The Pulpit Commentary — Habakkuk — Section 6

proudly," or "go.llop." Septuagint, l(nr- of o. mound or embankment for the purpose ,rd,uav.-a,. The Anglican Version eeems of_atte.ck~ng a city (comp. 2 Sam. x.x. 15; 2 correct, implying that the cavalry, like Kmgs xu:. 32; x.xv. I). In the Assyrian Cossaol1s or Uhlo.ns, swept the whole country monuments one often sees representations for plunder, 'l'he verbs throughout vers. of these mounds, or of inclined planes con- 8-11 Bhould bo rendered in the present structed to facilitate the r.pproach of the tense. From far. From Babylonia. (ls11,. battering-ram (see Bonomi, 'Nineveh and xxxix. 3), The preceding clause was of its Palaces,' pp. 181, 188, etc.; Lo.yard, general import; the present one refers to 'Nineveh,' etc., ii. 369). the invasion of Judroa. As the eagle. This ·ver. 11.-Then shall his mind change; is a favourite comparison of Jeremiah, o.s Tdn µ<Ta~al\ei TO ,rveuµ.a (Septuagint); quoted a.hove (comp. also. eh. xlviii. 40; Tune mutabitur spiritus (Valgate). From xlix. 22; Lam. iv. 19). the ease and extent of his conquests the Ver. 9.-They shall come all for violence. Chaldcan gains fresh spirit. But it is best All, every one of the invaders, come for to tranHlate differently, Then he sweepeth violence-to repa.y that violence of which on as a wind. The Chaldean's inroad is Habakkuk compla.ined (ver. 2). Septuagint, compared to a tempestuous wind, which :%vvTE7'.Eta ,ls duef3iis ;)te,, "An end ohall carries all before it. And he shall pass over. come upon the impious;" Vulgate, Omnes This is explained to mean, he exceeds all ad prredam venient. Their faces shall sup limits in his arrogancy, or he passes onward up as the east wind. Tile word translated through the land. The former interpre- "shall sup up" occasions perplexity, being tation regards what is coming, the latter an /i,ra~ 71.ey&µ,vov. The Anglican rendering keeps to the metaphor of the wind. And is virtually supported by other versions, e.g. offend. He is guilty, or offends, as the Symmachus, Chaldee, and Syriac. The Vul- next clause explains, by attributing his gate, too, gives, facies eorum ventus urens, success to his own pruwesil and skill. Thus which Jerome explains, "As at the blast of a the prophet intimates that the avenger burning wind all green things dry up, so at himself incurs God's displeasure, and will the sight of these men all ohall be wasted." suffer for it. Septuagint, 1<al l{,71.cfue-ra,, This is the meaning of the Anglican Version, which St. Cyril interpr~ts to mean that the which, however, might be improved thus: Lord will change his purpose of punishing The aspect of their faces is as the east wind. the Jews, and will have mercy on them--a The Revisers have, Their faces are set eagerly notion quite foreign to the purport of the as the east wind, which does not seem very sentence. Imputing this his power unto intelligible. Other renderings o.re, "the his god ; more literally, this his power is his endeavour," or " desire of their faces is god; Revised Version, even he whose might directed to the east," or "forwards." (This is his god. He defies the Lord, and makes rendering has the support or Orelli and his might his god. (For such pride and others.) "'l'he crowd of their f~ces," as self-glorification, comp. Isa. xiv. 13; xlvii. equivalent to "the multitude of the army," 7, etc.; Dan. iv. 30.) Thus Mezentius, the which is not a Hebre,v phrwie found else- despiser of the gods, speaks in Virgil, where. Septua.gint, a.ve,u.,.711<0-ra< (agreeing '1En.,' x. 773- with a.u•~•is in the first clause) ,rpoudnrou " Dextrs. mihi deus et telum, quod missile ,.i.,..,v i{evav..las, "resisting with their libro, adverse front." The effects of the east Nuno adsint ! " wind are often noted in Scripture; e.g. Gen. xii. 6, 23; Job xxvii. 21 ; Hos. xiii. 15. Comp. Statius, •Theb.,' iii. 615- They shall gather the oaptivity as the so.nd. " Virtue mihi numen, et ensis, "He collects the captives as sand "-a Quem teneo." hyperholical expression to denote the numbers of captives and the quantity of Vers.12-17.-§ 4. The prophet, in reply, booty to.ken. The mention of the east beseeches th6 Lord not to suffer his people to wind brings tbe thought of the terrible perish, seeing that he has deigned to be in simoom, with its columns of sand. Cd'De11ant with them, but to remB111ber mercy Ver. 10.-And they shall sooff, etc.; it, or even during the affi,iction at the hand of their he, scojfeth at kings. The Che.ldean nation rapaciOUB enemies. makes light of the power and persons of kings. Compo.re Nebuchadnezzar's treat- Ver. 12.-Habakkuk calls to mind God's ment of Jehoiakim (~ Chron. xxxvi. 6; 2 immutability aud his covenant with Israel. Kings xxiv. 1, 3; Jer. xxii. 19) and Jehoia- Art thou not from everlaating, etc. ? An chin (2 Kings xxiv. 12, 15). They shall "lfirmative answer is expected. This is one deride every strong hold. The strongest ground of oonfidenoe in the corrective nature fortress is no impediment to them. They of the ohastisewent. God is Jehovah, the ~hall heap dust. This refeJ"B to the raising covenant God, who has been in personu.l  'l'HE BOOK OF HABAKKUK. [en. 1. 1--17.