Habakkuk 3:2

O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. O LORD, I HAVE HEARD THY SPEECH - thy revelation to me concerning the coming chastisement of the Jews (Calvin), and the destruction of their oppressors. This is Habakkuk's reply to God's communication (Grotius). Maurer translates, 'the report of thy coming'-literally, thy report. AND WAS AFRAID - with reverential fear of God's judgments (). O LORD, REVIVE THY WORK - perfect the work of delivering thy people, and do not let thy promise to lie as it were dead, but give it new life by performing it (Menochius). Calvin explains, "thy work" to be Israel; called "my sons ... the work of my hands" ...

The Prophet says here, in the name of the whole people, that he was terrified by the voice of God, for so I understand the word, though in many places it means report, as some also explain it in this place. But as the preaching of the Gospel is called in Isaiah 53:1, שמעה, _shemoe_, report, it seems to me more suitable to the present passage to render it the voice of God; for the general sentiment, that the faithful were terrified at the report of God, would be frigid. It ought rather to be applied to the Prophecies which have been already explained: and doubtless Habakkuk did not intend here to speak only in general of God’s power; but, as we have seen in the last lecture, he humbly confesses the sins of the people, and then prays for forgiveness. It is then not to be doubted but that he says here, that he was terrified by the voice of God, that is, when he heard him threatening pun

1,2 The word prayer seems used here for an act of devotion. The Lord would revive his work among the people in the midst of the years of adversity. This may be applied to every season when the church, or believers, suffer under afflictions and trials. Mercy is what we must flee to for refuge, and rely upon as our only plea. We must not say, Remember our merit, but, Lord, remember thy own mercy....

Verse Habakkuk 3:2. _IN THE MIDST OF THE YEARS_] בקרב שנים _bekereb shanim_, "As the years approach." The nearer the time, the clearer and fuller is the prediction; and the signs of the times show that the complete fulfilment _is at hand_. But as the judgments will be heavy, (and they are not greater than we deserve,) yet, _Lord, in_ _the midst of wrath_ - infliction of punishment - _remember mercy_, and spare the souls that return unto thee with humiliation and prayer....

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 ea...

EXPOSITION HABAKKUK 3:1 Part II. PSALM OR PRAYER OF HABAKKUK. HABAKKUK 3:1 § 1. _The title._ A PRAYER. There is only one formal prayer in the ode, that in Habakkuk 3:2; but the term is used of any devotional composition; and, indeed, the whole poem may be regarded as the development of the precatory sentences in the proemium. (For other hymns in the prophetical books, see Isaiah 24:1, and...

O LORD, I HAVE HEARD THY SPEECH, [AND] WAS AFRAID,.... Or, "thy hearing" p; which the Lord had caused to be heard from and of himself; the report that had been made to him, and other prophets before him, particularly Isaiah, who says, "who hath believed our report?" Isaiah 53:1 where the same phrase is used as here: though it seems here not so much to regard the evangelical part of that report, concerning the coming of Christ, his sufferings and death, in order obtain redemption and salvation for his people; for this would have been, and was, matter of joy, and not of fear and consternation: but the truth is this, the Lord in the preceding speech, being a report he made to the prophet concerning the Messiah, had signified that Christ would have many enemies from the Jews and from the Gentiles, from Rome Pagan and Rome Papal; that the church of Christ would meet with great afflictions and...

CHAPTER 3 The Vision of the Coming of the Lord _ 1. The prophet's prayer (Habakkuk 3:1) _ 2. The coming of the Lord for judgment and redemption (Habakkuk 3:3) 3. The effect upon the prophet (Habakkuk 3:16) Habakkuk 3:1. Once more we hear the voice of the man of God in prayer. Shigionoth is the plural of Shiggaion, and is found in the superscription of Psalms 7:1. Its meaning is “loud crying.” The connection with the seventh Psalm is interesting. In that Psalm God appeared to David as the God of judgment, the right

HABAKKUK 3. THE PRAYER OF HABAKKUK. Habakkuk 3:1. Shigionoth: probably plural of _shiggaion_ (Psalms 7:1, p. 373). But LXX reads _n e ginoth_, on the stringed instruments (_cf._ Psalms 4:1; Psalms 6:1, etc.). HABAKKUK 3:2. The poet has both heard of and seen Yahweh's doings in days gone by, and prays Him anew to reveal His saving power to His people. For _yarethi_, I was afraid, read _ra-' ithi_, I have seen (LXX), to be taken with the following words: thus, I have seen Thy work, O Lord. IN THE MIDST OF THE YEARS:...

LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. HEARD THY SPEECH. heard Thy hearing. Figure of speech _Polyptoton._ App-6. SPEECH. hearing. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Subject), App-6, for what was heard. Here. Thy fame, as in Numbers 14:15; 1 Kings 10:1.Isaiah 66:19. AFRAID.. In awe; as in Exodus 14:31. REVIVE. renew, in the sense of repeating, doing over again. WORK. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, and Syriac, read "works": i.e. doings. YEARS. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Adjunct), for the afflictions suffered in them, or "wrat