Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Habakkuk 3:17

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls:

17 19. It is not easy to say whether Hab 3:17 contains a series of suppositions referring to what may happen in the future, or describes a condition of things actually existing. The latter way of reading the verse is the more natural. The verse does not suggest a condition of scarcity and barrenness arising from a hostile invasion of the land, but rather one due to the incidence of severe natural calamities. The word for, with which the verse begins, connects very loosely with the preceding Hab 3:16. The mood of the speaker also in Hab 3:18-19 is confident and jubilant, in strong contrast to the gloom and terror of Hab 3:16. It is possible that the poem originally ended with Hab 3:16, and that Hab 3:17-19 are an addition. The difference of tone in Hab 3:16 and Hab 3:17-19 is not decisive, for in such poems the author’s mind not unusually passes from gloomy anticipations to confidence.

The verse may read:

For though the figtree doth not blossom,

And there is no fruit in the vines;

The produce of the olive faileth,

And the fields yield no meat;

The flock is cut off from the fold,

And there is no herd in the stalls.

It is the community that speaks in Hab 3:17-19, as is evident from Hab 3:18-19.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Although – literally, For

The fig tree shall not blossom – The prophet repeats his confidence in God, premising his knowledge that all human hopes should fail. I know, he says, all stay and support shall fail; he numbers from the least to the greatest, the fruits of trees, the fig, vine and olive, for sweetness, gladness, cheerfulness Psa 104:15. whereof the well-being of the vine and fig tree furnishes the proverbial picture of peace and rest. These shall either not shoot forth, or shall at time of fruit-gathering have no produce or having, as it were, labored to bring forth fruit shall lie and fail: yet further the staff of life itself shall fail; the fields shall yield no meat; all the fields, as though they were but one shall have one common lot, barrenness.

Yet more; the flocks shall be cut off from the fold; not those only, feeding abroad in fields and open plains, shall be driven away, but they shall be carried away by the enemy from the folds, where they seemed penned securely; and not these only, but there shall be no herd in the stalls, even the stronger animals shall utterly fail; every help for labor, or for clothing, or for food shall cease; he speaks not of privation, partial failure, but of the entire loss of all things, no meat from the fields, no herd in the stalls; and what then?

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Hab 3:17-18

Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, etc.

United prayer for removal of temporal afflictions

We are called in a special manner to humble ourselves before God, on account of a great national calamity–an outbreak of cattle plague. So far as we can see, it comes directly from God. Some will say that the remedy is proper attention to the conditions of the disease, and not humiliation or prayer. But shall we admit the uselessness of prayer? Shall we say prayer must be confined to spiritual things? Surely we may ask what we need, both for the body and the soul. We must not ask God to alter the laws of nature, or work miracles for our deliverance. God does not take away a plague, either from nations or from individuals, simply because they asked Him to do so. In relation to such a plague, human endeavour can find appropriate spheres, and yet room be left for prayer. Our praying, and humbling ourselves before God, is sure to do us good, if we engage in it with sincerity of heart. (G. G. Lawrence, M. A.)

Hard times

It is easy to understand how a soul should, in poverty and great straits, be induced to seek after God; indeed, the goad of want more frequently drives men to Him than the enjoyment of plenty draws them. There is no doubt that if, in times of want, either an individual or a nation desires to find Him, and secure His help, He will hear their prayer and deliver them. We shall never get forward until we see what Habakkuk saw–that God is our strength, and that He will uphold us through the trial by which we shall come into the possession of our purer blessings. No experience is so uniform among the people of God, as that they enjoyed more of the presence of God in their trouble than at any other time. But there is more than the experience of the nearness of God, more than a vision of His glory and grace. There is deliverance out of our straits. (J. P. Gledstone.)

Man facing calamity

This passage sets down the entertainment which the prophet gave to a sad prediction. He entertains it with fear, and with faith and confidence. A sweet combination. These are the two blessed entertainments of any threatened judgment. A deep humiliation, and a steadfast faith and consolation.

1. The supposition. The strength and comfort of the creatures may fail us. In their production and breeding there is a great deal of uncertainty. And also in their use. And the very being and substance of these natural helps, carry with it this condition, that they are vanishing and fading. When scarcity and want come as a judgment from God, then it is extreme and extraordinary, and beyond the course of nature. Gods displeasure oft breaks out in this kind of judgment. God sometimes vouch safes a special exemption to His Church and children: but the saints have their share and portion in these calamities upon divers reasons. The privileges of Gods people are not temporal, but spiritual. The saints are members of those societies and people who are thus punished. The servants of God are often contributors to the common heap of sin that brings down judgments.

2. The resolution. Although, forecasts the misery. Yet, forelays the remedy. The piety of the prophet appears in two degrees. Here is the low degree of the affliction, and the high degree of the affection. He will suffer patiently and meekly. He will not only be content with it, he will be well pleased with his condition. He knows how even to rejoice in affliction. (Bishop Brownrigg.)

The possibilities in the life of a good man

I. The greatest material destitution is possible to a good man. It is possible for the fig-tree not to blossom, etc. Man lives by the fruits of the earth. They may fail from one of two reasons.

(1) From human neglect. It is the eternal ordination of God, that what man wants from the earth for his existence he must get from it by labour–skilful, timely, persevering labour. They may fail

(2) From Divine visitation. The mighty Maker can, and sometimes does wither the fruits of the earth, destroy the cattle of the fields.

II. The highest spiritual joy is possible to a good man. I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Spiritual joy, says Caleb Morris, is a free, full, and overflowing stream, that takes its rise in the very depth of the Divine Essence, in the immutability, perfection, abundance, munificence of the Divine nature. While there is a God, and that God is happy, there is no necessity that there should be any unhappy Christians. What is it to joy in God?

1. It is the joy of the highest contemplation. The joys of contemplation are amongst the most pure and elevating which intelligent creatures can experience. These rise in the character according to their subjects. The highest subject is God, His attributes and works.

2. It is the joy of the most elevating friendship. The joys of friendship are amongst the chief joys of earth; but the joys of friendship depend upon the purity, depth, constancy, reciprocity of love; and friendship with God secures all this in the highest degree.

3. It is the joy of the sublimest admiration. Whatever the mind admires it enjoys, and enjoys in proportion to its admiration, whether it be a landscape or a painting. Moral admiration is enjoyment of the highest kind, and this in proportion to the grandness of the character. Admiration of Divine excellence is the sublimest joy. I will joy in God.

III. The highest spiritual joy in the midst of the greatest material destitution is possible to a good man. Although every material blessing is gone, I will rejoice. Good men have always been enabled to do so. Like Paul they have gloried in tribulation, etc. All things have been theirs. In material destitution they felt–

1. In God they had strength. The Lord God is my strength. As thy day, so shall thy strength be.

2. In God they had swiftness. He will make my feet like hinds feet. The reference is here perhaps to the swiftness with which God would enable him to flee from the dangers which were overtaking his country. It is, however, a universal truth, that God gives to a good man a holy alacrity in duty. Duty to him is not a clog or a burden, but a delight.

3. In God they had elevation. He will make me to walk upon mine high places. They that wait upon God shall renew their strength, and shall mount as on the wings of eagles, etc. (Homilist.)

Habakkuks faith

I. The apprehension of great suffering any want. Our apprehensions concerning the future are of a totally different character to the prophets. Ours are not national, but personal and relative afflictions.

II. The expression on the prophets confidence and joy. Here is a very wonderful exhibition of a devout and holy character. This language of hope and joy is a striking contrast to three things–

1. The language and conduct of idolaters.

2. The low, dull, heavy feeling of the man who does not believe in the providential government of God.

3. The faint and feeble feelings of confidence in God which distinguish many real Christians. (W. O. Barrett.)

On the influence of religion under privations and afflictions

We may learn that nothing should withdraw us from our trust in God and the consolations of His Divine Word.

I. Cherish a proper sense of the Divine providence and our own dependent state. Perfect and unbounded confidence in God, in the wisdom, power, and mercy of God, must be the ground of all our religious hope.

II. Admire the cheerful homage of the prophet, and consider some of the practical uses of adversity.

1. Consider it as opening to us a new field of virtue and of knowledge.

2. As effectually curing the insolence of pride and the follies of prosperity.

3. As proving the sincerity of some, and laying bare the treachery and baseness of others.

4. As teaching us to estimate, as we ought, the many blessings which the Divine love has showered upon us. (J. Hewlett, B. D.)

The great calamity

I. The Divine rule is to make an abundant provision for mans physical wants. The Great Creator gives him the fig tree, the vine, the olive, the fields, the flock, and the herd. Observe–

1. The vastness of Gods wealth.

2. His supreme regard for mans comfort.

II. The good man recognises the possibility of a total failure in this provision. Although the fig tree, etc. Such a failure is fearful to contemplate.

III. That in the very face of this great calamity the good man triumphantly confides in God. Yet will I rejoice in the Lord. The wisdom of this conduct is seen in two things–

1. In the Divine immutability.

2. Great calamities afford scope for the development of great principles.

Trials, if very heavy, kill little men, but make great ones. Just as an Altantic billow bears the reeling ship aloft, so does the mighty wave of trouble lift to notice a true son of God. Trials strengthen and develop love and faith.

IV. That this sublime confidence is exercised by the good man because he has experienced a great deliverance. I will joy in the God of my salvation.

1. This is a deliverance from the greatest evil.

2. This is a deliverance to the possession of the greatest good.

This man has in him the elements of immortality. He is a Kings son, and an heir of heaven. Heaven is his future residence, and the universe his estate. (Homilist.)

A daring faith

I. A mournful supposition. Every sentence in this verse is pitched in the minor key. Every symbol is fringed with mourning.

1. The prophet supposes a condition in which he is deprived of the common luxuries of life. The Jews were a favoured people. God had made special provision for their welfare. But the prophet foresaw that He who gave these possessions could take them away. All the agencies of nature and providence were in Gods hand.

2. The prophet supposes a condition in which he will be deprived of the common necessaries of life. Some of the fruits of the earth are for enjoyment, and others for our support. We can do without the former, we cannot do without the latter. The prophet supposes a time when not only the luxuries but the necessaries of life might fail, when the tree should be without fruit, the fields without pasture, and the stalls without herd. It is foolish to brood over imaginary troubles, and to magnify the evils of life. Fear not only weakens our strength, but it intensifies our misery. But it is wise to consider how uncertain all material possessions are, and to fortify the heart against the probable calamities that may overtake us.

II. A cheerful resolution. I will rejoice in God. How could there be inward joy amidst so much outward sorrow?

1. This was a Divine joy. Rejoice in God. There is a great difference between a human and a Divine joy. One arises from without, but the other from within; one comes from the creature, the other from the Creator. If our joy depended upon our wealth, it might fail; if upon our friends, it might change; if upon our health, it might be broken. But it depends upon God, and we know that He will supply all our need according to His riches in glory, through Jesus Christ.

2. This was an experimental joy. It refers to the present, and includes forgiveness, fellowship, and expectation.

III. A delightful expectation. The Lord God is my strength. That is experience. He will make my feet like hinds feet. That is expectancy. The Christian life is both a service and a hope; an experience and an expectation. (J. T. Woodhouse.)

Faith triumphant in the day of calamity

The text exhibits a season of peculiar distress, and the exercise of a gracious heart in the time of calamity.

I. A season of peculiar distress.

1. Such seasons are effected by the hand of God. He is not a mere spectator, He is the great agent in bringing these things to pass.

2. Such seasons are the consequence of mans sin. Sin introduced this and every other misery.

3. Such seasons are designed by Infinite Wisdom to answer some important end. To manifest His absolute right over all creatures and things. He claims them all as His own. And He makes it manifest that they are His own, by taking them away at His pleasure. To convince us of our entire dependence upon Him for all our temporal enjoyments. Without the Divine blessing, all men do is ineffectual. To prove to us that earthly comforts are uncertain and perishing. The design of God, in bestowing temporal benefits, is to help us through life, not to make us too much in love with it. To lead us to the exercise of gratitude, when temporal blessings abound, and for the exercise of Christian graces in the hearts of His people. Now is the trial of their faith, patience, and resignation.

II. The exercise of a gracious heart in times of calamity.

1. Gracious souls have a source of joy, when those of the ungodly are all dried up.

2. This rejoicing in God, in the midst of calamity, is the fruit of our Divine faith. If the promises were not believed, the soul would not rejoice.

3. It is a view of the gracious character of God, as a Saviour, that causes the sinner to rejoice in Him. Improvements–

(1) God can as easily take away the whole of our possessions as part of them.

(2) You will continue strangers to true happiness, while you remain strangers to the spirit of the prophet.

(3) In such seasons beware now you endeavour to add to your own enjoyments at the expense of any others comfort.

(4) Let the oppressed poor remember to whom vengeance belongeth.

(5) If you can rejoice in God, you shall soon be in a country where neither famine nor scarcity can ever be experienced. (T. Hannam.)

The triumph of piety over adversity

Pleasure and pain are the alternate companions of every man through the journey of life. Surrounded by uncertainty, prudence would suggest the propriety of being prepared for calamities which cannot be avoided, so as to contemplate them without alarm, and to bear them with becoming fortitude. Religion proposes no exemption from sorrow, but promises that support under the troubles of life, which reconciles the mind to every event. The prophets anticipation of evils proceeded not from a melancholy disposition, but was intimated to him by the sins of the People,–the complexion of the times,–and above all, by the Holy Spirit, which dwelt in him.

I. The exposition of the text. He supposes, in the first instance, the fig-tree to fail in its accustomed produce. The failure of the vines is the next calamity. Then the usual supply of the oil-olive trees is cut off. Then the fields may yield no meat, and as a consequence, the flocks may be cut off from the field. Merciful God! In the midst of distress like this, where shall the wretched flee? The prophets ardent soul breathed the trustful language of our text.

II. Reflections suggested. The text reminds us of the uncertainty of temporal enjoyments, and of the peculiar felicity of a good man. The text reminds us of the insecurity of our temporal enjoyments, as it respects the produce of the earth. It is the privilege of good men not to be wholly dependent for happiness upon temporal things. Joy in God is the peculiar and the supreme delight of a pious mind. Let us learn that it is of unspeakable importance that we stand prepared for trials which cannot be avoided. (S. Lowell.)

Joy in the face of adversity

I. The object of our joy. Our God in whom we rejoice. He is Lord. Jehovah is both His name and His description. He is God of salvation. He is the God of my salvation. Our joy is spiritual joy; it comprehends in its object the characters and offices of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in the administration of redemption. The essence of this joy is complacency in its object. The joy is nourished and increased by the Spirit, with scriptural discoveries of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And joy in the Lord God of our salvation hath little in it which is vehement, but much that is operative and practical.

II. Forming resolutions to abound in this joy. Such resolutions have been formed. Such resolutions may be formed. Such resolutions should be formed. They are always formed under spiritual influence. Bold professions are founded on the revealed glory of Gods faithfulness and all-sufficiency, He is the Almighty God, and His faithfulness is engaged to support the people of His love and care. These bold resolutions look out of countenance all the evils that would intimidate and shake the confidence of Gods people. Of these bold resolutions we have some eminent and illustrious scriptural examples. Such resolutions are neither formed nor executed without a conflict. Then suffer the word of exhortation. Be not surprised that the word is, Rejoice evermore. Nothing in the subject should hinder our joy. And the honour of our profession calleth us to rejoice. Attend to the following instructions–

1. Be well assured of the solidity of the foundation on which the joys of faith are built.

2. Seek to attain clearness concerning your interest in the God of salvation, through union with Christ in effectual calling.

3. Be followers of that which is good.

4. Look to the Lord in the administration of providence, and submit to His will manifested in it. (A. Shanks.)

Rejoicing in God

Mr. Garrett preached again in the afternoon. The text was Psa 128:12. Again the preacher drew several lifelike pictures. He took his hearers to the mansion of the rich, to the study of the learned, and to the palace of royalty, in search of true happiness, but found it not. Then we were conducted to a little straw-thatched cottage, the lowly home of a humble Christian toiler, who had a sick wife and child and no work to do. As we approached it, the preacher paused and cried, Hark! he is singing. What is it? Just before we reached the cottage door, the preacher again cried, Hark! We listened, and heard the verse beginning, Ill praise my Maker while Ive breath. The effect was simply overpowering. (Memoir of Rev. C. Garrett.)

Constant joy

Bishop Tucker, on the occasion of his recent visit to Tore, ordained a native of Uganda who has worked for five years on the edge of the great pigmy forest. This remarkable man, says the bishop, has been beaten, imprisoned, put in the chain gang, had his house-burnt down, and all his property destroyed; and yet he has borne it all with a smile upon his face and a song upon his lips! Opalescent men: In ancient times, before men learned to cut the diamond, the opal was the most fashionable stone, most highly prized, and most costly. There are not lacking men in modern times who still hold to this ancient estimate of that beautiful stone. No jewel, in all the range of precious stones, displays a finer range of splendid colours–the brightest tints of the rainbow, softened as if seen through a silver haze. As you look at it from different angles, or as you turn the stone, there come glimpses of the richest azure, the deepest emerald, the most fiery ruby, yet all of them mellowed by the opals own charm, and very different from the dazzling brilliancy of the diamond and sapphire. Whence comes this beautiful play of colour that takes its name from the opal, and is called opalescence? It is not in the stone. Hold the opal up to the light, and it has nothing but a yellowish tinge. Besides, the colours shift and vary, as the stone is changed in position. Let me tell you the secret of the opal s beauty. The stone is filled with fissures–minute rifts in its substance, too small to be seen by the eye, yet not too fine to be seen by the light. These fissures catch up the light, beat it back and forth between their sides, and break it up into its constituent colours, very much as a prism would do. And so the stone, out of what might seem to be a flaw or blemish, draws its wonderful crown of beauty. Have you ever seen opalescent men and women? They are all around you, shining with loveliness in many a Christian home. They are men and women whose lives are fissured with poverty, seamed with sickness, cleft with some deformity, shattered by blindness, or deafness, or ugliness; and yet these opalescent Christians make the very shattering of their body, and the flaws in their fortune, a trap for Gods sunlight They catch in these clefts of misfortune the rays that come from heaven. They toss them back and forth and from side to side of their seamed and fissured lives, and lo! we see them glowing with a beauty far more wonderful than any opal of earth, or any rainbow of heaven. (Amos B. Walls.)

Satisfied with the best

I was going down town in a car, one day, says a New York merchant, when I heard somebody cry out, Hallo, Mr. Conductor, please stop your car a moment; I cant run very fast. The car stopped, and presently there hobbled into it a little lame boy, about ten or twelve years old. His face told such a tale of suffering, and yet he was bright and cheerful. He put his crutch behind him, and placing his leg in an easier position, he began to look round. A happy smile played over his pale face, he had seemed to take notice of everything. Presently I got a seat next to him, and had a little talk with him. I found that he knew and loved the Saviour, and it was this which made him so contented and cheerful. He told me that the doctor said his leg would never be any better. Well, my dear boy, I said, how can you be so happy and cheerful? His reply was, Jesus, my Saviour, has sent this trial for me to bear. Father tells me He would not have sent it, unless He knew it would be best for me. And dont you think, sir, that I ought to be satisfied with the best? When I said good-bye to the boy, I thanked him for the lesson he had taught me, which I shall never forget.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.

Joy in being in Gods hands

The prophet teaches us what advantage it is to the faithful assembly, seasonably to submit to God, and to entertain serious fear when He threatens them, and when He summonses them to judgment: and he shows that, though they may perish a hundred times, they yet would not perish, for the Lord would ever supply them with occasions of joy, and would also cherish this joy within, so as to enable them to rise above all their adversities. Though the land was threatened with famine, and though no food would be supplied to them, they would yet be able always to rejoice in the God of their salvation; for they would know Him to be their Father, though for a time He severely chastised them. We now perceive more clearly, that the sorrow produced by the sense of our guilt is recommended to us on account of its advantage: for nothing is worse than to provoke Gods wrath to destroy us; and nothing is better than to anticipate it, so that the Lord Himself may comfort us. We shall not always escape, for He may apparently treat us with severity; but though we may not be exempt from punishment, He will give us reasons to rejoice; and then in His own time, He will mitigate His severity, and by the effects will show Himself propitious to us. During the time when want or famine, or any other affliction is to be borne, He will render us joyful with this one consolation, for relying on His promises, we shall look for Him as the God of our salvation. We may hence gather a most useful lesson,–That whenever signs of Gods wrath meet us in outward things, this remedy remains to us,–to consider what God is to us inwardly; for the inward joy, which faith brings to us, can overcome all fears, terrors, sorrows, and anxieties. (John Calvin.)

Religion the secret of contentment

There is nothing here of the exuberance of Oriental imagination. It is absolute matter of fact, capable of being proved by countless witnesses. Various lessons are to be drawn from it, but the most valuable of all for these times is the overwhelming testimony borne by it to the religious nature of man, and to the high degree of probability of the existence of a God of love who can inspire such absolute trust in Himself under the most crushing temporal misfortune. It places the efforts to uproot all faith in God in the light of an inexpressible folly, not to say of a flagrant crime. Is it not folly to take away from any man the power by which he becomes able to behave in a more manly way than he could have done without it? Viewed even from atheistic ground, mankind at large are all the better for the calm and resigned behaviour of those who suffer adversity. We go further, and say, it verges closely on criminal blindness to the interests of humanity to proclaim an atheism which, if accepted, would leave the souls of the afflicted absolutely without anything to cling to, without consolation, without hope; worse still, to deprive them of that conviction by which all the nobler part of their nature is sustained and called into vigorous exercise. How shall we bear the storm of adversity when it breaks upon us? Shall we prove our sovereignty over things of time and sense, or shall we disclose our shame in exhibiting ourselves as their slaves? The alternative depends upon what is the ground of our daily hopes. Not in Stoicism is to be found the normal type of manliness under adversity. Contentment is a virtue of soul which, when healthy, exercises itself in various ways. A great deal of so-called contentment is nothing more than physical indifference or mental inactivity. Habit is the parent of such contentment, and where the habits have been always moderate and temperate, contentment with a small portion is easy and natural. But the virtue of contentment is something much higher than this. Virtue is always active; when it is passive it ceases to be virtue, and becomes only an admirable quality, or enviable habit. Contentment, to be virtuous, must spring from opposition to our wills and desires, can only exist in circumstances which are trying and painful. It is our task to show how certain virtues can best be attained by those who are deficient in them, to point out by what spiritual forces the native weakness of our nature may be justified, and what relation true religious faith bears to the necessities of our lot, and the exigencies of our moral character. I would show, if I could, whence the blessed springs of virtue can be drawn; to whom we may look for the light and warmth needful for its birth and fertility. If a discontented man would fain possess the virtue of contentment, he will never get it by altering the conditions of his lot, but by the elevation of his soul above them, by finding, in a will higher than his own, complete and boundless satisfaction. This virtue is largely begotten and cultured by faith in the living God. But what is this faith in the living God? It is not merely the assent of our intellect to certain propositions about God, though it must be such as the reason entirely endorses. First, it implies the possession of a soul which cannot be satisfied with earthly good or animal pleasure. He who believes in God hab a life of conscious existence, of hopes, and fears, and appetites, which find activity and satisfaction in a purely spiritual region of its own. To such a soul God is not less a reality than the earth on which the body treads, or the sun shining in the heavens. Out of this conscious communion with God grow two important constituents of faith–perfect acquiescence in the Divine will, and a supreme desire to obey its behests. The former of these is the essence of contentment. It differs by a whole heaven from the contentment of the fatalist. No supreme power has a right to demand the assent of man to wrongs and injuries which are the result of blind chance, or inflicted by caprice, still less to wrongs which will not issue in final good. But how different must be the feeling and conduct of man, when the power which seems to crush him is invested with all the attributes of justice and fatherly love. He promptly surrenders, because he knows, at least, that there is a higher wisdom than his own which guides the forces of pain and destruction; more perfect goodness than his own is the cause of misfortune, and best of all, that a love infinite in its benevolence, is the impulse from which every motion in the universe has sprung. This is faith; to see what is invisible to the senses, or to the immature mind. God does not wish us to bear a single sorrow that we can by righteous means avert; all He asks is that we will trust in His wisdom and greater love when trouble comes which we cannot prevent. And if faith consoles us, still more does it purify and refine us. (Charles Foysey.)

Joy in God

Worldly men do not rejoice in God.

I. Joy in God is well grounded.

1. Because it is a joy in God considered as the God of salvation. If a man were found joying in an absolute God, he might well be esteemed foolish; for he would be rejoicing in the contemplation of a strong and irresistible enemy. It is in the God of salvation that the believer greatly rejoices. There is the best of all reasons for holy satisfaction. He perceives in Him justice satisfied, and truth magnified; he discerns that, instead of fury, there is overflowing love, and mercy to pardon all his transgressions; he sees in Him omnipotent power, not armed for his perdition, but engaged to preserve his soul through faith unto salvation; he beholds eternal faithfulness to be to him a shield and buckler; he perceives also, that God is omniscient to see all the dangers which may threaten him, and all-powerful to protect in every case. Who is the God of salvation? The Triune God, the one God subsisting in three persons.

2. Joy in God is well grounded, because God is on the side of the believer. This was not always the case. Since he has been justified by the blood of Jesus, there is no longer any condemnation for him. If God acquits, who shall condemn? If God defends, who can injure?

3. Joy in God is well grounded, because of what God has done for the believer. Do we not delight in a deliverer? Here is an unspeakably great Deliverer; and has He been so at little expense? Following the great deliverance are many lesser deliverances; both temporal and spiritual.

4. Joy in God is well grounded, because of what God is now doing for the believer. Do we not rejoice in a healer?

5. Joy in God is well grounded, because of what God will yet do for His people. He will make all things work together for their good.

6. Joy is well grounded, on account of what God has provided for the believer, and on account of what He/8 to the believer. He has righteousness in Him, and also strength, counsel, provision, and promises. And He is the portion of the believer; a sure portion; an enduring portion; a never-falling portion; an unchangeable portion; and a satisfying portion.

II. To point out some properties of joy in God.

1. It is a supernatural joy. It springs not from the world, but is derived from above.

2. It is a real joy. Earthly joys have no substance. They cause a momentary flow of spirits, but they only skim the surface of the heart, and do not take full possession of it. There are degrees in the Christians joy.

3. It is a joy which this world can neither give nor take away.

4. It is a joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.

5. It is an everlasting joy. In consideration of the nature and grounds of joy in God, we invite believers to lift up the hands that hang down. Be not cast down on account of the trials of life. (A. Ross, M. A.)

Religious joy surmounting temporal adversity

That the world is insufficient for our happiness, who does not confess, or, at least, who does not feel? The insufficiency of external objects to furnish the soul with rational fruition or exercise, is demonstrated in the disappointment of those who have made the acquisition of those objects the chief study of their lives. Were they ever content? Things earthly are too fluctuating to be built on with assurance. They want stability, and leave those who rely on them, in a little while, destitute and spoiled of peace. The Christian has something more solid and unchanging on which his soul reposes. Let none imagine that these sentiments were peculiar to Habakkuk, or may be entertained only by an eminent few among the saints; by prophets, apostles, or men favoured with special distinctions from above; for there is not a reconciled sinner at this day upon earth, who, in the exercise of faith, love, and hope, may not and will not cherish and express sentiments essentially similar. Ye on earth who have known the Lord, fail not to exercise your souls in the same way as the prophet. (J. Sieveright, A. M.)

Joy amidst earthly sorrow

The sentiment is–That no extremity of earthly sorrow should prevent the Christian rejoicing in the God of his salvation.

1. There is implied in the adoption of this truth, a firm belief in the superintending providence of God. Could we set aside the doctrine of a particular providence, the circumstances of life would change their character. Affliction would double her sorrows, and prosperity lose half her joys.

2. There is also implied a well-founded hope of interest in the God of salvation.

The doctrine of providence would be a poor substitute to perishing sinners for the grace of the Gospel. Why should the Christian rejoice in God under affliction? It is not necessary to rob the world of any of its beauty, or to disparage the happiness it is capable of communicating. But it is the nature of riches to take to themselves wings and flee away.

1. Consider the sanctifying tendency of afflictions. Sometimes they are sent for the purposes of trial; to prove the integrity of our principles, and to bring into exercise our latent virtues. But for the most part afflictions are corrective, and not for purposes of discipline. They are either to preserve or to extricate you from danger.

2. Affliction does not injuriously affect our best interests. We live for a higher and nobler object than worldly wealth.

3. The Christian may rejoice because he knows his afflictions will have a happy issue. The transitory character of suffering is powerfully calculated to sustain the mind under it.

4. In every conceivable extremity of woe, God is an all-sufficient portion. The enjoyment of God will constitute the happiness of heaven.

5. The joy of the Christian in the season of affliction is the fruit of the Saviours mediation. It was in the God of salvation that Habakkuk rejoiced. It is only in this character that He is an object of confidence and joy to us. The mediation of Christ is the ground of our hope towards God. But for His interposition, afflictions would have been unmixed evils. They would have possessed no ingredient of mercy, nor given any indication of kindness. (S. Summers.)

Spiritual joy

Spiritual joy does not consist in mere placidity; it is not like the water, which in fertilising showers descends, and does not depend on our volition or agency; but it is like the water we draw from the well, there must be activity and labour. There can be no happiness without thought. Habakkuk thought of God, of His nature, His moral perfections, His covenant, His promise; he not only thought of God generally, but in the particular relation which He sustained to him. I will joy in the God of my salvation. I understand Him in some measure, I feel an interest in Him and He in me. The mere fact of the existence or benevolence of God cannot make any creature happy; it is the conviction, the intelligent, deeply rooted, legitimate conclusion that He is our God, can produce joy. This was the case with Habakkuk, and must be so with every true believer.

I. True religion (i.e., its doctrines, prospects, emotions)

does impart joy. Because–

1. True religion gives decision to the mind. Indecision or dubiousness is always painful, and painful in exact correspondence to the value of the object to which it refers.

2. True religion imparts true liberty to the mind. While bodily bondage is a great evil, spiritual bondage is greater; religion alone imparts to man the charter of freedom–the moment man receives true freedom he is happy, and not before.

(1) Freedom from eternal punishment. When we are brought under the influence of religion, we are led first to perceive our liability to it, and then to accept of deliverance through Christ.

(2) Freedom from the government of depravity. The moment a man feels that he is dependent for happiness upon God, he feels desirous to know, love, and please that Being.

(3) Freedom from the evils of affliction. Afflictions in themselves are evil, they make a man morose, unkind, bitter, despairing,, devilish: it is only when applied by God that they become useful to the believer s mind.

3. True religion imparts exercise and expectation to the mind. In order to be happy, there must be a right end in view–the glory of God; proper rule to guide–the Bible; and right motives to actuate–love to God and love to men.

II. The nature of this joy.

1. It is always pure. When does the soul experience it! Only when it is pure. This is a question not only of facts but of degrees; not only the pure mind can be happy, but it is happy in exact proportion to its purity. When is it enjoyed? When the soul is raised to contemplate holy objects.

2. It is personal and progressive. It is secret, I will rejoice in the Lord; and when seen, seen only in its effects. (Caleb Morris.)

Rejoicing in God

The language is that of faith, hope, patience, and fortitude.

I. The nature of the Christians joy.

1. It is spiritual. Arising from saving knowledge of God: from pardon: from adoption: from the habitual indwelling of the Holy Ghost.

2. It is satisfying. The Almighty is suited to our capacities; adequate to our necessity; durable as our existence.

II. The object of the Christians rejoicing.

1. In the perfection of His nature, we rejoice in God.

2. In His works of creation, providence, and grace.

3. In His Word.

4. In His ordinances.

III. The particular seasons when a true Christian can rejoice in the Lord.

1. In seasons of poverty.

2. In seasons of persecution.

3. In seasons of national commotion.

4. In the season of death. (Homilist.)

The prophets joy

1. The sombre background from which the joy of the prophet sprang.

2. The sublime height to which the joy of the prophet leaped. Habakkuk supposes the loss of all things, and yet he had unwavering faith in God, and supreme love to God.

(1) We may rejoice in the works of Gods hand.

(2) In the bounties of His providence.

(3) In the amenities of society.

But the highest joy we can know is to joy in the Lord. His loving-kindness is better than life. (Homilist.)

Christian rejoicing

1. The conditions. Yet. In spite of what Hab 3:17 describes–apparent failure of our efforts for God, or apparent desolation of His cause around us. Deep reality of such trials. Success is to be sought and prayed for; we are not to ask for the discipline of failure. But it may come, and in one degree or another it will, in every deep Christian experience, whether as personal failure or as a sense of surrounding failure. On its external side the Lord Jesus Christs work partook of the pain of failure.

2. The resolve. I will rejoice in the Lord. The will is called up. Believers will to do His will only by His special grace preventing them; but they do really will, the act of willing is their own. We must not sit down passive, and wait for a sensible impulse. It will come through our own will when it comes. Let us, in this spirit, cultivate the habit of holy resolves, as well as holy desires. It is the joy of personal appropriation, of objective pardon and peace–my salvation. Comp. Mic 7:7 for a rich parallel. The soul, outwardly tried and tired, goes to Him who is my hiding-place, and there is compassed about with songs of deliverance (Psa 32:7).

3. The result. Not selfish sloth. Some say personal enjoyment of present salvation is selfish. On the contrary, it is the spring of deepest sympathy with souls, and of love-animated efforts for them. Personal joy compels affectionate work. (Handley C. G. Moule, M. A.)

Cheerful spirits

A woman who had had many sorrows and heavy burdens to bear, but who was noted for her cheerful spirits, once said in explanation: You know, I have had no money. I had nothing I could give but myself, and so I made the resolution that I would never sadden anyone else with my troubles. I have laughed and told jokes when I could have wept. I have always smiled in the face of every misfortune. I have tried never to let anyone go from my presence without a happy word or a bright thought to carry with them. And happiness makes happiness. I myself am happier than I would have been had I sat down and bemoaned my fate.

Cheerfulness:–Cheerfulness is a duty we owe to others. There is an old tradition that a cup of gold is to be found wherever a rainbow touches the earth, and there are some people whose smile, the sound of whose voice, whose very presence, seems like a ray of sunshine, to turn everything they touch into gold. Men never break down as long as they can keep cheerful. A merry heart is a continual feast to others besides itself. The shadow of Florence Nightingale cured more than her medicines; and if we share the burdens of others, we lighten our own. (Sir John Lubbock.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 17. Although the fig tree shall not blossom] tiphrach, “shall not flourish,” shall not put forth its young figs, for the fig tree does not blossom. The young figs appear as soon as the old ones are ripe, as I have often had occasion to observe.

This verse most nervously paints the desolate state of the land of Judea during the captivity. In its hemistich form, it may be translated thus: –

For the fig tree shall not flourish,

And there shall be no fruit on the vines;

The fruit of the olive shall fail,

And the fields shall supply no food:

The flocks shall be cut off from the fold,

And no herds shall be found in the stalls:

Yet in Jehovah will I exult;

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Vulgate has: –

Yet I in the Lord will rejoice,

And will exult in Jesus my God.

The Targum countenances this version: –

veana bemeimra dayai abua, “But in the WORD of the Lord will I rejoice,” i.e., the personal, substantial Word of Jehovah.

These two verses give the finest display of resignation and confidence that I have ever met with. He saw that evil was at hand, and unavoidable, he submitted to the dispensation of God, whose Spirit enabled him to paint it in all its calamitous circumstances. He knew that God was merciful and gracious. He trusted to his promise, though all appearances were against its fulfilment; for he knew that the word of Jehovah could not fail, and therefore his confidence is unshaken.

No paraphrase can add any thing to this hymn, which is full of inexpressible dignity and elegance, leaving even its unparalleled piety out of the question.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

To war foreseen the prophet supposeth famine, and describeth the most grievous, as indeed it fell out.

Although the fig tree, which was in that country a very considerable part of their provision to live upon,

shall not blossom; not give the least sign of bringing forth fruit.

Neither shall fruit be in the vines, which were also the riches and provision of those countries.

The labour of the olive; either labour bestowed upon the olive, or the fruit which the olive brings forth, called here labour by an allusion to our labour.

Shall fail; disappoint the expectation of both dresser and eater.

The fields, ploughed and sown, shall yield no meat; corn for bread.

The flock of sheep, kept out in the field, shall be cut off, either by wolf, murrain, or by the wasting Babylonians,

from the fold; where they were wont to be safe. now they are in greatest danger, and that because they may be swept away all at once.

No herd in the stall; greater cattle kept in the stall for labour, or for feeding.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

17. Destroy the “vines”and “fig trees” of the carnal heart, and his mirth ceases.But those who when full enjoyed God in all, when emptied can enjoyall in God. They can sit down upon the heap of ruined creaturecomforts, and rejoice in Him as the “God of their salvation.”Running in the way of His commandments, we outrun our troubles. ThusHabakkuk, beginning his prayer with trembling, ends it with a song oftriumph (Job 13:15; Psa 4:7;Psa 43:3; Psa 43:5).

labour of the olivethatis, the fruit expected from the olive.

failliterally, “lie,”that is, disappoint the hope (Isa58:11, Margin).

fieldsfrom a Hebrewroot meaning “to be yellow”; as they look at harvest-time.

meatfood, grain.

cut offthat is, cease.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Although the fig tree shall not blossom,…. Or rather, as the Septuagint version, “shall not bring forth fruit”; since the fig tree does not bear blossoms and flowers, but puts forth green figs at once. This was a tree common in the land of Canaan, and its fruit much in use, and for food; hence we read of cakes of figs among the provisions Abigail brought to David, 1Sa 25:18 so that, when there was a scarcity of these, it was a bad time:

neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; no grapes, or clusters of them, out of which wine was pressed; a liquor very refreshing and reviving to nature; and is said to cheer God and man, being used in sacrifices and libations to God, and the common drink of men, Jud 9:13 so that, when it failed, it was a public calamity:

the labour of the olive shall fail; or “lie” a; disappoint the expectation of those who planted and cultivated it with much toil and labour, it not producing fruit as looked for. This tree yielded berries of an agreeable taste, and out of which oil was extracted, the Jews used instead of butter, and for various purposes; so that, when it failed of fruit, it was a great loss on many accounts:

and the fields shall yield no meat; the grass fields no herbage for beasts; the grain fields no grain for man; the consequence of which must be a famine to both; and this must be very dismal and distressing:

the flock shall be cut off from the fold; flocks of sheep; either by the hand of God, some disease being sent among them; or by the hand of man, drove off by the enemy, or killed for their use; so that the folds were empty of them, and none to gather into them:

and there [shall be] no herd in the stalls; or oxen in the stables, where they are kept, and have their food; or stalls in which they are fattened for use; and by all these are signified the necessaries of life, which, when they fail, make a famine, which is a very distressing case; and yet, in the midst of all this, the prophet, representing the church, expresses his faith and joy in the Lord, as in the following verse Hab 3:18; though all this is to be understood, not so much in a literal as in a figurative sense. “Fig trees, vines”, and “olives”, are often used as emblems of truly gracious persons, So 2:13 partly because of their fruitfulness in grace and good works, and partly because of their perseverance therein; all these trees being fruitful ones; and some, as the olive, ever green: of such persons there is sometimes a scarcity, as is complained of in the times of David and Micah, Ps 12:1 and especially there will be in the latter day; for righteous and merciful men will be taken away from the evil to come, Isa 57:1 and, however, there will be very few lively, spiritual, and fruitful Christians, such as abound in the exercise of grace, and are diligent in the discharge of duty; for, when the Son of Man cometh, he will not find faith on the earth; and he will find the virgins sleeping, Lu 18:8. The “fields not” yielding “meat” may signify that the provisions of the house of God will be cut off; there will be no ministration of the word, or administration of ordinances; the word of the Lord will be scarce, rare, and precious; there will be a famine, not of bread and of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord; one of the days of the Son of Man will be desired, but not enjoyed; so no spiritual food in the use of means to be had; a very uncomfortable time this will be, Am 8:11

Lu 17:22. The “flock” being “cut off from the fold” may denote that the sheep of Christ will be given up to the slaughter of the enemy, or be scattered abroad in this dark and cloudy day of persecution; so that there will be no fold, no flock, no sheep gathered together; and perhaps such will be the case, that there will not be one visible congregated church in due order throughout the whole world; all will be broke up, and dispersed here and there: no “herd” or “oxen in the stall” may signify that the ministers of the Gospel, compared to oxen for their strength, industry, and laboriousness in the work of the Lord, will be removed, or not suffered to exercise their ministry, nor be encouraged by any in it: this will be the case at the slaying of the witnesses, and a most distressing time it will be; and yet the prophet, or the church represented by him, expresses an uncommon frame of spirit in the following verse Hab 3:18. The Targum interprets all this figuratively of each of the monarchies of the world, which should be no more;

“the kingdom of Babylon shall not continue, nor shall it exercise dominion over Israel; the kings of the Medes shall be killed; and the mighty men of Greece shall not prosper; and the Romans shall be destroyed, and shall not collect tribute from Jerusalem; therefore for the wonder, and for the redemption, thou shalt work for thy Messiah; and for the rest of thy people who shall remain, they shall praise, saying: the prophet said;”

as follows:

a , Sept.; “mentietur”, V. L. Piscator; “mentiebatur”, Pagninus.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Prophet declares now at large what that rest would be of which he had spoken; it would be even this—that he would not cease to rejoice in God, even in the greatest afflictions. He indeed foresees how grievous the impending punishment would be, and he warns also and arouses the faithful, that they might perceive the approaching judgement of God. He says, Flourish shall not the fig, and no fruit shall be on the vines; fail shall the olive. First, the fig shall not flourish; then, the fields shall produce nothing; and lastly, the cattle and the sheep shall fail. Though the figs produce fruit without flowering, it is not yet an improper use of פרח, perech, which means strictly to bud. (67) He means that the desolation of the land was nigh at hand, and that the people would be reduced to extreme poverty. But it was an instance of rare virtue, to be able to rejoice in the Lord, when occasions of sorrow met him on every side.

The Prophet then teaches us what advantage it is to the faithful seasonably to submit to God, and to entertain serious fear when he threatens them, and when he summons them to judgement; and he shows that though they might perish a hundred times, they would yet not perish, for the Lord would ever supply them with occasions of joy, and would also cherish this joy within, so as to enable them to rise above all their adversities. Though, then, the land was threatened with famine, and though no food would be supplied to them, they would yet be able always to rejoice in the God of their salvation; for they would know him to be their Father, though for a time he severely chastised them. This is a delineation of that rest of which he made mention before.

The import of the whole is—“Though neither the figs, nor the vines, nor the olives, produce any fruit, and though the field be barren, though no food be given, yet I will rejoice in my God;” that is, our joy shall not depend on outward prosperity; for though the Lord may afflict us in an extreme degree, there will yet be always some consolation to sustain our minds, that they may not succumb under evils so grievous; for we are fully persuaded, that our salvation is in God’s hand, and that he is its faithful guardian. We shall, therefore, rest quietly, though heaven and earth were rolled together, and all places were full of confusion; yea, though God fulminated from heaven, we shall yet be in a tranquil state of mind, looking for his gratuitous salvation.

We now perceive more clearly, that the sorrow produced by the sense of our guilt is recommended to us on account of its advantage; for nothing is worse than to provoke God’s wrath to destroy us; and nothing is better than to anticipate it, so that the Lord himself may comfort us. We shall not always escape, for he may apparently treat us with severity; but though we may not be exempt from punishment, yet while he intends to humble us, he will give us reasons to rejoice: and then in his own time he will mitigate his severity, and by the effects will show himself propitious to us. Nevertheless, during the time when want or famine, or any other affliction, is to be borne, he will render us joyful with this one consolation, for, relying on his promises, we shall look for him as the God of our salvation. Hence, on one side Habakkuk sets the desolation of the land; and on the other, the inward joy which the faithful never fail to possess, for they are upheld by the perpetual favor of God. And thus he warns, as I have said, the children of God, that they might be prepared to bear want and famine, and calmly to submit to God’s chastisements; for had he not exhorted them as he did, they might have failed a hundred times.

We may hence gather a most useful doctrine,—That whenever signs of God’s wrath meet us in outward things, this remedy remains to us—to consider what God is to us inwardly; for the inward joy, which faith brings to us, can overcome all fears, terrors, sorrows and anxieties.

But we must notice what follows, In the God of my salvation: for sorrow would soon absorb all our thoughts, except God were present as our preserver. But how does he appear as such to the faithful? even when they estimate not his love by external things, but strengthen themselves by embracing the promise of his mercy, and never doubt but that he will be propitious to them; for it is impossible but that he will remember mercy even while he is angry. It follows—

(67) The verb means to break forth either in buds, or germs, or shoots, and so to germinate, or to blossom. It is rendered by the Septuagint καρποφορησει, shall bear fruit.— Ed.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(17) Although.Better, For. The conjunction connects this verse with what precedes, and explains Habakkuks affliction more fully. With the sword shall come famine, invasion as usual producing desolation.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Hab 3:17-19 contain one of the most sublime expressions of confidence in Jehovah found anywhere in the Old Testament. If the above suggested interpretation of 16b is correct, Hab 3:17 becomes the natural continuation. The prophet looks forward to the day of trouble announced in Hab 1:6 ff., but the help of Jehovah in the past brings to him the assurance that in the present also he will stand by his people; therefore, however severe the temporary affliction, he will still rejoice in Jehovah and wait for the God of his salvation.

Fig tree vines olive The chief products of Palestine (see on Joe 1:7; Joe 1:10).

Fields The cornfields.

Meat Better, R.V., “food.”

Flock herd A portion of the inhabitants of Judah remained shepherds throughout the entire history of the Hebrews. All the natural resources of Judah are here enumerated, and the poet assumes a complete failure of all these resources; but, he continues, though all may fail, he will rely upon Jehovah, who is his strength and will supply all his needs.

Some have thought that the historical background of Hab 3:17 is not that of chapters 1, 2, and for this reason they have denied the entire third chapter to Habakkuk (see Introduction, p. 473). Others, for the same reason, have raised doubts concerning the genuineness of Hab 3:17 or of Hab 3:17-19. “This verse (17) does not suggest a condition of scarcity and barrenness arising from a hostile invasion of the land, but rather one due to severe natural calamities.” This consideration leads A.B. Davidson to say, “It is possible that the poem originally ended with Hab 3:16, and that Hab 3:17-19 are an addition.” In reply it may be pointed out (1) that the term “God of my salvation” is used frequently, if not exclusively, in connection with deliverance from enemies; (2) that expressions similar to those in Hab 3:19 are used in Psa 18:33, of Jehovah’s help against hostile armies. In any case, the objections can be urged only against Hab 3:17; but even there it is by no means certain that the reference is to drought and resulting barrenness and to other natural calamities. A hostile army overrunning the land, destroying the crops, tramping down the fields, and killing the cattle and sheep could easily cause the very kind of suffering pictured in Hab 3:17 (compare Isa 1:7-9, or almost any historical inscription of the Assyrian kings). Another objection, based upon the sudden transition from gloom to confidence, is without any force. Similar transitions occur in all poetry, they are very numerous in the psalms, and in the present case it is quite natural.

18, 19. Whatever the severity of the affliction, the prophet and those whose mouthpiece he is, will rejoice in Jehovah (Psa 5:11), for he can supply all needs, and in due time he will prepare a way of escape.

God of my salvation A God who delivers from suffering and distress and restores to the former prosperity and felicity (Mic 7:7; Psa 18:46). Hab 3:19 shows resemblance with Psa 18:32-33.

My strength The source of strength in times of calamity (Psa 18:32; compare 2Co 12:9).

Like hinds’ feet The point of comparison is not named; it is undoubtedly swiftness, one of the most important qualifications of an ancient hero (2Sa 1:23; 1Ch 12:8).

And he will make me to walk upon mine high places A continuation of the preceding figure; the high places are those on which the hinds skip. The thought is of the ease with which the singer, with Jehovah’s help, can walk firmly in difficult places and overcome obstacles which without Jehovah’s aid would be insurmountable. Ultimately the people of Jehovah will triumph. The thought remains the same if, following the most important ancient versions, we omit the pronoun “mine.”

Here ends the poem proper. What follows, “To the chief singer on my stringed instruments,” is the subscription, which, with the exception of the pronoun, is identical with the headings of several psalms in the Psalter (see Introduction, p. 473).

Chief singer R.V., “chief musician.” This word occurs in the headings of fifty-five psalms; it is a participial form of a verb used in Chronicles and Ezra in the sense of “superintending”; in 1Ch 15:21, in the specific sense of “leading the music.” There can be little doubt that the word used here and in the psalm titles means “precentor” or “conductor” of the temple choir. Delitzsch thinks that “To the chief musician” is the direction to this leader to receive a hymn with that superscription into the temple collection.

On my stringed instruments The verb from which this noun is derived means “to pluck the strings,” “to play upon stringed instruments”; the phrase means, therefore, “with the accompaniment of stringed instruments,” and it is a direction that stringed instruments, and no others, are to be used to accompany the singing. The force of the pronoun “my” is doubtful. Does it refer to the poet in the sense that he will accompany the singing with his own stringed instruments? If so, the plural would not be expected. A comparison with Isa 38:20, has led some to interpret “my” in a collective sense, referring to the people, equivalent to “our.” If the pronoun is original, the second interpretation is to be preferred. LXX. reads “his,” that is, of the chief musician. However, in view of the fact that the pronoun is found nowhere in the psalm titles, it is probable that here also it should be omitted, that we should read simply, “on stringed instruments.”

Why this musical note stands at the end rather than at the beginning, as in the psalms, is still an open question. Some think that when this psalm was taken from the psalm collection (see Introduction, p. 473) the words, which were intended to be the heading of the next psalm, were copied erroneously and carried over with this psalm. As there were in the beginning no well-marked divisions between the separate psalms, such mistake might easily have been made. On the other hand, it is claimed (see Thirtle, The Titles of the Psalms) that originally only the notices indicating the author and the historical situation were placed at the head, while the musical notes were always placed at the end; that in the present case the original order has been preserved, while in the Psalter the musical notes have been taken from the end of the psalms for which they were intended and have been placed erroneously at the head of the succeeding psalms, which has resulted in much confusion. Thirtle has made out a strong case; he has succeeded in removing some grave difficulties, and much may be said in favor of his view; but it would be perhaps too much to claim that he has placed the subject entirely beyond question.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘For though the fig tree will not blossom,

Nor will fruit be in the vines,

The produce of the olive will fail,

And the fields will yield no food,

The flock will be cut off from the fold,

And there will be no herd in the stalls,

Yet will I rejoice in YHWH,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.’

Habakkuk has won through to triumphant faith. He declare that although everything goes wrong around him, and invasion destroys all the necessities of life, and leaves them barren of food apart from what they have stored up, which will disappear in the siege, he will rejoice in YHWH, and joy in the God of his salvation.

Here salvation refers not to deliverance, but to inner peace, deliverance within himself, something that externals cannot touch. For he will find rest in the midst of tribulation, and peace of heart with his God.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Hab 3:17. Although the fig-tree shall not bloom, &c.

For then the fig-tree shall not flourish, Nor shall fruit be on the vines: The produce of the olives shall fail, And the fields shall supply no food: The flocks shall be cut off from the fold, And no herds shall be left in the stalls.
It was during this desolation, which is so poetically and beautifully described, that the land rested from tillage, and enjoyed its sabbatical years; which before, it seems, it had not been suffered to do, through the avarice and wickedness of the Jews. See 2Ch 36:20-21 and Green.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

DISCOURSE: 1226
THE CHRISTIANS BOAST

Hab 3:17-18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

A CHRISTIAN will be distinguished from others, whatever be his situation in life; but the more trying and afflictive his condition be, the more will he cause his light to shine before men, and demonstrate the excellence of the principles he has embraced. The prophets resolution, in the prospect of the Babylonish invasion and of the calamities consequent upon it, affords a just picture of every child of God: for though all do not possess the same attainments, all determine through grace to make God the exclusive object of their joy and triumph. Taking then the text as expressive of the feelings of all Gods people, we shall notice,

I.

The Christians boast

The Christian is not exempt from the common calamities of life: but though he partakes of the troubles in which others are involved, he feels supports with which others are wholly unacquainted

1.

He views God as his God and Saviour

[The Christian contemplates God as the Creator and Governor of the universe, but more especially as the Saviour of sinful man. He admires the stupendous method which God has devised for the salvation of sinners through the blood and righteousness of his only dear Son: but that which gives peculiar sweetness to his meditations is, that he is enabled to claim God as his Saviour, who has been already the God of his salvation, and is daily his strength; and will be an effectual Saviour, making his feet like hinds feet, and causing him to walk upon his high places [Note: ver. 19.] ]

2.

He determines, in the want of all other things, to rejoice in him

[In possessing God, he enjoys a suitable good, an all-sufficient good, and an everlasting good; he has that which fully satisfies the desires of his soul [Note: Psa 4:6.] which makes him regardless of all his wants or trials [Note: Psa 46:1-4.] and which is unchangeable, no less in its operation than its existence Hence he determines to rejoice in God, no less when bereft of all the necessaries of life, than when surrounded with a fulness of all earthly comforts.

Nor is this a vain boast: for it accords with the experience of the godly in all ages of the world [Note: Heb 10:34. Act 5:41; Act 16:23-25.] ]

We shall have a just view of the Christian, if we consider,

II.

The insight which this gives us into his real character

Following the clew which this passage affords us, we shall find that the Christian is,

1.

An exalted character

[His thoughts are not engrossed by the things of time and sense; he soars to heaven, and views God himself in all the perfections of his nature, and in all the wonders of his grace. Nor could he be contented to call the whole world his own: he will be satisfied with nothing but the enjoyment of God, and a well-grounded persuasion of an interest in his favour. In this respect he as much surpasses the wisest philosopher, as the philosopher excels the most illiterate clown; because they who search deepest into the works of nature are circumscribed by the creation, whereas the Christian contemplates the Creator himself. Indeed he emulates even the angels around the throne, who are represented as continually looking into the mysteries of redeeming love [Note: 1Pe 1:12.].]

2.

A happy character

[The Christian is not exempt from trials and troubles; yet is he far happier than any unregenerate man. There is not any earthly bliss of which he has not a higher relish than others, because he enjoys, not the creature only, but God in the creature. A carnal mind cannot form any estimate of the Christians joys. To know what is meant by communion with Christ, by the witness of the Spirit, and by the love of God shed abroad in the heart, we must experience them ourselves; and without such experience we are as incapable of judging of them as a blind man is of colours, or a deaf man of sounds. No words can fully express the joy with which the Christian is sometimes favoured: it is represented as unspeakable and glorified [Note: 1Pe 1:8.].]

3.

An independent character

[Others, if bereft of earthly supports, are reduced to extreme distress: the Christian may be deprived of all external comforts, and still the source of his happiness will remain entire. He can even derive happiness from his afflictions; he can rejoice in his sufferings, and glory in his tribulations. He is independent of the whole world: none can greatly add to his happiness, or materially detract from it. In the fulness of earthly blessings he enjoys God in all; and in the absence of them he enjoys all in God [Note: 2Co 6:10.]]

Address
1.

The careful Christian

[God would have you without carefulness [Note: 1Co 7:32.]: he commands you to be careful for nothing [Note: Php 4:6.]: and four times in the space of a few verses does our Lord repeat the command, Take no thought, that is, no anxious thought, about any earthly thing whatever [Note: Mat 6:25; Mat 6:28; Mat 6:31; Mat 6:34.]. O ye who are careful and cumbered about many things, see how ye live below your privileges. Get your hearts more filled with the love of God, and the cares of this world will be dissipated as the dew before the sun [Note: Gal 6:14.].]

2.

The timid Christian

[Some, though dead to the world, have not that joy in God which it is their privilege to possess. They meditate too much upon their own infirmities, and too little upon the perfections and promises of their God. O brethren, look at God as the God of salvation, as the God of your salvation, and you shall have your fears turned into confidence, and your sorrows into thanksgiving and the voice of melody.]

3.

The confident Christian

[If your confidence be tempered with humility and contrition, hold it fast, and keep the rejoicing of your hope firm unto the end. Such joy in God will recommend religion unto others, and be the strength of your own souls. While living in this state you will be prepared for every event: you will be guarded equally against the allurements of prosperity, and the terrors of adversity. Rejoice then evermore; rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice.]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

Hab 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls:

Ver. 17. Although the fig tree shall not blossom ] Here the prophet showeth a well settled and a sedate mind indeed; that he had attained, and, by prayer, waded unto a blessed composedness and sabbath of spirit, such as the cock on the dunghill meddled not with, neither knoweth the worth of; it being the most precious and peerless jewel that ever the heart of man came acquainted with. It hath been before noted, that the prophet here taketh out his own lesson of living by faith in the fail of outward comforts. Origen’s teaching and living were said to be both alike. Habakkuk’s were so. Divinity is practical: If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them; as lessons of music must be practised, and a copy not read only, but imitated, so is it here. It is a blushful thing, quando dicta factis erubescant, as Tertullian hath it; when men’s lives put their words to the blush, when Sanctiores sunt aures plebis quam corda sacerdotum, there are more heavenly doctrines in the people’s ears than ever were in the preacher’s heart, as Hilary hath it; when, as one said of Erasmus’s Enchiridion, there is more holiness in an author’s book than in his bosom ( Plus sanctimoniae conspicitur in ipso libello, quam in libelli Authore ):

“ Exemplis sane qui docet, ille docet. ”

Aristotle requireth in a teacher that he show himself a pattern of his own rules; and it is a good thing to teach (saith Ignatius), , if thou practise the same that thou teachest. That is an excellent commendation indeed that is given to a late eminent divine among us, that his life was but one continued commentary upon his doctrine, and an exemplary sermon, consisting of living words, or of words translated into works. “The just shall llve by faith,” saith Habakkuk; and that I do so, it shall well appear by my living upon God when I have nothing else to subsist with; by believing him upon his bare word, and that against sense in things invisible, and against reason in things incredible.

Although the fig tree, &c. ] q.d. Let war come on, and with war famine; as it befell Jerusalem at the last siege in the days of Zedekiah, 2Ki 25:8 Jer 52:6 Lam 2:11-12 , there was no relief left for the people, the enemy had eaten up all, as Joe 1:4 , and made clean work, so that faithless men were woebegone, and ready to run mad for the sight of their eyes, Deu 28:24 ; Deu 28:51 , and to devour their own fingers, as Pope Boniface VIII did, when shut up close prisoner in St Angelo and sorely straitened.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Although. Hebrew. ki, as in 2Sa 23:5; but must be understood not as being hypothetical, but as bringing out the antithesis with Hab 3:18 (compare Job 8:7).

fig tree . . . vines . . . olive. See note on Jdg 9:8-12.

blossom. The edible fig, which is the blossom: i.e. the receptacle containing a large number of minute unisexual flowers growing to a succulent. The Hebrew text therefore and the Authorized Version rendering are both scientifically correct.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Although

i.e. despite the afflictions of Israel in dispersion, the prophet will rejoice because of the Lord, as yet to return to His temple.

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

the fig tree: Deu 28:15-18, Deu 28:30-41, Jer 14:2-8, Joe 1:10-13, Joe 1:16-18, Amo 4:6-10, Hag 2:16, Hag 2:17

fail: Heb. lie

Reciprocal: Exo 9:31 – the barley Exo 15:2 – strength Lev 26:32 – And I Deu 8:8 – vines Deu 28:18 – thy land Deu 28:51 – which also 1Sa 30:6 – David 1Ki 17:6 – the ravens 1Ki 18:5 – grass Job 5:20 – famine Psa 9:2 – I will be Psa 25:17 – General Psa 43:4 – my exceeding joy Psa 73:25 – none upon Psa 77:6 – my song Psa 89:52 – Blessed Psa 97:12 – Rejoice Psa 104:34 – I will be Pro 3:26 – Lord Isa 15:6 – the grass Isa 16:10 – General Isa 19:15 – General Isa 24:15 – glorify Isa 32:10 – for Jer 5:17 – And they Jer 8:13 – there Jer 12:4 – the beasts Jer 14:22 – wait Joe 1:7 – laid Joe 1:12 – The vine Joe 1:19 – to thee Joe 2:23 – rejoice Mic 7:7 – I will look Hag 2:19 – as Mal 3:11 – neither Luk 1:46 – General Joh 16:22 – and your Rom 5:11 – but we Rom 12:12 – Rejoicing Phi 3:1 – rejoice 1Pe 1:8 – believing 1Jo 1:4 – that

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

REJOICING IN GOD

(A Harvest Sermon)

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Hab 3:17-18

We are rejoicing to-day in the bounty of God. We are thanking Him, as it is meet we should, because He has once more opened His hand and filled all things living with plenteousness.

But other thoughts may well fill our minds in connection with this service. What if God had not dealt thus bountifully with us? What if He had withheld His customary blessings? What if our harvest had failed? The regularity of Gods gifts often causes us to forget their gratuitousness. They come to us anew each morning so uniformly, they are renewed so unfailing each evening, they fall upon us so steadily even during the unconscious hours of slumber, they reach us day by day and year by year with such unvarying regularity, that we come in time to altogether mistake their nature. We look on them more as our lawful rights than as Gods unmerited bounty.

How different was the language of Habakkuk! He had found a higher source of exultation than even we have found, who are rejoicing in the bounty of God to-day. It is good for us to rejoice in His giftsit is better for us to rejoice like the prophet in God Himself.

I. This is the highest form of exultation of which we are capable here on earth; the song of exultation which will fill the courts of heaven when the ransomed at last are gathered home to God.

II. This is the only permanent form of exultation.Our earthly circumstances may fail at any moment. But the joy that is centred in God can never fail, for God Himself is changeless and enduring. On Mohammedan graves, I am told, the words are everywhere written, He remains. With this truth the bereaved are comforted. May not the Mohammedan cemetery teach a needed lesson to the Christian worshipper to-day? The joy that rests in God is alone permanent and enduring, for God Himself alone is changeless.

III. When we learn to rejoice in the Lord we have found the only satisfying form of exultation.The permanence of that joy is one of the secrets of its power to satisfy. We never can feel thoroughly at rest in mind as long as we are conscious of risk and uncertainty. Anxiety is incompatible with perfect satisfaction. But the heart that is resting upon God is set free from anxiety: nothing can rob it of its treasure.

Rev. G. A. Sowter.

Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

Hab 3:17. The misfortunes described in this verse were sometimes brought upon a country as a punishment for the sins of its people. He even sometimes visited his own people with like chastisements.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Hab 3:17-18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom Though all outward means of support should fail, yet will I still have a firm confidence in the power, goodness, and faithfulness of God, that he will preserve me, and supply me with all things necessary; and therefore, amidst the most threatening appearances of affairs, I shall still preserve inward peace and serenity of mind, as trusting in him in whom is everlasting strength, Isa 26:3-4. The state of the land during the captivity may be here prophetically described, when the vineyards, olive-yards, fields, and pastures, would be in a desolate and barren state: or the prophet may be considered as declaring, that even such circumstances should not shake his confidence in God. Yet will I rejoice in the Lord I shall have him to rejoice in, and will rejoice in him. I will joy in the God of my salvation

In the knowledge and love, the favour and friendship, the care and kindness of him in whom I have present, and hope to have future and eternal salvation. Observe: reader, this is the principal ground of our joy in God, that he is the God of our salvation; our everlasting salvation, the salvation of our souls; and if he be so, we may rejoice in him as such in our greatest distresses, since by them our salvation cannot be hindered, but may be furthered. Instead of, the God of my salvation, the LXX. read, , in God my Saviour; and the Vulgate, in Deo Jesu meo, in God my Jesus, or, in Jesus my God. That Jesus, says Calmet, who is the joy, the consolation, the hope, the life of believers; without whom the world can offer us nothing but false joys; who was the object of the desires, and the perpetual consolation of the prophets and patriarchs: see Joh 8:56.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Hab 3:17-19. A liturgical addition, expressing perfect trust in Yahweh even amid loss and grief (cf. Joe 1:17-20).

Hab 3:17. For tiphrah, blossom, read probably tiphreh, bear fruit (LXX).

Hab 3:19. From Psa 18:32 f.On the musical notes, see p. 373.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

Even though everything would get worse in Judah, Habakkuk determined to praise Yahweh and to rejoice in the God who would save him (cf. Psa 18:46; Psa 25:5). The prophet pictured the worst of circumstances by using a variety of rural metaphors drawn from plant and animal life. Taken together they have the effect of saying that no matter what bad thing may happen, Habakkuk, and hopefully all Israel, would trust God. Even though the prophet felt weak physically, he was strong in faith spiritually. Thus he would live (cf. Hab 2:4). Many of these bad conditions did mark Judah when the Babylonians overthrew the nation (cf. Lam 2:12; Lam 2:20; Lam 4:4; Lam 4:9-10; Lam 5:17-18).

"It is right and proper to voice appreciation of God’s goodness when he bestows all that is necessary for life, health, and prosperity. But when these things are lacking, to rejoice in God for his own sake is evidence of pure faith." [Note: Bruce, p. 893.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)