Habakkuk 2

SEEKS THE VOICE OF GODHab_2:1-4 Having dared to present his case and complaint before the mighty Judge of the universe, the prophet resolves to take his stand on a “ watch-tower” and wait to see how God will respond to his complaints. “ The prophet, in spirit, retires for a time to a lonely tower, a place of private meditation, whence…he may look over the far distance and undisturbed, he may hear the voice of God” (F. IV. Cook) (Habakkuk 2:1)

God’ s answer was not long in coming: “ And Jehovah answered me and said, write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it” (Habakkuk 2:2). The instruction to write so that he may run that readeth it, likely means one of the following explanations:

1. Publish the vision in such a way that whoever desires to read it may easily do so.
2. Post the prophecy in a public place so that one running by may see it.
3. Write it in such short, simple terms that a herald can shout its message as he passes those he encounters.
4. It might possibly mean that those who see the warning can hasten to flee or to prepare for the coming invasion. “ The vision is yet for the appointed time” (Habakkuk 2:3 a), means that the time of its fulfillment is already fixed in God’ s mind. That the vision “ hasteth toward the end and shall not lie” (Habakkuk 2:3 b) means literally that God’ s prophesy panteth towards its fulfillment like an animal running to its den. It “ shall not lie” means the fulfillment promised will not be frustrated or evaded. There will be no disappointment. The prophet and his people must patiently “ wait for it” to be fulfilled in God’ s own good time (Habakkuk 2:3). Man is prone to grow restless when God’ s promised judgments seem to be delayed (2 Peter 3:4). Be confident says God, “ it will surely come.” The Chaldean shall fall, says God, “ because his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him” (Habakkuk 2:4 a). In contrast, “ the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). To Habakkuk, “ faith” means much more than our common definition. To him it meant faithfulness, honesty, integrity, trustworthiness! Martin Luther took these words of the prophet and made them the watchword of his Protestant Reformation. However, he gave a definition to faith unknown to either Habakkuk or Paul.

To the divinely given word “ faith,” Luther added his word “ only.” His great declaration was that salvation is “ Sola fide,” i.e., only by faith. The true definition is set forth by Paul in Galatians 5:6, “ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision (i.e. being a Jew) availeth anything, nor uncircumcision (being a Gentile): but faith working through love.”

The principle point of Habakkuk is seen in the antithesis he utilized:

1. The king of Babylon shall be destroyed because he is puffed up toward God.
2. The righteous man shall live because of his faith in God. Thus his message to his people is, Whatever happens, you must believe in God and trust that he is working all things for your good (Romans 8:28; Acts 27:25).

Woe to the Oppressor Nation (Habakkuk 2:5-20)Habakkuk 2:5-20 consists of a series of prophetic woes pronounced upon the evil Babylonian aggressors. Verse 5 is hopelessly obscured in the American Standard Version of 1901. The NIV is much clearer: “ Indeed, wine betrays him: he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.” The subject of this passage is the king of Babylon. Two factors contributed to his aggressive conduct. He was given to wine. “ Drunkenness (was) a special sin of the Babylonians…(and) was the immediate cause of the downfall of the Chaldean dynasty…” (F. C. Cook) (Compare Daniel 5:1-4). He was a “ proud man” and pride is the root of most crimes against men and nations (Psalms 10:2; Jeremiah 48:29).

Driven by pride and inflamed by wine, the king of Babylon was not satisfied to stay at home in his own dominion, he set out to conquer and take other lands. His appetite for conquest was as large and voracious as that of Sheol. Sheol is the grave, and stands here for death which never tires of consuming its victims. He was determined to “ gather unto him all nations” by defeating them and making them his possessions (Habakkuk 2:5).

All of those subject people who had been conquered, looted and humiliated by Nebuchadnezzar’ s troops will take up a taunting (i.e. mocking, derisive) proverb against their common oppressor (Habakkuk 2:6 a). This brings us to the first of the six woes. Note that each woe identifies some specific crime and pronounces certain punishment for it.

1. “ Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his” (Habakkuk 2:6 b). Remember that this is spoken of the king of Babylon. “ How long?” is elliptical. The meaning may be, “ How long will he be allowed to hold his ill-gotten possessions? or, “ How long before God will punish him?” The thought continues, woe to him “ that ladeth himself with pledges.” The NIV is clearer, “ and makes himself wealthy by extortion.” He refers to pledges exacted from conquered nations obligating them to pay tribute to Babylon (See Lamentations 1:1). “ …to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!” of the KJV is uncertain but could mean that the wealth thus gotten will prove no more valuable than clay (dirt) in the long run. It may, by metonymy, refer to the many documents of tribute which would have be engraved on tablets of clay as were all Babylonian documents. Habakkuk 2:7 predicts that the plunderer shall be plundered. “ Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee…” This uses the imagery of serpents to describe how the Medes and Persians would one day subdue proud Babylon and loot and plunder her. Thus would God’ s judgment be fulfilled. Nations, like men, reap what they sow (Galatians 6:7). Nations however are judged in time, while men will be judged in eternity.

2. “ Woe to him that getteth an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high…” (Habakkuk 2:9). Nebuchadnezzar’ s gain was evil because he obtained it by plundering other kingdoms. Like the eagle seeks to make her nest secure by building it on high rocky cliffs (Obadiah 1:3-4), so Nebuchadnezzar thought that by situating and fortifying the city of Babylon as he did, it would be impregnable. It straddled the Euphrates and had monstrous walls, 300 ft. high, 85 feet think and set 35 feet in the ground. There were eleven miles of these walls (Rawlinson). In an ancient inscription found at Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar said, “ Thus I completely made strong the defenses of Babylon.

May it last forever” (F. C. Cook). Needless to say, those great walls and fortifications meant nothing when God determined to give the city over to the Medes and Persians. They diverted the river, marched under the walls and entered the unlocked inner gates. The city fell in a night.

Today it is a heap of ruins in the midst of the desert. The aggressive policies of Nebuchadnezzar were both shameful and sinful (Habakkuk 2:10). The stones and timbers of Babylon’ s buildings and walls are personified and pictured as crying out at the injustice of building the city with the wealth stolen from others (Habakkuk 2:11). 3. “ Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity” (Habakkuk 2:12). This woe pronounces judgment on his use of slave labor in building his capital city. Heathen nations of the ancient East had little respect for human life and dignity. Captured peoples were forced to labor for the king. They were driven and beaten by their slave masters. Such barbaric activity was “ not of Jehovah of hosts” (Habakkuk 2:13).

Of such actions God did not approve. From heaven’ s vantage point, the Babylonians were busy building their grand city so God could totally destroy it with fire (Habakkuk 2:13). The fulfillment of Jehovah’ s predictions about the destruction of Babylon would cause men the world around to acknowledge and honor Him (Habakkuk 2:14). Isaiah pictures God challenging the idolatrous prophets to a contest. The one who could accurately predict the future and bring it to pass would be the true God (Isaiah 41:21 to Isaiah 42:9). “ As the waters cover the sea” means that recognition of God would be universal when men saw His judgments on Babylon. Only secondarily could these words be applied to the Christian age. 4. “ Woe to him that giveth his neighbor drink, to thee that addest thy venom and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness” (Having dared to present his case and complaint before the mighty Judge of the universe, the prophet resolves to take his stand on a “ watch-tower” and wait to see how God will respond to his complaints. “ The prophet, in spirit, retires for a time to a lonely tower, a place of private meditation, whence…he may look over the far distance and undisturbed, he may hear the voice of God” (F.Cook) (Habakkuk 2:1). To “ Look on their nakedness” means to gaze upon them with contempt in their humiliated situation as did Noah’ s son (Genesis 9:20-25). Likely the prophet had in mind more than Nebuchadnezzar getting a diplomat drunk and stripping him of his possessions. Most likely that example was meant to illustrate Babylon’ s policy of intoxicating her neighbors with deceptive, flattering words and promises while secretly maneuvering to bring them into subjection and plunder them (Pusey). As a just reward for her shameful conduct, the mighty Jehovah will make Babylon drink the cup of wrath and judgment (Compare Jeremiah 25:15-17 Jeremiah 51:6-8). Babylon’ s fall would be both humiliating and destructive. The nakedness of the city would be exposed. “ Let thy foreskin by uncovered” illustrates that shame of their nakedness when the city fell (Habakkuk 2:16 b, see footnote). Like men, “ Jehovah’ s right hand” is said to be his arm of strength by which he wields his instrument of punishment (Habakkuk 2:16 c).

“ Foul shame shall be upon thy glory” is an extension of her judgment described as drinking the cup of the wine of God’ s wrath. The KVJ renders the words, “ shameful spewing” which pictures a drunken man vomiting and soiling his fine clothing. So the Babylonians would be utterly humiliated by God’ s judgments (Habakkuk 2:16 d).

Five charges are then lodged against Nebuchadnezzar.A. “ For the violence done to Lebanon” (Habakkuk 2:17). This likely refers to the wanton stripping of Lebanon’ s forests for Nebuchadnezzar’ s building projects. This the Assyrians had done (Is. 37:24). Remember that the Babylonians had almost no forests in their desert land. Some think that Lebanon, the towering mountain stands symbolically for the kingdom of Judah (See Jeremiah 22:6 for such usage.) A. For “ destruction of beasts.” This may refer to their war policy of slaughtering the livestock of conquered people or to the mad lust for hunting “ for which these were proverbial” (F C. Cook). A. “ Because of men’ s blood” would refer to the slaughter of human life in their wars of aggression and in their slave labor camps. B. “ For the violence done to the land.” This could refer to military practices of destroying crops, fruit trees, wells and cisterns of conquered people. C. “ For the violence done to the city and to all that dwell therein” (Habakkuk 2:17). These last two most likely refer to the destruction of the land and cities of Palestine, especially Jerusalem (See Jeremiah 51:12-14). Notice he speaks of “ the city” which to Habakkuk’ s readers would have been their beloved Jerusalem. For all these crimes God would punish Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom. 5. “ Woe to him that saith to the wood” (i.e. his wooden idol), awake; to the dumb stone (image) arise” (Habakkuk 2:19). This final woe is spoken against Babylon’ s idolatry. With biting sarcasm, he ridicules those who look to such man-made objects to deliver them from the wrath of the living God. Isaiah used a similar tactic. (Compare) having showed the impotence of the lifeless gods created by skilled artisans, he sets forth in vivid contrast the living God whom he and Israel served.

“ But Jehovah is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silent before him” (Habakkuk 2:20). As sung in our hymn, The Doxology, people are urged to be respectful and reverent in worship. In the prophet’ s mind the world’ s population must stand quietly and hear the instruction of the living God. Especially must they not complain and protest about God’ s manner of running his world and administering justice. Likely Habakkuk at this point had come to realize the he himself had been rash and hasty in complaining to God so he speaks first of all to himself. Jehovah’ s glory was in Jerusalem’ s temple, but Jehovah’ s throne “ is in heaven” (Psalms 11:4).Habakkuk Chapter TwoVerse 1 This chapter records God’s answer to the second of Habakkuk’s two questions raised in Habakkuk 1. The first regarded “how long” the well-deserved punishment of the wicked would be delayed. God’s answer to the effect that Babylon, the great and wicked world-power soon to arise, would indeed punish wicked Israel for their sins did not fully satisfy Habakkuk. How could the holy and righteous God use a wicked state like Babylon to punish Judea, which with all of their sins were yet better than the Babylonians? Habakkuk took up his watch to await God’s answer; and Jehovah promptly answered (Habakkuk 2:1-3). Apparently, there was a terrible disappointment to Habakkuk in the revelation that the great new world power (Babylon) would be no better, in any sense, than was Assyria; and God’s answer consisted of five terrible woes pronounced against the great wicked state that would destroy Judea: Woe 1 (Habakkuk 2:6-8), Woe 2 (Habakkuk 2:9-11), Woe 3 (Habakkuk 2:12-14), Woe 4 (Habakkuk 2:15-17), and Woe 5 (Habakkuk 2:18-19). These woes had the effect of describing, not merely Babylon, but all of the successive heads of the great Scarlet Beast of Revelation 13. Things on earth where rebellious humanity had broken their fellowship with God would never get any better as long as men rejected their Creator, but God was not at all being defeated in any of this; the chapter concludes with the focus upon God Himself: “But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20). Habakkuk 2:1“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will speak with me, and what I shall answer concerning my complaint.“As Hailey said, “Neither the watch' nor the tower’ are to be taken literally … Both terms are to be considered figuratively."[1] The prophet simply meant that he would rely upon the Lord and wait for his answer. “The figure is taken from the custom of ascending high places for the purpose of looking into the distance, and simply expresses the prophet’s spiritual preparation of the prophet’s soul for hearing the word of God."[2]Habakkuk did not have long to wait. The answer was at once provided. Verse 2 “And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it.“Habakkuk was instructed to “write” the vision in order to assure its availability for all future generations, because the message was intended to bless all succeeding generations of mankind. “That he may run that readeth it …” is usually taken to mean that even the casual reader may understand it, as in the sense of Kebble’s hymn, “There is a book, who runs may read”; but, according to Deane, “The Hebrew rather means that everyone who reads it may read fluently and easily."[3] This, it seems to us, is a distinction without a difference; and so we take it in the traditional sense that even the occasional or casual reader can easily get the message. The tablets mentioned here were the usual plates upon which writing was done. “These were usually of clay in Babylonia, and in some instances were of wood or ivory."[4]Verse 3 “For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.““For the appointed time …” This terminology indicates that the prophecy here has references to, “the last times (Daniel 8:17 Daniel 8:19 Daniel 11:35), the Messianic times, in which the judgment would fall upon the power of the world."[5] This rather surprising truth is most significant, because the conditions and sins immediately described in this chapter were current in Habakkuk’s time and, in fact, perpetual throughout history, the profound meaning being that when sin and rebellion on the part of humanity have run their full course, the final judgment will fall upon the world. In the meanwhile, neither Habakkuk, nor anyone else, should be upset or perplexed because one wicked and ruthless state follows another with monotonous certainty, God using each in turn to punish the sins of the predecessor. This does not mean that God approved any wicked state. All are under the judgment of God; and, in his own time, God will settle his account with sin in this world. This was THE ANSWER, written for Habakkuk and for all people. That there are indeed overtones of the Eternal Judgment itself in this verse is perfectly apparent when it is compared with Hebrews 10:36-38 - “For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. For yet a very little while, He that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry, But my righteous one shall live by faith: And, if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him.” Thus, the very terminology of this passage was applied by the writer of Hebrews to the Second Coming of Christ. Both in Habakkuk and in Hebrews, “The reference is to the certainty of the event."[6] “Paul, as well as Habakkuk, is speaking of our Lord’s second coming."[7]Verse 4 “Behold his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith.“Designated by many commentators as, “one of the profoundest utterance of the O.T.,"[8] this passage is quite generally grossly misunderstood. There is no reference whatever here to the inward, subjective faith of believers. As Moffatt translated the passage, “The good man lives as he is faithful.” “Faith” in the biblical sense means faithfulness, integrity, perseverance, and fidelity. “Here ‘faithfulness’ as well as ‘faith’ is in view."[9] It is generally allowed that Paul in Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38 referred to the LXX; and, if so, the passage referred to is there rendered, “The just shall live by my faith,"[10] a clear reference not to the inward act of believing on the part of God’s servant, but to the “faith” or “religion” God had enjoined. This passage in Habakkuk makes it certain that Paul referred to the same thing. “Faith” as used by the apostle might indeed be paraphrased as “Christianity” or “the holy religion of Christ.” Without any doubt, that is why Paul’s key reference to the “obedience of faith” stands both at the beginning and at the end of Romans. The allegation that, “Paul’s use of the term “faith” … goes far beyond the meaning of Habakkuk’s word”[11] must be rejected as erroneous. Paul’s reference to this passage proves that he was referring to exactly the same thing, namely, “fidelity.” As Taylor pointed out, “Faithfulness' is a more accurate translation than faith’ of the Hebrew in this passage."[12] “In Habakkuk, the words mean, `The righteous survives if he is faithful.’"[13] We might add that that is exactly what being justified by faith means throughout the N.T.

As the apostle John wrote it, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). The foolish notion that any kind of a so-called experience in the believer’s heart provides any short-cut to salvation by “faith only” is a monstrous and unscriptural delusion. “His soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him …” was accurately discerned by Hailey as a reference to the Chaldean;[14] but in its ultimate application, it also refers to all of the godless, world rulers throughout history. Verse 5 “Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples.WOE IAlthough the character of the one described in this verse was primarily a reference to the Babylonian state, in its wider application, it describes the greedy, godless states of all times. Here we have a metaphor of the approaching enemy destined to overthrow God’s rebellious Judea. It is that of a proud, treacherous, haughty drunkard, Babylon, drunk with power, motivated by an insatiable desire like that of the drunkard for drink. “The drunkard can never drink enough wine … the Chaldeans can never conquer enough land."[15] The reason for the choice of such a metaphor probably derived from the fact of, “drunkenness being a besetting sin of Babylon. It was, in the case of Belshazzar, the immediate cause of the fall of Babylon (Daniel 5:2-5 Daniel 5:30)."[16] Throughout history, this metaphor has persisted, rapacious conquerors, never satisfied, burning with an insatiable lust for more and more, being repeatedly compared to drunkards. Kipling used it thus: “If drunk with sight of power, we loose Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe."[17]“He enlargeth his soul as Sheol …” As the parallel clause shows, “He is as death” this means that the conquering power of Babylon would be as hungry and insatiable as the grave, there being utterly no way to fill it up, or give it enough! Verse 6 “Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his? how long? and that ladeth himself with pledges!“Beginning with this verse, there are five woes pronounced against Babylon, of three verses each, and taking the form of repeated maledictions voiced spontaneously by the oppressed peoples themselves who had fallen under the feet of the conqueror. Oppression always provokes just such hatred and denunciation against the oppressor as that described in these verses. Against aggression. “Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his … and that ladeth himself with pledges.” This refers to the conquest of other peoples and the burdening of them with tribute, taken in the form of pledges, and bound upon the people perpetually. Kerr was doubtless correct in seeing the Pentateuch as a background of these words. The use of “pledges,” a word found nowhere else in the Bible, derived from, “The Hebrew abhorrence of the usurer and the Levitical laws regarding pledges."[18]Verse 7 “Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booty unto them?“Rapacious world-conquerors shall themselves be conquered; those who have plundered other nations shall themselves, at last, be booty for those whom they have robbed. “Shall they not rise up suddenly …” Barnes observed that the destruction of evil powers throughout history has occurred suddenly. Babylon fell in a day; and the sudden collapse of great wicked states has occurred frequently, Germany being a modern example of it. “Such shall the end be."[19]“That shall bite thee …” The word for bite is found in Deuteronomy 23:20, “with the meaning to exact usury.'"[20] However the word usually means the sting of a serpent.’ Garland was likely correct in thinking this choice by the prophets of words with dual meanings, “was deliberate, in order to make the pronouncements even more scathing."[21]Verse 8 “Because thou hast plundered many nations, all the remnant ,of the people shall plunder thee, because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all that dwell therein.“This concludes the first woe and makes it clear that God will double unto the wicked oppressor states the full measure of their reward and retribution in kind for the wickedness they have committed against others. “All the remnant of the people …” This does not mean the remaining nations left unplundered by the Babylonians, but the remnant of the people’s remaining in the plundered nations after their conquest. Keil said that this explanation is the only one “in harmony with the usage of the language."[22]“Violence done to the land …” This is usually understood as a reference, by metonomy, to all the peoples of the world; but there would appear to be in it also a reference to the wanton destruction and misuse of the natural resources as well, a thought apparently demanded by the dramatic figures used to describe the impact of Babylon upon the earth. Jeremiah called them, “the hammer of the whole earth” (Jeremiah 51:7), and “a destroying mountain that destroyeth the whole earth” (Jeremiah 51:25). In his comment on Habakkuk 2:17, where this thought recurs, Hailey wrote that, “The Chaldean held the whole creation of God in contempt, considering it all his to be used for his own selfish ends."[23] “These woes are universal”;[24]therefore, it is sinful today to strip the earth of its resources for selfish ends, and the ancient curse still pertains to those who do so. Verse 9 “Woe to him that getteth an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil!“WOE IIThis is a reference to Babylon. Jamieson’s comment is: “The image is from an eagle’s nest (Job 39:27). The royal citadel (of Babylon) is meant. The Chaldean built high towers like the Babel founders, to be delivered from the power of evil' (<a href="/bible/parallel/GEN/11/4" class="green-link">Genesis 11:4</a>)."[25]Against exploitation and extortion. This woe is directed against dishonest and unscrupulous devices of all kinds, by which men seek to elevate themselves at the expense of others. "The oppressors have built an empire, their house, by exploitation of conquered peoples and extortion of their possessions. They intend to sustain a thriving economy by these same means."[26]However, as it will be dramatically stated in the very next verse, such efforts to attain earthly security are foredoomed to failure. "The house that has been built upon evil in an effort to reach earthly security will itself cry out’ against the evildoer."[27]Verse 10 “Thou has devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and have sinned against thy soul.“As Ward pointed out, each of these woes has three verses, and the three are necessary to make the meaning clear. For example, in this woe, the reference to “the eagle’s nest” would seem to apply to Edom; but here in Habakkuk 2:10, “The repetition of the multiplied conquests applies the malediction still to the Chaldeans."[28]“Thou hast devised shame to thy house …” By riding rough-shod over weaker and less fortunate people, the Babylonians thought they were building their own security; but actually they were destroying it. As Jeremiah expressed it, “Do they provoke me to anger? saith Jehovah; do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces” (Jeremiah 7:19)? Sin always has a violent recoil impacting upon the sinner himself. Verse 11 “For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.““This is a proverbial expression to denote the horror with which the savage cruelty of the Babylonians was regarded."[29] It is most appropriate that such an expression is used here, because the walls and timbers of Babylon were specifically the fruit extorted from the enslavement of conquered peoples. The ascription of speech to inanimate objects such: as stones is a very forceful way of calling attention to their true meaning, especially as regards their being or utility. Shakespeare spoke of, “Tongues in trees, books in running brooks, and sermons in stones."[30] Our Saviour also used this metaphor as follows: “I tell you, that if these shall hold their peace, the stones shall cry out” (Luke 19:40). Verse 12 “Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity.“WOE IIIAgainst cruelty and violence. Deane’s comment upon the bloody deeds of the Babylonians in this context is appropriate: “The mutilations of prisoners, the weary imprisonments, the massacre of non-combatants, the refinement of cruelty shown in the execution of children before the eyes of their fathers (and then blinding the fathers!) - these and similar atrocities of the Babylonians are totally without excuse … We cannot be surprised that when the final judgment was denounced against Babylon, it was declared to be sent, in a great measure, because of men’s blood."[31]Great Babylon, standing ever since the flood, doubtless appeared to men as impregnable, a mighty stronghold incapable of being overthrown; but God himself has written “Futile” over the works of men that are wrought without regard for the Creator and his sacred law. The whirling suns shall brush every civilization into the grave unless that civilization is built upon Truth, God’s truth. The sands of time shall bury the wicked; the tides of history shall wash them away. The only kingdom that cannot be destroyed is the kingdom of the Lord (Hebrews 12:28). Verse 13 “Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the people labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?““The people labor for the fire …” “This means that the fire will devour the cities that have been built."[32]Nothing will remain of all their labors; all of their energies are being wasted. “The nations weary themselves for vanity …” What is true of individuals is also true of nations. The ones which build without the fear of God or concern for his will must discover in the end that their entire existence has been an exercise in vanity and futility. “I will destroy the sinful kingdom” (Amos 9:8) is the perpetual sentence of Almighty God against proud, ruthless, cruel, and unscrupulous human states. Verse 14 “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.“Without any doubt, “Habakkuk here prophesies the inauguration of the universal kingdom of Yahweh upon the earth."[33] This, of course, means the Church of Jesus Christ and the initiation of the reign of Our Lord on Pentecost, he having received shortly before that time, “All authority in heaven and upon earth” (Matthew 28:18-20). “Knowledge of the glory of Jehovah …” There is no assertion here to the effect that all men will become servants of God and that a new age will appear in which there will be “a world which is free from fear and want."[34] No indeed! This text accurately declares that “the knowledge” of God’s glory shall cover the whole world, a fact already demonstrated for millenniums. The one thing that prevents the appearance of just such a golden age as some would like to find in this passage, is the freedom of the human will. As long as men have THAT; and there is no indication that God ever intends to take it away from us, then, just that long the world will be full of violence, cruelty and deceit. “The new heaven and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” will indeed come to pass, but 2Peter makes it clear enough that a precondition of the emergence of that utopian state of affairs is the “burning up” of the present earth and all that is in it, language which we believe is a reference to the Final Judgment. Christian students need not be disturbed by allegations of O.T. enemies to the effect that this promise of the future kingdom “does not belong here,” or that “it was added by a redactor,” or that “it was not written by Habakkuk.” All such criticisms betray a gross ignorance of the nature of prophecy. A careful study of the prophets from Moses to Revelation requires that one should expect in all true prophecy just such a reference as this. The allegation that Habakkuk was here quoting another prophet is precarious. In fact, we reject it outright. Long years of study of the sacred Scriptures have fully convinced us that when one inspired writer quoted another, he said so, often named the prophet quoted, and left no doubt whatever of what he was doing. Mere similarity of passages, or even verbatim correspondence, is no proof whatever that one prophet was quoting another. Could not the God of heaven and earth have said the same thing to Habakkuk that he said to Isaiah, or Amos, or Jonah? As for the prejudice that prophecies of glory and of doom cannot appear in the same prophet, such a proposition is actually ridiculous. In ALL of the prophecies, this juxtaposition of doom and glory is ever present, notably in the book of Revelation, where the proleptic visions of heavenly glory are the features of the whole book. This is so much an established characteristic of the holy prophetic writings, that any significant absence of such things would be incredible. The purpose of this verse, therefore, is that of showing that no matter how strong and terrible the force of evil may prevail upon earth; there is most surely coming a time when the righteous shall prevail. God will at last triumph over all evil. Even now, the evil that perplexes men is permitted in the purpose of God for reasons ample and sufficient; and such evil will continue not one second longer than it pleases God for it to do so. Kerr pointed out the significant difference in what Habakkuk wrote here from that which was written in Isaiah 11:9. “There, Isaiah foretells a time when men shall know God, being brought into intimate fellowship with him. This verse says there shall be a manifestation of the glory of God, that is, as it will be displayed in judgment against ungodliness and the foes of God’s people."[35]“As the waters cover the sea …” The great prophecies of the holy Scriptures, which even today are in the process of being fulfilled all over the world, prove absolutely that the God of the Bible is the ruler of the universe who knows the end from the beginning. Hailey said, “This knowledge is accessible to all men everywhere; its voice covers the earth as waters cover the sea, for there is no place where God’s fulfilled prophecies are not to be found."[36]Verse 15 “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, to thee that addest thy venom, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness.“WOE IV"Sensual lust is here a figure of the barbarous lust for power; this usage implies, of course, a strong condemnation of the actions that supply the figures."[37]Against treachery and inhumanity. This woe is directed not so much against the overwhelming violence of the predator Babylon, but is against the false, treacherous, deceitful and cunning ways they used to seduce and destroy their neighbor nations. The figure in this verse actually has reference to the promises, alliances, benefits, honors, etc. proffered to weaker nations and their rules, having only one purpose, their destruction. The “poison” in the pleasant “drink” offered by rapacious Babylon refers to the trap by which the target state is deceived and delivered into the hands of Babylon. It should be remembered in all this that Babylon is a type of all mankind organized against God, as man appears throughout history. All the wicked cities of earth are called Babylon the Great in Revelation. Her name is also given to Mystery Babylon, the Great Whore of Revelation, which is apostate Christianity. The use of the drink metaphor here is quite significant, for it is continued throughout the word of God, even to the very end of it. Thus the Mystic Babylon is said to make the nations drink of her cup (Revelation 14:8 Revelation 17:2 Revelation 18:3); but God will at last compel wicked Babylon itself to drink of the cup of his wrath. “Double unto her double!” is the way the sentence runs. Verse 16 “Thou art filled with shame, and not glory: drink thou also, and be as one circumcised; the cup of Jehovah’s right ,hand shall come around unto thee, and foul shame shall be upon thy glory.““As one uncircumcised …” Babylon was a city of people who had no covenant relationship with God, her condition being therefore all the more hopeless. This reference to the “foreskin” as it is in the Hebrew, “expresses the most utter contempt."[38] The Hebrew also carries the meaning here that, “Thou shalt drink it all,” all of the wrath of God.[39] It may not be doubted for a moment that this came to pass. Where is Babylon today? Where will be those nations which today are living without God, when comes? The universal arrogance and conceit which mark the conduct of evil men today is exactly like that of the ancient Babylonians, and shall be as little effective against the will of God, as was theirs. Verse 17 “For the violence done to Lebanon shah cover thee, and the destruction of the beasts which made them afraid; because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city, and to all that dwell therein.“This is a continuation of the prophet’s statement of the reasons lying behind God’s woes against Babylon. Here additional light is given upon a subject mentioned in Habakkuk 2:8, namely, that of violence done to the earth itself. The contrast here between “men’s blood,” and “the violence done to the land” leaves no doubt that the ruthless destruction of the earth’s raw materials and natural resources constituted a major facet of Babylon’s guilt. (See further comment under Habakkuk 2:8, above.) Inherent in such a denunciation as this is the fact of the beasts of the earth also having rights which men should not violate. The slaughter of the vast buffalo herds that once roamed North America must ever stand as an act of the utmost contempt for God’s creation. Babylon had done a similar wanton and irresponsible thing when they cut down the forests of Lebanon for the purpose of making for themselves palatial buildings, thus denuding the land and destroying the natural habitat for the wild creation. WOE VAgainst graven images. This woe, although not stated until Habakkuk 2:19, nevertheless begins withHabakkuk 2:18. Verse 18 “What profiteth the graven image? that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?“It is surprising to some commentators that Babylon should have been denounced for this sin, the popular view being that pagan nations did not know any better. But the truth is that all of the pre-Christian Gentile nations had received from God ample revelation to have prevented idol worship if only the people had been willing to receive it. Babylon, a subject of Assyria, at the same time, generally, of Jonah’s conversion of the entire city of Nineveh, certainly did know better than to fashion graven images and to worship them. “God manifested it unto them” (Romans 1:19). “What profit …” What profit ever pertained to any graven religious image? How utterly foolish, even to abject stupidity, is the conduct of any nation that “trusteth” in such devices? The same question must be raised with references to religious communions that rely upon such devices for the achievement of any purpose whatsoever. Besides being directly condemned and proscribed by the Decalogue itself, the graven image is worse than useless, it is a “teacher of lies” as this verse declares. “The idol is a teacher of lies, inasmuch as it sustains the delusion, partly by itself, and partly by its priests, that it is God, and that it can do what men expect from God; whereas, it is nothing more than a dumb nonentity."[40]As for the allegation that a graven image can in any manner whatsoever “remind one of God,” that also is another falsehood. How could that which is blind, deaf, mute, powerless, helpless, unable to move or think, subject to the erosion of time, and eventually stripped and denuded even by the atmosphere itself; how could such a THING remind one of the infinite and compassionate God ? Hailey called attention to the fact that Isaiah has a classic sarcasm against all idols (Isaiah 44:9-20). Barnes pointed out that men still bow down to idols, even though the habit of making graven images has been somewhat curtailed from the times of rampant idol worship as practiced in ancient Babylon. “And what else are men’s idols of wealth, honor, fame, which he makes to himself, the creatures of his own hands or mind, their greatness existing chiefly in his own imagination, before which he bows down himself, who is the image of God?[41]Verse 19 “Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.““Woe unto him that saith … Awake … Arise! …” Were there people who said such things ? Of course.

The woe here focuses upon the priests and others who used the idols to deceive simple souls. To all intents and purposes, the dumb idols of Babylon were the only “god” that any of the people knew. That such “gods” were a mere cipher in the spiritual sense must be viewed as an astounding fact. What a terrible fate must ever await the nation which knows not the true God. As for the idols of Babylon, frequently of wood and stone, they were overlaid with gold and silver, making it impossible for any voice, even if the idol had a voice, to escape! Verse 20 “But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.“This, of course, is the most widely known and quoted verse in the whole prophecy of Habakkuk, being usually utilized to induce quiet upon religious assemblies and to inspire reverence at religious services and in places of assembly. Much more, however, is inherent in this magnificent passage. The “temple of God” in view here is no mere house of worship. The place of the Lord’s residence or “being” is heaven (Isaiah 26:21;Psalms 11:4; Jonah 2:7; Micah 1:2). “God reigns in heaven, and fills heaven."[42] God’s holy temple, therefore, “is not the shrine in Jerusalem, but heaven itself."[43] The dramatic meaning of all this is simply that God has not abandoned his creation; he still sits upon the throne of universal authority and power; he is the Almighty God, and the indecent and scandalous behaviour of apostate powers constructed by rebellious and wicked men, such as that of Babylon, will rage from time to time, but only under the permissive will of Him who is all, and in all, and above all; and those who trust in the true God and strive humbly to do his will may rest in the serene assurance that their reward with God is safe. “Let all the earth keep silence before him …” All of the noise made by sinful and rebellious men will eventually subside. God will speak from the Throne on High at the appointed time, and all nations shall assemble before Him for the Judgment of the Great Day. And at that moment, all the world will fulfil the commandment uttered here. “No other attitude is proper but to keep silence, whether in submissive, patient faith, or in speechless terror."[44]That occasion will be the one mentioned in Revelation, “For the great day of his wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17).

Habakkuk 2:1

Habakkuk 2:1. The preceding chapter closes with the plea of the prophet to put a stop to the wicked business of the enemy. This verse represents him as waiting at his post of duty and listening to hear what the Lord will say to him in response. Watch is a short term for watchtower, because prophets were regarded as watchmen on the walls of Zion and looking out for the welfare of the people (Ezekiel 3:17). The prophet is watching and sees the enemy approaching (with his prophetic eye) and has reported it to his great Commander-in-chief and wants to know what is to be done about it.

Habakkuk 2:2

Habakkuk 2:2. This verse begins the Lord’s answer to the prophet’s inquiry. He is instructed to make it plain which is tram BAAR, defined in the lexicon, “A primitive root; to dig; by analogy to engrave.” Tables is from LUACH which Strong defines, “To glisten; a tablet (as polished), of stone, wood or metal.” The means of advertisement were not very plentiful in ancient times, and public notices were supposed to be so arranged that all could know about It. The verse means that Habakkuk was to select a writing tablet or plate and engrave the announcement upon it. He was to engrave the words on this plate and display it in a conspicuous place. Then a man running by could read it as he was passing very much as a traveler today can read the road signs as he is driving along.

Habakkuk 2:3

Habakkuk 2:3. The gist of this verse is that some time will pass by before the prediction is fulfilled, but it is sure to come and the people should be expecting it.

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4. Lifted up is said in the sense of pride, something that the Lord abhors as not being the proper spirit of an upright man. Such a principle will not direct anyone In the way pleasing to Him. Instead, the man who will live or be in the favor of God is one who shall live by faith and who is not prompted tn conduct by pride.

Habakkuk 2:5

Habakkuk 2:5. This and a number of verses following describe some characteristics of the Chaldeans who were destined finally to come against Judah. Neither keepeth at home indicates the practice of that heathen nation in seeking further territory to subdue. In the pursuit of such a desire it gathers unto him all nations. This explains the motive that Babylon had in subduing Judah although it was the decree of God that his people be taken into that captivity. But since the motive was wrong, the Lord was determined to punish that heathen nation, which accounts for these verses against it.

Habakkuk 2:6

Verse 6. After the Babylonians have been overthrown the nations that were mistreated by them will rejoice In their downfall. They will return to the covetous practices of which they had been victims and consider them as reasons why the dreaded nation was itself conquered. Thick clay in the original is ABTIYT which Strong defines, “Something pledged. i.e. (collectively) pawned goods.” Moffatt renders it “what he must repay.” The passage means that when the Babylonian king seized the property of all these nations he was taking on a load that he would not always be able to carry. It is likened to a man who obligated himselt by pawning something that he would not be able to redeem. That was because God was going to bring the King of Babylon to account and he would not be able to meet it.

Habakkuk 2:7

Habakkuk 2:7. This verse is in Question form, but it is a prediction that the nations that Babylon had depressed would rebound and take vengeance on it.

Habakkuk 2:8

Habakkuk 2:8. Spoiled many nations refers to the plunder that the Babylonians took from the helpless countries.

Habakkuk 2:9

Habakkuk 2:9. The prophet now turns his writing into a general discussion at certain principles pertaining to the conduct of man and of God’s attitude toward the same. Coveteth an evil covetousness means to desire that which would be wrong to have. That which would make it wrong Is his evil motive namely, that he might set his nest on high which means the act of self·exaltation or pride.

Habakkuk 2:10

Habakkuk 2:10. Concerning such a person described in the preceding verse, the prophet charges him to have consulted shame which means that his conduct will bring on his house the shame of defeat. He has really sinned against his own soul or life because in the end he wlll be the loser.

Habakkuk 2:11

Habakkuk 2:11. Stone and beam are inanimate objects and are used figuratively to represent the miraculous judgment that will come upon the man guilty or these wrongs.

Habakkuk 2:12

Habakkuk 2:12. It is right to build towns for habitations of needy people, but it is wrong to do so by violence against other helpless men.

Habakkuk 2:13

Habakkuk 2:13. The Lord has decreed that all who pursue such wicked courses for gain shall find themselves laboring in vain. Their own practices wlll turn out to be as a fire about them that will destroy all their evil labors.

Habakkuk 2:14

Habakkuk 2:14. The general knowledge of God’s glory was to come to the nations when He brought the mighty Chaldean power into subjection. But we can see a greater fulfillment of the prediction in the universal distribution of the Gospel (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15 ; Romans 10:18 ; Colossians 1:23).

Habakkuk 2:15

Habakkuk 2:15. The Bible teaches that a drunkard will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10). so that such a character will be con- demned for his own act. And our present verse condemns those who encourage or induce others to drink. It is especially to be condemned when the motive is as low as indicated In this verse. The statement gives us an additional thought, namely, that when a man is drunk, his mentality is depressed and he Is rendered unreliable in his actions and judgment.

Habakkuk 2:16

Habakkuk 2:16. As a degradIng suggestion befitting the character of such a tempter, he is told to drink with his intended victim and thus be induced to expose his own nakedness. Shame for glory is rendered “more with shame than with glory” in the margIn which is evidently correct. The tempter intended to get glory from the shame of his victim, but instead he was destined to bring shame upon himself. The cup Is figurative and means the cup of God’s wrath against such an evil character. He was to be forced to drink of it and be thereby induced to vomit out his own filth instead of glorying over the debauched condition of his victim.

Habakkuk 2:17

Habakkuk 2:17. Violence of Lebanon. The violence of Lebanon or the city of Jerusalem means that which was intended against the holy territory. But such violence was to rebound and cover the wicked nation or king who designed such drastic actions.

Habakkuk 2:18-19

Habakkuk 2:18-19. The weakness and foolishness of idolatry is the subject of this paragraph. Teacher of lies. Every expectation that an idol seems to offer its maker is a He. Man made the idol and therefore it could not possess any wisdom or power that man does not already have and so It could contribute nothing to him.

Habakkuk 2:20

Habakkuk 2:20. Silence is defined as “hush” in the lexicon. The servants of God are everywhere encouraged to sing and speak their praises of Him which would not seem like silence. The thought is to show a contrast with the foolishness of idolatry and the wisdom at an intelligent Deity. An idol is only a teacher of lies and should not be listened to. The Lord is in his rightful place, the temple, and on the throne of the universe. Therefore when He speaks it is the truth and all the earth should be hushed and with reverent ears receive the divine words.