Commentary on Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah and Malachi John Calvin (continued)
MINOR PROPHETS
for we know, that when that people fought under the protection of God, they were armed as it were from above. As then it is said of Gideon, ``The sword of God and of Gideon;'' so also in this place the Prophet calls whatever armor the people of Israel had, the arrows of God and his spear; for that people could not move---no, not a finger's breadth---without the command of God. The sun then was wont before to regard the ordinary command, of which we read in Genesis; but it was then directed for another purpose: for it had regard to the arrows of God flying on the earth as lightning; and it had regard to the arrows, as though it stood astonished and dared not to advance. Why? because it behoved it to submit to God while he was carrying on war. 65 We now then perceive how much kindness is included in these words.
What, therefore, we have already referred to, ought to be borne in mind---that in this place there is no frigid narrative, but such things are brought before the faithful as avail to confirm their hope, that they may feel assured, that the power of God is sufficient for the purpose of delivering them; for it was for this end that he formerly wrought so many miracles. It follows---
Habakkuk 3:12
12. Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.
12. In ira calcasti terram (vel, ambulasti super terram; [{]}דעצenim significat ambulare;) in ira (est tamen aliud nomen, ergo vertamus uno loco, indignationem, vel, furorem,---in furore) triturasti gentes (vel, triturabis.)
The Prophet relates here the entrance of the people into the land of Canaan, that the faithful might know that their fathers would not have obtained so many victories had not God put forth the power and strength of his hand. Hence he says, that God himself had trampled on the land in anger. For how could the Israelites have dared to attack so many nations, who had lately come forth from so miserable a bondage?
They had indeed been in the desert for forty years; but they were always trembling and fearful, and we also know that they were weak and feeble. How then was it, that they overcame most powerful kings? that they made war with nations accustomed to war? Doubtless God himself trod down the land in his wrath, and also threshed the nations: as it is said in Psalm 44:5, ``It was not by their own sword that they got the land of Canaan; neither their own power, nor their own hand saved them; but the Lord showed favor to them, and became their Deliverer.''
Justly then does the Prophet ascribe this to God, that he himself walked over the land; for otherwise the Israelites would never have dared to move a foot. Doubtless, 65There is much beauty and force in this explanation: and accordant with it is the version of Henderson. But that of Newcome is somewhat different— The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation: By their light thine arrows went abroad; By their brightness, the lightning of thy spear. To avoid the insertion of so many words in italics which are not in the original, I would render the verse thus— The sun! the moon! — it stood — she remained stationary, For light to thine arrows which went forth, For brightness to the flashing of thy spear. The genitive case is often to be rendered as a dative, as in Jeremiah 31:35, [{{`` }לילה{[, לאורfor the light of the night;'' that is, ``for light to the night.'' There are twelve MSS. which have ``and,'' ,[{]}וbefore ``moon:'' but it is not wanted, the verb ``stood'' being singular; and it is followed, as I conceive, by another verb in the singular number, and in the feminine gender, while ``stood'' is in the masculine, and refers to the moon, and the last refers to the sun; which is sometimes feminine, while moon is ever the masculine. The verb [{]}זבלis not properly to dwell, but to continue fixed, or to remain stationary. The order in our language would be this--- The sun remained stationary, the moon stood. ---Ed.