Habakkuk 3:5

Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. BEFORE HIM WENT THE PESTILENCE - to destroy His people's foes, as He smote the Philistines with emerods, so that they said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel ... that it slay us not. For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there" (1 Samuel 5:9; 1 Samuel 5:11). As Yahweh's advent is glorious to His people, so it is terrible to His foes. BURNING COALS - Psalms 18:8 ("There went up a smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it") favours the English version. Others, on account of th...

The Prophet repeats here, that God came armed to defend his people, when he went forth from Teman; for he connects with it here the deliverance of the people. He does not indeed speak only of the promulgation of the law, but encourages all the godly to confidence; for God, who had once redeemed their fathers from Egypt, remained ever like himself, and was endued with the same power. And he says, that _before God’s face walked the pestilence_; this is to be referred to the Egyptians; and that _ignited coal proceeded from his feet_. Some render רשף, _reshoph_, exile; but its etymology requires it to be rendered burning or ignited coal, and there is no necessity to give it another meaning. (54) The import of the whole is—that God had put to flight all the enemies of his people; for we know that the Egyptians were smitten with various plagues, and that the army of Pharaoh was drowned in the

3-15 God's people, when in distress, and ready to despair, seek help by considering the days of old, and the years of ancient times, and by pleading them with God in prayer. The resemblance between the Babylonish and Egyptian captivities, naturally presents itself to the mind, as well as the possibility of a like deliverance through the power of Jehovah. God appeared in his glory. All the powers of nature are shaken, and the course of nature changed, but all is for the salvation of God's own people. Even what seems least likely, shall be made to work for their salvation. Hereby is given a type and figure of the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ. It is for salvation with thine anointed. Joshua who led the armies of Israel, was a figure of Him whose name he bare, even Jesus, our Joshua. In all the salvations wrought for them, God looked upon Christ the Anointed, and brought delivera...

Verse 5. _BEFORE HIM WENT THE PESTILENCE_] This plague was several times inflicted on the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness; see Numbers 11:33; Numbers 14:37; Numbers 16:46; and was always the proof that the _just God_ was then manifesting his _power among them_. _BURNING COALS EVENT FORTH AT HIS FEET._] _Newcome_ translates, "And flashes of fire went forth after him." The disobedient Israelities were consumed by a _fire_ that went out from Jehovah; see Leviticus 10:2; Numbers 11:1;...

BEFORE HIM WENT (GOETH) THE PESTILENCE - then to consume His enemies. Exodus 23:27 : “I will send My fear before thee, and will destroy all the people, to whom thou shalt come,” and the lightnings are a token that, Psalms 68:1, “they which hate Him, flee before Him, and the wicked perish at the Presence of God.” So, on His Ascension, Herod and Pilate were smitten by Him, and Elymas and Simon Magus before His apostles, and whatsoever hath lifted itself up against Him hath perished, and antichrist shall perish, Psalms 11:4, “at the breath of His mouth,” and all the ungodly on the Day of Judgment. AND BURNING COALS - rather, as English, “burning fever”,...

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...

BEFORE HIM WENT THE PESTILENCE,.... Either in the land of Egypt, when he marched through that, and slew all their firstborn, Psalms 78:50 or rather which he sent before him, and Israel his people among the nations of the land of Canaan, with other diseases and judgments, and destroyed them to make way for his people, which may be here alluded to, Exodus 23:27 and may point at the judgments of God, and those pestilential diseases which seized upon the persecutors of the Christians, both among the Jews, as Herod, Acts 12:23 and among the Gentiles, as many of the Roman emperors, who died violent and grievous deaths; and particularly it may regard the pestilence, famine, and other sore judgments preceding the destructi

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:...

BEFORE HIM WENT, &C. Supply the logical _Ellipsis_: "[As He went forth to conquer for His People] before Him went", &c. See Exodus 28:27; Psalms 68:1; Psalms 68:2. BURNING COALS: or, lightning Compare Psalms 18:8; Psalms 76:3; Psalms 78:48....