Habakkuk 2:1
I WILL astand upon my watch, and set me upon the 1tower, and will watch to see what he will bsay 2unto me, and what I shall answer when I am 3reproved.
I WILL stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
a:
Isaiah 21:8 And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
Psalms 73:15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
Psalms 73:16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
1:
Heb. fenced place.
b:
Habakkuk 1:13-1:17 13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? 14. And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them? 15. They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad. 16. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous. 17. Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?
Psalms 85:7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.
Psalms 102:16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
Psalms 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
2:
Or, in me.
3:
Or, argued with. Heb. upon my reproof, or, arguing.
the first chapter ended with that difficult and perplexed question, why God suffers the wicked So long to prosper in their oppressions of the righteous? This chapter represents the prophet waiting and musing, studying with himself what account he might give to himself, and waiting what account God would give him of it. He will stand in a posture of meditating, observing, and waiting.
possibly the prophet may have respect to the manner of the Jews, who in their solemn prayers and waiting on God had their stations and watches (as Buxtorf observeth in verbo [Hebrew];) in their synagogues, or at Jerusalem. But I rather think the prophet resolveth to be like one that is to be a watchman, as prophets are, Eze 3:17, for the people of God. Or passively, in my watch, i.e. where my adversaries, like besieging enemies, observe and watch me. It contains his diligent and persevering expectation and observing.
fixedly and with resolution not to leave my station, as the Hebrew implieth; it is the same thing more emphatically expressed than in the word stand.
either watch-tower, or besieged tower, or within a circle, out of which I will not stir till I receive an answer.
most attentively observe, to see what he, the Lord, Hab 1:12, will say unto me, or signify unto me; waiting for mine own satisfaction, and for the information of others.
there are many that are perplexed at the intricacy of providence, and some inquire to be instructed; some propose doubts and fears; and others do quarrel and perversely wrangle with God and his prophets; and how I may answer these from the word of God is that I wait for, saith our prophet.
when called to give an account of the mysteriousness of providence; when either to satisfy doubters, or to silence quarrellers.