Attributed commentary excerpt
Barnes' Notes on Habakkuk 1:12
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Notes on the Whole Bible
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
The prophet, having summed up the deeds of the enemy of God in this his end, sets forth his questions anew. He had appealed against the evil of the wicked of his people; he had been told of the vengeance by the Chaldaeans (Heading of Habakkuk 1:0). But the vengeance is executed by them who are far worse. How then? The answer is: “Wait to the end, and thou shalt see.” What remains are the triumphs of faith; the second chapter closes with the entire prostration of the whole world before God, and the whole prophecy with joyous trust in God amid the entire failure of all outward signs of hope. Here, like the Psalmists (Asaph, Psalms 73:0 Ethan Psalms 76:1-12) and Jeremiah Jeremiah 12:1, he sets down at the very beginning his entire trust in God, and so, in the name of all who at any time shall be perplexed about the order of God’s judgments, asks how it shall be, teaching us that the only safe way of enquiring into God’s ways is by setting out with a living conviction that they, Psalms 25:10, are “mercy and truth.” And so the address to God is full of awe and confidence and inward love. For “God placeth the oil of mercy in the vessel of trustfulness.” Art Thou not - (the word has always an emphasis) “Thou” and not whatsoever or whosoever it be that is opposed to Thee (be it Nebuchadnezzar or Satan). From everlasting - literally, from before? See the note at Micah 5:2. Go back as far as man can in thought - God was still before; and so, much more before any of His creatures, such as those who rebel against Him. O Lord - it is the proper name of God, Revelation 1:8, “Which is and Which was and Which is to come” - I am, the Unchangeable; my God, i. e., whereas his own might is (he had just said) the pagan’s god, the Lord is his; Mine Holy One - one word, denoting that God is his God, sufficeth him not, but he adds (what does not elsewhere occur) “mine Holy One” in every way, as hallowing him and hallowed by him. Dion.: “Who hallowest my soul, Holy in Thine Essence, and whom as incomparably Holy I worship in holiness.” All-Holy in Himself, He becometh the Holy One of him to whom He imparteth Himself, and so, by His own gift, belongeth, as it were, to him. The one word in Hebrew wonderfully fits in with the truth, that God becomes one with man by taking him to Himself. It is fall of inward trust too, that he saith, “my God, my Holy One,” as Paul saith, Galatians 2:9, “Who loved me, and gave Himself for me,” i. e., as Augustine explains it , “O Thou God Omnipotent, who so carest for every one of us, as if Thou caredst for him only; and so for all, as if tbey were but one.” The title, “my Holy One,” includes his people with himself; for God was his God, primarily because he was one of the people of God; and his office was for and in behalf of his people. It involves then that other title which had been the great support of Isaiah , by which he at once comforted his people, and impressed upon them the holiness of their God, the holiness which their relation to their God required, the Holy One of Israel. Thence, since Habakkuk lived, for his people with himself, on this relation to God, as my God, my Holy One, and that God, the Unchangeable; it follows,” We shall not die.” There is no need of any mark of inference, “therefore we shall not die.” It is an inference, but it so lay in those titles of God, “He Is, My God, My Holy One,” that it was a more loving confidence to say directly, we shall not die. The one thought involved the other. God, the…
This public page shows a contextual excerpt from the locally available source text.
How to use this source
This excerpt is attributed to its named commentary. It is included as a historical study resource and should be evaluated in light of Scripture and other relevant evidence.
