John Calvin Commentary Habakkuk 1:5

"Behold ye among the nations, and look, and wonder marvellously; for I am working a work in your days, which ye will not believe though it be told you." — Habakkuk 1:5 (ASV)

The Prophet turns his discourse to the Jews, after relating the private conversation in which he reasoned earnestly with God for having so patiently tolerated the obstinate wickedness of the nation. Now, so to speak, equipped with God’s command (as was indeed the case), he acts as a herald and proclaims an approaching destruction. He indeed adopts a preface, which ought to have awakened drowsy and careless minds. He says—look, see, be astonished, be astonished; these repetitions considerably increase the alarm. He twice tells them to see, and he twice exhorts them to be astonished, or to wonder. He then briefly proclaims the judgment of God, which he afterwards more fully describes. Thus, we now perceive the Prophet's objective and the manner in which he proceeds with his subject.

And he tells those among the nations to behold, as if he had said that they were unworthy to be taught in God's school; he therefore appointed other masters for them, namely the Chaldeans, as we will soon see. He might have said, "Look to God"; but as the Prophet had so long spent his labor in vain and without profit while teaching them, he sets the Chaldeans over them as teachers. He says, "Behold, you teachers among the Gentiles." There is indeed an implied contrast here, as if he said—"God has until now often called you back to himself and has offered himself to you, but you have refused to look to him. Now then, as he is weary of being patient for so long, he appoints other teachers for you; learn now from the Gentiles what you have until now refused to learn from the holy mouth of God himself."

The Greek translators no doubt read בגורים, for their version is—"Behold, you despisers." But in Hebrew there is no ambiguity about the word.

He afterwards adds—And wonder, you wonder! By these words the prophets express how dreadful God's judgment would be, which would astonish the Jews themselves. If they had not been extremely stubborn, they might have quietly received instruction, for God would have addressed them by his prophets as if they were his own children. They might thus, with calm minds, have listened to God speaking to them; but the time had now come when they were to be filled with astonishment. Thus we see that the Prophet meant this in essence: that there would be a new mode of teaching, which would overwhelm the unwilling with astonishment, because they would not tolerate being ruled gently when the Lord required nothing from them but to make themselves teachable.

After saying that God's judgment would be dreadful, he adds that it was close at hand—a work, he says, will he work in your days. They had already often been warned of that vengeance, but as they had disregarded it for a long time, they always remained sunk in their own self-delusions, like people who are accustomed to delay and search everywhere for some excuse for indulging themselves. So when the people became hardened against all threats, they thought that God would always tolerate them. Therefore, the Prophet expressly declares that the execution of what they considered a fable was close at hand—He will work, he says, this work in your days.

He then adds—You will not believe when it is told to you; that is, God will execute such a punishment as will be incredible and exceed all belief. The Prophet no doubt alludes to the lack of faith in the people and indirectly rebukes them, as if he said—"You have until now denied faith to God's word, but you will at last find that he has told the truth; and this you will find to your astonishment, for as his word has been considered incredible by you, so also incredible will be his judgment." In short, the Prophet implies this: that though the Prophets had been mocked by the Jews and despised as inventors of fables, yet nothing had been said by them that would not be fully accomplished.

This reward then was to be paid to all the unbelievers, for God would in the most dreadful manner avenge their impiety, so that they themselves would be astonished and become an astonishment to others. We now understand what the Prophet meant by saying that the Jews would not believe the work of God when it was told to them, that is, the vengeance which he will soon describe.

This passage is quoted by Paul and applied to the punishment then awaiting the Jews. For Paul, after offering Christ to them and seeing that many of them regarded the preaching of the Gospel with scorn, added these words—"See," he said, "and be astonished, for God will work a work in your days which you will not believe."

Paul at the same time made a suitable application of the Prophet's words. For as God had once threatened his people through his Prophet Habakkuk, so he was still consistent with himself. Since he had so severely punished the contempt of his law among his ancient people, he could not surely tolerate the impiety of those people whom he found to have acted so malignantly and ungratefully, yes, so wantonly and perversely, as to reject his grace, for this was the last remedy for the Jews.

No wonder then that Paul set this vengeance before them, when the Jews of his time persisted in rejecting Christ through their unbelief. The explanation now follows.