Attributed commentary excerpt
Barnes' Notes on Habakkuk 3:2
A historical reference excerpt for this verse.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.
O Lord, I have heard - i. e., with the inward ear of the heart, “Thy speech,” (rather as English margin, Thy report, i. e., the report of Thee) i. e., what may he heard and known of God, or, what he had himself heard . The word contains in one both what God had lately declared to the prophet, the judgments of God upon the wicked of the people, and upon those who, with their own injustice, done upon them the righteous judgments of God, and that the work of the Lord would be performed in His time for those who in patience wait for it; and also still more largely, what might be heard of God, although, as it were, but a little whisper of His greatness and of the majesty of His workings. And was afraid - not “fearful” but “afraid in awe,” as a creature, and amazed at the surpassing wonderfulness of the work of God. Well may man stand in awe “at the incarnation of the only-begotten Son, how earth should contain Him uncontained by space, how a body was prepared for Him of the virgin by the Holy Spirit, and all the works whereby He shall work the salvation of mankind, the cross, the death, resurrection and ascension, uniting things opposite, a body with one incorporeal, death with life, resurrection with death, a body in heaven. All is full of wonder and awe.” Rup.: “This is not a servile fear, but a holy fear which endureth forever, not one which ‘love casteth out,’ but which it bringeth in, wherein angels praise, dominions adore, powers stand in awe at the majesty of the Eternal God.” O Lord, revive Thy work - God’s Word seems, often, as it were, dead and “come utterly to an end for evermore” Psalms 77:8, while it is holding on its own course, as all nature seems dead for a while, but all is laid up in store, and ready to shoot forth, as by a sort of resurrection Rup.: “The prophet prophesying prayeth, that it should come quickly, and praying prophesieth that it shall so come.” All God’s dealings with His people, His Church, each single soul, are part of one great work, perfect in itself Deuteronomy 32:4; glory and majesty Psalms 140:3; all which the godly meditateth on Psalms 77:3; Psalms 143:5; which those busied with their own plans, do not look to Isaiah 5:12; it is manifested in great doings for them or with them, as in the Exodus the Psalmist says, “We have heard with our ears, yea, our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days, in the times of old” Psalms 44:2; “They proved Me and saw My work” Psalms 95:9; with it He makes His own glad Psalms 92:3; after it has been withdrawn for a while, “He sheweth it to His servants” Psalms 90:6; it issues in judgments on the ungodly, which people consider and declare . The great work of God on earth, which includes all His works and is the end of all, is the salvation of man through Jesus Christ. This great work seemed, as it were, asleep, or dead, as trees in winter, all through those 4,000 years, which gave no token of His coming. Included in this great work is the special work of the Hand of God, of which alone it is said, “God said, Let Us make man in Our image after Our Likeness” Genesis 1:26; and, “we are the clay and Thou our Potter, and we are all the work of Thy Hands” Isaiah 64:8; and “Thy Hands have made me and fashioned me together round about” Job 10:8, man; whom, being dead as to the life of the soul through the malice of Satan, Christ revived by dying and rising again. He was “dead in trespasses and sins,” and like a carcass putrefying in them, and this whole world o…
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