Commentary on the Holy Bible

Verse 1. The burden] NB'On hammassa signifies, not only the burdensome prophecy, but the prophecy or revelation itself which God presented to the mind of Habakkuk, and which he saw — clearly perceived, in the light of prophecy, and then faithfully declared, as this book shows. The word signifies an oracle or revelation in general; but chiefly, one relative to future calamities.

Verse 2. O Lord, how long shall I cry] The prophet feels himself strongly excited against the vices which he beheld; and which, it appears from this verse.

B 'c '^c'' ^600 gi^isvance? for spoiling and viooi. XLV.i. lence are before me: and there

R. Roman., arc that raise up striie and con-

4 Therefore tlic law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the • wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore •^ wrong judgment proceedetli.

5 ° Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for / will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

6 For, lo, f I e raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and liasty nation, which shall march

that are not theirs. r" Roman.,

7 They are terrible and dread- "'■ '^"""'" ^'^- ful: ' their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more '^ fierce than the ' evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; "■ they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.

9 They shall come all for violence: " their ° faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they

he had often declaimed against, but in vain; the people continued in their vices, and God in his longsuffering.

Habalikuk begins his prophecy under a similar feeling, and nearly in similar words, as Juvenal did his Satires: —

Semper ego auditor tantum 1 Nunquamne reponam? Vexatus toties rauci Theseide Codri ^ Sat. i. 1.

" Sliall I always be a hearer only % Shall I never reply 1 So often vexed!"

Of violence^ The most unlawful and outrageous acts.

Verse 3. And cause me to behold grievance] 'I'oy amal, labour, toil, distress, misery, &c., the common fruits of sin.

Verse 4. The law is slacked] They pay no attention to it; it has lost all its vigour, its restraining and correcting power; it is not executed; right judgment is never pronounced; and the poor righteous man complains in vain that he is grievously oppressed by the wicked, and by those in power and authority. That the utmost depravity prevailed in the land of Judah is evident from these verses; and can we wonder, then, that God poured out such signal judgments upon them 1 When judgment doth not proceed from the seat of judgment upon earth, it will infallibly go forth from the throne of judgment in heaven.

Verses. Behold ye among the heathen] Instead of D"1J3 haggoyim, among the nations or heathen, some critics think we should read D'Tjn bogedim, transgressors; and to the same purpose the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic have read; and thus it is quoted by St. Paul, Acts xiii. 41. But neither this, nor any tantamount reading, is found in any of the MSS. yet collated, ycwcome translates, " See, ye transgressors, and behold a wonder, and perish."

I will work a work in your days] As he is speaking of the desolation that should be produced by the Chaldeans, it follows, as Bp. Newcome has justly observed, that the Chaldeans invaded' Judah lohilst those were living whom the prophet addressed.

Which ye will not believe] Nor did they, after all the declarations of various prophets. They still supposed that God would not give them up into the hands their faces shall look toward the east. ° Heb. the opposition of their faces toward the ea.st.

of their enemies, though they continued in their abominations!

It is evident that St. Paul, in the above place, accommodates this prediction to his own purpose. And possibly this sense might have been the intention of the Divine Spirit when he first spoke the words to the prophet; for, as God ivorks in reference to eternity, so he speaks in reference to the same; and therefore there is an infinity of meaning in his word. These appear to be the yvords of God in answer to the prophet, in which he declares he will entirely ruin this wicked people by means of the Chaldeans.

Verse 6. That bitter and hasty nation] Cruel and oppressive in their disposition; and prompt and speedy in their assaults and conquests.

Verse 7. Their judgment — shall proceed of themselves.] By revoUing from the Assyrians, they have become a great nation. Thus, their judgment and excellence were the result of their own valour. Other meanings are given to this passage.

Verse 8. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards] The Chaldean cavalry are proverbial for swiftness, courage, &c. In Jeremiah, chap. iv. 13, it is said, speaking of Nebuchadnezzar, " His chariots are as a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles."

Oppian, speaking of the horses bred about the Euphrates, says, " They are by nature war-horses, and so intrepid that neither the sight nor the roaring of the lion appals them; and, besides, they are astonishingly fleet."

The leopard, of all quadrupeds, is allowed to be the siviftest.

The evening wolves] The wolf is remarkable for his quick sight. JElian says, O^vuirearaTov cart fuox, /cat /levToi, Kai vvKToc Kai atXrivm ovk ovatj^ 66c ipg.; " The wolf is a very fleet animal; and, besides, it can see by night, even when there is no moonlight." Some think the hyaina is meant: it is a swift, cruel, and untameable animal. The other prophets speak of the Chaldeans in the same way. See Deut. xxviii. 49; Jer. xlviii. 40; xlix. 22; Ezek. xvii. 5; Lam. iv. 19.

kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.

1 1 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, v ijnputing this his power unto his god.

12 'i Art thou not from everlasting, 0 Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, "■ thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O ^ mighty God, thou hast ' established them for correction.

13 " Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on '' iniquity: ■" wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treach-

This may be an allusion to those electrical winds wliich prevail in that country. Mr. Jackson, in his overland journey from India, mentions his having bathed in the Tigris. On his coming out of the river one of those winds passed over him, and, in a moment, carried oflF every particle of water that was on liis body and in his bathing dress. So, the Chaldeans shall leave no substance behind them; iheir faces, their bare appearance, is the proof that nothing good shall be left.

Shall gather the captivity as the sand.] They shall carry off innumerable captives.

Verse 10. Tkey shall scoff at the huigs] No power shall be able to stand before them. It will be only as pastime to them to take the strongest places. They will have no need to build formidable ramparts: by sweeping the dust together they shall make mounts sufficient to pass over the walls and take the city.

Verse 11. Then shall his mind change] This is thought to relate to the change which took place in Nebuchadnezzar, when " a beast's heart was given to him," and he was " driven from the dwellings of men." And this was because of his offending — his pride and arrogance; and his attributing all his success, &c., to his idols.

Verse 12. Art thou not from everlasting] The idols change, and their worshippers change and fail: but thou, Jehovah, art eternal; thou canst not change, and they who trust in thee are safe. Thou art infinite in thy mercy; therefore, " we shall not die," shall not be totally exterminated.

Thoii hast ordained them for judgment] Thou hast raised up the Chaldeans to correct and punish us; but thou hast not given them a commission to destroy us totally.

Instead of r\ni N7 lo namuth, " we shall not die," Houhiganl and other critics, with a little transposition of letters, read JT3N 7X El emeth, " God of truth;" and then the verse will stand thus: " Art thou not from everlasting, O Jehovah, mv God, my Holy One ^ O man that is more righteous r Roman.,

14 And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the ^ creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

1 5 They ^ take up all of them with the angle they catch them in their net, and gather them in their ^ drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.

1 6 Therefore ^ they sacrifice unto their net^ and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat, '' plen teous."

1 7 Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

Jehovah, God of truth, thou hast appointed them for judgment." But this emendation, however elegant, is not supported by any MS.; nor, indeed, by any of the ancient versions, though the Chaldee has something like it. The common reading makes a very good sense.

Verse 1 3. Thou art of purer eyes] Seeing thou art so pure, and canst not look on iniquity — it is so abominable — how canst thou bear with them who " deal treacherously, and hold thy tongue when the wicked devour the righteous V All such questions are easUy solved by a consideration of God's ineffable mercy, which leads him to suffer long and be kind. He has no pleasure in the death of a sinner.

Verse 14. Makest men as the fishes of the sea] Easily are we taken and destroyed. We have no leader to guide us, and no power to defend ourselves. Nebuchadnezzar is here represented as a fisherman, who is constantly casting his nets into the sea, and enclosing multitudes of fishes; and, being always successful, he sacrifices to his own net — attributes all his conquests to his own power and prudence; not considering that he is only like a net that, after having been used for a while, shall at last be thrown by as useless, or burnt in the fire.

Verse 16. They sacrifice unto their net] He had no God; he cared for none; and worshipped only his armour and himself. King Mezentius, one of the worst characters in the JEneid of Virgil, is represented as invoking his own right hand and his spear in battle. Mn. X. 773.

Dextra mihi Deus, et telum quod missUe libro. Nunc adsint.

" My strong right hand and sword, assert my stroke. Those only gods Mezentius will invoke."

And Capaneus, in Statius, gives us a more decisive proof of this self-idolatry. Thebatd, lib. x.

T7ie prophet waits on God CHAP. II

Ades, O mihi dextera tantum

Tu praeses belli, et inevitabile Numen,

Te voco, te solum Superum contemptor adoro.

" Only thou, my right hand, be my aid; I contemn the gods, and adore thee as the chief in battle, and the irresistible deity." The poet tells us that, for his impiety, Jupiter slew him with thunder.

This wa.s an ancient idolatry in this country, and has existed till within about a cenlur)'. There are relics of it in different parts of Europe; for when military men btnd themselves to accomplish any particular purpose, it is usual to lay their hand upon their sword:

but formerly they hissed it, when swearing by it. With most heroes, the sword is both their Bible and their God. To the present day it is a custom among the Hindoos annually to worship the implements of their trades. See Ward.

Verse 17. And not spare conlinually to slay the nations?] They are running from conquest to conquest; burning, slaying, sacking, and slaughtering. Like the fishermen, who throw cast after cast while any fish are to be caught, so Nebuchadnezzar is destroying one nation after another. This last sentence e.Kplains the allegory of the net.

The prophet, waiting for a return to his expostulation, is answered by God that the time J or the destruction of the Jewish polity by the Chaldeans is not only fixed in the Divine counsel, hut is awfully near; and he is therefore commanded to write down the vision relative to this appalling subject in the most legible characters, and!« the plainest language, that all who read it with attention {those just persons who exercise an unwavering faith in the declaration of God respecting the violent irruption of the merciless Baylonians) may flee from the impending vengeance, 1-4. The fall of the Chaldeans, and of their ambitious monarch, is then predicted, 5—10; and, by a strong and bold personification, the very stone and wood of those magnificent buildings, which the Babylonish king had raised by oppression and bloodshed, pronounce his wo, and in responsive taunts upbraid him, 11, 12. The prophet then beautifully sets forth the absolute impotence af every effort, however well conducted, which is not in concert with the Divine counsel: for though the wicked rage, and threaten the utter extermination of the people of God; yet when the set time to favour Zion is come, the destroyers of God's heritage shall themselves be destroyed, and " the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God, as the waters cover the sea," 13, 14. See Psa. cii. 13—16. For the cup of idolatry which Babylon has given to'many nations, she will receive of the Lord's hand the cup of fury by the insurrection of mighty enemies {the Medes and Persians) rushing like wild beasts to destroy her, 15. In the midst of this distress the prophet very opportunely asks in what the Babylonians had profited by their idols, exposes the absurdity of trusting in them, and calls upon the whole world to stand in awe of the everlasting Jehovah, 16—19.

T WILL '^ stand upon my watch, and set me upon the "' tower,

° and will watch to see what he will say ^ unto me, and what I

Verse 1. / will stand upon my %vatch'\ The prophets are always represented as watchmen, watching constantly for the comfort, safety, and welfare of the people; and watching also to receive information from the Lord: for the prophetic influence was not always ■with them, but was granted only at particular times, according to the will of God. When, in doubtful cases, they wished to know what God was about to do with tne country, they retired from society and gave themselves to meditation and prayer, waiting thus upon God to hear what he would say in them.

What he will say unto me] ^1 bi, in me — in my understanding and heart.

And what I shall answer lohen I am reproved.] What I shall say to God m behalf of the people; and what the Lord shall command me to say to the people. Some translate, " And what he will answer for my shall answer ' when ^ I am reproved.

2 And the Lord answered me, and said, s Write the vision, and

conviction." Or, " what shall be answered to my pleading."

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

The fearful end of HABAKKUK.

oi. cir. XLV. 1. he may run that readeth it. '^ RTonl"!"' 3 For 1^ the vision is yet for cir. annum 17. ^^^ appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will ' surely come, it will not tarry.

4 Behold, his soul wliich is lifted up is not upright in him: but the '' just shall live by his faith.

5 'Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire " as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gather-

of this sacred book that relates immediately to his own salvation. But no Irifler 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.

Verse 3. The vision is yet for an appointed time'] The Chakieans, who are to ruin Judea, shall afterwards be ruined tliemselves: but they must do this work before they receive their wages; therefore the vision is for an appointed time. But at the end it shall speak. When his vcork of devastation is done, his day of retribution shall take place.

Though it tarry'] Though it appear to be long, do not be impatient; it will surely come; it will not tarry longer than the prescribed time, and this time is not far distant. Wait for it.

Verse 4. Behold, his soul which is lifted tip] He that presumes on his safety without any special warrant from God, is a proud man; and whatever he may profess, or think of himself, his mind is not upright in him. But he that 'is just by faith shall live — he that believes what God hath said relative to the Chaldeans besieging Jerusalem, shall make his escape from the place, and consequently shall save his life. The words in the New Testament are accommodated to the salvation which believers in Christ shall possess. Indeed, the just — the true Christians, who believed in Jesus Christ's words relative to the destruction of Jerusalem, when they found the Romans coming against it, left the city, and escaped to Pella in Ccelesyria, and did live — their lives were saved: while the unbelieving Jews, to a man, either jicrished or were made slaves. One good sense is, He that believes the promises of God, and has found life through believing, shall live by his faith.

Verse 5. Because he transgresseth by wine] From the present translation, it is not easy to see either reason or meaning in the first clause of this verse. Newcome translates, '■ Moreover, as a mighty man transgresseth through wine, he is proud, and remaineth not at rest." Houbigant thus: " For he, though he

6 Shall not all these " take up a r. Roman., parable against him, and a taunt- ""■ '"'""'" ''''• ing proverb against him, and say, " Wo to him that increaseth that which is not his. how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!

7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

8 P Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; ^ because of men's "■ blood, and /or the violence

be a despiser, and powerful, and proud, yet shall he not have rest."

Nebuchadnezzar is here represented in his usual character, proud, haughty, and ambitious; inebriated with his successes, and determined on more extensive conquests; and, like the grave, can never have enough: yet, after the subjugation of many peoples and nations, he shall be brought down, and become so despicable that he shall be a proverb of reproach, and be taunted and scorned by all those whom he had before enslaved.

And cannot be satisfied] When he has obtained all that is within his reach, he w^ishes for more; and becomes miserable, because any limits are opposed to his insatiable ambition. It is said of Alexander: —

Unus Pellaeo juveni non sufficit orbis; jEstuat infelix angusto limite mundi.

One world sufficed not Alexander's mind; Coop'd up, he seem'd on earth and seas confined.

And the poet justly ridicules him, because at last the sarcophagus was found too large for his body!

Verse 6. Shall not all these take up a parable against him] His ambition, derangement, and the final destruction of his mighty empire by the Persians, shall form the foundation of many sententious sayings among the people. " He who towered so high, behold how low he is fallen!" " He made himself a god; behold, he herds with the beasts of the field!" " The disturber of the peace of the world is now a handful of dust.'"

Verse 7. Shall they not rise up suddenly] Does not this refer to the sudden and unexpected taking of Babylon by Cyrus, whose troops entered iuto the city through the bed of the Euphrates, whose waters they had diverted by another channel; so that the Babylonians knew nothing of the matter till they saw the Persian soldiers rise up as in a moment, in the very heart of their city 1

Verse 8. For the violence of the land] Or, for the violence done to the land of Judea, and to the city of

The fearful end oj CHAP. II.

cir. annum ^^jj COVetOUSnesS tO llis hoUSC,

that he may " set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the " power of evil!

1 0 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.

1 1 For •the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the " beam out of the timber shall ^ answer it.

12 Wo to him that buildeth a town with y blood, ^ and stablisheth a city by iniquity!

13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts " that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves ^ for very vanity?

Verse 9. An evil covetousness to his house] Nebuchadnezzar wished to aggrandize his family, and make his empire permanent: but \>o\h family and empire were soon cut off by the death of his son Belshazzar, and the consequent destruction of the Chaldean empire.

Verse 11. The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.] This appears to refer to the ancient mode of building walls; two or three courses of stone, and then one course of timber. See 1 Kings vi. 36: thus was the palace of Solomon built. The splendid and costly buildings of Babylon have been universally celebrated. But howwere these buildings erected 1 By the spoils of conquered nations, and the expense of the blood of multitudes; therefore the stones and the timber are represented as calling out for vengeance against this ruthless conqueror.

Verse 12. Wo to him that buildeth a town with Mood] At the expense of much slaughter. This is the answer of the beam to the stone. And these things will refer to the vast fortunes gained, and the buildings erected, by means of the slave-trade; where, to a considerate and humane mind, the uia?/s appear as if composed of the bones of negroes, and cemented by their blood! But the towns or houses established by this iniquity soon come to ruin; and the fortunes made hav?, in most cases, become as chaff and du.st before the whirlwind of God's indignation. But where are the dealers in the souls and bodies of men? Ask him who has them in his keeping. He can tell.

Verse 13. The people shall labour in the very fire] All these superb buildings shall be burnt down. See the parallel passage, Jer. li. 58, and the note there.

Shall weary themselves for very vanity 7] For the

" with the '^ knowledge of the oi. cir. XLV. i. glory of the Lord, as the waters k'^ Roma".^'^'' cover the sea. cir. annum ■•7.

1 5 Wo unto liim that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy " bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest ^ look on their nakedness!

16 Thou art filled s with shame for glory. '' drink thou also and let thy foreskin be un covered: the cup of the Lord's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall he on thy glory.

17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, ivhich made them afraid, ' because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

gratification of the wishes of ambition, and in buildings which shall be brought to naught.

Verse 14. For the earth shall befitted] This is a singular rfhd important verse. It may he first applied to Babylon. God's power and providence shall be widely displayed in the destruction of this city and empire, in the humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. iv. 37, and in the captivity and restoration of his people. See Newcome, and see Isa. xi. 9.

Secondly. It may be applied to the glorious days of the Messiah. The land of Judea should by his preaching, and that of his disciples, be filled u'ith the hnowledge of God. God's great design fully discovered, and the scheme of salvation amply explained.

Thirdly. It may be applied to the universal spread of the Gospel over the habitable globe; when the fulness of the Gentiles should be brought in, and the Jews gathered in with that fulness. The earth cannot perish till every continent, island, and inhabitant, is illuminated with the light of the Gospel.

Verse 15. Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink] This has been considered as applying to Pharaoh-hophra, king of Egypt, who enticed his neighbours Jehoiachin and Zedekiah to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar, whereby the nakedness and imbecility of the poor Jews was soon discovered; for the Chaldeans soon took Jerusalem, and carried its kings, princes, and people, into captivity.

Verse 16. The cup of the Lord's right hand] Among the ancients, all drank out of the same cup; it was passed from hand to hand, and each drank as much as he chose. The Chaldeans gave to the neighbouring nations the cup nf idolatry and of deceitful alliance; and in return they received from the Lord the cup of his fury. So Grotius.

18 '' What profile th the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image,

and a ' teacher of hes, that " the

maker of his work trusteth therein, to make " dumb idols? 19 Wo unto him that saith to the wood,

violence done to Lebanon; to men, to cattle, to Judea, and to Jerusalem. See the note on the parallel place, ver. 8. This may be a threatening against Egypt, as the former was against Chaldea.

Verse 18. What prof teth t/ie graven image] This is against idolatry in general, and every species of it, as well as against those princes, priests, and people who practise it, and encourage others to do the same. See on the parallel passages in the margin.

Dimib idols.?] IZ]"n7N I^"T7X elilim illemim, " dumb nothings." This is exactly agreeable to St. Paul, 1 Cor. viii. 4, who says, " An idol is nothing in the world." What signify the idols worshipped by the Chaldeans, Tyrians, and Egyptians 1 They have not been able to save their worshippers.

Verse 19. Wo unto him] How foolish and contemptible to worship a thing formed by the hand of •man out of wood, stone, gold, or silver! The meanest brute is superior to them all; it breathes and lives, but they have no breath in them. However, they are said above to be teachers of lies; that is, they appeared to give out oracles: but these were lies; and were not given by the statue, but by the priest.

Arise, It shall teach! Behold, it 01. cir. XLV. i. is laid over with gold and silver, R'^^Roman., ' " and there is no breath at all in "ir. annum n. the midst of it. 20 But P the Lord is in his holy temple:

1 let ■■ all the earth keep silence before him.

Verse 20. The Lord is in his holy temple] Jehovah has his temple, the place where he is to be worshipped; but there there is no image. Oracles, however, are given forth; and every word of them is truth, and is fulfilled in its season. And this temple and its worship are holy; no abomination can be practised there, and every thing in it leads to holiness of heart and life.

Let all the earth keep silence before him.] Let all be dumb. Let none of then dare to open their mouths in the presence of Jehovah. He alone is Sovereign. He alone is the arbiter of life and death. Let all hear his commands with the deepest respect, obey them with the promptest diligence, and worship him with the most profound reverence. When an Asiatic sovereign goes to the mosque on any of the eastern festivals, such as the Bairham, the deepest silence reigns among all his retinue, viziers, foreign ambassadors, &c. They all bow respectfully before him; but no word is spoken, no sound uttered. It is to this species of reverence that the prophet alludes, and with this he concludes the prophetic part of this book. What God has threatened or promised, that he will fulfil. Let every soul bow before him, and submit to his authority.

The prophet, being apprized of the calamities which were to be brought on his country by the ministry of the Chaldeans, and the punishments which awaited the Chaldeans themselves, partly struck with terror, and partly revived with hope and confidence in the Divine mercy, beseeches God to hasten the redemption of his people, 1, 2. Such a petition would naturally lead his thoughts to the astonishing deliverance ichich God vouchsafed to the same people of old; and the inference from it luas obvious, that he could ivith the same ease deliver their posterity now. But, hurried on by the fire and impetuosity of his spirit, he disdains to wait the process of connecting these ideas, and bounds at once into the midst of his subject: " God came from Teman," Jfc, 3. He goes on to describe the majesty and might which God displayed in conducting his people to the land of promise; selecting the most remarkable circumstances, and clothing them in the most lofty language. As he goes along, his fancy becomes more glowing, till at length he is transported tv the scene of action, and becomes an eyewitness of the wonders he describes. " / beheld the tents ofCushan in affliction," 4-6. After having touched on the principal circumstances of that deliverance which he celebrates, he returns to what passed before them in Egypt; his enthusiasm having led him to begin in the midst of his subject, 7-15. And at last he ends the hymn as he began it, with expressing his awe of the Divine judgments, and his firm trust in the mercy and goodness of God while under them; and that in terms of such singular beauty, elegance, and sublimity, as to form a very proper conclusion to this admirable piece of Divinely inspired composition, 16-19. It ivould seem from the title, and the note appended ai the end, that it was set to music, and sung in the service of the temple.

^''- """"■" '^- 2 0 Lord, I have heard ■= thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, ^ revive " thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known: in wrath remember mercy. 3 God came from ^ Teman, ^ and the Holy

Verse I. A prayer of Habakkuk — upon Shigionoth.] See the note on the lille of Psa. vii., where the meaning of Shiggawn is given. The Vulgate has, pro tgnorantiis, for ignorances, or sins committed in ignorance; and so it is understood by tlie Chaldee. The Syriac has nothing but merely, A prayer of Habakkuk. And the Septuagint, instead of Shigionoth, have fiira udiic, with a hymn, which is copied by the Arabic.

I suspect that the title here given is of a posterior date to the prophecy. It appears to interrupt the connection between this and the termination of the preceding verse. See them together: —

Ohap. ii. 20: " But the Lord is in his holy temple: Be silent before him, all the earth. iii. 1: O Lord, I have heard thy speech: I have feared, O Lord, thy work. As the years approach thou hast shown; As the years approach thou makest known. In wrath thou rememberest mercy."

The prophet may here refer to the speech which God had communicated to him, chap. i. 5-11, ii. 4—20, and the terror with which he was struck, because of the judgments denounced against Jerusalem. I have followed the version of Apb. Nciocome in this first verse. The critical reader may consult his notes, and the various readings of Kcnnicott and De Rossi.

Verse 2. In the midst of the years] CD'Hy 31p3 bekereb shanim, " As the years approach." The nearer the time, the clearer and fuller is the prediction; and the signs of the times show that the complete fulfilment is at hand. But as the judgments will be heavy, (and they are not greater than we deserve,) yet, Lord, in the midst of lorath — infliction of punishment — remember mercy, and spare the souls that return unto thee with humiliation and prayer.

A'erse 3. God came from Teman] Bp. Lotcth observes: " This is a sudden burst of poetry, in the true spirit of the ode; the concealed connection being that God, who had formerly displayed such power in delivering the Israelites from Eg}-ptian slavery, might succour their posterity in a like wonderful manner." Hence the prophet selects the most striking facts of that first deliverance: and to decorate and render them imnressive, brings forth all the powers of his genius, in and the earth was lull oi his r. Roman., praise. ""■ """"■" "'

4 And his briglilness was as the light; he had horns coining out of his hand: and there tvas the hiding of his power.

5 ' Before him went the pestilence, and '' burn ing ' coals went forth at his feet.

all the strength and elegance of his language. " What crowns the sublimity of this piece," says Bp. Lowth, " is the singular elegance of the close; and were it not that antiquity has here and there thrown its veil of obscurity over it, there could not be conceived a more perfect and masterly poem of its kind." See, for more particulars, his twenty-eighth Prelection.

I shall endeavour to show the facts in the deliverance from Egypt, to which the prophet refers.

Tetnan] This was a city, the capital of a province of Idumea, to the south of the land of Canaan. Num XX. 21; Jer. xlix. 7.

Paran] Was a city which gave its name to a province in Arabia Petraea. Gen. xxi. 21; Deut. xxxiii. 2.

Selah] This word is not well known; probably it means a' pause or alteration in the music. See it in the Psalms, and its e.xplanation there.

His glory covered the heavens] His glory when he descended on Mount Sinai, and in the pillar of fire by night.

The earth ivasfull of his praise.] All the land was astonished at the magnificence of his works in behalf of his people. Instead of praise, some translate splendour The whole land was illuminated by his glory.

Verse 4. He had horns coming out of his hand] D'JI p kamayim, rays. His hand — his power — was manifested in a particular place, by the sudden issuing out of pencils of rays, which diverged in coruscations of light, so as to illuminate the whole hemi.sphere. Yet " there was the hiding of his power." His Majesty could not be seen, nor any kind of image, because of the insufferable splendour. This may either refer to the lightnings on Mount Sinai; or to Hie brightness which occasionally proceeded from the shcchmah or glory of God between the cherubim, over the mercyseat. See Capellus and Ncwcome. If lightnings arcintended, the dense cloud from which they proceeded may be meant by the " hiding of his power;" for when the lightnings burst forth, his power and energy became manifest.

Probably from this the Jupiter Keraunos or Jupiter Brontes of the heathens was borrowed; who is always represented with forked or zigzag lightnings in his hand.

Verse 5. Before him went the pestilence] This plague was several times inflicted on the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness; see Num. xi. 33, xiv. 37, xvi. 46; and was always the proof that tlie just God was then manifesting his power among them. 74U

GolVs rniracuhus interpositions

01. cir. XLV. 1. earth: he beheld, and drove R'^'RomanT'' asiuider the nations; " and the cir. annum 17. „ everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are ° everlasting.

7 I saw tlie tents of " Cushan 'i in affliction: ^nd'the curtains of the land of Midiandid tremble.

8 Was the Lord displeased against the rivers?

Burning coats went forth at his feet.] Newcome translates, " And flashes of fire went forth after him." The disobedient Israelites were consumed by a. fire that went out from Jehovah; see Lev. x. 2; Num. xi. 1, xvi. 35. And the burnt-offering was consumed by a fire which came out from before Jehovah, Lev. xi. 24.

Averse 6. He stood, and measured the earth] yMi '■rels, the land; he divided the promised land among the tioelve tribes. This is the allusion; and this the prophet had in his eye. God not only made a general assignment of the land to the Hebrews: but he even divided it into such portio7is as the different families required. Here were both power and condescension. When a conqueror had subdued a country, he divided It among his soldiers. Among the Romans, those among whom the conquered lands were divided were termed beneficiarii; and the lands heneficia, as being held on the beneficence of the sovereign.

He beheld, and drove asunder the nations] The nations of Canaan, the Hitiiles, Hivites, Jebusites, Sic, and all who opposed his people. Even his look dispersed them.

The everlasting mountains were scattered] Or, broken asunder. This may refer to the convulsions on Mount Sinai; and to the earthquake which announced the descent of the Most High. See Exod. xix. 18. ■' God occupied the summit of the eternal Mount Sinai; and led his people over the eternal mountains of Arabia Petraa; and this sense is preferable to the figurative one, that his ways or doings are predetermined from everlasting." — Newcofne. The epithets ni> ad, and D^U' olam, eternal and everlasting, are applied to mountains and immense rocks, because no other parts of nature are less subject to decay or change, than these immense masses of earth and stone, and that almost indestructible stone, granite, out of which Sinai appears to be formed. A piece of the beautiful granite of this mountain now lies before me. This is a figurative description of the passage of the Israelites through the deserts of Arabia, over mountains, rocks, and through the trackless wilderness; over and through which God, by his power and providence, gave them a safe passage.

The following beautiful piece from the Fragments of iEschylus will illustrate the preceding description, and please the learned reader.

Xupt^c 6v7jTijv Tov Qeov, Kai pji Sokci Ofioiov avTa aapKivov naBeaTavai' was thine anger against the ■^g'^c'cfr ecw* rivers? was thy wrath against oi. cir. XLV. i. the sea, ^ that thou didst ride "n'^Roman., upon thine horses and Hhy cha- """■ ''"°""' ''''• riots of salvation?

9 Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. ' Thou " didst cleave the earth with

thy chariots v.' •e rivers of the alvation. 'Or, Thou didst

Confound not God with man; nor madly deem

His form is mortal, and of flesh like thine.

Thou know'st him not. Sometimes like fire he glows

In wrath severe; sometimes as water flows;

In brooding darkness now his power conceals

And then in brutes that mighty power reveals.

In clouds tempestuous we the Godhead find;

He mounts the storm, and rides the winged loind;

In vivid lightnings flashes from on high;

In rattling thunders rends the lowering sliy;

Fountains and rivers, seas and floods obey.

And oceati's deep abyss yields to his sway;

The mountains tremble, and the hills sink down,

Crumbled to dust by the Almighty's frown.

When God unfolds the terrors of his eye.

All things with horror quake, and in confusion lie.

Verse 7- I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction] Cush is Arabia. The Arabians dwelt in tents, hence they were called Scenita:. When the Lord appeared on Mount Sinai, the Arabs of the Red Sea abandoned their tents, being terror-struck; and the Midianites also were seized with fear. See the desolation wrought among this people by Phinehas, Num. xxxi. 1, &c., on account of their having enticed the Israelites to idolatry, Num. xxv. 1, &c. Either Cush ani Midiati lay contiguous to each other; or, these names are poetically used to express the saine place.

Verse 8. Was the Lord displeased against the rivers?] Floods; here is a reference to the passage of the Red Sea. The Lord is represented as heading his troops, riding in his chariot, and commanding the sea to divide, that a free passage might be left for his army to pass over.

Verse 9. Thy bow teas made quite naked] That is, it was drawn out of its case; as the arroics had their quiver, so the bows had their cases. A fine oriental, bow and boiv-case, with quiver and arrows, are now be-

10 "The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and "hfted up his hands on high.

1 1 "^ The sun and moon stood still in their habitations; ^ at the light of thine ^ arrows tiiey went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.

12 Thou didst march through the land in

rrmvs walked in the light, &c.

^ me; they show with what propriety Jehovah is represented as taking his bow out of its case, in order

«et liis arrow upon the cord, to shoot at his enemies. It is not the drau-ing out, or tnnkms; bare the arrow, that is mentioned here; but the taking the bow out of its case to prepare to shoot.

Tliis verse appears to be an answer to the questions in the preceding: " Was the Lord displeased," &c. The answer is, All this was done " according to the oaths of the tribes;" the covenant of God, frequently repeated and renewed, which he made with the tribes, to give them the land of the Canaanites for their inheritance.

T/iou didst cleave the earth with rivers.] Or, " Thou didst cleave the streams of the land." Or, " Thou cleavedst the dry land into rivers." This may be a reference to the passage of Jordan, and transactions at Arnon and the brook Jabbok..See Num. xxi. 13-15.

In this verse we have Sclah again, which, as before, may signify a pause, or some alteration in the music.

Verse 10. The mountains saw thee] This is the continued answer to the questions in ver. 8. These are figures highly poetic, to show with what ease God accomplished the most arduous tasks in behalf of his people. As soon as the mountains saw him, they trembled, they were in pangs. When he appeared, the sea fled to right and left, to give him a passage. •' It uttered its voice." The separation of the waters occasioned a terrible noise. " And it hfted up its hands on high." Its waters, being separated, stood in heaps on the right hand and left. These heaps or waves are poetically represented here as the hands of the sea.

Verse 1 1. The suti and moon stood still] This was at the prayer of Joshua, when he fought against the Am,orites. See Josh. x. 11, 12, and the notes there.

At the light of thine arrows they ivent] I think we should translate, —

By their light, thine arrows went abroad;

By their brightness, the lightning of thy spear.

Calvin very justly remarks that the arroios and spears of the Israelites are called those of God, under whose auspices the people fought: the meaning is, that by the continuation of the light of the sun and moon, then stayed in their course, the Israelites saw how to continue the battle, till their enemies were all defeated.

Verse 12. Thou didst march through the land] This refers to the conquest of Canaan. God is represented as going.'it the head of his people as general-in-chief;

indignation, => thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.

1.3 Thou wcntcst forth for the salvation of tliy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; '' thou woundedst the head out of tiic house of the wicked, ■= by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.

14 Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of liis villages: they "> came out as

and leading them on from conquest to conquest — which was the fact.

Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.] Thou didst tread them down, as the oxen do the sheaves on the threshing-floor.

Verse 13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation oj thy people] Their deliverance would not have been effected but through thy interference.

For salvation with thine anointed] That is, with Joshua, whom God had anointed, or solenmly appointed to fill the place of Moses, and lead the people into the promised land. If we read, with the common text, l^'Wi meshichecha. " thy anointed," the singular number, Joshua is undoubtedly meant, who was God's instrument to put the people in possession of Canaan: but if, with several MSS. and some copies of the Septuagint, v(e read "|TI''B'T meshicheycha, " thy anointed ones," the Israelites must be intended. They are frequently called God's anointed, or God's saints. The sense is very far-fetched when applied to Jesus

Thou woundedst the head out of the house of the U'icked] This alludes to the slaying of the first-horn through all the land of Egypt. These were the heads of the houses or families.

By discovering the foundation unto the neck.] The general meaning of this clause is sufliciently plain: the government of these lands should be utterly subverted; the very foundations of it should be ra::cd. But what means unio the neck, INIV -y ad Isavvar? Several critics read -iiy!;» ad tsur, " Unto the rock," that on which the house is founded: and this very intelligible reading is obtained by the omission of a single letter, K aleph, from the word INIX. This conjecture has been adopted by Neivcome, though unsupported either by MS. or version. But is the conjecture necessary? I think not: read the verse as it ought to be read, and all will be plain. " Thou hast wounded the head even unto the neck, in the house of the wicked, by laying bare the foundation." The whole head, neck, and all are cut off. There was no hope left to the Egyptians, because the first-lorn of every family was cut off, so that the very foundation was laid bare, no first-born being left to continue the heirship of families.

will bear this sense: " Thou hast pierced amidst their tribes the head of their troops," referring to Pharaoh and his generals, who came like a whirlwind to fall

The prophet's firm faith in the oi. cir. XLV. 1. rejoicing toas as to devour the

R. Roman., poor secretly. cir. annum 17. jg e Thou didst Walk through the sea with thine horses, through the ^ heap of great waters.

1 6 When I heard, ^ my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he Cometh up unto the people, he will ^ invade them with his troops.

HABAKKUK. • mercy and goodness of God.

17 Although the fig tree shall ^3^ 'j^^' not blossom, neither shall fniit he 01. cir. XLv. i.

m the vines; the labour of the r Roman., olive shall ' fail, and the fields "" ^""'"^ '^- shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall he no herd in the stalls:

IS'' Yet I will ^ rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is "^ my strength, and he will make my feet ° like hinds' yee^, and he will make me to ° walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my p stringed instruments.

upon the poor Israelites, when they appeared to be hemmed in by sea, and no place for their escape. If we follow the common reading, it seems to intimate that the troops of Pharaoh, in theu- confusion (for God shone out upon them from the cloud) fell foul of each other; and with their staves, or weapons, slew one another: but the head of the villages or towns, i. e., Pharaoh, was drowned with his army in the Red Sea. Verse 15. Thou didst walk through the sea] There was no occasion to hxirry across; all was safe, for God had divided the waters: and his terrible cloud had removed from before, and stood behind them, so that It was between them and the Egyptians. See Exod. XIV. 19, 20.

Verse 16- When I heard, my belly trembled] The prophet, having finished his account of the wonders done by Jehovah, in bringing their fathers from Egypt mto the promised land, now returns to the desolate state of his countrymen, who are shortly to be led into captivity, and suffer the most grievous afflictions; and although he had a sure ivord of prophecy that they should be ultimately delivered, yet the thoughts of the evds they must previously endure filled his soul with terror and dismay; so that he wishes to be removed from earth before this tribulation should come, that his eyes might not behold the desolations of his country.

Wlien he (Nebuchadnezzar) cometh up unto the people, (the Jews.) he will invade them (overpower and carry them away captive) ivith his troops.

Verse 17. Although the fg tree shall not blossom] n"l3n 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 wUl I exult; I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Yet I in the Lord will rejoice, And will exult in Jesus my God.

The Targum countenances this version:— ■

J'lDN "T NTD'03 N3X1 veana bemeimra dayai dbua, " 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 sub mitted to the dispensation of God, whose Spirit ena bled him to paint it in all its calamitous circumstances He knew that God was merciful and gracious. Hf trusted to his promise, though all appearances wen against its fulfilment; for he knew that the word ot Jehovah could not fail, and therefore his confidence i: unshaken.

No paraphrase can add any thing to this hymn, whicl is full of inexpressible dignity and elegance, leavinj even its unparalleled piety out of the question.

Verse 19. The Lord God is my strength] This it an imitation, if not a quotation, from Psa. xviii. 33, 33. where see the notes.

Will make me to loalh upon mine high places] Thi! last verse is spoken in the person of the people, who seem to anticipate their restoration; and that they shall once more rejoice in the hills and mountains of Judea. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.] This line, which is evidently a superscription, leads me to suppose that when the prophet had completed his short ode, he folded it up, with the above direction to the master singer, or leader of the choir, to be sung in the temple service. Many of the Psalms are directed in the same way. " To the master singer;" or, " chief musician:" to be sung, according to their nature, on different kinds of instruments, or with particular airs or tunes.

Neginoth, HIVJJ which we translate stringed instruments, means such as were struck with a plectrum, or excited by some kind of friction or pulsation; as violins and cymbals, or tambarines are. I do not think that the line makes any part of the prophecy, I but merely the superscription or direction of the work when it was finished. The ending will appear much I more dignified, this line being separated from it.

Chronological Notes relative to this book, upon the supposition that it was written in the. twelfth year of the reign of Josiah, king of Judah.

Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, 3374. — Year of the Julian Period, 4084. — Year since the Flood, 1718. — Year from the vocation of Abram, 1291. — Year from the foundation of Solomon's temple, 382. — Year since the division of Solomon's monarchy into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, 346. Year since the conquest of Coroebus at Olympia, usually called the first Olympiad, 147. — Third year of the thirty-seventh Olympiad. — Year from the building of Rome, according to the Varronian computation, 124. — Year of the era of Nabonassar, 118. — Year since the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, 92. — Year before the birth of Christ, 626. — Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 630. — Cycle of the Sun, 24. — Cycle of the Moon, 18. — Eighteenth year of Phraortcs, king of Media. This monarch is supposed by some to have been the same with the Arphaxad of the Apocrypha.— Eleventh year of Philip I., king of Macedon. — Twenty-second year of Archidaraus, king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Proclidfe. — Fifteenth year of Eurycrates II., king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Eurysthenidffi. — Twentj'-ninth year of Cypselus, who had seized upon the government of Corinth. — Forty-second year of Psammitichus, king of Egypt, according to Helvicus.-^Tenth year of Kiniladachus, king of Babylon, according to the same chronologer. This monarch was the immediate predecessor of Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar. — Second year of Sadyattes, king of Lydia. — Eleventh year of Ancus Martius, the fifth king of the Romans. — Twelfth year of Josiah, king of Judah.

This chapter begins with denouncing God's judgments against Judah and Jerusalem, 1-3. Idolaters, am, sinners of several other denominations, are then particularly threatened; and their approaching visitation enlarged on, by the enumeration of several circumstances which tend greatly to heighten its terrors, 4—18.

oivmp. came unto Zephanian the liah, the son of Amariah, the son

Verse 1. The word of the Lord which came unto £ephaniah] Though this prophet has given us so large a list of his ancestors, yet little concerning him is known, because we know nothing certain relative to the persons of the family whose names are here introduced. ^Ve have one chronological note which is of more value for the correct understanding of his prophecy than the other could have been, how circumstantially soever it had been delivered; viz., that he prophesied in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah; and from the description which he gives of the disorders which prevailed in Judea in

2 "^ I will utterly consume all

his time, it is evident that he must have prophesied before the reformation made by Josiah, which was in the eighteenth year of his reign. And as he predicts the destruction of Nineveh, chap. ii. 13, which, as Calmet remarks, could not have taken place before the sixteenth of Josiah, allowing with Berosus twentyone years for the reign of Nabopolassar over the Chaldeans; we must, therefore, place this prophecy about the beginning of the reign of Josiah, or from B. C. 640 to B. C. 609. But see the chronological notes.

Verse 2. / will utterly consume all things] All being now ripe for destruction, I will shortly bring a the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and '^ the *■ stumbling-blocks with the wicked; and I will cut ofT man from off the land, saith the

4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon.fudah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and ^ I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, a7id the name of s the Chemarims with the priests;

5 And them *' that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops: ' and them that worship and ^ that swear ' by the Lord, and that swear ™ by Malcham:

universal scourge upon the land. He speaks particularly of the idolaters.

Verse 3. / will consume man and least] By war, and by pestilence. Even the waters shall be infected, and the fish destroyed; the air become contaminated, and Ihe foiuls die.

Verse 4. I will cut off the remnant of Baal] I think he refers here, partly at least, to the reformation which Josiah was to bring about. See the account, 2 Kings xxiii. 5.

The Chemarims] The black-roled priests of different idols. See the note on 2 Kings xxiii. 5. These were put down by Josiah.

Verse 5. The host of heaven^ Sun, moon, planets, and stars. This worship was one of the most ancient and the most common of all species of idolatry; and it had a greater semblance of reason to recommend it. See 2 Kings xxiii. 5, 12; Jer. xix. 13, xxxii. 29.

That swear hy the Lord, and that swear by Malcham] Associating the name of an idol with that of the Most High. For Malcham, see on Hos. iv. 15, and Amos V. 26.

Verse 6. Them that are turned back] Who have forsaken the true God, and become idolaters.

Nor inquired for him] Have not desired to know his will.

Verse 7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God] on has, the same as hush, hist, among us. Remonstrances are now useless. You had time to acquaint yourselves with God; you would not: you cry now in vain; destruction is at the door.

The Lord hath prepared a sacrifice] A slaughter

He hath bid his guests] The Babylonians, to whom he has given a commission to destroy you. In all festival sacrifices, I. The victims were offered back from the Lord; and those Olymp. that " have not sought the Lord, "'a.V. "c. cir. '

7 P Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: "f for the day of the Lord is at hand: for ■■ the Lord hath prepared a sacri fice, he hath "^ bid his guests.

8 And it shall come to pass in the day ol the Lord's sacrifice, that I will ' punish " the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clotlied with strange apparel.

9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

saith the Lord, that there shall he the noise to God, and their blood poured out before the altar. 2. The people who were invited feasted upon the sacrifice. See on Isa. xxxiv. 6.

Verse 8. I loill punish the princes, and the king^s children] After the death of Josiah the kingdom of Judah saw no prosperity, and every reign terminated miserably; until at last King Zedekiah and the hinges children were cruelly massacred at Riblah, when Nebuchadnezzar had taken Jerusalem.

Strange apparel] I really think this refers more to their embracing idolatrous customs and heathen usages, than to their changing their dress. They acquired new habits, as we would say; customs, that they used as they did their clothing — at all times, and in every thing.

Verse 9. That leap on the threshold] Or, that leap over the threshold. It is most probable that the Philistines are here meant. After the time that Dagon fell before the ark, and his hands were broken off on the threshold of his temple, his worshippers would no more set a foot upon the threshold, but stepped or leaped over it, when they entered into his temple. The Chaldee understands this of the Philistines, without giving this reason for it. Some understand it of haughtiness and pride: others think that leaping on the threshold refers to the customs of the Arabs, who used to ride into people's houses, and take away whatever they could carry; and that this is the reason why, in several parts of the East, they have their doors made very low, to prevent those depredators from entering. In this manner, we learn the Persians have frequently oppressed the poor Armenians, going on horseback into their houses, and taking whatever they thought proper. Mr. Hanner understands it in this way.

Verse 10. A cry from the fish-gate] This gate, which is mentioned Iv'eh. iii. 3, was opposite to ( 4S«)

of a cry from ^' tlie fish-gate, Olymp. and a howlinif from the second, and

A. U. C. cir. the great crashing from the hills. 11''' Howl, ye inhabitants of

Maktesh, for all the merchant people arc cut dowTi; all they that bear silver are cut off.

12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that arc ^ settled ^ on their lees: ^ that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.

13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but " not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but '' not drink the wine thereof.

14 *= The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

Joppa; and perhaps the way in which the news came of the irruption of the Chaldean army, the great crashing from the hills.

Verse 11. Maktesh'] Calmet says this signifies a mortar, or a rock in form of a mortar, and was the name of a quarter of Jerusalem where they hulled rice, com, &c., according to St. Jerome. Some think the city of Jerusalem is meant, where the inhabitants should be beat and pounded to death as?rain is pounded in a mortar.

Newcome translates it, the lower city, and considers it the valley in Jerusalem, which divided the upper from the lower city.

They that bear silver] The merchants, moneychangers, usurers, rich men.

Verse 12. I will search Jerusalem with candles] I will make a universal and thorough search.

That are settled on their lees] Those who are careless, satisfied with the goods of this life: who trust in their riches, and are completely irreligious; who, while they acknowledge that there is a God, think, like the Aristotelians, that he is so supremely happy in the contemplation of his own excellences, that he feels it beneath his dignity to concern himself with the affairs of mortals.