A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet (a) upon Shigionoth.
(a) "upon Shigionoth" or "for the ignorance". The prophet instructs
his people to pray to God, not only because of their great sins, but
also for those they had committed in ignorance.... [ Continue Reading ]
(b) O LORD, I have heard thy speech, [and] was afraid: O LORD, revive
thy (c) work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make
known; in wrath remember mercy.
(b) Thus the people were afraid when they heard God's threatenings,
and prayed.
(c) That is, the state of your Church which i... [ Continue Reading ]
God came from (d) Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His
glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
(d) Teman and Paran were near Sinai, where the Law was given: by which
is signified that his deliverance was as present now as it was then.... [ Continue Reading ]
And [his] brightness was as the light; (e) he had horns [coming] out
of his hand: and there [was] the hiding of his power.
(e) By which is meant a power that was joined with his brightness,
which was hidden to the rest of the world, but was revealed at Mount
Sinai to his people; (Psalms 31:16).... [ Continue Reading ]
He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the
nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual
hills did bow: his (f) ways [are] everlasting.
(f) Signifying that God has wonderful means, and always has a
marvellous power when he will deliver his Church.... [ Continue Reading ]
(g) I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: [and] the curtains of the
land of Midian trembled.
(g) The iniquity of the king of Syria in vexing your people was made
manifest by your judgment, to the comfort of your Church, (Judges
5:10), and also of the Midianites, who destroyed themselves, (Judges... [ Continue Reading ]
Was the LORD displeased against the (h) rivers? [was] thy anger
against the rivers? [was] thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst
ride (i) upon thy horses [and] thy chariots of salvation?
(h) Meaning that God was not angry with the waters, but that by this
means he would destroy his enemies, and... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy (k) bow was made quite naked, [according] to the (l) oaths of the
tribes, [even thy] word. Selah. Thou (m) didst cleave the earth with
rivers.
(k) That is, your power.
(l) For he had not only made a covenant with Abraham, but renewed it
with his posterity.
(m) Read (Numbers 20:11).... [ Continue Reading ]
The mountains saw thee, [and] they trembled: the overflowing of the
water (n) passed by: the deep uttered his voice, [and] lifted up his
hands on high.
(n) He alludes to the Red Sea and Jordan, which gave passage to God's
people, and showed signs of their obedience as it were by the lifting
up of t... [ Continue Reading ]
The (o) sun [and] moon stood still in their habitation: (p) at the
light of thy arrows they went, [and] at the shining of thy glittering
spear.
(o) As appears in (Joshua 10:12).
(p) According to your command the sun was directed by the weapons of
your people, that fought in your cause, as though i... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, [even] for
salvation with thy (q) anointed; thou didst wound the head out of the
house of the wicked, by laying bare the foundation to the (r) neck.
Selah.
(q) Signifying that there is no salvation, except by Christ.
(r) From the top to the botto... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou didst (s) strike through with his staffs the head of his
villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing
[was] as to devour the poor secretly.
(s) God destroyed his enemies both great and small with their own
weapons, though they were ever so fierce against his Church.... [ Continue Reading ]
When I (t) heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice:
rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I
might rest in (u) the day of trouble: when he cometh up (x) to the
people, he will invade them with his troops.
(t) He returns to that which he spoke as in, (Habakk... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy (y) in the God of my
salvation.
(y) He declares in what the joy of the faithful consists, though they
see ever so great afflictions prepared.... [ Continue Reading ]
The LORD God [is] my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds'
[feet], and he will make me to walk upon my high places. (z) To the
chief singer on my stringed instruments.
(z) The chief singer upon the instruments of music, will have occasion
to praise God for this great deliverance of his Chu... [ Continue Reading ]