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Commentary on Habakkuk 1 verses 12–17
The prophet, having received of the Lord that which he was to deliver to the people, now turns to God, and again addresses himself to him for the ease of his own mind under the burden which he saw. And still he is full of complaints. If he look about him, he sees nothing but violence done by Israel; if he look before him, he sees nothing but violence done against Israel; and it is hard to say which is the more melancholy sight. His thoughts of both he pours out before the Lord. It is our duty to be affected both with the iniquities and with the calamities of the church of God and of the times and places wherein we live; but we must take heed lest we grow peevish in our resentments, and carry them too far, so as to entertain any hard thoughts of God, or lose the comfort of our communion with him. The world is bad, and always was so, and will be so; it is out of our power to mend it; but we are sure that God governs the world, and will bring glory to himself out of all, and therefore we must resolve to make the best of it, must be ourselves better, and long for the better world. The prospect of the prevalence of the Chaldeans drives the prophet to his knees, and he takes the liberty to plead with God concerning it. In his plea we may observe,
I. The truths which he lays down, which he resolves to abide by, and with which he endeavours to comfort himself and his friends, under the growing threatening power of the Chaldeans; and they will furnish us with pleasing considerations for our support in the like case.
1.However it be, yet God is the Lord our God, and our Holy One. The victorious Chaldeans impute their power to their idols, but we are taught to tell them that the God of Israel is the true God, the living God, Jer 10:10, Jer 10:11. (1.) He is Jehovah, the fountain of all being, power, and perfection. Our rock is not as theirs. (2.) "He is my God." He speaks in the people's name; every Israelite may say, "He is mine. Though we are thus sore broken, and all this has come upon us, yet have we not forgotten the name of our God, nor quitted our relation to him, yet have we not disowned him, nor hath he disowned us, Psa 44:17. We are an offending people; he is an offended God; yet he is ours, and we will not entertain any hard thoughts of him, nor of his service, for all this." (3.) "He is my Holy One." This intimates that the prophet loved God as a holy God, loved him for the sake of his holiness. "He is mine because he is a Holy One; and therefore he will be my sanctifier and my Saviour, because he is my Holy One. Men are unholy, but my God is holy."
2.Our God is from everlasting. This he pleads with him: Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God? It is matter of great and continual comfort to God's people, under the troubles of this present life, that their God is from everlasting. This intimates, (1.) The eternity of his nature; if he is from everlasting, he will be to everlasting, and we must have recourse to this first principle, when things seen, which are temporal, are discouraging, that we have hope and help sufficient in a god that is not seen, that is eternal. "Art thou not from everlasting, and then wilt thou not make bare thy everlasting arm, in pursuance of thy everlasting counsels, to make unto thyself an everlasting name?" (2.) The antiquity of his covenant: "Art thou not from of old, a God in covenant with thy people" (so some understand it), "and hast thou not done great things for them in the days of old, which we have heard with our ears, and which our fathers have told us of; and art thou not the same God still that thou ever wast? Thou art God, and changest not."
3.While the world stands God will have a church in it. Thou art from everlasting, and then we shall not die. The Israel of God shall not be extirpated, nor the name of Israel blotted out, though it may sometimes seem to be very near it; like the apostles (Co2 6:9), chastened, and not killed; chastened sorely, but not delivered over to death, Psa 118:18. See how the prophet infers the perpetuity of the church from the eternity of God; for Christ has said, Because I live, and therefore as long as I live, you shall live also, Joh 14:19. He is the rock on which the church is so firmly built that the gates of hell shall not, cannot, prevail against it. We shall not die.
4.Whatever the enemies of the church may do against her, it is according to the counsel of God, and is designed and directed for wise and holy ends: Thou hast ordained them; thou hast established them. It was God that gave the Chaldeans their power, made them a formidable people, and in his counsel determined what they should do, nor had they any power against his Israel but what was given them from above. He gave them their commission to take the spoil and to take the prey, Isa 10:6. Herein God appears a mighty God, that the power of mighty men is derived from him, depends upon him, and is under his check; he says concerning it, Hitherto shall it come, and no further. Those whom God ordains shall do no more than what God has ordained, which is a great comfort to God's suffering people. Men are God's hand, the rod in his hand, Psa 17:14. And he has ordained them for judgment, and for correction. God's people need correction, and deserve it; they must expect it; they shall have it; when wicked men are let loose against them, it is not for their destruction, that they may be ruined, but for their correction, that they may be reformed; they are not intended for a sword, to cut them off, but for a rod, to drive out the foolishness that is found in their hearts, though they mean not so, neither does their heart think so, Isa 10:7. Note, It is matter of great comfort to us, in reference to the troubles and afflictions of the church, that, whatever mischief men design to them, God designs to bring good out of them, and we are sure that his counsel shall stand.
5.Though the wickedness of the wicked may prosper for a while, yet God is a holy God, and does not approve of that wickedness (Hab 1:13): Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil. The prophet, observing how very vicious and impious the Chaldeans were, and yet what great success they had against God's Israel, found a temptation arising from it to say that it was vain to serve God, and that it was indifferent to him what men were. But he soon suppresses the thought, by having recourse to his first principle, That God is not, that he cannot be, the author or patron of sin; as he cannot do iniquity himself, so he is of purer eyes than to behold it with any allowance or approbation; no, it is that abominable thing which the Lord hates. He sees all the sin that is committed in the world, and it is an offence to him, it is odious in his eyes, and those that commit it are thereby made obnoxious to his justice. There is in the nature of God an antipathy to those dispositions and practices that are contrary to his holy law; and, though an expedient is happily found out for his being reconciled to sinners, yet he never will, nor can, be reconciled to sin. And this principle we must resolve to abide by, though the dispensations of his providence may for a time, and in some instances, seem to be inconsistent with it. Note, God's connivance at sin must never be interpreted into a giving countenance to it; for he is not a God that has pleasure in wickedness, Psa 5:4, Psa 5:5. The iniquity which, it is here said, God does not look upon, may be meant especially of the mischief done to God's people by their persecutors; though God sees cause to permit it, yet he does not approve of it; so it agrees with that of Balaam (Num 23:21), He has not beheld iniquity against Jacob, nor seen, with allowance, perverseness against Israel, which is very comfortable to the people of God, in their afflictions by the rage of men, that they cannot infer God's anger from it; though the instruments of their trouble hate them, it does not therefore follow that God does; nay, he loves them, and it is in love that he corrects them.
II. The grievances he complains of, and finds hard to reconcile with these truths: "Since we are sure that thou art a holy God, why have atheists temptation given them to question whether thou art so or no? Wherefore lookest thou upon the Chaldeans that deal treacherously with thy people, and givest them success in their attempts upon us? Why dost thou suffer thy sworn enemies, who blaspheme thy name, to deal thus cruelly, thus perfidiously, with thy sworn subjects, who desire to fear thy name? What shall we say to this?" This was a temptation to Job (Job 21:7; Job 24:1), to David (Psa 73:2, Psa 73:3), to Jeremiah, Jer 12:1, Jer 12:2. 1. That God permitted sin, and was patient with the sinners. He looked upon them; he saw all their wicked doings and designs, and did not restrain nor punish them, but suffered them to speed in their purposes, to go on and prosper, and to carry all before them. Nay, his looking upon them intimates that he not only gave them no check or rebuke, but that he gave them encouragement and assistance, as if he smiled upon them and favoured them. He held his tongue when they went on in their wicked courses, said nothing against them, gave no orders to stop them. These things thou hast done, and I kept silence. 2. That his patience was abused, and, because sentence against these evil works and workers was not executed speedily, therefore their hearts were the more fully set in them to do evil. (1.) They were false and deceitful, and there was no credit to be given them, nor any confidence to be put in them. They deal treacherously; under colour of peace and friendship, they prosecute and execute the most mischievous designs, and make no conscience of their word in any thing. (2.) They hated and persecuted men because they were better than themselves, as Cain hated Abel because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous. The wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he, for that very reason, because he shames him; they have an ill will to the image of God, and therefore devour good men, because they bear that image. Though many of the Jews were as bad as the Chaldeans themselves, and worse, yet there were those among them that were much more righteous, and yet were devoured by them. (3.) They made no more of killing men that of catching fish. The prophet complains that, Providence having delivered up the weaker to be prey to the stronger, they were, in effect, made as the fishes of the sea, Hab 1:14. So they had been among themselves, preying upon one another as the greater fishes do upon the less (Hab 1:3), and they were made so to the common enemy. They were as the creeping things, or swimming things (for the word is used for fish, Gen 1:20), that have no ruler over them, either to restrain them from devouring one another or to protect them from being devoured by their enemies. They are given up to the Chaldeans as fish to the fishermen. Those proud oppressors make no conscience of killing them, any more than men do of pulling fish out of the water, so small account do they make of human lives. They make no difficulty of killing them, but do it with as much ease as men catch fish, that make no resistance, but are unguarded and unarmed, and it is rather a pastime than any pains to take them. They make no distinction among them, but all is fish that comes to their net; and they reckon every thing their own that they can lay their hands on. They have various ways of spoiling and destroying, as men have of taking fish. Some they take up with the angle (Hab 1:15), one by one; others they catch in shoals, and by wholesale, in their net, and gather them in their drag, their enclosing net. Such variety of methods have they to destroy those by whom they hope to enrich themselves. (4.) They gloried in what they got, and pleased themselves with it, though it was got dishonestly: Their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous; they prosper in their oppression and fraud; they have a great deal, and it is of the best; their land is good, and they have abundance of it. And therefore, [1.] They have great complacency in themselves, and are very pleasant; they live merrily (Hab 1:15): Therefore they rejoice and are glad, because their wealth is great, and their projects succeed for the increase of it, Job 31:25. Soul, take thy ease, Luk 12:19. [2.] They have a great conceit of themselves, and are great admirers of their own ingenuity and management: They sacrifice to their own net, and burn incense to their own drag; they applaud themselves for having got so much money, though ever so dishonestly. Note, There is a proneness in us to take the glory of our outward prosperity to ourselves, and to say, My might, and the power of my hands, have gotten me this wealth, Deu 8:17. This is idolizing ourselves, sacrificing to the dragnet, because it is our own, which is as absurd a piece of idolatry as sacrificing to Neptune or Dagon. That which makes them adore their net thus is because by it their portion is fat. Those that make a god of their money will make a god of their drag-net, if they can but get money by it.
III. The prophet, in the close, humbly expresses his hope that God will not suffer these destroyers of mankind always to go on and prosper thus, and expostulates with God concerning it (Hab 1:17): "Shall they therefore empty their net? Shall they enrich themselves, and fill their own vessels, with that which they have by violence and oppression taken away from their neighbours? Shall they empty their net of what they have caught, that they may cast it into the sea again, to catch more? And wilt thou suffer them to proceed in this wicked course? Shall they not spare continually to slay the nations? Must the numbers and wealth of nations be sacrificed to their net? As if it were a small thing to rob men of their estates, shall they rob God of his glory? Is not God the king of nations, and will he not assert their injured rights? Is he not jealous for his own honour, and will he not maintain that?" The prophet lodges the matter in God's hand, and leaves it with him, as the psalmist does. Psa 74:22, Arise, O God! Plead thy own cause.
You see, even if it is the wicked who perish, nevertheless the souls of good people are likely to show compassion when they see people being punished. And you will find each of the good people and the inspired writers making earnest supplication for them, as for example the patriarch did for the Sodomites and the inspired writers all continued to do. One, for instance, said, “Woe is me, Lord; are you wiping out the remnant of Israel?” Another said, “Will you make people like the fish of the sea, deprived of a leader?” So since without even this the good man was troubled in mind and sick at heart, the Lord, in case the sight of these things should cast Noah into deeper depression, locked him in the ark as though in a prison, lest he have a sight of these events and be terror-struck. In his care for him, therefore, the loving God does not allow him to view the torrent of water or see the disaster occurring that involved the destruction of the world.
(Verse 13, 14.) Your eyes are the world's eyes, so that you may not see evil, and you cannot look upon injustice. Why do you not look upon those who commit wickedness and remain silent as the wicked devour the righteous? And you make men like the fish of the sea, and like the reptile that has no ruler? LXX: The world's eye, so that it may not see evil, and it cannot look upon grief. Why do you look upon those who despise, will you be silent when the wicked devours the righteous? And he will make men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler. Such is what Jeremiah speaks to God: You are just, Lord, I confess; yet I will speak judgments to you: Why does the way of the wicked prosper; why do all who are treacherous thrive? You planted them, and they have taken root; they grow, they bring forth fruit; you are near in their mouths and far from their heart. (Jeremiah 12:1-2). Therefore, Abacuc is also in the same opinion: Lord, you are the eyes of the world, he says; and I know that you do not willingly look upon evil and injustice, nor can anyone doubt your justice. However, why do you allow the Babylonians to boast with such cruelty, and the just Israel to be oppressed by the impious Nebuchadnezzar: not because the one who is oppressed is perfectly just, but because he is more just than the one who oppresses him. And just as fish, who do not have a ruler, and irrational animals, and a multitude of reptiles without providence, submit to the stronger, and whoever is stronger in strength, dominates the other: so among men, the rational animal, created in Your likeness, reason and merit will not prevail; but the strength of the body and irrational strength will. But if we want to understand in a general way, regarding providence, when the prophet asks: Why does the devil have so much power in the world, and exercise tyranny while God rules? This will be the meaning, and with the previous explanations, this interpretation will be connected: I know, O Lord my God, my holy one, that because of your providence and defense, we do not die; and I know that you have allowed an adversary, so that, like an executioner himself, he may seize and not kill sinners. I wonder why it seems unjust to you that nothing pleases you, and your eyes are free from all wickedness, and you cannot see the sufferings of those who are subjected to injustice. However, I cannot find a reason why the righteous Abel is killed by the unjust Cain (Genesis IV), and you remain silent? Why does the raging whale devour not only smaller fish but also Jonah himself (Jonah II)? Why does the wicked prevail and the righteous suffer? I do not say this because I know anyone to be justified in your sight and to be without sin, and that I am unaware of human frailty; but just as Sodom and Gomorrah are compared with Jerusalem, so also the tax collector in the Gospel is made more righteous in comparison with the Pharisee (Luke 18): likewise, he who is oppressed by the devil is indeed a sinner, but he is more righteous when he submits to being oppressed. Therefore, why is there no standard or measure, so that if a just person is once oppressed and subjected, they do not submit to an impious person, but to someone more righteous? Is it possible for anything to be done without you, and you not willing, that is not impious? To think this is blasphemous. Therefore, since you are the ruler and Lord of the universe, it is necessary for you to do what cannot be done without you. And he says this not because he himself as a prophet believes it, as I have attested above, but because he expresses human impatience in his own person: just as we frequently see the apostle receiving various opinions from people, and now saying: 'But I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin, which is in my members.' (Rom. VII, 23). And, as if he were beginning: Brethren, I do not think that I have apprehended, but we know in part, and we prophesy in part (Philippians 3:13). And again, as if he were perfect: So, therefore, let us have this knowledge, that however perfect we may be, we may still say that we know in part and are not perfect (1 Corinthians 13:9). And lest you should perhaps think that this is not the custom of the Apostles, but rather an argument of our own, he himself speaks to the Corinthians: But these things, brethren, I have transfigured myself and Apollo for your sake, so that you may learn in us (1 Corinthians 4:6). Otherwise how can God have men like fish of the sea, and like reptiles that have no ruler: whereas the angels daily behold the face of the Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18); and the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them (Psalm 34). Therefore, just as in humans we can see the providence of God running through each individual, so in other animals we can understand a general arrangement, order, and course of things. For example, how a multitude of fish is born and lives in the waters, how reptiles and quadrupeds arise on land, and what food they are nourished by. Moreover, it is absurd to ascribe to the majesty of God the knowledge of how many mosquitoes are born and die in every moment, how many bugs and fleas and flies exist in the world, how many fish swim in the water, and which of the smaller creatures should yield to the prey of the larger ones. Let us not be such foolish flatterers of God that, while detracting from His power even to the lowest things, we become injurious to ourselves, saying that there is the same providence of rational and irrational things. From this, that apocryphal book of folly is to be condemned, in which it is written that a certain angel named Tyri presided over reptiles, and in the same way, angels assigned to fish, trees, and all beasts for their protection.
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SUMMARY
Habakkuk 1:14 captures the prophet's profound lament over the rampant injustice and moral decay he witnesses, expressing his bewilderment at God's apparent inaction. Through vivid imagery, he describes humanity as utterly vulnerable, likened to "fishes of the sea" and "creeping things" that lack any governing authority or protector, thus becoming easy prey for the ruthless Chaldeans whom God has raised up. This verse encapsulates Habakkuk's struggle with the problem of evil and divine sovereignty, questioning how a holy God could permit such chaos and exploitation among His people.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Habakkuk 1:14 is rich in Simile and Metaphor, comparing humanity's plight to the natural world. The explicit comparisons "as the fishes of the sea" and "as the creeping things" are powerful similes that evoke a sense of utter helplessness, insignificance, and vulnerability. These creatures exist in a realm where the strong devour the weak, and there is no inherent order or protection. The entire verse functions as an extended Metaphor for the chaotic and unjust human condition under the oppressive Chaldeans, where moral order has collapsed, and human life is cheap. The rhetorical question, "that have no ruler over them?", employs Pathos, appealing to the emotional distress of the prophet and implicitly, the reader, by highlighting the perceived absence of divine or just human governance. This rhetorical device underscores Habakkuk's profound perplexity and lament, forcing the reader to confront the same unsettling question of divine justice in the face of overwhelming evil.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Habakkuk 1:14 profoundly articulates the theological problem of evil and the apparent silence of God in the face of rampant injustice. The prophet grapples with the tension between God's holy character and His seemingly passive allowance of the wicked Chaldeans to oppress His people without restraint. This verse questions the very nature of divine governance, asking why God would permit humanity to be treated as mere prey in a world devoid of moral order. It sets the stage for God's answer in Habakkuk 2:4, where the principle of living by faith becomes the anchor in a chaotic world, and for the ultimate vindication of God's justice in the future. The prophet's lament reflects a universal human cry for justice and a longing for a divine hand to bring order to chaos.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Habakkuk 1:14 powerfully resonates with our contemporary experiences of global and personal injustice, where the vulnerable often seem to be at the mercy of the powerful, and moral order appears to crumble. This verse invites us to acknowledge the raw emotions of lament and confusion when faced with overwhelming evil and suffering. It validates our questions about God's ways when His actions seem incomprehensible or His presence distant. However, it also serves as a crucial starting point for a deeper journey of faith, urging us to move beyond our initial bewilderment towards a steadfast trust in God's ultimate sovereignty and justice, even when the immediate circumstances defy our understanding. Like Habakkuk, we are called to wait patiently for God's revelation, knowing that His character is unwavering and His purposes will ultimately prevail, leading us to find joy in Him regardless of our circumstances, as Habakkuk himself eventually did in Habakkuk 3:17-19.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Habakkuk use the imagery of "fishes of the sea" and "creeping things"?
Answer: Habakkuk uses this imagery to vividly portray the extreme vulnerability, insignificance, and helplessness of humanity in the face of the ruthless Chaldean invaders. Fish in the sea and small creeping animals are typically without a shepherd or protector, making them easy prey for larger predators. This metaphor underscores the prophet's dismay that God seems to allow His people to be treated with such disregard, as if they are mere creatures without a guardian or a just ruler to defend them. It highlights a world where the strong devour the weak without accountability, a stark contrast to the divine order Habakkuk expects from a righteous God, as seen in passages like Psalm 8:6-8.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Habakkuk 1:14, with its lament over humanity's vulnerability and lack of a "ruler" in a chaotic world, finds its ultimate answer and fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The prophet's cry for a just and protective sovereign is met in Christ, who is the true Shepherd of His flock, unlike the absent or oppressive rulers Habakkuk describes. While humanity was indeed "like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36), vulnerable to sin and death, Jesus came to establish His kingdom of righteousness and justice. He is the one who brings order to the chaos of a fallen world, not through worldly power, but through His sacrificial love and redemptive work on the cross. The "no ruler" lament is answered by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Through His death and resurrection, Christ has conquered the forces that prey on humanity, offering true protection, peace, and eternal life to all who trust in Him, ultimately establishing a new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells and God Himself will be their ruler.