John Calvin Commentary Habakkuk 2:17

"For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of the beasts, which made them afraid; because of men`s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all that dwell therein." — Habakkuk 2:17 (ASV)

From this we may easily learn that the Prophet has not been speaking of drunkenness, but that his discourse, as we have explained, was metaphorical. For the reason why he had pronounced such a punishment on the king of Babylon is this: he had exercised violence, not only against all nations indiscriminately, but also against the chosen people of God.

He had previously only set forth in general the cruelty with which the king of Babylon had destroyed many nations; but he now speaks distinctly of the Jews, in order to show that God would in a particular way be the avenger of that cruelty which the Chaldeans had inflicted upon the Jews, because the Lord had taken that people under His own protection.

Since, then, the king of Babylon had assailed God's children, whom God had adopted and whose defender He was, the Prophet here pronounces a special punishment upon him. We thus see that this discourse is properly addressed to the Jews, for the Prophet intended to bring them some consolation in their extreme hardships, so that they might strengthen their patience; for they were thereby made to see that the wrongs done to them had come to a reckoning before God.

By Libanus, then, we are to understand either Judea or the temple; for Libanus, as is well known, was not far from the temple, and it is found elsewhere with the same meaning. But if anyone extends this to the land of Judea, the meaning will be the same; there will be little or no difference as to the subject being discussed. Because the violence then of Libanus shall overwhelm thee.

Then come the words, the pillaging of beasts.

Interpreters think that the Chaldeans and Assyrians are here called בהמות, bemutt, beasts, because they had been savage and cruel, like wild beasts, in laying waste to Judea. I, however, understand 'the beasts of Libanus' to mean those that inhabited that forest.

The Prophet exaggerates the cruelty of the king of Babylon with this consideration: that he had been an enemy to brute beasts. And I consider the relative pronoun אשר, asher, which, to be understood before the verb יחיתן, ichiten, which can mean 'to tear' or 'to frighten'.

Some offer this rendering: "The plundering of beasts shall tear them," as if he had said, "The Babylonians are indeed like savage beasts, but they shall be torn by their own plundering." However, another sense will be more suitable: that the plundering of beasts, which terrified them, shall overwhelm you; for the same verb, יבס, icas, 'shall cover or overwhelm the king of Babylon,' is to be repeated here.

He finally adds the clause that was explained yesterday. We now perceive the Prophet's meaning to be that the king of Babylon would be justly plundered because he had destroyed the holy land, wickedly attacked God’s chosen people, and also carried out his depredations throughout almost the whole of the Eastern world. It now follows—