FAITH TRIUMPHANT 1-4. The view from the watchtower. 1. The prophet climbs his tower, for he must reach a vantage point, if he is to contemplate with real understanding and insight the confusion about his feet, i.e. occasioned by Chaldean aggressiveness and indifference to right. The tower is not,... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE LAND, OF THE CITY, etc.] RV 'done to the land, to the city,' etc. THE CITY] perhaps Jerusalem. 9-11. The third woe. 9. RV 'Woe to him that getteth an evil gain for his house.' The plunder was stored for security in great high buildings, but the very stone and timber cried out against the ra... [ Continue Reading ]
CONSULTED] i.e. contrived: cp. Micah 6:5. 12-14. The fourth woe. Every fabric reared upon iniquity is doomed to destruction. The triumph of the kingdom of God, and of that alone, is sure. The world-conqueror is not Nebuchadrezzar, but Jehovah.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE SHALL LABOUR IN THE VERY FIRE] RV 'The peoples labour for the fire': i.e. their cities, built with blood, will be consigned to the flames. The parallel clause (Habakkuk 2:13) shows that the meaning is, their efforts are spent in vain. 15-17. The fifth Woe. The references in Habakkuk 2:15... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISE, IT SHALL TEACH!] RV 'Arise! Shall this teach? 'The parallelism shows that ARISE corresponds to AWAKE, and that, therefore, with the next words a new sentence begins. It is best to read this sentence interrogatively as RV, 'Shall this teach?'. 'This'—pointing with scorn to the motionless image... [ Continue Reading ]