Habakkuk 2

The prophet having waited for an answer upon his foregoing prayer and complaint verse 1. the LORD chargeth him to set plain before the eyes of the Jewish people, the destruction of the Chaldeans, that it should assuredly come to passé, onely they, the Jews, should wait patiently for it, 4. which in the following verses, is declared more circumstantially, 7 &c. because of the excessive pride, greediness, tyrennic, blood thirstiness and idolatrie of those their enemies.

1. I stood upon my guard, and I put myself upon the fort, and I kept watch for to see, [that is spoken by way of similitude, as of a souldier or centiel, standing upon his guard and watching; the sense being this I have been waiting and longing a great while, to know what God should be pleased to reveal and answer me upon the complaint addressed to him chapter 1] what he [to wit, the LORD] would speak in me, [or, by me, as 1 Sam 24.2. that is, what it would please the LORD to reveal unto and command one by inward revelation. Compare Hosea 1:2.] and what I should answer I should return to the people of God, upon the complaint, which I made in their behalf, chapter 1 verse 2,&c. where the prophet in a manner argued with God, and complained of his government, in regard it went so ill with the godly and so well with the wicked.]

2. Then the LORD answered me and said; write the vision, [i.e. the prophecie of the destruction of the Babylonians, spoken of in the following verses] and set it plainly (down) upon tables, that he may read therein that runneth by. [Hebr. That he may run, that reads therein. i.e write it in such large characters, that he, which doth but run by, may take notice of and read it as he runs. Compare Deuteronomy 27:8.]

3. For the vision shall be for set yet, [i.e. that which is made known by his prophecie, shall be delayed for a good while yet] upon he [viz. The LORD] shall bring it forth [it viz. this vision. Heb. shall blow it forth, i.e. God shall pour out his judgements, for to punish the wicked. Compare Ezekiel 21:31. and perform his promises to the comfort and deliverance of the godly] at the end, [i.e. finally, at length, or last: which is determined by God] and not lie [he shall make it appear and shew, that he did not lie] if he tarries, [if the LORD doth not execute this propphecie forthwith, nor so soon as ye do wish for, Oth. If it tarry, to wit, this vision, or the execution of it. See Hebrews 10:37.] Wait for him; [i.e. for the LORD, Or, for it. Viz. the vision] for he shall surely come, [Heb. Coming come, Hebrews 10:37. namely, for to punish the enemies and persecutors of his people, and to deliver them out of their hand] he [viz. the LORD, or I viz. the prophecie] will not behinde. [Or, foreflow, stay out, viz. beyond the day, by God appointed.]

4. Behold, his soul [i.e. heart, mind: understand that of the Chaldeans, and under that name, every unbeliever] exhorts himself, [Oth, Bubbleth up: though the wicked seems to be very stout and dating, yet he is but like a bubble, which seems indeed to be something, but is nothing in effect, and soon perished] it is not right in him: [but evil, base and perverse: thus we read, to know the face in judgement, it not good. Proverb 24.23. i.e. it is very evil, or ill done. Oth. Read thus here: (whose soul) withdrawers it self, his (viz. Gods) soul is not right with or, towards him, to wit, that is withdrawn of falling off thus. Compare Hebrews 10:30. where the Apostle explains the sense of these words] but the righteous, [i.e. he that is righteous, [i.e. he that is righteous before God through Jesus Christ] shall live [i.e. he shall, being reconciled with God, find and feel comfort and joy through the holy ghost, here in this life, and inherit everlasting life hereafter] by his faith. [Or. Out of his faith: namely by faith applying to himself the promised of God, concerning Christ’s righteousness. John 1:36. Romans 1:17. Gal. 33.11. Hebrews 10:38.]

5. And also because he [viz, the Chaldean, whether Nebuchadnezzar, or, Belsazar] deals perfidiously by the wine [or, growes perfidious (through) the wine. Hebr. The wine is unfaithful, or perfidious, i.e. drunkenness renders him persideous] is an insolent man, [or, proud] and stayes not in his habitation, [or, cannot stay, or, abide, at home. Heb. Inhabits not, dwells not. i.e. doth not content himself with the kingdoms and countries he hath already, but seeks for more still, and is never satisfied with any. See Daniel 4:19. Oth. Therefore he shall not abide in his place; that is, therefore shall he himself be thrust out of his own habitation, and shall enjoy no rest nor peace at all] that openeth his soul wide as the grave, [or, as the hell, which is never filled nor satisfied. Compare Isaiah 5:14.] and is like death, which is not satiated: and gathers unto himself all the heathen, and getteth in to him all nations: [instigated thereunto by his unsatiableness of domineering. See above chapter 1.9. the prophet seems to infer from what goeth before, that seeing this King hath so many grand enormities in him, there was no doubt to be made, but God would shortly and most serverly punish and ruine him.]

6. Should [Or, shall] not (then) all those [to wit, all those heathen and Nations, whom king Nebuchadnezzar subdued and brought under his power verse 5.] take up a proverb of him, [i.e. mock and scoff at him, namely, when God shall have brought him to confusion] and an interpretation of riddles concerning him? [i.e. that which formerly they upbraided him with, in a covert manner in borrowed works, the same they shall afterwards do in plain and right language. Compare Isaiah 14:9, 10.] and they shall say [to wit, every one among the godly, spoken of verse of verse 4.] wo to him that multiplyeth that which is not his own: [i.e. that enricheth himself with other mens goods, that enlargeth his Dominions and possessions with that which belongeth to others] (how long!) [to wit, shall this last, how long wilt thou, O LORD, forbear to punish this? The sense is, thou art so righteous that thou shalt not be able to let this so long unpunished: other; how long? Viz. shall this unsufferable taking, taking and ransacking of goods and countries endure?] and him that loadeth himself with thick mire: [thus the prophet calleth the silver and gold, together with all other earthly riches, which this King had raked and gathered together.]

7. Shall there not [this question doth strongly affirm, as if the prophet had said, surely there shall] arise unawares [or, suddenly] such as will bite thee? [to wit, O King of Babel; if this be understood of Nebuchadnezar, it implies, that he shall soon die, and his dead body be bitten and eaten of worms in the grave: but if it be understood of Belsazar, then the meaning is, the enemies shall suddenly come upon, and bereave him of his and Kingdom; which all in one night. See Dan. 5. as also Isaiah 13:14. and 21.2. and Jer. 50.51. so that to bite is here as much as to surprise and seize upon suddenly, even as lion and other fierce beasts do] and awake, such as shall move thee? [or, remove frm, thrust out of; viz. thy throne. Oth. That shall shake thee] and shalt not thou become plundering to them? [or, meer plundering, prey, bereaving.]

8. Because thou hast bereaved many heathens therefore shall the remaining Nations bereave thee; [joining themselves with the Medes and Persians, and understand here all those remaining Nations, or (as the Heb. Words run) all the remainder of Nations, which shall be left of the nations, whom he had bereaved, or that stood yet in fear to be bereaved by him] for the blood of men, [to wit, which thou hast spilt any cause or reason. See below verse 7 and Isaiah 33:1.] and the violence on the land, [committed on either any of the various countries he sudued, or in particular, the land of Juda] the city, [viz. Jerusalem] and all the inhabitants of the same. [Compare Jeremiah 50:9, 10, 11.17 and 51.2.24.]

9. Wo to him, that covets with evil coveteousness for his house, [i.e. that seeks and practiseth by all manner of base wayes to enrich himself, his wise, children and posteritie. Compare Prov. 1 and see the annotate. There on verse 19 and Jeremiah 22:13.] that he may put his nest on high, [i.e. that he and his family may rife, and become great and famous in the world and live secure and safe multitude taken from such birds, as love to build their nests in the high places. Compare Obad. Verse 4.] for to be freed [this was indeed his aym, but his hopes deceived him] out of the hand of evil. [Heb. the palm of &c i.e. from the power thereof. See Job 5 on verse 20.]

10. Thou hast consulted shame for thine house: [i.e. thou hast, setting all honour and honesty aside, racked much riches together and raised great and stately palaces by them, and adorned the same with all manner of precious furniture, yet all this speaks but thy own shame and imfamy. See verse 11.] destroying many nations [viz. by their great wealth to enrich thy self] thus thou sinnedth against thine own soul. [i.e. thine own self.]

11. For the stone out of the wall [i.e. the stones wherewith thy palaces are built] cryeth: [i.e. testifieth against thee, namely, that thou hast built those palaces with stolen and unrighteous goods, which call to God for vengeance on thee] and the beam out of the wood [or bution, knub, or knot of the tree, that is in the wood, or out of the wooden ceiling. The Hebr. Word is no where but here; therefore it cannot be exactly said, what is signifieth] answereth to the same. [i.e. to the stone aforesaid, that is to say, the wood crieth and testifieth as well against the Babylonians, as the stones do.]

12. Wo to him that build the city with blood, [Heb. bloods, i.e. with murder, or with the good of him or them that are slain or murdered, or with the sweat and blood of the subjects, Ezekiel 24:9. Nahum 3:1.] and to him that fortifieth [or, layeth the foundation of] the city with wrong. [i.e. with goods wrongfully raked together by rapine and violence. Compare Mich. 3.10.]

13. Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts, [i.e. doth it come not into pass, by the secret councel of God] that the nations labour [viz. in the building of houses and cties] to the fire, [or, for the fire, so that the houses and cities, which they build, come to be consumed by fire. See Jeremiah 51:58.] and people weary themselves in vain? [or, unto, for vanity i.e. in vain, to no purpose, seeing it comes so soon to be destroyed and ruined, what they build.]

14. For the earth shall be filled, the shee may acknowledge the glory of the LORD, [which the LORD shall manifest in punishing of the Chaldeans. See Isaiah 11:9.] as the waters do cover (the bottom of) the sea. [i.e. altogether, as abundantly. See the annotate. On Isaiah 11:9.]

15. wo to him, that giveth his neighbour [companion, friend] to drink, [viz. unto drunkenness.] thou that joynest thy wine bottle to it, [i.e. doest bring in bottle after bottle to commit excess. Oth. That joynest or mixest thy poison to, or, among it] and makest drunken also, that thou mayest see their nakedness. [understand withal; and make them to become a scoffe and derision, when thou shalt have beguiled them and made them bare and destitute of all their means and power. A multitude taken from the lewd practice of drunkards.]

16. Thou shalt likewise be satiated with shame, for honour: [the fence is, O thou Babylonian, because of these and the like base & vile practices of thine thou shalt get far more shame then before thou hadst honour, by reason of thy wealth and power] drink thou also and uncover the foreskin: [i.e even go on still in these thy lewd practices, but expect thou, what is sure to follow] the cup of the right hand of the LORD [i.e. that is in the right hand of the LORD: understand the judgement of God. See Jer. 25. the annotate. On verse & 15 verse 27.] shall turn itself toward thee, [i.e. the time is come now, that the cup of God’s wrath being gone round almost and very near thee now, thou must participate and drink thy share too of it, as well as the rest; nay thou shalt be made to drink so deep that instead of further glorying, thou shalt be defiled with it all over] and there shall be a shameful vomiting upon thy glory. [i.e. thou shalt be reduced to that dishonour and base condition, that every one shall abhor and loath thine excellency, as one doth a drunken wretch, that disgorgeth all his superfluities and bespews himself.]

17. For the violence committed against Libanon, [viz. by thee. Libanon doth here signfie the people of Judea dwelling by mount Libano, as Isaiah 40:8. and 17.24. see also Ezekiel 17. the annotate. On verse 3 yet some by Libanon do here understand the temple, which was built of the wood of Libanon] shall cover you [i.e. surprise, fall upon you; as thou didst deal with the jews and others, so shall it likewise fare with thy self. See further above, verse 8 and annotate there] and the desolation of the beasts shall afraight them, [the fence is, the desolation of the beasts upon mount Libanon, shall afraight the Chaldeans; understand by the beasts, or wilde beasts here, the Jews of whom the Chaldeans made no more account then of beasts, carrying them away captives and slaying them, sometimes in their anger sometimes, for their pleasure. Other understand by the desolation of the beasts, those desolations which were made and caused by the great beasts, the Tyrants of the world justly so called,] because the blood of men, and the violence in the land the city and all the inhabitants thereof. [understand, therefore shall at this come upon thee, O thou Chaldea]

18. What shall the carved images avail which it’s former carved? [Here the prophet reproves the idolatry of the Chaldeans, who relied on their idols and images: of whom see further Isa. 44 & 46 chapter Jeremiah 2:8,11 & 16.19 and elsewhere] (or) the molten image which is a teacher of lies, [or, that is the teacher of lying, or lies. Jer. 10.84. Zach.10.8.] that the former consides in his forming, having made dumb idols. [i.e. that he is so senceless and foolish as to hold that for his God, and trust in it as God, which he made himself with his own hands, and which hath no life, no speech, nor motion.]

19. Wo to him, that saith to the wood, [i.e. to the image of the wood. The meaning is, wo to him that calleth upon or worshippeth the idols, or their images] rowse up thy self [i.e. get up to help us in this our distress] and awake; [so David speaks unto the true God Psalms 35:23.] to the silent stone, [i.e to the image made of stone, which is dumb] should it teach? [It, viz that wooden or stony image, Isaiah 44:9. as who should say, what good can these things teach you, or how shall they be able to teach?] behold it is overlaid (with) gold and silver and there is no spirit at all in the midst thereof, [or, no breath, neither humane, or that of any beast, much lesse divine breathing.]

20. But the LORD [i.e. the true living and everlasting God] is in his holy temple; [Heb. in the temple of his holiness, i.e. in heaven, as Psalms 11:4. from whence he seeth all things: or in his church, which through his presence, he sanctifieth by the communication of his spirit in Christ, and which is the spiritual temple of the Lord. Some do here likewise understand the Temple at Jerusalem, which the Lord had chosen for his habitation for to be worshipped and served there according to his laws] be silent before his face, thou whole earth. [i.e. all ye inhabitants of the earth, subject your selves unto him with all submission and humility, and acknowledge the righteousnesse of his divine judgements. Compare job 29.9 and chapter 21.25. and 40.4. Amos 6:10 and 8.3. Zephaniah 1:7. Zach. 2.13.]