Habakkuk
Habakkuk 1
Chapter I · Vol. III, pp. 1469–1470
1 Unto Habakkuk, complaining of the iniquity of the land, 5 is showed the fearful vengeance by the Chaldeans. 12 He complaineth that vengeance should be executed by them who are far worse.
2 O LORD, bhow long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
3 Whyc dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
c Je.9.2-6. Mi.7.2-6; 2.1,2; 3.2,3. Is.5.7-23; 1.21,23. Eze.22.2-13. Ps.55.10,11. Zep.3.1-4.
4 Therefore dthe law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong1 judgment proceedeth.
5 Beholde ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for gI will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
6 For, lo, hI raise up the Chaldeans,2 that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth3 of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
h De.28.49-52. Is.5.26-30; 23.13. Je.1.15,16; 4.7; 5.6; 6.22,23; 12.9-12; 25.9,11. 2 Ki.xxiv.xxv.
2 See note * below.
3 Heb. breadths.
* The Chaldeans, called in Hebrew Kasdim, a name which is given to the country as well as the people, are supposed by some to have derived their origin from Chesed, the son of Nahor, brother of Abraham, Ge. 22. 22. But this view is opposed to the plain language of Scripture, in which we have 'Ur of the Chaldees' mentioned at an earlier period. The probability is that they were of Cushite origin, and that their earliest seat was among the mountains between the Caspian and Black seas. From thence they migrated southwards, and established themselves on the banks of the Euphrates near the Persian Gulf; and this region was from them called Kasdim, or by the Greeks Chaldea. They conquered Assyria, and established the Chaldean dynasty in Babylon about B.C. 625. They soon extended their conquests westward, and overran Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.—P.
7 They are terrible and dreadful: itheir judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
i Da.5.19. Je.52.9-11; 39.5-7. 2 Ch.36.6-17.
8 Their jhorses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce4 than the kevening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly las the eagle that hasteth to eat.
9 They shall come all nfor violence; 5their faces shall sup up as othe east wind, and they shall pgather the captivity as the sand.
n De.28.51,52. Is.5.29. Je.4.7,19,20; 5.15-17; 25.9,38. ch.2.5,8,10,15,17; ver.13,14.
5 Or, the supping up of their faces, as, &c., or their faces shall look towards the east. Heb. the opposition of their faces shall be toward the east.
o Je.4.11,12. Eze.17.10. Ho.13.15. Is.27.8.
p ch.2.5. Je.25.9-26; 27.6,7; 52.28-30. ver.15.
10 And qthey shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them; they shall rderide every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.
q 2 Ki.24.11-16; 25.6,7,20,21. Je.25.9,18-26; xlvi.-xlix. Eze. xxv. xxvi. xxix. xxxv.
r Is.14.16,17. Je.51.20-23; 32.24; 33.4; 52.4.
11 Then sshall his mind change, and he shall tpass over, and offend, uimputing this his power unto his god.
12 Art thou not vfrom everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? xwe shall not die. O LORD, thou hast yordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God,6 thou hast established7 them for correction.
13 Thouz art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on 8iniquity: awherefore lookest thou upon them bthat deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
14 And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping9 things, that have no ruler over them?
9 Or, moving.
15 They ctake up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their 1drag: dtherefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore ethey sacrifice2 unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.3
e See ver.11. Is.10.13-15. De.8.17,18.
2 The idolaters of India sacrifice to the implements of their trade.—C.
A.M. cir. 3324 or 3404. B.C. cir. 680 or 600.
3 Or, dainty. Heb. fat.
17 Shall they therefore empty4 their net, and notg spare continually to slay the nations?5
4 Or, spread.
g ver.9,10,15; ch.2.5,8,17. Je.51.20-23; 25.9,18-26,30-38; xlvi.-xlix. Eze.xxv.-xxx. 2 Ki.xxiv.xxv. Is.14.16,17.
5 It might be matter of question whether the description from ver. 12 did not refer to the Jews: but the 'slaying of the nations' evidently directs to the Chaldeans.—C.
Notes
Ver. 2-4. Lord, how long must I complain to thee of the oppression and other wickedness which everywhere prevail, before thou takest any course to restrain it and deliver the oppressed? Why is my lot cast in such times and places in which I must always behold such injuries, oppressions, and groundless contentions? and in which, through delay of just punishment, men harden themselves in their wickedness, and grow worse and worse? Thy law is contemned and disobeyed, and common justice is scarcely ever executed; but the wicked, by their numbers or influence, quite overpower and oppress the godly, and pervert judgment as much as they please. 5-11. Behold, with terror and astonishment, how I, who am now punishing the heathen nations, will shortly punish you with a more tremendous destruction, which ye will never believe till ye feel. By my direction the cruel, fierce, and dreadful Chaldeans, who shall rule everything according to their own will, shall furiously invade your country, seize your wealth, and murder or enslave your persons. Regardless of all the opposition that you can make, they shall destroy or lead captive your princes, and waste your cities; and puffed up by their conquests, Nebuchadnezzar and his subjects shall become more and more insolent, self-confident, and idolatrous, ascribing their victories to their idols. 12-17. O everlasting God, who hast for many ages been the God of the Jews by peculiar covenant relation, and who wilt not utterly destroy us, thou wilt indeed raise up these Chaldeans to correct us, but thy infinite holiness can never permit thee to approve their wicked designs. Why then wilt thou give them success, in treacherously oppressing and destroying thy own people? Alas! why wilt thou permit men to act as stupid and savage animals, which, without any order or government, destroy such as are better or weaker than themselves? And who therefore ascribe all their success, wealth, and honour to their own power and policy? Wilt thou then always permit them to hoard up what they have gotten, and to proceed in their murder and devastations?
Ver. 5. Behold, &c. This is the Lord's answer to the prophet's complaint. Newcome translates it thus: 'See, ye transgressors {'despisers,' Boothroyd}, and behold a wonder and perish' (see the quotation by Paul, Ac. 13.41); and so read the Septuagint, Arabic, and Syriac. C.
Ver. 7. Their judgment, &c. In determining their conduct they will have no regard to the law or judgment of God, nor be guided by any regard to his glory, but solely by a view to their own. C.
Ver. 8. Spread themselves. Baron de Tott describes an army of modern Tartar horsemen dividing into several columns, then subdividing and overspreading Servia, burning villages, corn, &c., and carrying off the inhabitants and cattle. C.
Ver. 9. Sup up. The desiccating power of this wind is described by Jackson in his overland journey to India. He had just emerged from bathing in the Tigris when one of these winds passed over him, and in a moment carried off every particle of water on his body and bathing dress. C.
Ver. 10. Heap dust. Rather, 'earth'—raising mounds to overtop the walls. C.
Ver. 11. 'Then shall their mind change' (then shall the fierce Chaldean degenerate), 'and they shall transgress and be held guilty for imputing their power to their (false) gods.' It is probable the Chaldeans were originally worshippers of Jehovah, and that this prediction refers to their perversion to idolatry, on account of which God adjudges them to destruction, ver. 12. C.
Ver. 15. The imagery is taken from the various modes of fishing. 'The angle,' properly so called, is confined to fishing with an artificial fly. It is called 'angling,' because the fly is drawn neither directly up nor down the stream, but at an angle.—The net seems that in which the fish are caught in the meshes.—The drag appears, from Egyptian and Herculaneum paintings, a net extended from the shore, and then drawn circularly to land, enclosing all within its sweep. C.
Reflections.—Faithful ministers must often bear heavy messages of wrath to God's professing people. And it is grievous to them to behold iniquity abound, while they can do nothing to repress it. Especially to see men diabolically turn tormentors of one another. In the most fearful manner judgment follows wickedness; and violence is returned for violence, and fraud for fraud. And success in sin tempts men to become more and more wicked. But happy is it in evil times to have the eternal God our own, and on our side by special covenant; and to live in the firm faith of the holiness and equity of his whole providential dispensations, and that sin shall not always escape unpunished. And it is highly becoming to ascribe due praise to him, let men injure us as they will.—Sound and well-established principles are great supports to a distressed mind; and though God correct his people, yet he will not utterly destroy them. Whatever difficulties we therefore apprehend in God's providences, we must cast all our care upon him, and wait patiently for his salvation. Instruments of God's wrath may for a time bring awful desolation among men. But however little account they make of men's lives, God will at last reckon with such conquerors as the most arrant robbers and most bloody murderers of mankind.