Habakkuk 3:16

“When I heard, my belly trembled, etc.] His bowels, his heart within him, at the report made of what would come to pass in future time; and not so much at hearing of the judgments of God that should come upon the enemies of his Church, antichrist and his followers; though even these are awful and tremendous to good men; (see <19B9120>Psalm 119:120) but upon hearing what troubles and distresses would come upon the churches of Christ, previous to these, afterwards called a day of trouble in this verse, and more particularly described in the next (<350317>Habakkuk 3:17): my lips quivered at the voice; at the voice of these words, as the Targum; at the voice of the Lord, expressing and…”

“When I heard . . . trembled--namely, at the judgments which God had declared (Hab. 1:1-17) were to be inflicted on Judea by the Chaldeans. belly--The bowels were thought by the Hebrews to be the seat of yearning compassion (Jer 31:20). Or "heard" may refer to Hab 3:2, "When I heard as to Jehovah's coming interposition for Israel against the Chaldeans being still at some distance" (Hab 2:3); so also the voice" [MAURER]. at the voice--of the divine threatenings (Hab 1:6). The faithful tremble at the voice alone of God before He inflicts punishment. Habakkuk speaks in the person of all the faithful in Israel. trembled in myself--that is, I trembled all over [GROTIUS]. that I might rest in the…”

“When I heard - , better, “I heard and ...” The prophet sums up, resuming that same declaration with which he had begun, “I heard, I was afraid.” Only now he expresses far more strongly both his awe at God’s judgments and his hopes. He had just beheld the image of the destruction of Pharaoh, the end of the brief triumphing of the wicked and of the trials of God’s people. But awful as are all the judgments of God upon the enemies of His people, it was not this alone which was the object of his terror. This was deliverance. It was the whole course of God’s dispensations, which he had heard; God’s punishment of His people for their sins, and the excision of their oppressors, who, in His…”

“When I heard - What dreadful desolations God threatened against Israel. My heart trembled - Another effect of surprising fears and astonishment. Rottenness - A decay of all my strength. That I might rest - These fears made me betake myself to God, that I might rest in him. He - The king of Babylon. The people - The Jews. Habakkuk 3:17”

“3:16 Although the full realization of God’s mighty power sapped Habakkuk’s strength to the point that he trembled, he would wait quietly (see 2:3) for God’s judgment to descend.”

“I heard: Hab 3:2, Hab 1:5-11 my belly: Psa 119:120; Jer 23:9; Eze 3:14; Dan 8:27, Dan 10:8 that I: Psa 91:15, Psa 94:12, Psa 94:13; Isa 26:20, Isa 26:21; Jer 15:10, Jer 15:11, Jer 45:3-5; Eze 9:4-6; Th2 1:6-9 he will: Hab 1:6; Deu 28:49-52; Kg2 24:1, Kg2 24:2; Jer 25:9-11 invade them: or cut them in pieces Habakkuk 3:17”

“Hab 3:16-19 form the second part of the psalm, in which the prophet describes the feelings that are produced within himself by the coming of the Lord to judge the nations, and to rescue His own people; viz., first of all, fear and trembling at the tribulation ( Hab 3:16, Hab 3:17); then exulting joy, in his confident trust in the God of salvation ( Hab 3:18, Hab 3:19). Hab 3:16. "I heard it, then my belly trembled, at the sound my lips yelled; rottenness forces itself into my bones, and I tremble under myself, that I am to wait quietly for the day of tribulation, when he that attacketh it approacheth the nation. Hab 3:17. For the fig-tree will not blossom, and there is no yield on the vines;…”