Habakkuk 1:11

1:1-11 The servants of the Lord are deeply afflicted by seeing ungodliness and violence prevail; especially among those who profess the truth. No man scrupled doing wrong to his neighbour. We should long to remove to the world where holiness and love reign for ever, and no violence shall be before us. God has good reasons for his long-suffering towards bad men, and the rebukes of good men. The day will come when the cry of sin will be heard against those that do wrong, and the cry of prayer for those that suffer wrong. They were to notice what was going forward among the heathen by the Chaldeans, and to consider themselves a nation to be scourged by them. But most men presume on continued prosperity, or that calamities will not come in their days. They are a bitter and hasty nation, fierce, cruel, and bearing down all before them. They shall overcome all that oppose them. But it is a great offence, and the common offence of proud people, to take glory to themselves. The closing words give a glimpse of comfort.

(11) Then shall his mind change . . . .—Better, Then he sweeps by like a wind and passes. But he is guilty, making this his strength his god. By an abrupt transition the latter half of the verse diverts our attention from the human view of the world-conqueror to his appearance in God’s sight. Men only see an irresistible force sweeping over the face of the earth like a whirlwind; here to-day, and to-morrow nothing but devastation and ruin to testify to its visit. And men are dazzled by this mighty display of power. But, even as Daniel at Belshazzar’s feast, Habakkuk pronounces the oppressor’s doom in the very hour of triumph. The description of the irresistible invader drops into the sudden depths of anti-climax, “But he is (counted) guilty. ” His guilt consists just in what men deem so glorious, in his self-reliant irresponsible pursuit of grandeur. The brute force of armaments is the supreme deity of the Chaldæan. His sword and spear are, as it were, his idols. (Comp. Habakkuk 1:16 .) God, in whose hands his breath is, and whose are all his ways, has he not glorified. (Comp. Daniel 5:23 .) Therefore that God shall bring on him ruin and ignominy, and the very nations which have marvelled at his prowess shall taunt and contemn him ( Habakkuk 2:6 ). Here, then, is the key-note of so much of the second canto ( Habakkuk 1:12 to 2 fin. ) as relates to the downfall of the invader.

Then shall his mind change, and he shall {i} pass over, and offend, imputing this his power to his god. (i) The Prophet comforts the faithful that God will also destroy the Babylonians, because they will abuse this victory, and become proud and insolent, attributing the praise of this to their idols.

11. Then—when elated by his successes. shall his mind change—He shall lose whatever of reason or moderation ever was in him, with pride. he shall pass over—all bounds and restraints: his pride preparing the sure way for his destruction (Pr 16:18). The language is very similar to that describing Nebuchadnezzar's "change" from man's heart (understanding) to that of a beast, because of pride (see on [1163]Da 4:16; [1164]Da 4:30, 31; [1165]Da 4:33, 34). An undesigned coincidence between the two sacred books written independently. imputing this his power unto his god—(Da 5:4). Sacrilegious arrogance, in ascribing to his idol Bel the glory that belongs to God [Calvin]. Grotius explains, "(saying that) his power is his own as one who is a god to himself" (compare Hab 1:16, and Da 3:1-30). So Maurer, "He shall offend as one to whom his power is his god" (Job 12:6; see on [1166]Mic 2:1).

11 . Then shall his mind change ] then he sweepeth onward as the wind (or, a blast), and passeth through . The two words “sweep on” and “pass through” occur again Isaiah 8:8 , being said of the Assyrian armies under the figure of an overwhelming flood. But both words are used of wind-storms, the first Isaiah 21:1 , and the second Proverbs 10:25 . Arrested for a moment by the fortress, as soon as it is fallen he sweeps onwards, and overruns what lies still before him. The “wind” and “spirit” being the same word in Heb., A.V. rendered mind . and offend ] and becometh guilty . The rhythm of the verse would place this word in the second clause, but the sense is against this position. Imputing this his power ] Rather, this his might becometh his god . The Heb. word “this” is as in Psalm 12:7 ; the form is oftener a relative, and so R.V., even he whose might is his god . The clause perhaps explains how he “becomes guilty” or offends. His success intoxicates him, and in his pride of heart he deifies his own might. Comp. the words of the Assyrian king Isaiah 10:7 ff., Isaiah 10:13 ff., and those of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 4:30 . For “offends” Wellh. suggests tentatively a form of the verb to set or make: and maketh this his might to be his god . This restores the rhythm, but the order of words is strange. The text is not above suspicion. The Chaldeans (Heb.

Kasdîm ), in the Assyrian inscriptions Kaldu , were properly neither Assyrians nor Babylonians, though no doubt like them a Shemitic people. Their seats were in the southmost parts of the Babylonian plain, towards and on the Persian Gulf. Here they formed a number of small states, one of which was Bît Yakin, the kingdom of Merodach Baladan, which lay on the coast and is called in inscriptions “the land of the sea.” If the Shemites penetrated into the plains of the two rivers from the north, the Chaldeans must have formed the vanguard of the immigration and been thrown into the furthest south by the successive waves of population that followed them; if they entered from the south or south-west the Chaldeans would be the latest to arrive. This is most probable, for the movement appears always to have been northward, and the steady aim of the Chaldeans was to gain possession of the country lying to the north of their abode and seat themselves upon the throne of Babylon. This their princes succeeded in doing more than once. Merodach Baladan, who gave trouble to three Assyrian monarchs, Tiglath-Pileser, Sargon and Sennacherib, appears to have occupied the throne of Babylon from b.c. 721 to 709, when after a war with Sargon he was dispossessed. The indefatigable veteran renewed the struggle for the crown of Babylon in the time of Sennacherib, but without success, and disappears from history, though his descendants are spoken of in the annals of the succeeding Assyrian kings.

Then: it notes both the time and cause of what happened; extraordinary successes, and a continued series of them, attending the designs and attempts of the Chaldean kings, at last made them so haughty and proud, as to trample on kings, Habakkuk 1:10 ; and when their pride was at this height, it stops not here. His mind; the spirit or wind, as the Hebrew, and so some think the prophet does foretell the change of his prosperous gales, his downfall; but it is more natural to understand it of the change of mind in the prosperous Chaldean, he will think other thoughts of himself. his affairs, and of other men. He shall pass over; break over the bounds of all sober and modest sentiments, exceed in his value of himself, and of his achievements, as Sennacherib first did, 2 Chronicles 32:17-19 , and next Nebuchadnezzar, surnamed the Great, Daniel 4:29,30 . Offend: this pride was a great sin, and highly provoked God; for the insolent tyrant idolized himself. Imputing this his power, the strength by which he had done all this great exploits, or the might and power to which he had advanced himself, unto his god: this at first seems a little tolerable, it seems to savour somewhat of religion, yet it is a great offence thus to ascribe his grandeur to a dumb idol, but it is worse to reckon his strength to be his god, as the words will express it in the Hebrew. See Daniel 4:29,30 .

Verse 11. - Then shall his mind change; Τότε μεταβαλεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα (Septuagint); Tunc mutabitur spiritus (Vulgate). From the ease and extent of his conquests the Chaldean gains fresh spirit. But it is best to translate differently, Then he sweepeth on as a wind. The Chaldean's inroad is compared to a tempestuous wind, which carries all before it. And he shall pass over. This is explained to mean, he exceeds all limits in his arrogancy, or he passes onward through the land. The former interpretation regards what is coming, the latter keeps to the metaphor of the wind. And offend. He is guilty, or offends, as the next clause explains, by attributing his success to his own prowess and skill. Thus the prophet intimates that the avenger himself incurs God's displeasure, and will suffer for it. Septuagint, καὶ ἐξιλάσεται , which St. Cyril interprets to mean that the Lord will change his purpose of punishing the Jews, and will have mercy on them - a notion quite foreign to the purport of the sentence. Imputing this his power unto his god; more literally, this his power is his god ; Revised Version, even he whose might is his god . He defies the Lord, and makes his might his god. (For such pride and self-glorification, setup. Isaiah 14:13 ; Isaiah 47:7 , etc.; Daniel 4:30 .) Thus Mezentius, the despiser of the gods, speaks in Virgil, 'AEn.,' 10:773 - "Dextra mihi deus et telum, quod missile libro,Nunc adsint!" Comp.

Then shall his mind change - or, better, "Then he sweeps by, חלף châlaph is used of the overflowing of a river, Isaiah 8:8 , of a wind chasing, Isaiah 21:1 , of the invisible presence of God passing by, Job 9:11 , or a spirit, Job 4:15 , of the swift passing of our days, like ship or eagle, Job 10:26 , of idols utterly passing away. Isaiah 2:18 , of rain past and gone, Sol 2:11. It is, together with עבר ‛âbar, used of transgressing God's law Isaiah 24:5 . It is always intransitive, except as piercing the temples of man Judges 5:26 , or himself Job 20:24 . A wind - רוח rûach, metaphor for simile, as Psalm 11:1; Psalm 22:14; (13 English) Psalm 90:4; Job 24:5; Isaiah 51:12) And passes - עבר ‛âbar "pass over" (with חלף châlaph, as here,), Isaiah 8:8; Nahum 1:8; Habakkuk 3:10; "transgress," passim; "pass away," Psalm 37:6; Job 34:29; Nahum 1:12) And is guilty; this his strength is his god - The victory was completed, all resistance ended. He sweeps by, as his own Euphrates, when over-filled by the swelling Isaiah 8:8 of all its tributary streams, riseth up over all its banks, and overwhelms all where it passes; as a wind which sweepeth Isaiah 21:1 over the desert: and passes over all bounds and laws, human and divine, and is guilty and stands guilty before God, making himself as God.

This his power is his god - God had said to Israel Exodus 6:7, "I will be to thee God." The Chaldaean virtually said, "this my strength is to me my god." This Nebuchadnezzars own words speak Daniel 4:30; "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" And the statue which was to be worshipped, was, very probably, of himself, as the intoxication of pride has made other pagan kings or conquerors, Alexander or Darius. Belshazzar said Isaiah 14:14, "I will be like the Most High," and the prince of Tyre said Ezekiel 28:2, "I am a god, and antichrist shall "exalt himself above all that is called god, and, as God, sit in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is god" 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Such is all pride. It sets itself in the place of God, it ceases to think of itself as God's instrument, and so becomes a god to itself, as though its eminence and strength were its own, and its wisdom were the source of its power (See Ezekiel 28:2-5), and its will the measure of its greatness. The words, with a divine fullness, express severally, that the king Shall sweep along, shall pass over all bounds and all hindrances, and shall pass away, shall be guilty and shall bear his guilt ; and so they comprise in one his sin and his punishment, his greatness and his fall.