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Habakkuk 1:14

And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

And makest men as the fish - i:e., and so, by suffering oppressors to go unpunished, "thou makest men as the fish ... that have no ruler" - i:e., no defender. All may fish in the sea with impunity; so the Chaldeans with impunity afflict thy people, as these have no longer the God of the theocracy, their King, to defend them. Thou reducest men to such a state of anarchy, by wrong going unpunished, as if there was no God. He compares the world to the sea; men to fish; Nebuchadnezzar to a fisherman (Habakkuk 1:15).

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See also Habakkuk 1:14 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Habakkuk 1:14. _MAKEST MEN AS THE FISHES OF THE SEA_] Easily are we taken and destroyed. We have no _leader_ to guide us, and no _power_ to defend ourselves. Nebuchadnezzar is here represented...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    AND MAKEST MEN AS THE FISHES OF THE SEA - mute, helpless, in a stormy, restless element, no cry heard, but themselves swept away in shoals, with no power to resist. AS THE CREEPING THINGS - whether o...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS CHAPTER 1 The Judgment of Judah Through the Chaldeans Announced _ 1. The prophet's cry to Jehovah (Habakkuk 1:1) _ 2. The answer (Habakkuk 1:5) 3. The prophet's plea (H

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    REMONSTRANCE OVER THE INHUMANITY OF THE CHALDEANS. The execution of Divine judgment raises fresh questions: Why should the Holy One, whose eyes are too pure to look on evil, appoint as minister of jus...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    MEN. Hebrew. _'adam._ App-14....

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _HABAKKUK REPLIED TO GOD -- HABAKKUK 1:12-14:_ Habakkuk addressed God on behalf of the people. In this appeal to God he contrasted God's power and purity with what God was doing with the destructive w...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND MAKEST MEN, &C.— By delivering them to Nebuchadnezzar, who takes them in his net as a fisherman takes fishes. These creatures suffer themselves to be taken without resistance, because they have no...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    CHAPTER XVII THE SECOND QUESTION Habakkuk 1:12-17 RV. Art thou not from everlasting, O Jehovah my God, my Holy One? we shall not die. O Jehovah, thou hast ordained him for judgement; and thou, O Roc...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    AND MAKEST] probably this should be 'and makes.' It is, as Habakkuk 1:15 show, the Chaldean who makes men like fish, sweeping them into his net....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PROPHET'S BURDEN. THE ANSWER OF JEHOVAH 1. Burden] RM 'oracle': see on Isaiah 13:1. 2, 3. HOW LONG?.. WHY?] Even a prophet (Habakkuk 1:1) can ask such questions. He never denies the existence of...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE PROBLEM OF ASSYRIA Habakkuk _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF ASSYRIA Assyria was a country to the north and east of Israel. For many years, it ruled most of the world. Nahum, Habakkuk...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (12-17) Though sore perplexed, Habakkuk feels sure that the God whom this swaggering conqueror has insulted will at last vindicate Himself....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֖ם כִּ דְגֵ֣י הַ יָּ֑ם

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Habakkuk 1:1 Habakkuk 1:2; Habakkuk 2:1 (or 8) Yet it is the first piece which raises the most difficult questions. All admit that it is to be dated somewhere along the line of Jeremiah's long career...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE APPARENT PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED Habakkuk 1:1-17 Habakkuk probably lived toward the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, when the Chaldeans were preparing to invade the land. Jerusalem was fille...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In this first division of the Book we have the prophet's statement of the problems which vexed his soul. The first was the apparent indifference of Jehovah both to his prayer and to the condition of p...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And makest men as the (l) fishes of the sea, as the creeping animals, [that have] no ruler over them? (l) So that the great devours the small, and the Chaldeans destroy all the world....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Ruler. People are subdued by Nabuchodouosor. (Haydock) --- They make little resistance. (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    This is a most blessed prayer, and if I mistake not, it takes into its bosom all the great leading points of redemption. The Prophet by this figure of speech, of seemingly as king, the Lord concerning...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Lectures on the Minor Prophets. W. Kelly. There is no prophetic delivery among the twelve lesser books more peculiar and characteristic than that of Habakkuk. It has no longer the occupation with the...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    He goes on, as it has been said, in his complaint; and by a comparison he shows that the judgement would be such as though God turned away from men, so as not to check the violence of the wicked, nor...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    First of all, the prophet complains that the evil which exists among the people is insupportable. This is the natural effect of the working of the Spirit of God in a heart jealous for His glory and de...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND MAKEST MEN AS THE FISHES OF THE SEA,.... That is, sufferest them to be used as the fishes of the sea, which are easily taken in the net, and are common to everyone; whosoever will may take them up...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, [that have] no ruler over them? Ver. 14. _And makest men as the fishes of the sea_] That are easily drawn out with hook or net. So dot...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil_ Thou art of too just and pure a nature to approve of wickedness: it must ever be an abomination to thee. _Thou canst not look upon iniquity_ Except with in...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    and makest men as the fishes of the sea, helpless in the face of the fisherman's net, AS THE CREEPING THINGS THAT HAVE NO RULER OVER THEM, one who might act as their protector and defender in times of...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Prophet's Prayer...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    CREEPING: Or, moving...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-17 However matters may be, yet God is the Lord our God, our Holy One. We are an offending people, he is an offended God, yet we will not entertain hard thoughts of him, or of his service. It is gr...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    MAKEST; not infusing cruel, ravenous, and unsatiable appetites, but permitting them to act according to such appetite which was already in them. MEN; who should be just to all, and wrong none, who wer...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Habakkuk 1:14 make H6213 (H8799) men H120 fish H1709 sea H3220 things H7431 ruler H4910 (H8802) cre

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    HABBAKUK IS EVEN MORE PUT OUT. HOW CAN GOD USE SUCH INSTRUMENTS TO CHASTEN HIS PEOPLE? (HABAKKUK 1:12). Habakkuk 1:12 ‘Are you not from everlasting, O YHWH? My God, my Holy One, We will not die. O...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Habakkuk's prayer concerning evil in dispersed Israel. God's voice to Israel and Habakkuk's testimony to God. CHARACTERS: God, Habakkuk. CONCLUSION: We must not think it strange if God som...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Zechariah 1:1. _The burden,_ the prophecy, _which Habakkuk the prophet saw._ Here he opens his commission, as divinely inspired with vision, and invested with a charge which he must deliver. God laid...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And makest men as the fishes of the sea _ RAPACIOUS SELFISHNESS IN POWER Illustrated in Nebuchadnezzar. Selfishness is the root and essence of sin. All unregenerate men are therefore more or less...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    HABAKKUK—NOTE ON HABAKKUK 1:12 Second Cycle. This passage asks an age-old question: Why does evil seem to go unpunished? God’s answer is that all who are wicked will eventually be punished; meanwhile,...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    HABAKKUK—NOTE ON HABAKKUK 1:14 Habakkuk’s charge against God is that he allows mankind to act like lower creatures (FISH and CRAWLING THINGS), with no rulers or judges. Thus, wickedness goes unchecked...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.] Habakkuk 1:11. Then] Elated by victory. CHANGE] Lit. the wind passes by; the storm of violence like the wind sweeps over the land. Some refer it to the Chaldee nation, who change in...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION VERSE 1:1-2:20 PART I. JUDGMENT UPON THE EVIL, IN THE FORM OF A COLLOQUY BETWEEN THE PROPHET AND GOD....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn at this time to the book of Habakkuk. Very little is known concerning the personal background of Habakkuk. Very little, nothing is known. We don't know really anything about his backgrou...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Proverbs 6:7...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    And makest — Not infusing cruel appetites, but permitting them to act according to such appetite which was already in them. As the fishes — Of which the greater greedily devour the smaller. Creeping t...

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