relation to Israel from time immemorial, Ver. H.-The prophet appee.ls movingly and is himself eternal. Kine Holy One. He to God by showing the indignity with which speaks in the pnson of the righteous people, the people 11,1-e tree.ted. Ae the 11.shes ot the Rnd he r<:>fers to God's holiness as a second sea. Dumb and helpless, swept off by tho gron ad of hope, heo11.nse, although God must fisherman. That he.ve no ruler over them. punish sin, he will not let the sacred nation, None to guide and protect them (comp. the cliosen guardie.n of the fe.ith, perish Prov. vi. 7; xxx. 27). So the Jews seem utterly. And then he expresses this con- to be deprived of God's ea.re, aud left to be fidence: We shall not die. We shall be the prey of the-spoiler, ns if of little worth, chastened, but not killed. The Masorites and no longer having God for their King assert that the presc,nt reading is a correc- (comp. foi,. lxiii. 19, Revised Version). The tion of the scribes for" thou wilt not die," "creeping things" are worms, or sme.11 fish which the prophet wrote originally, and (Ps. civ. :.!5). which was altered for reverence' sake. But Yer. 15.-They take up all men with the this is a mere assumption, incapable of proof. angle ; he bri'll{Teth "'1? all Uigether with the Its adoption would be an omission of the hook (Amos iv. 2). 'Ihe net. Any kind of very consolation to which the prophet's net. Septuagint, 1£µ<{>l/3>..11crTvov, " cast-net." confidence leads. Thou hast ordained them The drag (crayf,v11), The large drag-net. (him) for judgment. Thou hwit appointed At their own plea.sure, unhindered, the the Chalctean to execute thy corrective Chaldeans make whole nations their prey, punishment on Israel (comp. Jer. xlvi. 28). their fishing implements being their armies, Others take the meaning to be-Thou hast with which they gather unto themselves prerlestined the Chaldea.n to be judged and countries, peoples, and booty. punished. This is not so suitable in this Ver. 16.-Therefore they se.ori11.oe unto place. 0 mighty God; Hebrew, 0 B.ock- their net. This is spoken metnphorice.lly, an appellation applied to God, RB the sure implying that the Babylonians recognized and stable Resting-place and Support of his not God's band, but attributed their success peo;ile (Deut. xxxii. 4, 15, 37; l's. xvili. 2; to the means which they employed (comp. xxxi. 3; Isa.. xvii. 10). Thou hast estab- ver. 11 ; Isa.. x. 13 etc.).' There is no trace lished them (him) for correction. Thon in the monuments of the Chaldeans paying appointedst the Chaldean, or madest him divine honour~ to their wee.pons, as, accord- strong, in order to correct thy people. He ing to Herodotus (iv. 62);the Scythians and is, like the Assyrian, the rod of God's anger other nations did (see Justin, 'Hist.,' xli.ii:. (Isa. x. 5). Septuagint, "Erlvlcre µ• Tov 3; and Pusey's note here). What a. !IIBn Arn:.ew 1raJ.lielav aU,-oll, ~, He formed me to trusts in becomes e. god to him.. Their prove his instruction." This, says St. portion is fat; his portion i• rich. He Jerome, is spoken in the person of the gains great wealth. Their meat plenteous; prophet announcing his ca.11 and office. hi, meat dainty. He is prosperons and Ver. 13.-Thou art of purer eyes than luxurious. to behold evil (comp. eh. i. 3). God cannot Ver.17.-Shall they therefore empty their look with complacency on evil (Pa. v. net 1 Because they he.ve he:d this career S G). Iniquity; Stptuagint, ,,-&vovs ooVVT]s, of rapine and conquest, shall God allow -•'iaLours of pain." lnjuo1;ice and the dis- them to continue it? Shall they be per- tress occasioned by it. God's holiness can- mitted to be continually emptying tt.ieir not endure the sight of wickedness, nor his net in order to fill it again? The idea. is mercy the sight of man's misery. And that they carried off their booty and captives yet he permits these evil men to afflict the aud secured them in their own territory, holy seeJ. Tliis is the prophet's perplexity, and then set out on new expeditions to which he lays before the Lord. Them that acquire fresh plunder. The question is dee.l treacherously. The Che.ldeans, so answered in the next chapter, where the ea.lied from their faithless e.nd rapacious jndgment on the Cha.ldee.ns is pronounced. conduct (Isa. xxi. 2; xxiv. 16). llrtore And not spare oontinually to slay the righteous. The Isre.elites, wicked as they nations t And cease not to send forth his were, were more righteons than the Chal- e.rmies and to found his empire in the blood deaus (comp . .Ezek. xvi. 51, etc.). Delitzsch of conquered nations. The Septuagint e.nd 11,r:;;i .KJril think that the persons intended Vulgate have no interrogation, the assertion are the godly portion of lllra.el, who will being me.de by wa.y of expostulation. l!U1fer wiih the guilty.
HOMILETWS. Ver. 1.-.A prophet's burden. I. 'l'HE PROPHE'L'. 1. His name. Habakkuk- " Embracing," which might signify either "one who embraces" or "one who ii Ott, I. 1-17.] THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK,