The Pulpit Commentary — Habakkuk — Section 54

EXPOSITION. ment of the Jews and the destruction of the CHAPTER Ill. C_hal?eans. The LXX., regarding the am- Yers.1-19.-Part JI. PSALM on PRAYER b1gmtyof the Hebrew, gives a double render- o;, HA.BAE.Jim;:. ing, EiCTa.1d1,coa. T¾,v lz.1Co~v o-ov, nnd 1ea.TEvd71a-a. TO. lp'f« o-ou, " I heard thy report," nnd "I Ver. 1.-§ l. T7ie title. A prayer. considered thy works." Pusey considers that There is only one formal prayer in the ode, both meanings e.re. intended, viz. both what the.t in ver. 2; but the term is used of any God hn.d lately declared, and all that might devotional composition ; and, indeed, the be heard of God, his greatness and his work- whole poem may be regarded as the develop- ings. Was e.fraid. The revelation of God's ment of the precatory sentences in the interposition makes the prophet tremble. procemium (see the inscriptions in Ps. xvii.; Revive thy work. God's work is the two- h::xx.-i.; xc. ; cii.; cxlii. : and the last verse fold judgment spoken of above; and the of Ps. l=ii., the eubscription of Book 11.). prophet F!I.Yij .J-od to "quicken" and make (For other hymns in the prophetical b~ks, it live, because, though it brings temporary •ee Isa. =xiv. and xx..x:v.; Ezek. XIX.: distress upon his countrymen, it will also J ouah ii. ; Micah vi 6, etc. ; and as parallel ea use the destruction of their enemies,• and to this ode, comp. Dent. x.xxiii. 2, etc.: re-establish the J6ws and crown them with Judg. v. 4, etc.; Ps. lxviii. 7, etc.; lxxvii. salvation, and make the glory of God known 13-20: cxiv.; Isa. 1xiii. 11-14.) Of to all the earth. Dr. Briggs (' Messianic Rabakknk the prophet. The name and Prophecy,' p. 234) translates, "Jahveh, title of the author are prefixed to show that I have heard the report of thee; I fear, this is no mere private effu,;ion, but an out- Jahveh, thy work. In tho midst of the pouring of prophecy Ullder Divine inspira- years revive him (Israel)." He explains tion. Upon Shigionoth (comp. title or Ps. God's "work" to be his acts in theophany- vii.); Septuagint, µ.e-ro. ql~,jr, "with song; " his judgment, especially as in vcr. 16, the Vulgate, pro ignorantiis. For this latter cause of fear to the psalmist. In the midst rendering Jerome had etymological ground, of the years, The "years" are the period but did not sufficiently consider the use of between the announcement of the judgment ,higgayon in Ps. vii., where it indicates the e.nd its final accomplishment (eh. ii. 3); the style of poetry, nor, RB Keil shows, the, fact prophet prays that Goel would rnanife,t hie tl,at all tlw beadings of Psalms in.troducecl, power, not merely at the extreme limit of as tlie present, with al, refer <either to the this epoch, but earlier, sooner. Thie over- melody, or accompaniment, or style in which throw of the world-powe.r forms, as it were, they were to be sung. The Revised Version the central point of history, the beginning gives, "set to Shigionoth;" and the ex- of a new age which ehnll culminate in the pression is best explained to mean, iu an Messianic kingdom. Make known. Let all impe.ssioned or triumphal strain, with rapid the earth know and acknowledge thy work. change of emotion, a dithyrambic song-a 'l'he LXX. have given two or woro versions deEcription which admirably suits thi• ode. of thiB passage, one of which is remar-kable. Ver. 2.-§ 2. The proQlmium, in which Thus they rear!, "In the midst of two the propluit ezpruses his fear at the coming animals (~60 (~<Aw) thou shalt be known; judgment, and pray• God in his wrath lo when the years draw nigh thou she.It be remember mercy. Thy speech; or, the report well know11; when the tlme is come thou ol thee; the declaration made by God in the sbalt he reveRlecl." The rendering, "two preceding chapters conceruing the punish- animole," arises from a coufusion of words: OJI, ITT, 1-l!J.] THE BOOK OF lIATlAKKGK. Gl