Habakkuk 1:5-8

JEHOVAH’S REPLY TO THE PROPHET’S PERPLEXED CRY, Habakkuk 1:5-11.

Jehovah meets the perplexity of his servant by declaring that he is not indifferent, and that punishment is about to be meted out by his agents, the Chaldeans, a terrible and dreadful nation, before which nothing can stand.

Behold ye among the heathen R.V., “nations.” If this is the correct reading the prophet and the people are addressed; they are to look about among the nations to see the wonderful things Jehovah is about to accomplish. LXX. and Peshitto read “ye despisers” for “among the nations.” If this is original, as is not impossible, the “wicked” of Habakkuk 1:4 are addressed.

Wonder marvelously LXX. adds “and perish.” Why are they to look and wonder?

I will work R.V., “I am working”; margin, which produces the Hebrew more accurately, “one worketh.” However, the ordinary translation is not impossible, and the context (Habakkuk 1:6) makes the translation “I” almost certain. The rendering “I am about to work” would express more clearly the idea of imminence.

Which ye will not believe, though it be told you Better, which ye would not believe though ( if) it were told you; that is, as having occurred in another place and at some other time. The event will be so extraordinary that only eyewitnesses can believe it (compare Acts 13:41).

The awful thing Jehovah is about to do is stated in Habakkuk 1:6 ff.

I raise up the Chaldeans Better, I am about to raise up (G.-K., 116p). On Chaldeans see Introduction, pp. 468ff, and Nahum, p. 431. The reference is not to the first appearance of the Chaldeans in history or as a world power, for the following verses indicate that they were already well known as cruel, bloodthirsty conquerors, but to their first advance against Judah; they will be summoned by Jehovah to execute judgment upon the wicked (Habakkuk 1:4). Some manuscripts of LXX. add “against you.”

Bitter Rough, or fierce (Judges 18:25; 2 Samuel 17:8).

Hasty Violent; “driven headlong by violent impulse” (Isaiah 32:4). As world conquerors they march through the whole extent of the earth and take possession of territories not their own (Habakkuk 2:6; Deuteronomy 6:10-11).

Habakkuk 1:7 depicts further the fierce disposition of the Chaldeans. The nation is personified as a hero, hence the Hebrew has the singular pronoun (see margin).

Terrible Exciting terror (Song of Solomon 6:4; Song of Solomon 6:10).

Dreadful Creating alarm. This is the word ordinarily translated “terrible” in the Old Testament.

Their judgment The decisions determining their conduct (Psalms 17:2).

Dignity Or, eminence; the sovereignty which they assume over the nations of the world (Genesis 49:3; Hosea 13:1).

Proceed of themselves They acknowledge no superior, not even Jehovah, to determine their course for them. According to their own pleasure they map out their plans and through the power of their own arms they overthrow the nations.

Habakkuk 1:8 describes the irresistible advance of their armies (compare Jeremiah 4:13; Jeremiah 5:6).

Their horses also are swifter than the leopards Tristram describes the leopard as “agile, swift, and when irritated the most terrible and cruel of beasts.” In Jeremiah 4:13, the expression is “swifter than eagles”; Habakkuk mentions the eagle later in the verse.

More fierce Literally, more sharp. The war horses share their masters’ ferocity. Wildly they dash against the foe.

Evening wolves The wolves that, after fasting all day, go out in the evening to seek prey; prompted by intense hunger they are especially fierce. LXX., with a slight change of vowels, reads “wolves of Arabia,” which is less suitable (compare Zephaniah 3:3).

Spread themselves R.V., “press proudly on.” The verb is connected with an Arabic root meaning “to strut proudly”; when used of horsemen it means “to spring along,” “to gallop.” Nothing can stop the onslaught of their horsemen.

Their horsemen shall come from far The horsemen of the Chaldeans came from the far east. Several commentators are inclined to omit this clause as a marginal gloss to the preceding, because (1) LXX. omits “horsemen”; (2) the repetition of “horsemen” in two successive clauses seems peculiar; (3) the presence of this clause gives an unequal number of clauses, and thus injures the parallelism. Others consider this the original clause and the preceding the gloss. Nowack and others make more thoroughgoing changes and read Habakkuk 1:8, “And swifter than leopards are their (literally, his) horses, and swifter on foot than the evening wolves their horsemen; (and their horsemen come from afar;) they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour.” As an eagle or vulture (see on Micah 1:16) swoops upon a carcass, so the Chaldean horsemen swoop upon their human prey.