John Gill Commentary Habakkuk 2:8

"Because thou hast plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder thee, because of men`s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all that dwell therein." — Habakkuk 2:8 (ASV)

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of
the people shall spoil thee

Those that survived the persecutions of the Roman emperors; those that were left of the great numbers put to death by them; those under Constantine rose up, and by just retaliation spoiled them of all their power and wealth:

because of men's blood; the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus, of those under the altar, whose blood cried for vengeance, (Revelation 6:9Revelation 6:10), which was shed under the ten bloody persecutions: or, "because of the blood of a man": of Adam ^F6, as it may be rendered; the blood of Christ the second Adam, which, though shed at the instance of the Jews, yet by the order of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor:

and [for] the violence of the land, and of the city, and of all that
dwell therein: that is, for the violence and injuries done to the land of Israel and city of Jerusalem, and the inhabitants thereof, as the Targum, and so Jarchi; and which were done by the Romans to those places and people, under Titus Vespasian, when he invaded the country of Judea, and made it desolate; besieged and took Jerusalem, and burnt it with fire; destroyed great numbers of its inhabitants, and carried them captive, and sent great multitudes of them to the mines; as well as for what were done to the Christians in every country and city where they dwelt; and to the city of the living God, the church, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the citizens of it, who were used by them in a very cruel and inhuman manner, and for which vengeance would be, and was, taken upon them.

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F6: (Mda ymdm) "propter sanguinem hominis", i. e. "Christi, qui est secundus Adam", Cocceius, Van Till.