees the evil which men commit, Psalm 10:14, but He does not see it with an approving eye; He shall not always let it go unpunished. Yet in Obadiah verse 13, this phrase is taken for the wicked’s delightful seeing of the evil, which comes upon the godly.

51 Namely, what the Chaldeans have done to us.

52 See the 50th annotation.

53 That is, inconvenience, namely, trouble and vexation, which the Chaldeans put upon us.

54 That is, the Chaldeans, who were very unfaithful and perfidious. See Isa. 21 on verse 2.

55 That is, forbear to punish.

56 Namely, the Chaldean.

57 Namely, the Jewish people, compared to the Chaldeans. Yet understand this of the godly among the Jews, who indeed were those for whom the prophet prayed; for, the wicked ones among the Jews went far beyond the heathen in wickedness. See Jer. 2:10, 11.

1458And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, 59that have no ruler over them?

58 That is, why wouldst Thou permit that the great and mighty ones of this world would take, kill, swallow and destroy the small and innocent ones according to their lust and pleasure, as the great fishes do to the little fishes, as if Thou wouldst let everything occur as by chance and as if Thou wouldst not take notice of anything?

59 That is, no great fish or creeping creature, which bears sway or rule over them, and protects them against the violence of them that devour them.

1560They take 61up 62all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: 63therefore they rejoice and are glad.

60 Namely, the enemy mentioned above, Nebuchadnezzar.

61 Or, out, forth, that is, he subdues them all under his power. Compare Dan. 4:17, 18, etc.

62 Namely, men, or nations. Or, He draws it, etc., namely, both men and goods.

63 The meaning is: He does not only have no sorrow and regret about his evil deed, but he is glad and rejoices himself in it, since he had done it very well. Compare Eph. 4:19.

1664Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because 65by them 66their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.

64 As if he said: If it does go well for the Chaldean and according to his wish, he does not ascribe this to God, but to his own power and ability. See Isa. 10:13; Dan. 4:30.

65 Namely, by his net and drag.

66 That is, his portion, state, condition have improved and greatly increased.

1767Shall they therefore 68empty their net, and not spare continually 69to slay the nations?

67 The sense is: Seeing he is so cruel and audacious, wilt Thou therefore always tolerate his wickedness, and suffer it to go unpunished? Wilt Thou continually permit him to rule over one country after another country and to subdue it?

68 Namely, to prepare it and to cast it out again for a new catch.

69 That is, to destroy and to root out, in order that Thou, without giving any regard as a righteous Judge, shalt punish him? The answer is not expressed, which would be: By no means, at length Thou shalt put a bit into his mouth and punish him. These questions do always import a strong denial.