Habakkuk 2:2

And the Lord answered me,.... As he does his ministers and people sooner or later, in one way or another, when they call upon him with humility and reverence, with faith and fervency: and said, Write

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision - which I am about to reveal to thee.

And the Lord, on whom he waited, and who ruleth all affairs, answered me; did hear my desire, and gave direction what I should do. Write; what is only spoken is soon forgot, but what is written is more lasting, therefore write thou the vision showed to thee. The vision; the things thou seest, or which thou shalt see. Make it plain; make the writing very plain, engrave it, as was their manner, upon tables; what was of public concern, and therefore to be published, was anciently written or engraven upon tables, smooth stones, or wood, and then hung up in a public place to be read. That he may run that readeth it; that none may need to make a stop, but hold on his course; in the greatest haste of business, every one may plainly and clearly discern what is written. And the Lord, on whom he waited, and who ruleth all affairs, answered me; did hear my desire, and gave direction what I should do. That he may run that readeth it; that none may need to make a stop, but hold on his course; in the greatest haste of business, every one may plainly and clearly discern what is written.

Habakkuk 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.Ver. 2. And the Lord answered me, and said] Wisdom he had sought of God, who giveth liberally, James 1:5; and wisdom is granted him without hitting him in the teeth with his bold expostulations and contestations about providence. Faithful prayer never miscarrieth, but is sure of an answer, either before, as the prodigal, see Isaiah 65:24, or in the act, as Daniel 10:12, "I am come for thy words," with an answer thereunto. Or soon after, as here. If it come not all out so soon as we would have it, know that there is water enough in the spring, but the pipes are stopped or broken. Write the vision] That is, the following admonition; write it for the use of all posterity. Note this against those opinionists, that say that the word of God was not written by his command; or that it was written only for the use of the present ages, and of those particular Churches to whom it was directed or declared. And make it plain upon tables] Boxen tables (as the Seventy render it), for on box, for the firmness of the matter, were the ancients wont to write. That he may run that readeth it] That though he be no great clerk, or in never so great haste of business, yet he may read it, being written in great letters and very legible. See Deuteronomy 27:8 Isaiah 8:1; Isaiah 30:8 Galatians 6:11, "you see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand," the Greek signifieth with what good great text letters I have written (πηλικοιςγραμμασιν). God hath written for us the great things of his law, Hosea 8:12, and with much perspicuity and plainness in things needful to be known: he hath written them, as it were, with the beams of the sun; that none may plead difficulty or obscurity; see Psalms 19:9; Psalms 119:105 Proverbs 6:23 2 Peter 1:19. Of the Scripture it may be said et latet et lucet; both hidden and clear, the knowledge thereof doth even bow down to us as trees do that are laden with fruits, so that a child may gather them.

(2) On tables.—Better, on the tables. The definite article probably indicates certain well-known tables on which the prophets were wont to inscribe their utterances for public edification. These tables may have been hung up in the Temple (Calvin) or market-place (Luther and Ewald). That he may run that readeth it—i.e., the prophecy is to be inscribed plainly and legibly, so that the reader may “run his eye” quickly through it.

Verse 2. Write the vision] Carefully take down all that I shall say. Make it plain upon tables] Write it in a full plain, legible hand. That he may run that readeth it.] That he who attentively peruses it may speed to save his life from the irruption of the Chaldeans, by which so many shall be cut off. The prophet does not mean that the words are to be made so plain, that a man running by may easily read them, and catch their meaning. This interpretation has been frequently given; and it has been incautiously applied to the whole of the Bible: "God's book is so plain, that he that runs may read;" but it is very foolish: God never intends that his words shall be understood by the careless. He that reads, studies, meditates, and prays, shall understand every portion of this sacred book that relates immediately to his own salvation. But no trifler can understand it. If the contents of a play-bill were to be read as many read the Bible, they would know just as much of the one as they do of the other.

2. upon tables] upon the tablets. The art. refers either to the customary use of such tablets for public notices (Isaiah 8:1), or to the tablets to be taken in this case for the purpose. he may run that readeth] The words explain the command to make it plain, and mean that the reader may run on in his reading without being hindered by any obscurity or unwontedness in the writing. Cf. Isaiah 8:1, R.V. margin.

The answer is, that it is indeed for a long time yet. Write the vision, that it may remain for those who come after and not be forgotten, and make it plain upon the tables, whereon he was accustomed

2. The prophet gazes not in vain. Vision — See on Nahum 1:1. Jehovah grants an answer in the form of an inner vision, but since the solution is intended for all who might be troubled in a similar