Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

“Look at the nations and observe—be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.

“The Israelite unbelievers would not credit the prophecy as to the fearfulness of the destruction to be wrought by the Chaldeans, nor afterwards the deliverance promised from that nation.”

For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans—that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.

“I raise up--not referring to God's having brought the Chaldeans from their original seats to Babylonia (see on Isa 23:13), for they had already been upwards of twenty years (since Nabopolassar's era) in political power there; but to His being about now to raise them…”

All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand.

“HENDERSON, with SYMMACHUS and Syriac, translates, "the aspect." as the east wind--the simoon, which spreads devastation wherever it passes (Isa 27:8). GESENIUS translates, "(is) forwards."”

Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”

“Sacrilegious arrogance, in ascribing to his idol Bel the glory that belongs to God [CALVIN]. GROTIUS explains, "(saying that) his power is his own as one who is a god to himself" (compare Hab 1:16, and Da 3:1-30).”

Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die.

“But not that they may deify their own power (Hab 1:11, for their power is from Thee, and but for a time); nor that they may destroy utterly Thy people. The Hebrew for "mighty God" is Rock (De 32:4).”

Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless?

“Instead of speaking evil against God, he goes to God Himself for the remedy for his perplexity (Ps 73:11-17). devoureth the man that is more righteous--The Chaldean oppresses the Jew, who with all his faults, is better than his oppressor (compare Eze 16:51, 52).”

You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.

“And--that is, And so, by suffering oppressors to go unpunished, "Thou makest men as the fishes . . . that have no ruler"; that is, no defender.”

I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts.

“33:2, 3; compare Ps 5:3; The "watch-post" is the withdrawal of the whole soul from earthly, and fixing it on heavenly, things. The accumulation of synonyms, "stand upon . . . watch . . . set me upon . . . tower . . .”

Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it.

“GROTIUS, LUDOVICUS DE DIEU, and MAURER interpret it: "Run" is not literal running, but "that he who reads it may run through it," that is, read it at once without difficulty.”

For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie.

“Though the time appointed by God for the fulfilment be yet future, it should be enough for your faith that God hath spoken it (La 3:26). at the end it shall speak--MAURER translates, "it pants for the end."”

Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith—

“The Hebrew accents induce BENGEL to translate, "he who is just by his faith shall live." Other manuscripts read the accents as English Version, which agrees better with Hebrew syntax.”

and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied.

“31:5). enlargeth his desire as hell--the grave, or the unseen world, which is "never full" (Pr 27:20; The Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar were filled with an insatiable desire of conquest.”

Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision: ‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with…

“The covetous man in heaping them together is only lading himself with a clay burden, as he dares not enjoy them, and is always anxious about them.”

Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?

“"Shall not God have His turn, when cruel rapacious men have triumphed so long, though He seem now to be still?" [CALVIN]. people . . . labour in the . . . fire . . . weary themselves for . . .”

For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of animals will terrify you, because of your bloodshed against men and your violence against the land, the city…

“As thou didst hunt men as wild beasts, so shalt thou be hunted thyself as a wild beast, which thou resemblest in cruelty. because of men's blood--shed by thee; repeated from Hab 2:8.”

What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies?

“The powerlessness of the idols to save Babylon from its doom is a fitting introduction to the last stanza (Hab 2:19), which, as the former four, begins with "Woe." teacher of lies--its priests and prophets uttering lying oracles, as if from it.”

Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance?

“Or, "It (the idol itself) shall (that is, ought to) teach you that it is deaf, and therefore no God" [CALVIN]. Compare "they are their own witnesses" (Isa 44:9). Behold--The Hebrew is nominative, "There it is" [HENDERSON]. it is laid over with gold . .”

This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth:

“More simply, from a Hebrew root to "err," "on account of sins of ignorance." Habakkuk thus teaches his countrymen to confess not only their more grievous sins, but also their errors and negligences, into which they were especially likely to fall when in exile away…”

O LORD, I have heard the report of You; I stand in awe, O LORD, of Your deeds. Revive them in these years; make them known in these years.

“This is Habakkuk's reply to God's communication [GROTIUS]. MAURER translates, "the report of Thy coming," literally, "Thy report." and was afraid--reverential fear of God's judgments (Hab 3:16).”

God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth.

“God--singular in the Hebrew, "Eloah," instead of "Elohim," plural, usually employed. The singular is not found in any other of the minor prophets, or Jeremiah, or Ezekiel; but it is in Isaiah, Daniel, Job, and Deuteronomy.”

His radiance was like the sunlight; rays flashed from His hand, where His power is hidden.

“The rays are His lightnings (Ps 18:8), [MAURER]. there--in that "brightness." In it, notwithstanding its brilliancy, there was but the veil "(the hiding) of His power." Even "light," God's "garment," covers, instead of revealing fully, His surpassing glory (Ps 104:2) [HENDERSON].”

Plague went before Him, and fever followed in His steps.

“As Jehovah's advent is glorious to His people, so it is terrible to His foes. burning coals-- Ps 18:8 favors English Version. But the parallelism requires, as the Margin translates, "burning disease" (compare De 32:24; Ps 91:6). went . . .”

I saw the tents of Cushan in distress; the curtains of Midian were trembling.

“So Lotan is found in the Hebrew of Genesis for Lot. BOCHART therefore considers it equivalent to Midian, or a part of Arabia. So in Nu 12:1, Moses' Midianite wife is called an Ethiopian (Hebrew, Cushite).”

You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers.

“The mention of the tribes, rather than Abraham or Moses, is in order that they may not doubt that to them belongs this grace of which Abraham was the depository [CALVIN and JEROME]. MAURER translates, "The spears were glutted with blood, the triumphal song!"”

You went forth for the salvation of Your people, to save Your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked and stripped him from head to toe.

“God from the beginning delivered His people in person, or by the hand of a Mediator (Isa 63:11). Thus Habakkuk confirms believers in the hope of their deliverance, as well because God is always the same, as also because the same anointed Mediator is ready…”