John Calvin Commentary Habakkuk 2:10

"Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thy soul." — Habakkuk 2:10 (ASV)

The Prophet again confirms the truth that those who consider themselves happy, imagining that they are like God, busy themselves in vain; for God will turn to shame whatever they think to be their glory, derived from their riches.

The avaricious indeed wish, as it appears from the last verse, to prepare splendor for their posterity, and they think to make their lineage illustrious by their wealth. For this is considered nobility: the richer anyone is, the more they think they excel in dignity, and the more they are to be esteemed by all.

Since, then, this is the goal of almost all the avaricious, the Prophet here reminds them that they are greatly deceived. For the Lord will not only frustrate their hopes but will also convert their glory into shame. Therefore, he says, that they consult shame to their family.

He includes in the word consult all the industry, diligence, skill, care, and labor displayed by the avaricious. We indeed see how very shrewd they are; for if they sense any gain at a distance, they draw it to themselves. Night and day they form new designs, that they may circumvent one person and plunder another, and accumulate into their hoard whatever money they can find, and also that they may join fields to fields, build great palaces, and secure great revenues.

This is the reason why the Prophet says that they consult shame. What is the goal of all their designs? For they are, as we have said, very sharp and keen-sighted; they are also industrious and torment themselves day and night with continual labor. For what purpose are all these things?

It is for this: that their posterity may be eminent, that their nobility may be on everyone's lips and spread far and wide. But the Prophet shows that they labor in vain, for God will turn to shame whatever they, in their great wisdom, contrived for the honor of their families.

Therefore, the more provident the avaricious are, the more foolish they are, for they consult nothing but disgrace to their posterity.

He adds, though thou cuttest off many people. This seems to have been expressed for the sake of anticipating an objection. For it might have seemed incredible that the Babylonians would form designs disgraceful to their posterity, when their fame was so prominent, and Babylon itself was like an idol, and the king was everywhere regarded with great reverence and also fear.

Since, then, the Babylonians had made such advances, who could have thought it possible that what the Prophet declares here would take place? But, as I have already said, he meets these objections and says, "Though the Babylonians will conquer many enemies and overthrow strong people, yet this will be of no advantage to them; indeed, even that which they think will be to their glory will turn out to their disgrace."

To the same purpose is what he adds, thou hast sinned against thy soul. Some give this version, "You have sinned licentiously" or "immoderately"; others, "Your soul has sinned," but these pervert the Prophet’s meaning. For what he intended was nothing other than the evils which the avaricious and the cruel bring on themselves, and which will return on their own heads.

Therefore, when the Babylonians devised ruin for the whole world, the Prophet predicts that an end, very different from what they thought, would come to them: thou hast sinned, he says, against thine own soul; that is, the evil which you prepared to bring on others will be made by God to fall on your own head.

And this kind of declaration should be carefully noted: that is, that the ungodly, while they trouble everyone and harass everyone, while they torment one, plunder another, and oppress another, always sin against their own souls. That is, they do not cause as much loss and sorrow to others as to themselves, for the Lord will make the evil they intend for others to return on themselves.

He does not speak here of guilt, but of punishment, when he says, thou hast sinned against thy soul; that is, you will receive the reward due to all your sins. We now see, then, what the Prophet means.

It now follows—