Commentary on Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah and Malachi John Calvin
MINOR PROPHETS
order to support his own weakness, sets before himself this title of God, Thou, the strong God, or the rock, etc.; for {,}צורtsur means properly a rock, but it is to be taken here for God of strength. Why? ``Behold, we indeed see revolutions, which not only make our faith to totter, but also dissipate as it were all our thoughts: but how much soever the world revolve in confusion, yet God is a rock; His purpose fails not, nor wavers; but remains ever firm.'' We now then see why the Prophet calls God strong. 24
Thou the strong one, he says, hast established him. He expresses more by the word established, than in the first clause: for he prepared himself with firmness against continued evils, in case God (as it might be easily conjectured) would not give immediate relief to his people, but add calamities to calamities. Should God then join evils to evils, the Prophet prepares himself for perseverance; ``Thou,'' he says, ``the strong one hast established him;'' that is, ``Though the Assyrian should not only like a whirlwind or a violent tempest rush upon us, but also continue to oppress us, as though he were a pestilence attached to the land, or some fixed mountain, yet thou, Lord, hast established him.'' For what purpose? to correct. But the Prophet could not have said this, had he not known that God justly chastised his people. Not only for his own sake did he say this; but he intended also, by his own example, to lead the faithful to make the same holy and pious confession.
The two clauses of this sentence then are these, that though the Assyrian would rage with unbridled wantonness, like a cruel wild beast, he would yet be restrained by the hidden power of God, to whom it peculiarly belongs to overrule by his secret providence the confusions of this world. This is one thing. The Prophet also ascribes justice to God's power, and thus confesses his own guilt and that of the people; for the Lord would justly use so severe a scourge, because the people needed such a correction. Let us now go on--- Habakkuk 1:13
13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
13. Mundus es oculis, ne videas malum, et aspicere ad molestiam non potes (non poteris, adverbum;) quare aspicis transgressores? dissimulas quum impius devorat justiorem se?
The Prophet here expostulates with God, not as at the beginning of the chapter; for he does not here, with a holy and calm mind, undertake the defense of God's glory, but complains of injuries, as men do when oppressed, who go to the judge and implore his protection. This complaint, then, is to be distinguished from the former one; for at the beginning of the chapter the Prophet did not plead his own cause or that of the people; but zeal for God's glory roused him, so that he in a manner asked
God to take vengeance on so great an obstinacy in wickedness; but he now comes
24Many agree in this view, Drusius, Piscator, Marckius, Henderson, etc. The Septuagint affords no help. The rendering of Symmachus is {κραταιον}, strong, and of Aquila, {στερεον}, firm; then it would be, ``and strong (or firm) for correction hast thou established him.'' Grotius, and also Newcome, adopt this meaning. And thou hast founded them on a rock to chasten us This is, no doubt, the easiest and most natural construction. See Ezekiel 3:9.
God rendered the Chaldean nation firm, and strong, and resolute, to punish the Jews.---Ed.
JOHN CALVIN
down and expresses the feelings of men; for he speaks of the thoughts and sorrows of those who had suffered injuries under the tyranny of their enemies.
And he says, O God, thou art pure in eyes, thou lookest not on evil. Some render the verb {,}טהורtheur in the imperative mood, clear the eyes; but they are mistaken; for the verse contains two parts, the one contrary to the other. The Prophet reasons from the nature of God, and then he states what is of an opposite character. Thou, God, he says, art pure in eyes; hence thou canst not look on evil; it is not consistent with thy nature to pass by the vices of men, for every iniquity is hateful to thee. Thus the Prophet sets before himself the nature of God. Then he adds, that experience is opposed to this; for the wicked, he says, exult; and while they miserably oppress the innocent, no one affords any help. How is this, except that God sleeps in heaven, and neglects the affairs of men? We now then understand the Prophet's meaning in this verse. 25
By saying that God is pure in eyes, he assumes what ought to be deemed certain and indubitable by all men of piety. But as God's justice does not always appear, the Prophet has a struggle; and he shows that he in a manner vacillated, for he did not see in the state of things before him what yet his piety dictated to him, that is, that God was just and upright. It is indeed true, that the second part of the verse borders on blasphemy: for though the Prophet ever thought honourably and reverently of God, yet he murmurs here, and indirectly charges God with too much tardiness, as he connived at things, while he saw the just shamefully oppressed by the wicked.
But we must notice the order which the Prophet keeps. For by saying that God is pure in eyes, he no doubt restrains himself. As there was danger lest this temptation should carry him too far, he meets it in time, and includes himself, in a manner, within this boundary---that we ought to retain a full conviction of God's justice. The same order is observed by Jeremiah when he says, `I know, Lord, that thou art just, but how is it that the ungodly do thus pervert all equity? and thou either takest no notice, or dost not apply any remedy. I would therefore freely contend with thee.'
The Prophet does not immediately break out into such an expression as this, ``O
Lord, I will contend with thee in judgement:'' but before he mentions his complaint, knowing that his feelings were strongly excited, he makes a kind of preface, and in a manner restrains himself, that he might check that extreme ardor which might have otherwise carried him beyond due bounds; ``Thou art just, O Lord,'' he says.
In a similar manner does our prophet speak here, Thou art pure in eyes, so as not to behold evil; and thou canst not look on trouble
25Adjectives and participles in Hebrew commonly take a plural form, but not always, as evidently in the present case; for the word for "pure," though singular, will admit of a better construction with "eyes" than in any other way; and so Grotius renders the clause, "Purer are thine eyes," etc.; which is better than our version, followed by Newcome and Henderson. The whole passage will thus read better:— Purer are thine eyes than to behold evil, And to look on wickedness thou art not able: Why then lookest thou on the perfidious, And art still when the wicked swallows up One more righteous than himself? And makest man to be like the fish of the sea, Like the reptile which has no ruler? "Evil" means here wrong, injustice; the corresponding clause is "the wicked" swallowing up or oppressing his better. The Jews were bad, but better than the Chaldeans. "Wickedness," [{,[{עמלis such a mischief as is done through treachery: hence in the next line, which, according to the style of the Prophets, corresponds with this, ``the perfidious'' are mentioned, improperly rendered
by Henderson, and ``transgressors'' by Newcome. The Chaldeans had been the allies of the Jews. With respect to the reptile or the crawling fish, such as keep to the bottom of the waters, why is it said to be without a ruler? Is it more insulated and less gregarious, so to speak, than other fish? If so, ``without a ruler'' has an obvious meaning.---Ed.