Habakkuk 1

The prophet complains of the great wickedness and iniquity of the Jewish people, verse 2. be declares that by reason of those sins the Chaldeans should come suddenly upon them with great power and destroy all things, 5. he prayeth to the LORD that the enemies having sinned more grievously then the Jews, may not be suffered to satisfie all their mischievous desires upon them, but he punished rather themselves, 12. c.

1. The Burthen [see Isa. 13 on verse 1. which Habakuk [Heb. Chibakkuk] the prophet saw. [to wit, in a vision. See Isa. chapter 1.1.]

2. LORD, how long doe I cry, and thou hearest not? (how long) do I call violence [viz. In regard that the great ones of the land, oppressed the meaner sort, or the wicked men, the godly ones, see the like phrase, Job 19:7 and Jeremiah 20:8.] to thee, and thou dost not deliver me?

3. Wherefore doest thou suffer me to see iniquity, and behold the vexation? [Or trouble, toil, as Psalms 10. on verse 14 to wit, such as the wicked put upon the godly] for desolation and violence is over against me, [i.e. I can turn my self no where, but I must see the sad objects of Desolation and Violence] and there is contention, [Viz. among the people of the Jews, the one is at oddes with the other, or they contend with and strive against me, and other true prophets, see Hosea 4:4. Jeremiah 15:10.] and they take up quarrellings. [I.e. there are those almost everywhere, that raise differences, quarrels, and contentions, even for the least cause]

4. Therefore is the law forsaken [Or weakened, to wit the law of God and the preaching thereof, is no more regarded among the wicked Jews. See Ezekiel 33:32. see also Jer. 11 and 12.] and the right is never advanced: [I.e. judgement is never given in a righteous cause, the same remains hanging on the file, for years, and ages and is never brought to an issue] for the wicked surrounds the righteous, [compare Psalms 12 on verse 9 & Psalms 22 verse 13.] therefore the right, [or, judgement] comes forth perversed. [Or, wrested. i.e. the ungodly lawyers do wrest and pervert the cause. Or the judges are turned about with gifts and presents; or, they pervert and wind the right about for favour, or grudge. But see, what such are to expect. Psalms 125:5.]

5. See among the Heathens, and behold and admire, [here the LORD doth make answer to the prophet’s complaint as if he said, mark and observe this wel whether ever there went forth the like great and grievous judgement 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 extends these words some-what further to the punishment of the unbelieving Jews. See Acts 13:41.] For I do work a work in your dayes, [i.e. in your life time] (which) ye shall not believe, when it shall be related. [or, is it should be related, too extraordinary great shall it be.]

6. For loe, I raise up the Chaldeans, a bitter and nimble nation, [Hebr. A people making Huste. i.e a people that is quick and expedite in their affairs. See Isaiah 5:26, c.] marching through the breadths of the earth, [i.e. far and neer through many countreys] hereditarily to possess habitations which are not theirs. [i.e. to subdue and possess as their own, such countreys and cities, as did belong to other people and Nations , and especially those of the Jews.]

7. Terrible and dreadful they are [to wit, that people, or Nation of the Chaldeans.] their right and their height proceeds out of themselves, and all they do must needs pass for current right, because for current right, because of their height and greatness.]

8. For [These words have regard to the first clause of verse 7.] their horses are lighter [i.e. swifter, fleeter] then leopards, and they are keener [or sharper, viz for teeth, or fight] than the evening wolves, [Heb. Wolves of the evening i.e. such as do range abroad in the evening, or by night, for to steal the sheep. Compare Jeremiah 5:6.] and their horse disperse themselves: yea their horsemen shall come a far off; [to wit, from far countries] they shall fly, [i.e. march on swiftly and with great expedition] like an eagle dispatching to eat. [Compare 2 Sam 2.23. Job 9:26. Proverbs 30:19. Jeremiah 4:13. Ezekiel 17:10. Matthew 24:28.]

9. They [viz. The people of Chaldea] shall absolutely come to power; [i.e. to commit violence] that which they sup up with their faces, (they shall bring) toward the east, [that is, into Chaldea, from whence these souldiers were to come: for Chaldea lies North-East from Judea, thitherwards they should bend their eyes, for to return thither with their Booty. The meaning here is; whatever the Chaldeans shall set their eyes on, the same they shall as it were sup, swill, swallow up, through the greediness of their eyes, swallowing up with them, whatsoever they meet: see the like phase, Job 39:27. Heb. The supping, or lapping of their face shall be towards the east. Others the regard of their countenance shall be, as if the east-winde came against one; which in Judea used to be very violent and hurtfull] and they shall gather captives [Hebr. The captives; that is, the multitude of captives] like sand. [that is, a numberless multitude, even as sand is past numbering. See gen. 41 on verse 49.]

10. And he [to wit, the king of the foresaid people, that s to say, Nebuchadnezzar] shall scoffe at the kings, [as among other the kings of Egypt, or Tyre, of Zidon, of Arabia, and especially King Zedekia as we read, 2 Kings 25:10. and Jeremiah 25:29.] and the prince shall be a mockery to him; he shall laugh at every stronghold, [i.e. at all places of strength, whether they be cities, Forts, or other Fortifications] for he shall gather dust, [that is, he shall cause abundance of earth to be brought together, for to fill and dry up the water ditches to make them passable, or raise up mounts and other works. Others he shall gather men for his armies like dust, so many and so easily] and he shall take them. [see of the great victories and conquests of Nebuchadnezzar, Isa. 23. Jeremiah 25:22. and 47. 44. Ezekiel 26:3,7 and 27.2. Amos 19 and elsewhere.]

11. Then [viz. after the he shall have taken Jerusalem and other places] shall he [viz. King Nebuchadnezzar] alter the spirit, [that is, he shall become otherwise minded, than he was before; all those prophesies shall make him to fall into fearfull presumption: comp. Isa. 14 verse 13,14. Daniel 4:27. others, he shall change (like) a winde] and shall passé through, [viz. into Chaldea, or Babylon. Oth. He shall transgress] and make himself guilty, [viz. against God, by idolatry, presumption and insolence] (holding) this his power for his God [i.e. ascribing unto himself divine honour and excellencie, by reason of his great victories. Compare below verse 16. oth. (saying that) this power of his, is of his God. As attributing it to his God, Bell, and his powerfull operation and assistance, that he had done such great things in the world. See hereof the five first chapter In Daniel.]

12. Art thou old [i.e. from eternity] the Lord my God the holy one? [among other names given to God, this also is one, the Holy one of Israel: see Psalms 71. on verse 22. see also Isaiah 12:6. and 43.3. and 49.7.] we shall not die: [that is, we shall not utterly destroyed by the Chaldeans but thou wilt deliver us again, by thy mighty hand] o LORD, thou hast put him for a judgement, [viz. the King of babel, that he should execute thy judgements] and O rock, [i.e. O LORD, on whom we relie, to whom we run for shelter, as to our rock and defence: these are the prophet’s words, in his own and the people’s behalf. Comp. Deuteronomy 32:4. and Psalms 18:3. and 19.15.] thou hast establish him for to punish. [viz. both us and others, or himself also, to wit, after that he shall have chastised us as the rod and staffe of thine andger. Compare Exodus 9:16.]

13. Thou art too pure of eyes then to see the evil, [Namely, that which the Chaldeans have done to us. There is nothing hid to God’s eye: he seeth the evil which men are acting, well enough. Psalms 10:14. but he seeth it not with an approving eye, nor shall he always wink at it, and let it passé unpunished. Yet, Obad. Verse 13. this phrase is taken for the wicked’s delight seeing of the evil, which lightened on the Godly] and the tribulation [i.e. trouble and vexation, toil and drudgery, which the Chaldeans put upon us] thou eanst not behold: [see the first note on this verse] why shoudest thou regard those that deal persideously? [i.e. the Chaldeans, who were very unfaithful and persideous. See Isa. 21. on verse 2.] (why) should thou be silent, [i.e.. forbear to punish] when the wicked [Chaldean] doth swallow up him, that is more righteous then himself? [understand the Jewish people, compared with the Chaldeans, but especially, the Godly ones among the Jews, who indeed were those, the prophet prayer for: for the wicked ones among the Jews, went far beyond the heathen in wickedness. See Jeremiah 2:10, 11.]

14. And, (why) should thou make the men, as the fishers in the sea? As the creaping creature, that hast no ruler? [Or LORD, that is, no great fish or creeping creature, bearing sway or rule over the rest, and protecting them against the violence of them that devour them. The meaning of this verse, why shouldst thou permit, O God, that the great and mighty ones of this world should take, kill, swallow and destroy the meaner sort and innocenter part, according to their own base pleasure and appetite; as we see the great fishes do the little ones, as if thou didst let all things go in the world, by hazard, as it were, and never heededst nor cared for ought in it.]

15. He [viz. the enemy aforesaid, King Nebuchadnezzar] drawes them all [to wit, all men or nations; or it all, to wit, both men and goods] up with the angle, [or, our, forth, i.e. he subdueth them all under his power. Compare Daniel 4:17.18. &c.] he gathers them in his yarn, and he assembleth them in his net: therefore he is glad and rejoyceth. [the meaning is, he doth not onely not relent and repent of all this wickedness, but he joyes and rejoyceth in it, as if he had done very well. Compare Ephesians 4:19.]

16. Therefore doth he offer to his yarn, and burns incense to his net: [as if he said: The Chaldean prospering thus, and having all things to succeed him to his wish, he doth not ascribe the same to God, but to his own power and abilitie] for by the same [to wit, the yarn and net aforesaid] is his portion grown fat, and his meat unctuous. [Or greasie: that is to say; his state and condition, his portion in this life, is much mended and greatly encreased.]

17. Shall he therefore (always) emptie his Yern? [To wit, to fit and prepare it for a new cast, to catch and ensnare more still; the sense is, seeing he is so insolent and presumptuous shalt thou therefore always endure his wickedness and suffer it to go unpunished still? Wilt thou give away, that he shall without any control go on thus to take and waste still one country after the other?] and shall not spare evermore to slay the nations? [i.e. destroy and root them out, without thy regard and punishment, that art so just a judge. The answer is not expresse, but implied, as no, by no means, thou shalt put a bit into his mouth at length and punish him according to desert; these questions do always import a strong denial.]