In the previous chapter the prophet described the power and the exceedingly mighty troops of the king of the Chaldeans, and his coming over all nations and against all kingdoms, from which it is clear that we are right in thinking that this prophet was before the Babylonian captivity. In this second chapter he prophesies again against the Chaldeans, namely punishment and vengeance, because they had disturbed everything, especially Jerusalem and the holy land, which finally happened completely after they were led away into captivity. Therefore he lived before the captivity and in the captivity and after the Babylonian captivity. Or, to whom this is more pleasing, he described according to prophetic manner as past or as already present what was still future. But the heart of the prophet or his intention (and this is common to all prophets) is that he keeps the people in faith, that he strengthens them through manifold consolations and the declaration of the will of God regarding the promises that had been made by God, so that the so afflicted people would not fall into disbelief, but give God the honor that he is true: Let it come to pass that they will not perish, let it come to pass that they will remain in the land until the coming of Christ, as the prophecies testified. For the flesh cannot entrust itself to GOtte in the temptation, cannot believe GOtte that he is true and keeps his promises. Namely, the prophet here fights against this doubt of the flesh, and so he finally comes to the main point in this matter, namely, that he strengthens and sustains the weak in faith. For as he describes above the battle of the army of the Chaldeans against the kingdoms and all the
In the same way that he has described the struggle of the nations, here he describes his own struggle and conflict against those who were troubled by the temptation of despair, since they, bowed down by misfortune, could not believe that God would preserve his people and thought that it was all over for them and the whole kingdom because of the imminent miserable captivity, rather, because all had already been led away into captivity. But he begins the consolation with a parable, which is taken from a good and valiant watchman, who carefully observes and keeps off the approaching enemies on the lookout etc. This seems to me to be the opinion of this chapter, otherwise, if we did not understand it in this way, we would not be able to understand ourselves from this passage, just as Jerome and all other writers have not been able to do so. For what they have brought up about this passage is absolutely nothing, lacks all sound judgment and is inappropriate.
V. 1. Here I stand on my guard and tread on my feasts.
He strengthens himself and raises his heart and mind in confidence against the people, who, frightened by the captivity, trembled and distrusted the promises of God, as if he wanted to say: However much you doubt, however much you may accuse me of lying, you will not convict me of it, but rather I will fearlessly persevere in the faith in the promises that have been made to us by God.
And watch and see what I am told.
Namely from the Lord. That means: The Lord will say something to me. Through this.
what I hear, by this revelation of the Lord I will be instructed, that I may answer you who reproach me, as he says here:
And what I should answer the one who scolds me.
In this word the short epitome and the purpose of this whole chapter is shown. For he fights, as I have said, against the plots of the unbelievers, who thought that it had now happened to the kingdom, after the city had been set on fire, the kingdom disturbed, and they led away into captivity, and therefore they accused the prophets of lying, who promised that the kingdom would remain unharmed etc. -Namely, he opposes these poisonous blasphemies, saying that he will stand as a faithful guardian, that he will see how the Lord is preserved, and that he will hear the Lord's counsel.
V. 2. Write the face and draw it on a blackboard.
This is a prophetic way, which is taken from the fifth book of Moses [Cap. 27, 4. 8.), where a command is given by smoothed and whitewashed stones, on which the renewed law (Deuteronomy) should be written clearly and distinctly. Moreover, God always confirmed the words of the prophets with hasty signs, or He always added a sign to the visions. Thus, when Isaiah foretold the destruction of Egypt, he confirmed his sermon by a sign, namely that he went forth naked and barefoot, Isa. 20:2. And thus he explained by a similar deed or sign the thing that he threatened Egypt with. So in the New Testament, baptism is given to us as a sign that the whole of the old Adam is to be put to death. For we are baptized into the death of Christ, as Paul says Rom. 6, 3. So there are many such signs; in Isaiah Cap. 8, 1. of the great letter, [v. 2.) of the witnesses etc. Such is anch this sign in Habakkuk. He preaches that the vision of it, that the kingdom should be preserved, is certain and reliable. Therefore, he is commanded to write clearly and appropriately, so that it may be read by all without any stay. By this sign nothing else is indicated, than
that what he promises will certainly come to pass. But he calls the vision in general a prophecy of Christ and the kingdom of Christ, which was already prophesied before in all prophets. And so he does not speak of the vision which he saw at that time, but of the vision of the prophets, that is, of the prophecy which is spoken of the future Christ, that he should present it on the tablet and present it most clearly and, as it were, point to it with his finger. That the word "vision" is to be taken in such a general way is clear from Daniel Cap. 9, 23: "Take heed therefore that thou understand the vision" etc. Likewise, v. 24: "And the visions and the prophecies shall be sealed, and the holy of holies shall be anointed." In this passage he calls the vision the prophecy of the preservation of the Jewish people, which had already been prophesied, and of the future of Christ etc., for besides Gabriel Daniel saw nothing else etc.
That it could be read by anyone who walks by.
That is, make the writing exceedingly clear and distinct, so that the reader may not be hindered by the writing that is not clearly written, but that someone may be able to read it even as he passes by. Now he adds the face or the word:
V. 3: The prophecy will be fulfilled in its time.
Everything in this passage is poorly translated [in the Vulgate) from the Hebrew. [Instead of: Quia visus adhuc procul, et apparebit in finem) I translate thus: for the vision still takes place at the appointed time, or still more clearly: "in its time." That is, this vision, foretold by the prophets, has its certain and predetermined time; it will not deceive us, it will undoubtedly come to pass in its time what is foretold. Then follows:
And will finally come free to day and not remain outside.
For our [Latin] interpreter has translated badly [et apparebit). But it is
. 1) In our original: NicUaelom instead of: Oadriolsm, as should be read according to Dan. 9, 21.
the same word which the evangelist Lucas uses to translate by ðáññçóéÜæåéí [Apost.
26, 26.]. So it is also in the 12th Psalm, v. 6.: 1) "I will make a pod, that one may teach with confidence." Likewise elsewhere in the Psalm: He will speak defiantly to his enemies. The evangelist John expresses this figure of speech almost everywhere like this [Joh. 16, 29.]: "Behold, now thou speakest freely" etc. It is therefore the opinion of the prophet: One must await the end until that comes to pass which is promised by Christ. He had to use these excellent words and signs to strengthen the people, who were already despairing in the so great misfortune, which became more severe day by day.
But whether it consumes, wait for it.
With a great fullness of speech and power he comforts, so that what he had expressed shortly before in a negative way, he expresses here in an affirmative way, and answers, as it were, with an objection to those who could have objected to him: You promise us a Savior, you promise us an inviolate kingdom, but when will that finally come? The matter is always postponed. We see nothing less before us than that we and the kingdom will remain unharmed, since the kingdom will be devastated and we will be led away captive etc. To these the prophet replies, "Wait," he says, "even if the face is distorted and does not come immediately; even if we do not see salvation coming immediately, we will see it at last; it will surely come and will not delay. Thus the prophet stands firm in his office and comforts the weak in faith, who were oppressed by the temptation of despair when the calamity became so heavy. And not only that, but he also chides his blasphemers, whom he in turn bites with accusations and accuses them of impiety, as he adds here:
V. 4. See who is stiff-necked.
This is also poorly translated sim Latin: Ecce, qui incredulus est I but over-
1) In the text (according to the Vulgate) correctly: in psalmo 11. The Weimarsche has in the margin: Ps. 10, 5. which, according to the Hebrew, almost agrees with the passage that follows.
set like this: But behold, where there is stubbornness, his soul will have no rest in it. That is, whoever resists or defends himself against this prophecy and, as it were, will not listen with clogged ears, whoever will stubbornly defend himself, he will find no rest for himself, he will not delight in this vision, he will gain no fruit from it etc. Here the prophet acts, as I said, against the blasphemers, as if he wanted to say: Beware, you who neither move the public Scripture (pictura) nor the Word, since if someone resists this promise out of stubbornness, he will be in a bad situation: he will not have a part in this vision, he will not obtain fruit from it, which is promised to come at the time when it will be fulfilled. This is it, that he says: His soul shall have no rest in the same, that is, in the promise. This is what Christ says in other words in the gospel parable of the invited guests who refused to come, saying [Luc. 14:24]: "None of the men who are invited will taste my supper" etc. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews has drawn on this passage in the 10th 2) chapter, v. 38. and translated it thus: "But whosoever shall depart, with him shall my soul have no pleasure." In this he followed the Septuagint translation, which translated it this way, but the Hebrew text (Hebraism) has it quite differently. For they have referred it to the soul of God, which does not fit. But although the author of the letter to the Hebrews has erred in the words, he has nevertheless quite appropriately and aptly obtained the right opinion of the prophet etc.
For the righteous lives by his faith.
This passage has been magnificently treated by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans and in his letter to the Hebrews, as it is also worthy. As a conclusion and summa, the prophet added it to this opinion: The godly wait for the Lord, therefore they live, therefore they are preserved, therefore they receive what is promised, namely through faith, because they have received God.
2) In our template: in vax. 11.
give the glory that he is true, because they endure the hand of the Lord. And so the prophet does not look at this promise alone, but at all the others that deal with the preaching of the gospel or the revelation of grace. Therefore it is as if he wanted to say: I cannot get it into your hearts; you have the public Scripture (picturam) and the Word. If ye believe, ye shall live: for the just man liveth by faith, waiting on the Lord, he liveth: if ye believe not, ye shall not live. etc. But this seems to be quite impossible according to the flesh, which cannot help but look at the present misfortune, at the present evil. Hence it is that it forgets the promises. For what seems to be less acceptable to the flesh than to see the most miserable captivity, to see the desolation of the kingdom, to see the inhabitants carried away, and yet to believe that the kingdom shall be preserved, that the people shall be unharmed in their land etc. as the prophecies read. Thus, the prophecies seemed to be completely opposite, about which we have dealt above quite abundantly in the preface to Jonah and other prophets, where we read the passage from Jeremiah Cap. 32, 8, about the buying of the field. God's works and words are so wonderful that they are neither understood nor understood by the flesh.
can be believed, as the prophet also said above. Only faith knows and understands and believes this. So we also believe that we are to be restored to body and spirit, through Christ and with Christ, which is quite impossible for human nature to believe, which has not been born again through the Holy Spirit etc.
And this is the first and most important part of this prophet, in which he promises that Christ will come and that the promises made to the fathers will be fulfilled. Now follows the second part, in which he describes the destruction of the kingdom of the Chaldeans, however exceedingly powerful, rich and famous it was. And thus he prophesied two things impossible in the sight of the flesh: the one, that those who had been carried away into captivity, whose land had been laid waste by conflagration and robbery, should be brought back again and restored to their former kingdom etc.; the other, that he who was so exceedingly mighty a king, who had subdued all kingdoms to himself, with whom was the dominion of the world, - I say, that he should be punished again, that his kingdoms should be laid waste and snatched away from him etc. Namely, this is how he destroys all the reasons of the flesh, so that we may cling to the word of God with closed eyes, and give glory to God that he is true.