:romn.rk that this is " gloss, not on the Jesu meo. From this gloee of St. Jerome soma orig-i111ll text, hut on the erroneous version. of tile Fathers have argued for tho oxisteuce Yer. 17.-The prophet depicts the effects in this pllss1tge of e. revelation of the incarul\- of the hostile in'"nsion, which 1\1'0 such as to tion of Christ and the redemption wrought mnke the natural he1trt despe.ir. Although by him. the fig tree shall not blossom. The devaste.- Ver. 19.-The Lord God is my strength; tions of the enemy leave the oountry be.re moro nccurntely, Jehovah, tl,e Lord, is my and uncultivated. Tbe Ch!Lldee.ns, like the strength, trom Ps. xviii. 32; comp. Ps. xxvii. Ass~·rians and Egyptians, cut down and 1. Re will make my feet like binds' feet burnt the fruit-bearing tre(ls of the countries (Ps. xviii. 33). He mnkes me uctive nnd "·hich they invaded (comp. Deut. xx. 19; swift-footed as the g,izelle, llij e. lusty Isa. ix. 10 ; XXX'l'ii. 24; J er. vi. 6). The trees warrior (2 Snm. i. 28; ii. 18) should be. most useful nnd abunde.nt in Palestine are So by the help of God I 11hl\ll be superior to meutioned (comp. Deut. vi. 11; Hos. ii. 12; my enemies. Ke will me.ke me to we.lk Joel i. 7; Micah iv. 4; vi. 15, etc.). The upon mine high plaoes. The expression labour of the olive shall fail; literally, shall is used properly of God (Micah i. 8), e.ud , lie. The ''labour" is the produce, the fruit. elsewhere, says Keil, to denote the vic- 'l'hough the yield she.II disappoint all ex- torious possession and government of e. pectation. The use of the verb "to lie" in country (see Dent. xxxii. 18 ; xxxiii. 29). this sense is found elsewhere; e.g. Isa.. !viii. Here it signifies that believing Israel sh1,ll II ; Hos. ix. 2. So Horace, • Carm.,' iii. I. overcome all opposition e.nd dwell in so.fety 30, " Fund us menda.x;" and • Epist.,' i. in its own laud. To the chief singer 7. 87, •• Spem mentita seges." The fields; (mmician) on my stringed instruments the corn-fields (Isa.. xvi. 8). The flock shall (neginoth). Tuia is e. musical direction, be cut off from the fold. There shall be no answering to the bee.ding in ver. l, e.nd flocks in the fold, e.11 having perished for implies the.t the ode is committed to the le.ck of food. " Omnie. hiBC," says St. conductor of the temple music, to be by him Jerome, "auferentur e, populo, qnie. inique adapted for the publio service to the accom- egit in Deum creatorem sumn." paniment of stringed instruments. Such Vers. 18, 19.-§ 5. In spite of the terror directions nre elsewhere al we.ye found e.t the beginning, not the end, of ps&lme (see produced by these judgments, the true Israel- Ps. iv.; vi. ; liv.; Iv.; lxvii.; lxxvi.). It ite i,; blessed with hope of sal'Oation and joy in has been thought the.t the suffix of the first the Lord. person, "my stringed instruments," denotes Ver. 18.-Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. that Haba.kkuk he.d a right to take po.rt in Unshaken in confidencP., the prophet, repre- the temple service, e.nd was therefore a senting the faithful lBraelite, expresses his Levite; but it is very doubtful whether this UDbounded joy at the prospect of salvation suffix is not e. clerical error, as Kuenen and whicu opens to him beyond the present Ewald suppose, or merely paragogic. Cer- afll.ictiou. The psalmist often thus shows tainly neiti.Jer the Greel!:, Le.tin, nor Syriao his exulting faith (see P~. v. 7; xiii. 6; Versions afford it any confirmation. These :xvii. 14, 15 ; nri. 19). I will joy. I will versions make the subecl'iption part of the shout for joy; my joy shall expre~s itself ode. Thus LXX., 'E,:l .,-a {,,/,7111.a l.,,.,13,13~ µ.e, outwe.rdlv. The God of my salvation (see -rov v,1Cijcra, lv -rri cl>aff f1-roii, " He me.keth me note on Micah vii. 7). The God who judges to mount upon the high places, that I may the nations to procnre the final sa.l vation of conquer by his song;" Vulgnte, Supe1· ez. his people. Septungint, Tep 0erp nj cru,-rijpl celsa mea deducet me victor (viotori, Cod. ,..v, "God my Saviour;" Vulge.te, In Deo Amiat.) in psalmis canentem.
HOMILETICS. Ver. 2.-The prayer of an alarmed prophet. I. THE PROPHET'S ALARM. 1. Its ca'IJ,Sl!.The report of Jehovah; i.e. the communication received from Jehovah concern- inu the punishment of Judah and the destruction of Chaldea. Habakkuk not the first m;n that had been afraid at the hearing of God's voice (Gen. iii. 10; Exod. iii. 6), at the thought of his presence (Job x.xiii.15), at the manifestation of hie power (Ps. lxv. 8), at the contemplation of his judgments (Ps. cxix. 120). Nor will they who hear the fame of his doings in the past or the announcement of his "judgments to come," as both of these are unfolded in Scripture, fail to be similarly affected. Like the Canaauites before the advance of Joshua and hie host, their hearts will melt in them for fear (Josh. ii. 11). What excited terror in the breast of HaLakkuk was the }'i"ospect J,,Luval,'s "report" opened up before him! Though a pious man and o. Ott. Ill, 1-l!J.] TRE BOOK OF HABAKKUJt. 57