Habakkuk 3:17

Although the fig tree shall not blossom,.... Or rather, as the Septuagint version, "shall not bring forth fruit"; since the fig tree does not bear blossoms and flowers, but puts forth green figs at once.

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and

To war foreseen the prophet supposeth famine, and describeth the most grievous, as indeed it fell out. Although the fig tree, which was in that country a very considerable part of their provision to live upon, shall not blossom; not give the least sign of bringing forth fruit. Neither shall fruit be in the vines, which were also the riches and provision of those countries. The labour of the olive; either labour bestowed upon the olive, or the fruit which the olive brings forth, called here labour by an allusion to our labour. Shall fail; disappoint the expectation of both dresser and eater. The fields, ploughed and sown, shall yield no meat; corn for bread. The flock of sheep, kept out in the field, shall be cut off, either by wolf, murrain, or by the wasting Babylonians, from the fold; where they were wont to be safe. now they are in greatest danger, and that because they may be swept away all at once. No herd in the stall; greater cattle kept in the stall for labour, or for feeding. To war foreseen the prophet supposeth famine, and describeth the most grievous, as indeed it fell out. No herd in the stall; greater cattle kept in the stall for labour, or for feeding.

Habakkuk 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls:Ver. 17. Although the fig tree shall not blossom] Here the prophet showeth a well settled and a sedate mind indeed; that he had attained, and, by prayer, waded unto a blessed composedness and sabbath of spirit, such as the cock on the dunghill meddled not with, neither knoweth the worth of; it being the most precious and peerless jewel that ever the heart of man came acquainted with. It hath been before noted, that the prophet here taketh out his own lesson of living by faith in the fail of outward comforts. Origen’ s teaching and living were said to be both alike. Habakkuk’ s were so. Divinity is practical: If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them; as lessons of music must be practised, and a copy not read only, but imitated, so is it here. It is a blushful thing, quando dicta factis erubescant, as Tertullian hath it; when men’ s lives put their words to the blush, when Sanctiores sunt aures plebis quam corda sacerdotum, there are more heavenly doctrines in the people’ s ears than ever were in the preacher’ s heart, as Hilary hath it; when, as one said of Erasmus’ s Enchiridion, there is more holiness in an author’ s book than in his bosom ( Plus sanctimoniae conspicitur in ipso libello, quam in libelli Authore): “ Exemplis sane qui docet, ille docet. ” Aristotle requireth in a teacher that he show himself a pattern of his own rules; and it is a good thing to teach (saith Ignatius), εανλεγειςποιης, if thou practise the same that thou teachest. That is an excellent commendation indeed that is given to a late eminent divine among us, that his life was but one continued commentary upon his doctrine, and an exemplary sermon, consisting of living words, or of words translated into works. "The just shall llve by faith," saith Habakkuk; and that I do so, it shall well appear by my living upon God when I have nothing else to subsist with; by believing him upon his bare word, and that against sense in things invisible, and against reason in things incredible. Although the fig tree, &c.] q.d. Let war come on, and with war famine; as it befell Jerusalem at the last siege in the days of Zedekiah, 2 Kings 25:8 Jeremiah 52:6 Lamentations 2:11-12, there was no relief left for the people, the enemy had eaten up all, as Joe 1:4, and made clean work, so that faithless men were woebegone, and ready to run mad for the sight of their eyes, Deuteronomy 28:24; Deuteronomy 28:51, and to devour their own fingers, as Pope Boniface VIII did, when shut up close prisoner in St Angelo and sorely straitened.

(17) Although.—Better, For. The conjunction connects this verse with what precedes, and explains Habakkuk’s affliction more fully. With the sword shall come famine, invasion as usual producing desolation.

Verse 17. Although the fig tree shall not blossom] תפרח tiphrach, "shall not flourish," shall not put forth its young figs, for the fig tree does not blossom. The young figs appear as soon as the old ones are ripe, as I have often had occasion to observe. This verse most nervously paints the desolate state of the land of Judea during the captivity. In its hemistich form, it may be translated thus: - For the fig tree shall not flourish, And there shall be no fruit on the vines; The fruit of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall supply no food: The flocks shall be cut off from the fold, And no herds shall be found in the stalls: Yet in Jehovah will I exult; I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Vulgate has: - Yet I in the Lord will rejoice, And will exult in Jesus my God. The Targum countenances this version: - ואנא במימרא דיי אבוע veana bemeimra dayai abua, "But in the WORD of the Lord will I rejoice," i.e., the personal, substantial Word of Jehovah. These two verses give the finest display of resignation and confidence that I have ever met with. He saw that evil was at hand, and unavoidable, he submitted to the dispensation of God, whose Spirit enabled him to paint it in all its calamitous circumstances. He knew that God was merciful and gracious. He trusted to his promise, though all appearances were against its fulfilment; for he knew that the word of Jehovah could not fail, and therefore his confidence is unshaken. No paraphrase can add any thing to this hymn, which is full of inexpressible dignity and elegance, leaving even its unparalleled piety out of the question.

17–19. It is not easy to say whether Habakkuk 3:17 contains a series of suppositions referring to what may happen in the future, or describes a condition of things actually existing. The latter way of reading the verse is the more natural. The verse does not suggest a condition of scarcity and barrenness arising from a hostile invasion of the land, but rather one due to the incidence of severe natural calamities. The word for, with which the verse begins, connects very loosely with the preceding Habakkuk 3:16. The mood of the speaker also in Habakkuk 3:18-19 is confident and jubilant, in strong contrast to the gloom and terror of Hab 3:16. It is possible that the poem originally ended with Habakkuk 3:16, and that Habakkuk 3:17-19 are an addition. The difference of tone in Habakkuk 3:16 and Habakkuk 3:17-19 is not decisive, for in such poems the author’s mind not unusually passes from gloomy anticipations to confidence. The verse may read: For though the figtree doth not blossom, And there is no fruit in the vines; The produce of the olive faileth, And the fields yield no meat; The flock is cut off from the fold, And there is no herd in the stalls. It is the community that speaks in Habakkuk 3:17-19, as is evident from Habakkuk 3:18-19.

Although - literally, For The fig tree shall not blossom - The prophet repeats his confidence in God, premising his knowledge that all human hopes should fail.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 contain one of the most sublime expressions of confidence in Jehovah found anywhere in the Old Testament. If the above suggested interpretation of 16b is correct, Habakkuk 3:17 becomes the natural continuation.