In this prayer, the prophet has had to suffer great distortion, not only from the interpreters, but also from the commentators. For almost every single interpreter has invented such a different opinion that to this day everyone is uncertain from their writings what the prophet had in mind in this prayer of his. For as hitherto, so even to this day, the writers of Scripture disagree [about the interpretation of the text] in both languages, Greek and Hebrew. Jerome has often been quite ugly, not only in his opinion and in his evaluation of the prophet's intention, but also in his grammar, so much so that sometimes even someone who understands Hebrew only to some extent can recognize Jerome's error with complete certainty. I wonder very much why the dear God has allowed such excellent and excellently learned men to have erred in such a childish way. Then they treat the Proverbs as if they were individual chunks, interpreting one passage from the king of the Persians and I do not know from whom else, another passage from the Passion of Christ. I leave all their opinions aside, and set out to expound, as much as I can, the right opinion of the prophet.
Cap. 3:1 This is the prayer of the prophet Habakkuk for the innocent.
The title clearly testifies that it is rather a prayer and not a song. For he confesses and praises God and asks for deliverance from captivity. And this is the short epitome. Just as Mofes also prays, not sings, but, bowing down before God, confesses his misfortune, and asks to be saved etc. But he adds here in the title: pro ignorantiis, in the same way as the seventh Psalm has it in its title. It is therefore, ignorantia [ignorance] nothing else than innocentia [innocence], as can be seen from Job [Cap. 9, 21.], where he says: "If I am pious, then my soul must not take it" (hoc.
ipsum ignorabit anima mea), that is, even if I were pious, I would have to behave before God as if I did not know at all, as if it did not concern me. And this is what the whole seventh Psalm has in mind when it says [v. 4]:. "O Lord, my God, I have done these things, and there is iniquity in my hands," etc., as if to say, "A guilt is laid upon me of which I am not at all aware. They accuse me of impiety, while I am innocent in this matter etc. Therefore, the prophet prays for the unconscious things (ignorantiis), that is, for himself and the rest of the godly who are innocently imprisoned, that the Lord may bring them back, since their conscience is not aware of the sin for which the others deserved imprisonment. And so he laments that the guilty and the innocent are equally afflicted, as is wont to happen in wars. So also Jeremiah was led away into captivity with many other godly people. This seems to me to be the opinion, and I do not understand it otherwise. For in this way the prayer is also most consistent with the previous prophecy, and although I alone am the master here, I do not believe that I am mistaken.
V. 2. Lord, I have heard your rumor that I am terrified.
In prayer, the prophet does what others do, as can be seen in the Scriptures, where they begin with a short summary of the matter in a few verses, but then digress to the works and miracles of God, to praise and thanksgiving. Thus in the book of Judges Cap. 5, 2. f. Deborah and Barak do the same after the victory, where they introduce the main thing in a few words, but then immediately digress to the story of the expulsion of the children of Israel from Egypt, of the miraculous works of God, as can be seen there. The same happens in the 18th Psalm. For first
The prophet David speaks of his cause, of his tribulation, and soon turns to the history of the expulsion from Egypt, saying [v. 8]: "The earth quaked and was moved, and the foundations of the mountains were stirred" etc. Similarly, in the 68th Psalm, when he wants to tell how Christ will rise and go to heaven, of the grace that will be revealed through the gospel, he goes far and tells the earlier stories by which he makes his way, as, of the miracles performed by the hand of the Lord to the Israelites, when he brought them out of Egypt, when he duked before them, when he led them, when he gave them food from heaven etc. For this is the way of the Hebrew language, that they [the prophets] praise this history of the bringing out of Egypt as the head of all the other histories, and frequently mention it, and go on very far, and add to it the other histories. The prophet Habakkuk does quite the same thing here; since he asks for salvation, he first inserts this miraculous work of God and has woven it for himself, as it were, as a kind of curtain on which he lists the various deeds and miracles of God, just as if someone were to present a painted panel depicting Christ's suffering and, as it were, set it before his eyes. And through all these miracles of God he strengthens himself etc. It is therefore the opinion, "O Lord, I have heard thy rumor," that is, of all thy miracles, of the works of thy goodness which thou hast done to thy people, by which thou hast shown thine extraordinary goodness. So it is also said in the Psalm [Ps. 44, 2.]: "God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told it to us" etc.
That I am horrified.
That is, when I was frightened by the greatness of these miracles of yours, a great awe seized me, because I became aware of your great goodness and majesty. Thus, spiritual people are struck with terror and awe when they hear such wonderful works of God and examples of divine goodness, since they consider the matter a little further by thinking about it. Others, however, who only read about it, are not moved by this reverence and fear.
O Lord, you make your work come alive in the midst of the years.
The word illud, which the Latin interpreter added, is superfluous, because the Hebrew way of speaking is very often that the relative is prefixed, as it is said in the 1st Psalm, v. 4: Like chaff, which the wind scatters etc. In my opinion, however, it is as if he wanted to say: Lord, do what you are used to doing. But you used to do so, that you made your work alive with the years and made it known, and were mindful of your mercy in wrath. But all interpreters have struggled extraordinarily with what the prophet calls the middle of the years. With large agreement they want that this is spoken of the donkey and the ox, in whose middle the Christ child in the manger lay, as the fable is used to be told. Who does not see how inconsistent this opinion is, and does not hold true in this place? I translate first after the Hebrew thus: Lord, make your work alive within the years, as if he wanted to say: Your work, which I ask now, do not postpone within the years. Help us, deliver us from captivity, since the time of captivity seems too long to us. Therefore, O Lord, make your work endure, make it live, fulfill what the other prophets have promised. For to us the delay seems too long etc. Thus he uses very fervent words, as those are wont to use such words who suffer evil, who are in the greatest danger. And when they already think that it is all over for them, when there is despair everywhere and no hope to escape, then the Lord is there and helps them. And so the Lord is there "in the midst of the years," that is, a helper in the midst of great troubles [Ps. 46:2, 138:7], and at the right time, as it is said in the Psalm [Ps. 9:10, Vulg.]. So also Job says [Cap. 11, 17. Vulg.]: "And when thou thinkest thou art gone, thou shalt arise as the morning star." All this is perfectly illustrated by the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt through the sea, when Pharaoh harassed them and pursued them with his whole army, but they escaped safely through the sea, thinking that it was all over for them.
happened. In the desert the rock gave them water, the food came from heaven etc. The same is what is added:
And let it be known in the midst of the years.
This means: Lord, show yourself at last; there are many years, the captivity is hard for us, finally break the delay and the lukewarm duration, cut off the long duration or the delay, show yourself that you are our God, deliver us, "dear Lord, strike three" etc.
When there is tribulation, remember mercy.
According to the Hebrew, I translate thus: in perturbatione recorderis misericordiae [instead of: cum iratus fueris, misericordiae recordaberis in the Vulgate]. He speaks of perturbation (perturbatione), not with which God is perturbed, but by which we are perturbed. Bernhard treats this passage well, but what he brings up is not said in the right place, it does not serve the purpose of what is being discussed here. But the Hebrew word which we have translated here by perturbatio is also in the 4th Psalm, v. 5, where it says, "If ye be angry, sin not," that is, do not be agitated, do not be so impatient that ye sin, that ye give place to wrath etc. It is therefore the opinion of the prophet: O Lord, may you remember mercy in our trouble or in our affliction, so that we may not be overcome by trouble, as he says in Psalm [Ps. 85:9], "Oh, that I should hear the words of God the Lord" etc., "lest the saints fall into foolishness," that is, lest they finally grumble against God, overcome by the longsuffering of temptation. Thus the Lord is there in His place and in His time, as the apostle says in the Epistle to the Corinthians [1 Cor. 10:13]: "God is faithful, who does not let us be tempted beyond our ability, but makes the temptation come to an end so that we can bear it."
V. 3. God came from the midday.
As I said above that this was the way of the prophets and other saints in Scripture, that when they prayed, they immediately prayed in
the first verses present their cause and then digress into a long prayer of praise to God, which they take from all the miracles and works of God, the prophet does quite the same here. For now he presents, as it were, a curtain on which all this is woven, which he preaches about God, as I have said. Therefore, one must imagine here nothing but person poetry, and the words which [in the Vulgate] are in the future tense are to be read in the indicative prasentis. Then it will be more easily understood, not unlike someone pointing his finger at the history of the Passion of Christ painted on the wall, if he told everything in the right order. This is also how the prophet is to be understood here, since he comes to the narration of the miracles of God. First of all, he also remembers the Exodus from Egypt, as the main piece of all the miracles of God known to the people of Israel. Egypt lies in the southern direction, therefore he says: the Lord came from the south.
And the saint from the mountain Paran.
"Paran" is the proper name of the desert, which was near the tribe of Judah, where the Israelites stayed for a long time etc., as the sacred history [4 Mos. 13, 1.] says. It is called in the Scriptures [4 Mos. 32, 8.] also with another name KadesBarnea.
Heaven was full of his praise.
Many psalms are full of it. [Ps. 148, 13: "His praise goes forth as far as the heavens and the earth." Likewise [Ps. 8, 1. Vulg.]: "For thy glory is higher than the heavens." The prophet says the same thing here, as if to say: "Throughout the world his name, his honor and glory were praised by the wonderful work of bringing out of Egypt the people whom he had chosen for himself. And that this is the right conception is indicated by what follows:
And to his glory the earth was full.
Thus Rahab says, Jos. 2, 9. ff.: "I know that the Lord has given you the land, for a terror has fallen upon us before you, and all the inhabitants of the land have become cowards before your future. For we have heard.
as the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you, when ye came forth out of Egypt" etc. "For the Lord your God is one God, both in heaven above and on earth beneath."
V. 4. Shem's splendor was a light.
What our [Latin] interpreter has translated by splendor, one would translate more correctly by radius, "the shines", that is, his rays spread far. And it is the opinion: His manifestation and revelation, the price of his power is so spread and revealed that it is known far and wide; in short, everywhere in the world one praises his deeds.
Shines went from his hands (Cornua in inanibus ejus).
Cornua [horns] he takes here figuratively also for rays or for shine. For this is how the Scripture speaks of the face of Moses [Ex 34:29, Vulg]: "The face of Moses was horned," that is, it cast forth rays that shone like straight horns. Then, according to the Hebrew, it is to be read thus: Cornua de manu ejus, that is, according to the winnowing of the rays of light, the miracles spread from his hand.
There secretly was his power.
Namely, in this light, in this letting see, in this preaching and this glory of his miracles was his power, as if he said thus: He did not make known these his miracles, he did not let these his rays shine in other peoples, but in the midday and in Paran.
V. 5. Pestilence went before him.
Here a new section begins. For he presents a whole new painting, as he will enumerate many in turn, and that in great and prophetic abundance, as we shall see in turn. And here he presents a real painting, in which he describes, as in the others that follow, what he called the light and splendor of the Lord, namely his exceedingly glorious works and miracles, which were publicly made known to the Gentiles, especially to those who lived around.
But the Hebrew word means both death and pestilence. I translate it here "pestilence". It means the plague with which the Lord struck the Egyptians, so that in one night all the firstborn died, both of men and cattle. Then what follows:
And plague went out wherever he stepped.
[Instead of: Egredietur diabolus ante pedes ejus in the Vulgate] I translate thus: Et exivit febris ad pedes ejus. For the Hebrew word does not mean the devil, as those think, but a pestilential fever. For such fevers are wont to be very injurious. And the same opinion is repeated. For not only do the prophets repeat the same thing, but all Scripture has this usage.
V. 6. He stood and measured the land.
Another picture, which also Moses describes in the second book Cap. 14, 19. f., and it happened, that after the children of Israel had gone out of Egypt, Pharaoh followed with an exceedingly well-equipped crew, with chariots and horsemen, in order to destroy the people of God, and then, as God thus preserved His people, the angel placed himself between both armies, so that the Egyptians could not advance that night or injure Israel. For so it is clearly written in Moses: "The angel of the Lord came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel" etc. This is what the prophet calls here, that the land is measured. Then, as he adds:
He looked and cut down the heathen,
Did he use almost the same words as Moses in the second book of Moses, Cap. 14. For Moses says the same thing in the same words [Cap. 14, 24. f.]:. "And, behold, the Lord looked upon the host of Egypt, out of the pillar of fire and cloud, and made a terror in their host, and thrust the wheels from their chariots, overthrowing them with impetuosity." This is how God fights by His sight alone, namely when He instills horror and fear in the hearts of those He wants to destroy. With such an easy effort, those who are best equipped are overcome and fall, and they flee, and cannot withstand, namely, when they are the opponents.
The Egyptians also said [Ex. 14:25], "Let us flee from Israel; the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians."
That the mountains of the world were shattered.
In figurative speech he calls "the mountains of the world" the princes and great ones with whom is the supremacy, as also Moses speaks in the fifth book [Cap. 33, 15.]:] "According to the desire of the sovereignty of the world." And this separation and the stooping of the high ones happened.
As he walked in the world.
For this is how I translate according to the Hebrew. For the Hebrew word means both eternity and the world, as it is said in the Psalm [Ps. 24:7], "Lift up the doors of the world," where we read [in the Vulgate], the eternal [aeternal] doors. The Lord has
Therefore he divided the flocks and bowed down the high ones of the world, because he himself walked in the world, that is, had contact with his people, walked among them as their duke and victor, as he had promised.
V. 7. I saw the huts of the Moors in trouble.
In our Latin translation, the darkness of the words is so great that one would rather say it is an incantation than a prayer; in fact, nothing else can be inferred from this passage. But it is again another part of the painting, another radiance (radius) of the Lord. Therefore, because our interpreter translated very badly, I give it after the Hebrew thus: "I saw the Moors' tents in trouble, and the Midianites' tents sorrowful." For what our interpreter has translated by iniquitas is in Hebrew the word p.y, of which we have said above several times that labor means, in German, "toil," as appears from Ps. 90:10: "If it has been delicious, it has been toil and labor." And it is the opinion: The Mohren, the Midianites and all the other peoples became restless and were seized with a great fear when they heard of the coming of this people,
1) However, the expression: eollium aeteruoruna is found here, but the citation is from Gen. 49, 26.
which the Lord had so wonderfully and with such a strong hand and great signs led out of Egypt and had delivered out of the hand of Pharaoh, because it had been led wonderfully through the Red Sea, but Pharaoh had been drowned in the meantime with his whole army etc. The Moors and the Midianites are neighboring peoples, especially those who are called Egyptian Arabs, who live on the western shore of the Red Sea, because there is the crossing to Egypt, as the maps show.
sAnd the Midianite tents grievedZ
"Tents", because they did not build with such great expense, as we do in Germany or in other areas, but lived in tents, just as our Turks today also laugh at the foolishness of the Germans, that they hew so precious, as if oh they would always stay here. But they have taken this from their ancestors, namely from the Arabs, from whom they originated. - Curtains (cortinae), 2) that is, tents made of curtains.
V. 8. Would you not be angry, O Lord, in the flood?
This whole verse can be understood either in a negative or in an affirmative way. But the prophet shows his heart movement in it. Here he stops in his heart movement and admires that great work of which he had said above. Therefore, if we want to understand it in a negative way, this will be the opinion that he is talking about the grace and goodness of God by which he has preserved his people, and even let them escape the flood 3). If it is taken in an affirmative way, he is talking about the anger and indignation of the Lord with which he resisted Pharaoh and drowned him in the sea with his whole army. But it seems to me that the Hebrew way of speaking has to be understood more in a negative way, as it is said in the Psalm [Ps. 95, 11.]: "I swore in my wrath: They shall not come to
2) The word eortiune is highlighted as a keyword in our original, but it will be the explanatory word to peil, which is here in the Vulgate.
3) In our original lumeu. This is not a misprint, because the Erlanger also reads this way. We have assumed lumen.
come to my rest." And so, through the negation, he expresses the affirmation in this way: Thou wast angry with the adversaries, thou didst destroy them; but us thou didst save. As if he wanted to say: Are then the signs of the wrath, that he leads us through the waters? Not at all. For with such great grace he preserves us when all the nations are raging. He leads us safely through the flood in a wonderful way. And that I approve of this opinion, I am moved by the fact that the prophet here describes the salvation of the chariots. For the Israelites came out of Egypt equipped with trucks and other chariots, as can be seen in the fourth book of Moses [Cap. 7, 3]. Thus, the prophet makes abundantly known his exceedingly great movement of heart by mentioning the benefits of God and strengthens himself as if to say: These are strong horsemen and swift chariots in which God drives.
V. 9. You drew out the bow.
This is another part of the painting. He understands in this picture the killing of 1) Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan, which is described in detail in history (Num. 24, 24. ff.) and the Psalms [Ps. 135, 10. f. 136, 17. ff.]. For after they had passed through the sea, they were attacked by these kings, who overcame them through the Lord. But the word "bow" must be taken quite simply, as it reads, for warfare and armor, so that it is not necessary to invent a spiritual bow, as some have done. For the prophet used this word in quite the same way in the 78th Psalm, v. 9: "The children of Ephraim, who held the bow, fell at the time of the battle." That is, the tribe of Ephraim was brave, it led the wars, it had to do the war service etc. Therefore the meaning is: The Lord drew forth his bow, that is, he performed his war service in his people, he made them strong by his power, that they might be subject to all enemies, as he had also promised victory, and that he would be the enemy of their enemies [Ex. 23:22, 27]. Here again follows
1) Instead of 066Ä8i0Q6m we have assumed 0661810116111. The Zwickau manuscript offers: uki O66i8ii8 68t sHo.
Sela,
Which is also added above [v. 3]. But what is meant by this word has been disputed among all ecclesiastical writers, both Greek and Hebrew, from the beginning of the early church to the present day. The seventy interpreters have translated it by äéÜøáëìá, that is, a pause or cessation. I hold entirely with those who say that it is a kind of supplement for a gap or an empty space in the verse, just as our Latin and Greek poets often insert filler words in verses out of necessity, in order to make the number of verse feet full. Otherwise they could be omitted, since they add nothing to the sense etc.
You divide the streams into the land (in terra).
Now he describes the passage through the Jordan.
V. 10 [The mountains saw you, and they were afraid].
But here are all person poems, as they are also in the Psalm [Ps. 65, 13.]: "The hills are merry all around." Likewise elsewhere [Ps. 114, 4.]: "The mountains skipped like lambs, the hills like young sheep." I think it is a synecdoche that by "the mountains" the people are meant who live on the mountains, as if he wanted to say: You can divide the rivers, and this the people saw. That is why they bear sorrow, they have suffered birth pains (for this is the meaning of the Hebrew word), that is, according to the manner of those who give birth, they have grieved, "they were afraid". They were dismayed and terrified, they despaired of their strength, namely, seeing that you were so mighty with your people that they could walk in the waters also. (See the beginning of the fifth chapter in Joshua.)
The depth could be heard.
He sat together in a summa, as if to say: both the depth and the height serve them.
V. 11. Sun and moon stood still.
Here he summarizes two works. The first one, when the sun and the moon stood still,
until the Israelites had avenged themselves on their enemies. See Joshua Cap. 10, 12. f. The other work:
Your arrows passed with brilliance.
The same is described in Joshua Cap. 10, where the Lord, when the five kings were killed, sent a great hail on those who fled [Jos. 10, 11.], as history says. This thunderstorm he describes here. "Arrows" he calls the lightnings, which are the arrows of the Lord, as it is also said in the Psalm [Ps. 144, 6.], "Let lightning flash, and scatter them; shoot thy beams, and terrify them."
V. 12. You trampled the land in anger.
According to the Hebrew I translate thus: In anger you walk in the land, in fury you crush the nations. (In the country namely in Canaan. That is, in a great majesty of anger you walk, because many adversaries of your people are there, whom you destroy all. Here he groups all the other peoples of Canaan, who have set themselves against Israel, the people of God, into one, as can be seen in Joshua.
V. 13. You went out to help your people.
So far he has described all the histories that happened after the Exodus from Egypt, before they took possession of the land that was promised to the fathers. Now he adds the histories, in which he shows what works the Lord had done, since the Neichruhig was, after they, since the hostile Gentiles were completely defeated, remained at home. But he describes the histories that happened under the kings, and especially under Saul and David, when they had taken the land and dwelt in it. Therefore he describes them going forth. "The anointed of the Lord" he calls the king, both Saul and David. For so the Scripture also calls Saul, though he was ungodly. For he also often fought very happily, and that for the sake of the people, to whom the Lord had promised that he would be with them and fight for them, as the promises say etc.
You crush the head in the house of the wicked.
The Hebrew reading connects this generally with the preceding. But I, if I could only dare, would like to connect it with the following. But which of both views is to be regarded as the better one, I leave undecided. For it may be understood in two ways: first, that he speaks in the singular instead of the plural, as he also called "the anointed of the Lord" the kings. And so the opinion, which I do not approve, is that he speaks of different kings, namely, of the king of Moab, of the Ammonites, of the kings of Syria etc.,of all of which he says that they were broken up, namely, by the kings of Judah and Israel. But I would like to understand it of the king of the Assyrians, that he has broken him of the house of the wicked, that is, deprived him of the kingdom etc. But if someone does not approve of this opinion, I will not object. But "to strip the foundations" and "to shatter the head" means to shatter the kingdom and to deprive it of the king, whom the Scripture calls "the head", to leave the great multitude without king and leader- and this is also called "stripping" by the Scripture, as Moses says about the stripping of the head.
Up to the neck.
This image is extremely hard and alone in this prophet. But he adds a twofold image by which he wants to designate the princes, since he says about the uncovering of the foundations, calling the princes "foundations"; then that he calls them "heads" etc.
V. 14. You wanted to curse the scepter of the head with its spots (Maledixisti sceptris ejus cum capite oppidorum ejus).
This actually goes against the king of the Chaldeans. For here he again presents a new painting. However, he combines it with the king of the Assyrians (for so, I believe, the previous passage about the king of the Assyrians must be understood), since he adds: ejus, as if he still speaks of a king of the Assyrians. It is therefore the opinion: The kingdom of the Chaldeans is not yet destroyed, like the other kingdoms.
and kings, but now his destruction is imminent. The sentence is pronounced; you have cursed his scepter, now execute it, O Lord, let that come to pass which you have threatened. Let the king of the Persians come and avenge our reproach, for you have cursed his scepter with the head of the cities, that is, Babylon.
That come like a weather to scatter me.
In Hebrew there is only one expression where we read: venientibus ut turbo, just as if he said: the tempestanti- bus. For this is how the Hebrew language uses such dainty words. But the opinion is: Until now our kings have suffered many things, we have been miserably plagued by other hostile kings and nations, but still you, O king of the Chaldeans, have been our fiercest enemy. For thou hast assailed us like the weather, and afflicted us miserably, and led us into captivity, and not only that: we serve thee for a mockery, thou despisest us, thou art so hopeful of the victory thou hast gained, that thou rejoicest even when an ungodly man oppresses a poor man secretly, that is, with impunity, where there is no judge to avenge the wrong. And this is what the prophet means when he says: "And rejoice as if they were eating the wretch in secret."
V. 15. Your horses walk in the sea (Conculcasti in mari equis tuis).
That is, before, we were victorious over our enemies everywhere through God, as many as they were, as He also said above [v. 8J: "Since you rode on your horses, and your chariots kept the victory." But now we are overwhelmed with tribulation, now you have trampled us in the sea, that is, in tribulation.
In the mud of large water.
It is the same expression in the 69th Psalm, v. 2. f.: "The water comes up to my soul. I sink in the deep mud where there is no bottom; I am in deep water, and the flood wants to drown me." With all this he indicates exceedingly great tribulation. It is also quite the opinion of this passage how he further explains this trampling, since in what follows he tells how the Chaldean disturbed them.
V. 16. Because I hear these things, my belly is troubled.
As if he wanted to say: You plagued us extraordinarily, you oppressed us, we crawled, as it were, in the mud of great waters. When I heard this, my stomach was saddened and my lips trembled, that is, the boasting and scoffing of your horsemen and men of war, who trampled and ravaged us, caused me great heartache.
Pus goes into my bones.
This is also a way of speaking peculiar to this prophet, and it is the opinion: "My bones became weak with fear, with shame, when I had to hear all this. And "I am afflicted with myself", that means, only with me, what concerned me, I was afflicted, as we say in German: "Ich saß und fraß sich darum.
O that I might rest in the time of trouble, when we go up to the people who fight against us.
That is, our people were led away into captivity; those who disputed us (latrocinabantur), who made us prisoners in the war, kept the upper hand against us. For this is what the Hebrew word actually means. 1) The Lord had allowed them to have the upper hand against us; no prayer helped, as also Isaiah says [Cap. 64, 7.]: "No one arises to hold you" etc. But now peace will return for us, we will return unharmed to our kingdom, we will be snatched out of the captivity with which you now oppress us, and you now have the curse. That is why, when you oppressed us like this, I could not rest.
V. 17 For the fig tree shall not flourish, neither shall there be any increase in the vine.
That is, everything was devastated, so great was your rage against us, so great your tyranny.
1) Here the Weimar edition has erroneously a colon, because this remark refers to the word tatroeiriÄi-i, which here stands for war services thun, as also otherwise the word latrunoulus in the Vulgate stands for man of war.
The work on the oil tree fehlet (opus olivae).
That is, the oil tree bore no fruit, however well it was worked. 1)
And sheep are torn from the hurdles.
That is, the Chaldeans robbed everything so that nothing remained in our land.
V. 18. But I will rejoice in the Lord.
That is, I will give thanks to the Lord because of our salvation. For it will one day come to pass that the king of the Persians will be subject to you; you will no longer be able to exercise your tyranny over us. Destruction is in store for you, but we shall be returned to Jerusalem unharmed, and therefore the time will one day come when I can again be joyful and praise God. The same is what the prophet David says in the Psalm [Ps. 42, 12.]: "Why do you grieve, my soul, and are so troubled within me? Wait upon God, for I shall yet thank Him that He is my help and my God."
V. 19. He will make my feet like the feet of a deer.
This is taken from the Psalm, for the same words are also in Psalm ^Ps. 18, 34.], "He maketh my feet like hinds," etc., that is, he will give me a happy outcome to my affairs, he will be gracious, he will lend.
1) This explanation refers to Luther's view that he opu8 oüvus refers to the work that the oil tree does, that is, bears fruit.
that I may have my course safely, both in the ministry of the word, and in that the kingdom is inviolate, as he adds here:
And will guide me on high.
That is, the kingdom will still flourish. Because he includes here the kingdom after the return, as if he wanted to say: It will happen that I will be led back again from this mud into the glory, in which you trample us now.
That I sing on my strings.
This word is very frequent in the titles of the Psalms, which one translates by the Greek, that is, a triumph song. And so the opinion is: I will still ride high, I will still be placed high again, with victory songs on my strings. In the German translation of the Psalms, I have translated this word like this: "hoch zu singen". That means, such a psalm should be sung with a high and bright sounding voice; we usually call this voice the discant. Hence, the opinion is: On high I will sing with rejoicing and with gladness. Now I am afflicted, now I am oppressed, but in a little while it will come to pass that I shall also glory again, that I shall be glad, namely since we are brought back from captivity. This is a short summa of all the preceding, in which he indicates all the fruit of the redemption from captivity.
End.
August 2, 1525.