13 Behold, is it not of the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 that the people H5971 shall labour H3021 in the very H1767 fire, H784 and the people H3816 shall weary H3286 themselves for very H1767 vanity? H7385
Behold, all ye that kindle H6919 a fire, H784 that compass yourselves about H247 with sparks: H2131 walk H3212 in the light H217 of your fire, H784 and in the sparks H2131 that ye have kindled. H1197 This shall ye have of mine hand; H3027 ye shall lie down H7901 in sorrow. H4620
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 The broad H7342 walls H2346 of Babylon H894 shall be utterly H6209 broken, H6209 and her high H1364 gates H8179 shall be burned H3341 with fire; H784 and the people H5971 shall labour H3021 in vain, H7385 and the folk H3816 in H1767 the fire, H784 and they shall be weary. H3286
And the LORD H3068 said, H559 Behold, the people H5971 is one, H259 and they have all one H259 language; H8193 and this they begin H2490 to do: H6213 and now nothing H3808 H3605 will be restrained H1219 from them, which they have imagined H2161 to do. H6213 Go to, H3051 let us go down, H3381 and there confound H1101 their language, H8193 that H834 they may not understand H8085 one H376 another's H7453 speech. H8193 So the LORD H3068 scattered them abroad H6327 from thence H8033 upon the face H6440 of all the earth: H776 and they left off H2308 to build H1129 the city. H5892 Therefore is the name of it H8034 called H7121 Babel; H894 because the LORD H3068 did there confound H1101 the language H8193 of all the earth: H776 and from thence did H6327 the LORD H3068 scatter them abroad H6327 upon the face H6440 of all the earth. H776
He taketh H3920 the wise H2450 in their own craftiness: H6193 and the counsel H6098 of the froward H6617 is carried headlong. H4116 They meet H6298 with darkness H2822 in the daytime, H3119 and grope H4959 in the noonday H6672 as in the night. H3915
[[A Song H7892 of degrees H4609 for Solomon.]] H8010 Except the LORD H3068 build H1129 the house, H1004 they labour H5998 in vain H7723 that build H1129 it: except the LORD H3068 keep H8104 the city, H5892 the watchman H8104 waketh H8245 but in vain. H7723 It is vain H7723 for you to rise up H6965 early, H7925 to sit up H3427 late, H309 to eat H398 the bread H3899 of sorrows: H6089 for so he giveth H5414 his beloved H3039 sleep. H8142
The isles H339 saw H7200 it, and feared; H3372 the ends H7098 of the earth H776 were afraid, H2729 drew near, H7126 and came. H857 They helped H5826 every one H376 his neighbour; H7453 and every one said H559 to his brother, H251 Be of good courage. H2388 So the carpenter H2796 encouraged H2388 the goldsmith, H6884 and he that smootheth H2505 with the hammer H6360 him that smote H1986 the anvil, H6471 saying, H559 It is ready H2896 for the sodering: H1694 and he fastened H2388 it with nails, H4548 that it should not be moved. H4131 But thou, Israel, H3478 art my servant, H5650 Jacob H3290 whom I have chosen, H977 the seed H2233 of Abraham H85 my friend. H157
Wherefore do ye spend H8254 money H3701 for that which is not bread? H3899 and your labour H3018 for that which satisfieth H7654 not? H3808 hearken H8085 diligently H8085 unto me, and eat H398 ye that which is good, H2896 and let your soul H5315 delight H6026 itself in fatness. H1880
Whereas Edom H123 saith, H559 We are impoverished, H7567 but we will return H7725 and build H1129 the desolate places; H2723 thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 They shall build, H1129 but I will throw down; H2040 and they shall call H7121 them, The border H1366 of wickedness, H7564 and, The people H5971 against whom the LORD H3068 hath indignation H2194 for H5704 ever. H5769
Surely every man H376 walketh H1980 in a vain shew: H6754 surely they are disquieted H1993 in vain: H1892 he heapeth up H6651 riches, and knoweth H3045 not who shall gather H622 them.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Habakkuk 2
Commentary on Habakkuk 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
In this chapter we have an answer expected by the prophet (v. 1), and returned by the Spirit of God, to the complaints which the prophet made of the violences and victories of the Chaldeans in the close of the foregoing chapter. The answer is,
Hab 2:1-4
Here,
Hab 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, ch. 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 powers as bear hard upon any people, especially upon God's people. Observe,
Hab 2:15-20
The three foregoing articles, upon which the woes here are grounded, are very near akin to each other. The criminals charged by them are oppressors and extortioners, that raise estates by rapine and injustice; and it is mentioned here again (v. 17), the very same that was said v. 8, for that is the crime upon which the greatest stress is laid; it is because of men's blood, innocent blood, barbarously and unjustly shed, which is a provoking crying thing; it is for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein, which God will certainly reckon for, sooner or later, as the asserter of right and the avenger of wrong.
But here are two articles more, of a different nature, which carry a woe to all those in general to whom they belong, and particularly to the Babylonian monarchs, by whom the people of God were taken and held captives.