Habakkuk 2:6-11

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Habakkuk 2:5-14

The prophet having had orders to write the vision, and the people to wait for the accomplishment of it, the vision itself follows; and it is, as divers other prophecies we have met with, the burden of Babylon and Babylon's king, the same that was said to pass over and offend, Hab. 1:11. It reads the doom, some think, of Nebuchadnezzar, who was principally active in the destruction of Jerusalem, or of that monarchy, or of the whole kingdom of the Chaldeans, or of all such proud and oppressive... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 2:6

Shall not all these take up a parable against him ,.... A proverbial expression, a short sentence, a laconic speech, delivered in a few words, which contains much in them concerning the vices of these emperors, and imprecating judgments upon them for them; took up and expressed by the nations brought into subjection unto them, and especially by the Christians in those nations spoiled and persecuted by them: and a taunting proverb against him ; or, "whose explanation are riddles to him" ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 2:7

Shall not they rise up suddenly that shall bite thee ,.... Or, "thy usurers", or "creditors" F4 נשכיך "foeneratores tui, seu creditores tui", Cocceius, Van Till. , as some render it; the Christians, whose money, goods, and substance, they had spoiled them of, but now should be repaid with great usury and gain; these, that is, their princes and emperors, as Constantine and Theodosius, rose up suddenly, and conquered the heathen emperors, and took away their power and authority from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 2:8

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee ,.... Those that survived the persecutions of the Roman emperors; those that were left of the great numbers put to death by them; those under Constantine rose up, and by just retaliation spoiled them of all their power and wealth: because of men's blood ; the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus, of those under the altar, whose blood cried for vengeance, Revelation 6:9 , which was shed under the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 2:9

Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house ,.... The bishops of Rome, being enriched by the donations of Constantine, were not satisfied, but coveted more; these are the greedy dogs Isaiah speaks of, that could never have enough, Isaiah 56:11 but were still seeking and gaping after more for themselves and families, and for their own house or church; which, from the time of their apostasy, became their own house, in distinction from, and in opposition to, the house or true... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 2:10

Thou hast consulted shame to thy house ,.... Instead of bringing real honour and glory to their church, and that into the esteem of men, by such covetousness, ambition, and arrogance, they brought it into shame and disgrace, especially with all good men; and which they as effectually did as if they had studied it, and as if this was the thing they had in view in all their schemes and measures: this they procured by cutting off many people ; by making war with the saints, and killing... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 2:11

For the stone shall cry out of the wall ,.... Of their own house; some from among themselves, that truly feared God, seeing the evil practices done among them, and abhorring them, such as their covetousness, ambition, murders, excommunications, and anathemas, should cry out against them in their sermons and writings; such as were lively stones, eminent for religion and godliness, as Bernard, Wickliff, Huss, and others: and the beam out of the timber shall answer it ; such as were of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 2:6

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!" read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 2:7

Shall they not rise up suddenly - Does not this refer to the sudden and unexpected taking of Babylon by Cyrus, whose troops entered into 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? read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 2:8

For the violence of the land - Or, for the violence done to the land of Judea, and to the city of Jerusalem. read more

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