A verse by verse commentary on Habakkuk 2 dealing with God's answer to Habakkuk that he should write down what God says about the future and just wait for it in faith. Then comes a series of woes.

1. HABAKKUK 2 COMME TARY
EDITED BY GLE PEASE
1 I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.
BAR ES, "I will stand - , i. e. I would stand now, as a servant awaiting his master,
Upon my watch - or, keep (Isa_21:8. ‫משׁמר‬ in the same sense Jer_51:12), and “set me
(plant myself firmly) upon the tower” (literally, fenced place, but also one straitened and
narrowly hemmed in), “and will watch” (it is a title of the prophets , as spying by God’s
enabling, things beyond human ken); I will spy out, to see a long way off, to see with the
inward eye, what He will say unto me (literally, Jerome: in me); first revealing Himself
in the prophets “within to the inner man;” then, through them. And what I shall answer
when I am reproved , or, upon my complaint literally upon my reproof or arguing; which
might mean, either that others argued against him, or that he had argued, pleaded in the
name of others, and now listened to hear what God would answer in him (See Num_
12:6, and at Zec_1:19), and so he, as taught by God should answer to his own plea. But
he had so pleaded with God, repeatedly, why is this? He has given no hint, that any
complained of or reproved him.
Theodotion: “By an image from those who, in war and siege, have the ward of the wall
distributed to them, he says, I will stand upon my watch.” Cyril: “It was the custom of
the saints, when they wished to learn the things of God, and to receive the knowledge of
things to come through His voice in their mind and heart, to raise it on high above
distractions and anxieties and all worldly care, holding and keeping it unoccupied and
peaceful, rising as to an eminence to look around and contemplate what the God of all
knowledge should make clear to them. For He hateth the earth-bound and abject mind,
and seeks hearts which can soar aloft, raised above earthly things and temporal desires.”
The prophet takes his stand, apart from people and the thoughts and cares of this world,
on his lonely watch, as Moses on the rock, keeping himself and kept by God, and planted
firm, so that nothing should move him, fenced around thought straitened in , as in a
besieged camp committed to his ward, looking out from his lofty place what answer God
would give as to times long distant, and what answer He should give first to himself, and
to those to whom his office lay, God’s people.

2. CLARKE, "I will stand upon my watch - The prophets are always represented as
watchmen, watching constantly for the comfort, safety, and welfare of the people; and
watching also to receive information from the Lord: for the prophetic influence was not
always with them, but was granted only at particular times, according to the will of God.
When, in doubtful cases, they wished to know what God was about to do with the
country, they retired from society and gave themselves to meditation and prayer, waiting
thus upon God to hear what he would say In them.
What he will say unto me - ‫בי‬ bi, In me - in my understanding and heart.
And what I shall answer when I am reproved - What I shall say to God in behalf
of the people; and what the Lord shall command me to say to the people. Some translate,
“And what he will answer for my conviction.” Or, “what shall be answered to my
pleading.”
GILL, "I will stand upon my watch,.... These are the words of the prophet: so the
Targum introduces them,
"the prophet said;''
and this he said in character as a watchman, as all the prophets were: as a watchman
takes the proper place he watches in and looks out, especially in time of danger and
distress, if he can spy anyone bringing tidings, that he may receive it, and notify it to the
people that have appointed him a watchman; so the prophet retired from the world, and
gave himself up to meditation and prayer, and put himself in a waiting posture; looking
up to the Lord, and expecting an answer to his expostulations with him, concerning the
success of the enemies of God's people, and the calamities that were like to come upon
them, that he might report it to them; see Isa_21:8,
and set me upon the tower; a place of eminence, from which he could behold an
object at a distance: it signifies a strait place, in which he was as one besieged; and may
be an emblem of the straits and difficulties he was in, which he wanted to be extricated
out of: the thoughts of his heart troubled him; he had a great many objections that rose
up in his mind against the providences that were like to attend his people; he was beset
with the temptations of Satan, and surrounded with objectors to what he had delivered,
concerning the Chaldeans being raised up by God to the destruction of the Jewish
nation; and, amidst these difficulties, he sets himself to reading the word of God, and
meditation on it, to pray to God for instruction and information in this matter; as Asaph,
in a like case, went into the sanctuary of the Lord, where he got satisfaction, Psa_73:2 as
well as it may be expressive of the confidence he had in God, in his covenant and
promises, which were as a fortress and strong tower to him; in short, he kept his place,
he was found in the way of his duty, in the performance of his office, and was humbly
and patiently waiting on God, to know more of his mind and will, and acquaint the
people with it.
And will watch to see what he will say unto me; or "in me" (n); that is, what the
Lord would say unto him, either outwardly by an audible voice; or inwardly by
impressing things upon his mind; or in a vision by the Spirit of prophecy, as Kimchi; so
David, "the Spirit of the Lord spoke by me", or "in me", 2Sa_23:2 he was determined to
wait patiently for an answer, and to continue in the present posture, and constantly

3. attend to every motion and dictate of the Spirit of God, and take particular notice of
what should be suggested to him:
and what I shall answer when I am reproved; either by the Lord, for using so
much freedom and boldness in expostulations and reasonings with him, who is under no
obligation to give an account of his matters unto the children of men; or by others, how
he should be able to satisfy his own mind, and remove the scruples, doubts, and
objections, that arose there against the providence of God, in prospering the wicked, and
afflicting the righteous, and repel the temptation he was under to quarrel with God, and
arraign his proceedings; and how he should answer the objections that his people made,
both against his prophecies, and the providence of God, for which they reproved him; or,
however, he expected they would. The Targum is,
"and what will be returned to my request.''
HE RY, "Here, I. The prophet humbly gives his attendance upon God (Hab_2:1): “I
will stand upon my watch, as a sentinel on the walls of a besieged city, or on the borders
of an invaded country, that is very solicitous to gain intelligence. I will look up, will look
round, will look within, and watch to see what he will say unto me, will listen attentively
to the words of his mouth and carefully observe the steps of his providence, that I may
not lose the least hint of instruction or direction. I will watch to see what he will say in
me” (so it may be read), “what the Spirit of prophecy in me will dictate to me, by way of
answer to my complaints.” Even in a ordinary way, God not only speaks to us by his
word, but speaks in us by our own consciences, whispering to us, This is the way, walk
in it; and we must attend to the voice of God in both. The prophet's standing upon his
tower, or high place, intimates his prudence, in making use of the helps and means he
had within his reach to know the mind of God, and to be instructed concerning it. Those
that expect to hear from God must withdraw from the world, and get above it, must raise
their attention, fix their thought, study the scriptures, consult experiences and the
experienced, continue instant in prayer, and thus set themselves upon the tower. His
standing upon his watch intimates his patience, his constancy and resolution; he will
wait the time, and weather the point, as a watchman does, but he will have an answer; he
will know what God will say to him, not only for his own satisfaction, but to enable him
as a prophet to give satisfaction to others, and answer their exceptions, when he is
reproved or argued with. Herein the prophet is an example to us. 1. When we are tossed
and perplexed with doubts concerning the methods of Providence, are tempted to think
that it is fate, or fortune, and not a wise God, that governs the world, or that the church
is abandoned, and God's covenant with his people cancelled and laid aside, then we must
take pains to furnish ourselves with considerations proper to clear this matter; we must
stand upon our watch against the temptation, that it may not get ground upon us, must
set ourselves upon the tower, to see if we can discover that which will silence the
temptation and solve the objected difficulties, must do as the psalmist, consider the days
of old and make a diligent search (Psa_77:6), must go into the sanctuary of God, and
there labour to understand the end of these things (Psa_73:17); we must not give way to
our doubts, but struggle to make the best of our way out of them. 2. When we have been
at prayer, pouring out our complaints and requests before God, we must carefully
observe what answers God gives by his word, his Spirit, and his providences, to our
humble representations; when David says, I will direct my prayer unto thee, as an arrow
to the mark, he adds, I will look up, will look after my prayer, as a man does after the
arrow he has shot, Psa_5:3. We must hear what God the Lord will speak, Psa_85:8. 3.

4. When we go to read and hear the word of God, and so to consult the lively oracles, we
must set ourselves to observe what God will thereby say unto us, to suit our case, what
word of conviction, caution, counsel, and comfort, he will bring to our souls, that we may
receive it, and submit to the power of it, and may consider what we shall answer, what
returns we shall make to the word of God, when we are reproved by it. 4. When we are
attacked by such as quarrel with God and his providence as the prophet here seems to
have been - beset, besieged, as in a tower, by hosts of objectors - we should consider how
to answer them, fetch our instructions from God, hear what he says to us for our
satisfaction, and have that ready to say to others, when we are reproved, to satisfy them,
as a reason of the hope that is in us (1Pe_3:15), and beg of God a mouth and wisdom,
and that it may be given us in that same hour what we shall speak.
II. God graciously gives him the meeting; for he will not disappoint the believing
expectations of his people that wait to hear what he will say unto them, but will speak
peace, will answer them with good words and comfortable words, Zec_1:13. The
prophet had complained of the prevalence of the Chaldeans, which God had given him a
prospect of; now, to pacify him concerning it, he here gives him a further prospect of
their fall and ruin, as Isaiah, before this, when he had foretold the captivity in Babylon,
foretold also the destruction of Babylon. Now, this great and important event being
made known to him by a vision, care is taken to publish the vision, and transmit it to the
generations to come, who should see the accomplishment of it.
JAMISO , "Hab_2:1-20. The prophet, waiting earnestly for an answer to his
complaints (first chapter), receives a revelation, which is to be fulfilled, not
immediately, yet in due time, and is therefore to be waited for in faith: The Chaldeans
shall be punished for their cruel rapacity, nor can their false gods avert the judgment of
Jehovah, the only true God.
stand upon ... watch — that is, watch-post. The prophets often compare
themselves, awaiting the revelations of Jehovah with earnest patience, to watchmen on
an eminence watching with intent eye all that comes within their view (Isa_21:8, Isa_
21:11; Jer_6:17; Eze_3:17; Eze_33:2, Eze_33:3; compare Psa_5:3; Psa_85:8). The
“watch-post” is the withdrawal of the whole soul from earthly, and fixing it on heavenly,
things. The accumulation of synonyms, “stand upon ... watch ... set me upon ... tower ...
watch to see” implies persevering fixity of attention.
what he will say unto me — in answer to my complaints (Hab_1:13). Literally, “in
me,” God speaking, not to the prophet’s outward ear, but inwardly. When we have
prayed to God, we must observe what answers God gives by His word, His Spirit, and
His providences.
what I shall answer when I am reproved — what answer I am to make to the
reproof which I anticipate from God on account of the liberty of my expostulation with
Him. Maurer translates, “What I am to answer in respect to my complaint against
Jehovah” (Hab_1:12-17).
K&D 1-3, "Hab_2:1-3 form the introduction to the word of God, which the prophet
receives in reply to his cry of lamentation addressed to the Lord in Hab_1:12-17. Hab_
2:1. “I will stand upon my watchtower, and station myself upon the fortress, and will
watch to see what He will say in me, and what I answer to my complaint. Hab_2:2.
Then Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon the
tables, that he may run who reads it. Hab_2:3. For the vision is yet fore the appointed
end, and strives after the end, and does not lie: if it tarry, wait for it; for it will come, it

5. does not fail.” Hab_2:1 contains the prophet's conversation with himself. After he has
poured out his trouble at the judgment announced, in a lamentation to the Lord (Hab_
1:12-17), he encourages himself - after a pause, which we have to imagine after Hab_1:17
- to wait for the answer from God. He resolves to place himself upon his observatory,
and look out for the revelation which the Lord will give to his questions. Mishmereth, a
place of waiting or observing; mâtsōr, a fortress, i.e., a watch-tower or spying-tower.
Standing upon the watch, and stationing himself upon the fortification, are not to be
understood as something external, as Hitzig supposes, implying that the prophet went
up to a steep and lofty place, or to an actual tower, that he might be far away from the
noise and bustle of men, and there turn his eyes towards heaven, and direct his collected
mind towards God, to look out for a revelation. For nothing is known of any such custom
as this, since the cases mentioned in Exo_33:21 and 1Ki_19:11, as extraordinary
preparations for God to reveal Himself, are of a totally different kind from this; and the
fact that Balaam the soothsayer went up to the top of a bare height, to look out for a
revelation from God (Num_23:3), furnishes not proof that the true prophets of Jehovah
did the same, but is rather a heathenish feature, which shows that it was because Balaam
did not rejoice in the possession of a firm prophetic word, that he looked out for
revelations from God in significant phenomena of nature (see at Num_23:3-4). The
words of our verse are to be taken figuratively, or internally, like the appointment of the
watchman in Isa_21:6. The figure is taken from the custom of ascending high places for
the purpose of looking into the distance (2Ki_9:17; 2Sa_18:24), and simply expresses
the spiritual preparation of the prophet's soul for hearing the word of God within, i.e.,
the collecting of his mind by quietly entering into himself, and meditating upon the word
and testimonies of God. Cyril and Calvin bring out the first idea. Thus the latter
observes, that “the watch-tower is the recesses of the mind, where we withdraw
ourselves from the world;” and then adds by way of explanation, “The prophet, under
the name of the watch-tower, implies that he extricates himself as it were from the
thoughts of the flesh, because there would be no end or measure, if he wished to judge
according to his own perception;” whilst others find in it nothing more than firm
continuance in reliance upon the word of God.
(Note: Theodoret very appropriately compares the words of Asaph in Psa_73:16.,
“When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me, until I entered into the
sanctuaries of God, and gave heed to their end;” and observes, “And there, says the
prophet, will I remain as appointed, and not leave my post, but, standing upon such
a rock as that upon which God placed great Moses, watch with a prophet's eyes for
the solution of the things that I seek.”)
Tsippâh, to spy or watch, to wait for the answer from God. “This watching was lively and
assiduous diligence on the part of the prophet, in carefully observing everything that
took place in the spirit of his mind, and presented itself either to be seen or heard”
(Burk). ‫י‬ ִ ‫ר־‬ ֶ ַ‫ד‬ְ‫,י‬ to speak in me, not merely to or with me; since the speaking of God to the
prophets was an internal speaking, and not one that was perceptible from without. What
I shall answer to my complaint (‛al tōkhachtı), namely, first of all to myself and then to
the rest. Tōkhachath, lit., correction, contradiction. Habakkuk refers to the complaint
which he raised against God in Hab_1:13-17, namely, that He let the wicked go on
unpunished. He will wait for an answer from God to this complaint, to quiet his own
heart, which is dissatisfied with the divine administration. Thus he draws a sharp
distinction between his own speaking and the speaking of the Spirit of God within him.

6. Jehovah gives the answer in what follows, first of all (Hab_2:2, Hab_2:3) commanding
him to write the vision (châzōn, the revelation from God to be received by inward
intuition) upon tables, so clearly, that men may be able to read it in running, i.e., quite
easily.
‫ר‬ ֵ‫א‬ ָ as in Deu_27:8; see at Deu_1:5. The article attached to ‫חוֹת‬ ֻ ַ‫ה‬ does not point to the
tables set up in the market-places for public notices to be written upon (Ewald), but
simply means, make it clear on the tables on which thou shalt write it, referring to the
noun implied in ‫ּב‬‫ת‬ ִⅴ (write), though not expressed (Delitzsch). ‫בוֹ‬ ‫א‬ ֵ‫קוֹר‬ may be explained
from ‫ר‬ ֶ‫פ‬ ֵ‫ס‬ ְ ‫א‬ ָ‫ר‬ ָ‫ק‬ in Jer_36:13. The question is a disputed one, whether this command is to
be understood literally or merely figuratively, “simply denoting the great importance of
the prophecy, and the consequent necessity for it to be made accessible to the whole
nation” (Hengstenberg, Dissertation, vol. i. p. 460). The passages quoted in support of
the literal view, i.e., of the actual writing of the prophecy which follows upon tables, viz.,
Isa_8:1; Isa_30:8, and Jer_30:2, are not decisive. In Jer_30:2 the prophet is
commanded to write all the words of the Lord in a book (sēpher); and so again in Isa_
30:8, if ַ‫ּ־לוּח‬‫ל‬ ַ‫ע‬ ָ‫ב‬ ְ‫ת‬ ָⅴ is synonymous with ָ ֻ‫ח‬ ‫ר‬ ֶ‫פ‬ ֵ‫ל־ס‬ ַ‫.ע‬ But in Isa_8:1 there are only two
significant words, which the prophet is to write upon a large table after having taken
witnesses. It does not follow from either of these passages, that luchōth, tables, say
wooden tables, had been already bound together into books among the Hebrews, so that
we could be warranted in identifying the writing plainly upon tables with writing in a
book. We therefore prefer the figurative view, just as in the case of the command issued
to Daniel, to shut up his prophecy and seal it (Dan_12:4), inasmuch as the literal
interpretation of the command, especially of the last words, would require that the table
should be set up or hung out in some public place, and this cannot for a moment be
thought of. The words simply express the thought, that the prophecy is to be laid to
heart by all the people on account of its great importance, and that not merely in the
present, but in the future also. This no doubt involved the obligation on the part of the
prophet to take care, by committing it to writing, that it did not fall into oblivion. The
reason for the writing is given in Hab_2:3. The prophecy is ‫ד‬ ֵ‫וֹע‬ ַ‫,ל‬ for the appointed time;
i.e., it relates to the period fixed by God for its realization, which was then still (‫)עוֹד‬ far
off. ְ‫ל‬ denotes direction towards a certain point either of place or time. The vision had a
direction towards a point, which, when looked at from the present, was still in the
future. This goal was the end (‫ץ‬ ֵ ַ‫ה‬ towards which it hastened, i.e., the “last time” (‫ץ‬ ֵ‫ק‬ ‫ד‬ ֵ‫,מוֹע‬
Dan_8:19; and ‫ץ‬ ַ‫ק‬ ‫ת‬ ַ‫,ע‬ Dan_8:17; Dan_11:35), the Messianic times, in which the
judgment would fall upon the power of the world. ‫ץ‬ ֵ ַ‫ל‬ ַ‫ח‬ ֵ‫פ‬ָ‫,י‬ it pants for the end, inhiat fini,
i.e., it strives to reach the end, to which it refers. “True prophecy is inspired, as it were,
by an impulse to fulfil itself” (Hitzig). ַ‫ח‬ ֵ‫פ‬ָ‫י‬ is not an adjective, as in Psa_27:12, but the
third pers. imperf. hiphil of pūăch; and the contracted form ( ַ‫ח‬ ֵ‫פ‬ָ‫י‬ for ַ‫יח‬ ִ‫פ‬ָ‫,)י‬ without a
voluntative meaning, is the same as we frequently meet with in the loftier style of
composition. ‫ב‬ֵ ַ‫כ‬ְ‫י‬ ‫ּא‬‫ל‬ְ‫,ו‬ “and does not deceive,” i.e., will assuredly take place. If it (the
vision) tarry, i.e., be not fulfilled immediately, wait for it, for it will surely take place (the
inf. abs. ‫וֹא‬ to add force, and ‫וֹא‬ applying to the fulfilment of the prophecy, as in 1Sa_9:6

7. and Jer_28:9), will not fail; ‫ר‬ ֵ‫ח‬ ִ‫,א‬ to remain behind, not to arrive (Jdg_5:28; 2Sa_20:5).
(Note: The lxx have rendered ‫ּא‬‫ב‬ָ‫י‬ ‫ּא‬‫ב‬ ‫י‬ ִⅴ, ᆋτι ᅚρχόµενος ᅫξει, which the author of the
Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb_10:37) has still further defined by adding the article,
and, connecting it with µικρᆵν ᆋσον ᆋσον of Isa_26:20 (lxx), has taken it as Messianic,
and applied to the speedy coming of the Messiah to judgment; not, however,
according to the exact meaning of the words, but according to the fundamental idea
of the prophetic announcement. For the vision, the certain fulfilment of which is
proclaimed by Habakkuk, predicts the judgment upon the power of the world, which
the Messiah will bring to completion.)
CALVI , "We have seen in the first chapter Habakkuk 1:2 that the Prophet said in
the name of all the faithful. It was indeed a hard struggle, when all things were in a
perplexed state and no outlet appeared. The faithful might have thought that all
things happened by chance, that there was no divine providence; and even the
Prophet uttered complaints of this kind. He now begins to recover himself from his
perplexities; and he ever speaks in the person of the godly, or of the whole Church.
For what is done by some interpreters, who confine what is said to the prophetic
office, I do not approve; and it may be easy from the contempt to learn, that the
Prophet does not speak according to his private feeling, but that he represents the
feelings of all the godly. So then we ought to collect this verse with the complaints,
which we have before noticed; for the Prophet, finding himself sinking, and as it
were overwhelmed in the deepest abyss, raises himself up above the judgement and
reason of men, and comes nearer to God, that he might see from on high the things
which take place on earth, and not judge according to the understanding of his own
flesh, but by the light of the Holy Spirit. For the tower of which he speaks is
patience arising from hope. If indeed we would struggle perseveringly to the last,
and at length obtain the victory over all trials and conflicts, we must rise above the
world.
Some understand by tower and citadel the Word of God: and this may in some
measure be allowed, though not in every respect suitable. If we more fully weigh the
reason for the metaphor, we shall be at no loss to know that the tower is the recess
of the mind, where we withdraw ourselves from the world; for we find how disposed
we are all to entertain distrust. When, therefore, we follow our own inclination,
various temptations immediately lay hold on us; nor can we even for a moment
exercise hope in God: and many things are also suggested to us, which take away
and deprive us of all confidence: we become also involved in variety of thoughts, for
when Satan finds men wandering in their imaginations and blending many things
together, he so entangles them that they cannot by any means come nigh to God. If
then we would cherish faith in our hearts, we must rise above all these difficulties
and hindrances. And the Prophet by tower means this, that he extricated himself
from the thoughts of the flesh; for there would have been no end nor termination to
his doubts, had he tried to form a judgement according to his own understanding; I
will stand, he says, on my tower, (24) I and I will set myself on the citadel. In short,
the sentence carries this meaning—that the Prophet renounced the judgement of
men, and broke through all those snares by which Satan entangles us and prevents

8. us to rise above the earth.
He then adds, I will watch to see what he may say to me, that is, I will be there
vigilant; for by watching he means vigilance and waiting, as though he had said,
“Though no hope should soon appear, I shall not despond; nor shall I forsake my
station; but I shall remain constantly in that tower, to which I wish now to ascend: I
will watch then to see what he may say to me. ” The reference is evidently to God;
for the opinion of those is not probable, who apply this “saying” to the ministers of
Satan. For the Prophet says first, ‘I will see what he may say to me,’ and then he
adds, ‘and what I shall answer.’ They who explain the words ‘what he may say,’ as
referring to the wicked who might oppose him for the purpose of shaking his faith,
overlook the words of the Prophet, for he speaks here in the singular number; and
as there is no name expressed, the Prophet no doubt meant God. But were the words
capable of admitting this explanation, yet the very drift of the argument shows, that
the passage has the meaning which I have attached to it. For how could the faithful
answer the calumnies by which their faith was assailed, when the profane
opprobriously mocked and derided them—how could they satisfactorily disprove
such blasphemies, did they not first attend to what God might say to them? For we
cannot confute the devil and his ministers, except we be instructed by the word of
God. We hence see that the Prophet observes the best order in what he states, when
he says in the first place, ‘I will see what God may say to me;’ and in the second
place, ‘I shall then be taught to answer to my chiding;’ (25) that is, “If the wicked
deride my faith, I shall be able boldly to confute them; for the Lord will suggest to
me such things as may enable me to give a full answer.” We now perceive the simple
and real meaning of this verse. It remains for us to accommodate the doctrine to our
own use.
It must be first observed, that there is no remedy, when such trials as those
mentioned by the Prophet in the first chapter Habakkuk 1:4 meet us, except we
learn to raise up our minds above the world. For if we contend with Satan,
according to our own view of things, he will a hundred times overwhelm us, and we
can never be able to resist him. Let us therefore know, that here is shown to us the
right way of fighting with him, when our minds are agitated with unbelief, when
doubts respecting God’s providence creep in, when things are so confused in this
world as to involve us in darkness, so that no light appears: we must bid adieu to
our own reason; for all our thoughts are nothing worth, when we seek, according to
our own reason, to form a judgement. Until then the faithful ascend to their tower
and stand in their citadel, of which the Prophet here speaks, their temptations will
drive them here and there, and sink them as it were in a bottomless gulf. But that we
may more fully understand the meaning, we must know, that there is here an
implied contrast between the tower and the citadel, which the Prophet mentions,
and a station on earth. As long then as we judge according to our own perceptions,
we walk on the earth; and while we do so, many clouds arise, and Satan scatters
ashes in our eyes, and wholly darkens our judgement, and thus it happens, that we
lie down altogether confounded. It is hence wholly necessary, as we have before said,
that we should tread our reason under foot, and come nigh to God himself.

9. We have said, that the tower is the recess of the mind; but how can we ascend to it?
even by following the word of the Lord. For we creep on the earth; nay, we find that
our flesh ever draws us downward: except then the truth from above becomes to us
as it were wings, or a ladder, or a vehicle, we cannot rise up one foot; but, on the
contrary, we shall seek refuges on the earth rather than ascend into heaven. But let
the word of God become our ladder, or our vehicle, or our wings, and, however
difficult the ascent may be, we shall yet be able to fly upward, provided God’s word
be allowed to have its own authority. We hence see how unsuitable is the view of
those interpreters, who think that the tower and the citadel is the word of God; for
it is by God’s word, as I have already said, that we are raised up to this citadel, that
is, to the safeguard of hope; where we may remain safe and secure while looking
down from this eminence on those things which disturb us and darken all our senses
as long as we lie on the earth. This is one thing.
Then the repetition is not without its use; for the Prophet says, On my tower will I
stand, on the citadel will I set myself. He does not repeat in other words the same
thing, because it is obscure; but in order to remind the faithful, that though they are
inclined to sloth, they must yet strive to extricate themselves. And we soon find how
slothful we become, except each of us stirs up himself. For when any perplexity
takes hold on our minds, we soon succumb to despair. This, then, is the reason why
the Prophet, after having spoken of the tower, again mentions the citadel.
But when he says, I will watch to see, he refers to perseverance; for it is not enough
to open our eyes once, and by one look to observe what happens to us; but it is
necessary to continue our attention. This constant attention is, then, what the
Prophet means by watching; for we are not so clear-sighted as immediately to
comprehend what is useful to be known. And then, though we may once see what is
necessary, yet a new temptation can obliterate that view. It thus happens, that all
our observations become evanescent, except we continue to watch, that is, except we
persevere in our attention, so that we may ever return to God, whenever the devil
raises new storms, and whenever he darkens the heavens with clouds to prevent us
to see God. We hence see how emphatical is what the Prophet says here, I will watch
to see. The Prophet evidently compares the faithful to watchmen, who, though they
hear nothing, yet do not sleep; and if they hear any noise once or twice, they do not
immediately sound an alarm, but wait and attend. As, then, they who keep watch
ought to remain quiet, that they may not disturb others, and that they may duly
perform their office; so it behaves the faithful to be also tranquil and quiet, and wait
patiently for God during times of perplexity and confusion.
Let us now inquire what is the purpose of this watching: I will watch to see, he says,
what he may say to me. There seems to be an impropriety in the expression; for we
do not properly see what is said. But the Prophet connects together here two
metaphors. To speak strictly correct, he ought to have said, “I will continue
attentive to hear what he may say;” but he says, I will watch to see what he may say.
The metaphor is found correctly used in Psalms 85:8,
“I will hear what God may say; for he will speak peace to his people.”

10. There also it is a metaphor, for the Prophet speaks not of natural hearing: “I will
hear what God may speak,” what does that hearing mean? It means this, “I will
quietly wait until God shows his favor, which is now hid; for he will speak peace to
his people;” that is, the Lord will never forget his own Church. But the Prophet, as I
have said, joins together here two metaphors; for to speak, or to say, means no other
thing than that God testifies to our hearts, that though the reason for his purpose
does not immediately appear to us, yet all things are wisely ruled, and that nothing
is better than to submit to his will. But when he says, “I will see, and I will watch
what he may say,” the metaphor seems incongruous, and yet there appears a reason
for it; for the Prophet intended to remind us, that we ought to employ all our senses
for this end,—to be wholly attentive to God’s word. For though one may be resolved
to hear God, we yet find that many temptations immediately distract us. It is not
then enough to become teachable, and to apply our ears to hear his voice, except also
our eyes be connected with them, so that we may be altogether attentive.
We hence see the object of the Prophet; for he meant to express the greatest
attention, as though he had said, that the faithful would ever wander in their
thoughts, except they carefully concentrated both their eyes and their ears, and all
their senses, on God, and continually restrained themselves, lest vagrant
speculations or imaginations should lead them astray. And further, the Prophet
teaches us, that we ought to have such reverence for God’s word as to deem it
sufficient for us to hear his voice. Let this, then, be our understanding, to obey God
speaking to us, and reverently to embrace his word, so that he may deliver us from
all troubles, and also keep our minds in peace and tranquillity.
God’s speaking, then, is opposed to all the obstreperous clamours of Satan, which he
never ceases to sound in our ears. For as soon as any temptation takes place, Satan
suggests many things to us, and those of various kinds:—“What will you do? what
advice will you take? see whether God is propitious to you from whom you expect
help. How can you dare to trust that God will assist you? How can he extricate you?
What will be the issue?” As Satan then disturbs us in various ways, the Prophet
shows that the word of God alone is sufficient for us all, then, who indulge
themselves in their own counsels, deserve to be forsaken by God, and to be left by
him to be driven up and down, and here and there, by Satan; for the only unfailing
security for the faithful is to acquiesce in God’s word.
But this appears still more clear from what is expressed at the close of the verse,
when the Prophet adds, and what I may answer to the reproof given me; for he
shows that he would be furnished with the best weapons to sustain and repel all
assaults, provided he patiently attended to God speaking to him, and fully embraced
his word: “Then,” he says, “I shall have what I may answer to all reproofs, when the
Lord shall speak to me”. By “reproofs,” he means not only the blasphemies by
which the wicked shake his faith, but also all those turbulent feelings by which
Satan secretly labors to subvert his faith. For not only the ungodly deride us and
mock at our simplicity, as though we presumptuously and foolishly trusted in God,
and were thus over-credulous; but we also reprove ourselves inwardly, and disturb

11. ourselves by various internal contentions; for whatever comes to our mind that is in
opposition to God’s word, is properly a chiding or a reproof, as it is the same thing
as if one accused himself, as though he had not found God to be faithful. We now,
then see that the word “reproof” extends farther than to those outward blasphemies
by which the unbelieving are wont to assail the children of God; for, as we have
already said, though no one attempted to try our faith, yet every one is a tempter to
himself; for the devil never ceases to agitate our minds. When, therefore, the
Prophet says, what I may answer to reproof, he means, that he would be sufficiently
fortified against all the assaults of Satan, both secret and external, when he heard
what God might say to him.
We may also gather from the whole verse, that we can form no judgement of God’s
providence, except by the light of celestial truth. It is hence no wonder that many
fall away under trials, yea, almost the whole world; for few there are who ascend
into the citadel of which the Prophet speaks, and who are willing to hear God
speaking to them. Hence, presumption and arrogance blind the minds of men, so
that they either speak evil of God who addresses them, or accuse fortune, or
maintain that there is nothing certain: thus they murmur within themselves, and
arrogate to themselves more than they ought, and never submit to God’s word. Let
us proceed, -
On my watch-tower will I stand,
And I will set myself on a citadel;
That I may look out to see what he will say to me,
And what I shall answer to the reproof given to me;
Literally, to my reproof.
—Ed.
And what I should reply to my arguing with him.
The latter renders the line thus: —
And what I shall reply in regard to my argument.
The phrase is, [ ‫על‬-‫תוכחתי‬ ] upon, (to, says Drusius) my reproof, or rebuke, or
chiding. This is the current meaning of the word, see 2 Kings 19:3; Proverbs 10:17;
Isaiah 37:3. He calls it “my,” because given him, either by his enemies, as Calvin
thinks, or by God, as some others suppose. The view of Piscator and Junius is, that
it is the reproof or correction he administered to the people in chapter 1:2-12. He
was waiting to know what he might have to give as a reply in defense of that
reproof. “And what I may reply as to my reproof,” i.e., the reproof given by him. In
this case, the preceding clause, “What he may or will say to me,” refers to his
complaint respecting the Chaldeans. This is altogether consistent with the mode in
which the Prophets usually write: reversing the order, they take up first the last
subject, and then refer to the first. He then waited to know two things, how to solve
his difficulties respecting the conduct of the Chaldeans, and how to reply to his own
people for the severe rebuke he gave them. There is much in this view to recommend
it.—Ed.

12. COFFMA ,"Verse 1
This chapter records God's answer to the second of Habakkuk's two questions
raised in Habakkuk 1. The first regarded "how long" the well-deserved punishment
of the wicked would be delayed. God's answer to the effect that Babylon, the great
and wicked world-power soon to arise, would indeed punish wicked Israel for their
sins did not fully satisfy Habakkuk. How could the holy and righteous God use a
wicked state like Babylon to punish Judea, which with all of their sins were yet
better than the Babylonians? Habakkuk took up his watch to await God's answer;
and Jehovah promptly answered (Habakkuk 2:1-3).
Apparently, there was a terrible disappointment to Habakkuk in the revelation that
the great new world power (Babylon) would be no better, in any sense, than was
Assyria; and God's answer consisted of five terrible woes pronounced against the
great wicked state that would destroy Judea: Woe 1 (Habakkuk 2:6-8), Woe 2
(Habakkuk 2:9-11), Woe 3 (Habakkuk 2:12-14), Woe 4 (Habakkuk 2:15-17), and
Woe 5 (Habakkuk 2:18-19). These woes had the effect of describing, not merely
Babylon, but all of the successive heads of the great Scarlet Beast of Revelation 13.
Things on earth where rebellious humanity had broken their fellowship with God
would never get any better as long as men rejected their Creator, but God was not
at all being defeated in any of this; the chapter concludes with the focus upon God
Himself: "But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before
him" (Habakkuk 2:20).
Habakkuk 2:1
"I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see
what he will speak with me, and what I shall answer concerning my complaint."
As Hailey said, " either the `watch' nor the `tower' are to be taken literally ... Both
terms are to be considered figuratively."[1] The prophet simply meant that he
would rely upon the Lord and wait for his answer.
"The figure is taken from the custom of ascending high places for the purpose of
looking into the distance, and simply expresses the prophet's spiritual preparation
of the prophet's soul for hearing the word of God."[2]
Habakkuk did not have long to wait. The answer was at once provided.
COKE, "Habakkuk 2:1. I will stand upon my watch, &c.— I stood upon my watch,
and continued upon the tower; and I looked to see what the Lord would say unto
me, and what he would answer to my expostulation: [namely, that in the 13th and
following verses of the preceding chapter, respecting the prosperity of the wicked,
and of ebuchadnezzar particularly:] Habakkuk 2:2. When the Lord answered me,
&c. not shortly and enigmatically, as in Habakkuk 2:11 of the former chapter, but
openly and fully, denouncing the punishment of ebuchadnezzar's impiety.
BE SO , "Habakkuk 2:1. I will stand upon my watch — The Hebrews often

13. express one thing by a multiplicity of words, as here several expressions are used to
signify the same thing, namely, watching. As the prophets were considered as
watchmen, and as the watchmen were placed on high towers, and it was their duty
to look around very diligently to see what messengers or enemies, or what dangers
or deliverances were approaching, and to continue steadfast in their posts; so here
the prophet declares that he would as diligently watch and wait for God’s answer to
what he had complained of in the foregoing chapter, namely, the great success of the
Chaldeans though they were guilty of greater crimes than the Jewish nation. And
what I shall answer when I am reproved — Or rather, As to what I have argued,
meaning the expostulations which he had uttered just before. Archbishop ewcome,
who renders the verbs in the first three clauses of this verse in the past time,
(namely, I stood on my watch-tower, &c.,) interprets the latter part of it thus: And I
looked to see what he would speak by me, and what I should reply to my arguing
with him; that is, what I should reply, “to my own satisfaction, and to that of others,
as to the difficulties raised Habakkuk 1:13-17, why the idolatrous and wicked
Chaldeans and their king are to be prosperous and triumphant.”
ELLICOTT, "(1) The Tower.—The practice of ascending a high place to secure an
extensive view suggests the figure here. (See 2 Kings 9:17; 2 Samuel 18:24.) In a yet
bolder metaphor Isaiah represents himself as appointing a watchman, who brings
reports from his tower. We need not suppose that Habakkuk literally betook himself
to a solitary height to wait for a revelation. Balaam, the heathen soothsayer, did so
( umbers 23:3), but his conduct throws no light on the customs of the Jewish
prophets.
What he will say unto me.—Better, what He will say in me, and what answer I shall
make to my complaint: i.e., of what solution of the perplexities I am deploring,
Jehovah shall make me the mouthpiece.
TRAPP, "Habakkuk 2:1 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.
Ver. 1. I will stand upon my watch] To see what becomes of my prayer, and what
will be the issue of my doubts and temptations about God’s providence, ruling the
affairs of the world. See the note on Habakkuk 1:17. There are spaces between our
prayers and God’s answers. God hearkens what Habakkuk speaks; and Habakkuk
must hearken another while what God speaks. This he had learned from David,
Psalms 85:8. Prayer is a Christian’s angel, seed, dove, messenger; and must be
looked after. Who shoots an arrow, or casts a bowl, and takes not notice where it
lights? They that observe not the answer of their prayers do as scoffing Pilate, who
asked in scorn of Christ what is truth? but stayed not for an answer.
And set me upon the tower] Heb. Set me firm and fast (as a champion that will keep
his ground) upon the tower or fortress of Divine meditation, upon God’s word,
which alone hath virtutem pacativam, a settling property to compose the soul when

14. distempered, and to lodge a blessed calm, a sabbath of rest in it, far above all
philosophical consolations; whereunto when Cicero had ascribed very much, yet he
is forced to conclude, that the disease was too hard for the medicine, escio
quomodo imbecillior est medicina quam morbus. And this well appeared both in
Socrates, who died doubtingly, and Cato, who desperately slew himself, after he had
first read Plato’s discourse concerning the immortality of the soul. So foolish a thing
it is to fly in distress of mind ad consolatiunculas creaturulae, as Luther speaketh;
and not to run to the name of the Lord, that strong tower, Proverbs 18:10. R.
Kimchi reads the text thus, I have set me in a circle, q.d. I will not quit till I have an
answer, why thou deferrest to punish the wicked.
And will watch to see what he will say unto me] Or, in me, viz. by a prophetic spirit,
by internal revelation, 2 Samuel 23:1, Zechariah 1:9; Zechariah 2:2. Preachers must
still hearken what the Lord God saith unto them and in them; speaking as the
oracles of God, 1 Peter 4:11, and able to say with St Paul, "I have received of the
Lord that which also I deliver unto you," 1 Corinthians 11:23. For, ut drachmam
auri sine imagine Principis, sic verba Praedicantis sine authoritate Dei, contemnunt
homines, saith Lipsius. Bring Scripture, or else you do but throw forth words
without wisdom, and to little purpose, because they come not Cum privilegio.
And what I shall answer, when I am reproved] Heb. Upon my reproof or arguing.
Increpationis nomine tentationes intelligit, saith Gualther. Under the name of
reproof he understandeth those temptations whereby his faith was assaulted, when
he saw bad men prosper, good men suffer. Satan and the weed do usually set upon
God’s servants with this weapon, to unsettle their faith, and to make them fall from
their own steadfastness. "Dost thou still retain thine integrity?" said Job’s wife to
him. Seest thou not how little good there is to be got by God’s service? that all things
are in a huddle here below, that they run on wheels, and have no certain course?
Thus the devil and his imps suggest to the godly, and thereby greatly disquiet them;
setting their thoughts all on a hurricane. It was the case of David, Psalms 73:2-3, of
Jeremiah, Jeremiah 12:1; Jeremiah 12:5, of Basil, under the heat of the Arian
persecution: An Ecclesias suas prorsus dereliquit Dominus? saith he; What? hath
the Lord cast off all care of his Churches? Is it now the last hour? &c. Of many
good people in Salvian’s time, for whose satisfaction he was forced to write those
eight excellent books, De Gubernatione Dei; as likewise Austin (upon a like
occasion) did those two-and-twenty elaborate books, De Civitate Dei; and as the
prophet Habakkuk here doth the following vision which he had for some time
waited for, and now receiveth as a gracious answer to his prayer, Habakkuk 1:2-4,
for his own and others’ settlement in the doctrine of Divine providence.
Wilbert Gawrisch, “The most difficult part of this verse is the last clause,
“what answer I shall give to my complaint.” One would expect this to read, “what
answer He will give to my complaint,” and some translations such as Today’s
English Version (TEV) and the new Jewish Publication Society translation (JPS) do
indeed render it this way. The JPS has a note explaining that it takes ashib as

15. equivalent to yashib. The Syriac also reads the third person singular instead of the
first person. Retaining the first person singular reading of the MT, one must supply
a thought such as: what answer I shall give myself and others in response to my
charge against God. The reading in the text of the IV reflects the sense correctly:
“what answer I am to give to this complaint.” The translation in the footnote, “and
what to answer when I am rebuked,” does not fit into the context. The prophet is
not contemplating how he will justify himself when he is rebuked for having
questioned God’s providence and justice. Rather, he is eagerly awaiting God’s
response.”
“Habakkuk is referring to the charge he has made against God. His
complaint does not flow from sinful unbelief, of course, but from genuine perplexity.
The prophet recognizes that God is just and holy. He addresses Him as “my Holy
One” (1:12). He admits that God’s eyes are “too pure to look on evil” (1:13). But
why then will He permit the cruel and wicked Chaldeans to afflict His people?
God’s ways and judgments are incomprehensible to him and seem to be in conflict
with the Lord’s revelation of Himself as the holy and righteous God.”
“The prophet seeks an answer not merely for his own sake, however, but for
the people’s. In order to be able to speak to them boldly and confidently, he must
first of all be assured in his own mind. How can he answer their doubts and
questions if he himself is troubled? But try as he will, he has not been able to resolve
his problem on his own. So now he is determined to wait quietly and patiently for an
answer from God Himself.
“This will always be the attitude of believers. When they are troubled, when
they are assailed by doubts, they will look to the Lord for an answer to their
questions and problems. The days of the prophets and apostles are, of course, over,
and so we do not expect God to answer us by a direct revelation. But we will search
the Scriptures He has given us through the apostles and prophets. That Word will
calm our fears and overcome our doubts. In his spiritual distress and anxiety Luther
turned to the Scriptures and there found peace for his troubled heart.”
Stedman, “That is a wise thing to do. First, Habakkuk says that he is going to get
away from the problem for awhile. "I am going to leave the matter with God and
wait for him to take the next step. I have gone as far as I can. I have reasoned from
the character of God. I know that he has eyes purer than to look upon evil. He does
not like evil. He has no complicity with it. I know that. And yet he is raising up these
evil people. I don't understand, but I will let God explain it to me and I will wait for
an answer."
ISBET, "O THE WATCH-TOWER
‘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.’
Habakkuk 2:1
I. The prophet Habakkuk defines for us what the position of that man’s mind must
be who would catch the deep, still messages of which everything is full—what it is to
be waiting for heavenly signs.—(1) There must be an individuality and solitude; you
must be, and feel, alone with God. (2) You must be found in your own proper duty,
whatever it be, and in that duty faithful. (3) You must carry on your watch at a high

16. level of thought. (4) In the watch, and on the tower, you must be patient. (5) There
must be a confident anticipation that something is coming, that God is going to
speak, and that God will speak.
II. There are some occasions on which we should especially wait, and when we may
so calculate with an entire confidence on the speaking of God that those passages of
life ought to be singled out.—(1) One is, after prayer. How many answers have been
missed, simply because we did not follow our petitions with a heavenward eye, and
with the calm waitings of expectant faith! Remember, when you pray, go at once
from the footstool to the tower. (2) Another time, when we should watch well to see
what God will say unto us, is just before we are entering upon any important duty,
or work done for God, or undertaking any enterprise. (3) Afflictions are the seasons
for very earnest listenings. Depend upon it, whenever a cloud rolls over you, there is
a voice in that cloud.
III. Whatever else there may be in the voice, long listened for, when it comes there
will certainly be three things.—God will comfort you; God will stimulate you; God
will reprove you. He will comfort you that you are His child. He will stimulate you
to do a child’s work. And He will reprove you, because it is a child’s portion at a
faithful Father’s hand.
—Rev. Jas. Vaughan.
Illustration
‘The prophet steadies himself, he will be quiet, he will watch and see what God will
say to him in his distress (Habakkuk 2:1). The answer comes, the wicked man,
though apparently prosperous, is really a ruined man, but the righteous shall live by
faith (Habakkuk 2:2-5). Then suddenly the scene changes: Habakkuk becomes the
spokesman for those nations that had suffered from the scourge of invading
Chaldæans; in their name he pronounces five several woes upon them, ending with
the solemn and restful words: “The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep
silence before Him.” These woes were aimed at the characteristic sins of the
Chaldæan, his cruel spoliation, his proud building of Babel-like palaces, his
founding of cities filled with tyrannical misrule, his drunkenness, and his idolatry
(Habakkuk 2:6-20).’
PETT, "Habakkuk 2:1
‘I will stand on my watch,
And settle myself on the tower,
And look out to see what he will say to me,
And what I will answer, to do with my complaint.’
Having questioned first why God has not dealt with His people’s sinfulness, and

17. then questioned God’s method of dealing with that sinfulness on the grounds of the
unworthiness of the instruments being used, he now declares that he will be on
watch for God’s reply.
He will be like a sentry on watch peering through the darkness, hoping to find an
answer. Yes, he will settle down on the watchtower. He will wait to see what God
has further to say about his complaint, and then he will consider his answer.
PULPIT, "
Habakkuk speaks with himself, and, mindful of his office, waits for the
communication which he confidently ex-poets (Jeremiah 33:3). I will stand upon my
watch (Isaiah 21:6, Isaiah 21:8). As a watchman goes to a high place to see all
around and discern what is coming, so the prophet places himself apart from men,
perhaps in some secluded height, in readiness to hear the voice of God and seize the
meaning of the coming event. Prophets are called "watchmen" (comp. Ezekiel 3:17;
Ezekiel 33:2, Ezekiel 33:6; Micah 7:4). The tower; i.e. watch tower, either literally
or metaphorically, as in the first clause. Septuagint, πέτραν, "rook." What he will
say unto me; quid dicatur mihi (Vulgate); τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐµοί, "what he will speak in
me". He watches for the inward revelation which God makes to his soul (but see
note on Zechariah 2:1-13 :0). When I am reproved; ad arguentem me (Vulgate); ἐπὶ
τὸν ἔλεγχόν µου; rather, to my complaint, referring to his complaint concerning the
impunity of sinners (Habakkuk 1:1-17 :18-17). He waits till he hears God's voice
within him what answer he shall make to his own complaint, the expostulation
which he had offered to God. There is no question here concerning the reproofs
which others levelled against him, or concerning any rebuke conveyed to him by
God—an impression given by the Anglican Version.
BI, "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower.
Awaiting the Lord’s message
Nothing definite is known of this man Habakkuk. In the text we see him preparing
himself for his holy task—ascending his tower, that he may see; secluding himself, that
he may hear; making his bosom bare, that he may feel the message of the Unseen.
I. The secret of life is to realise the unseen. To this man the world is full of an unseen,
majestic presence. The very air he breathes throbs with the pulse of God, and the silence
may be broken at any time by God’s voice. So he spends life watching, listening, waiting.
Is not every life noble and grand and true just in proportion as it realises this, as it seeks
the Unseen? This is indeed the Gospel—that God is now reconciled to us, and that His
presence broods over us in unutterable love. To realise this and enter into its blessedness
is not only the secret of life, but it is the whole duty of man.
II. We ought to expect messages from the unseen. To the prophet this great Unseen One
is no dumb God. The truth is, that God seems to be always seeking some heart
sufficiently at leisure from itself that lie may talk with it. He found such an one in
Abraham and in Moses. In the days of Eli we read there was “no open vision.” God was
silent, for none could hear His voice; God was invisible, for earth-blinded eyes could not
see Him. If we could but hear, He has much to say unto us—much about His purposes of
grace toward ourselves, and about His purpose toward the world; much about the

18. coming glory. In three ways—
1. By His Spirit through the Word.
2. By His Spirit through our conscience.
3. By His spirit through His Providence.
We need these voices from the Unseen to guide and help us in the sorrows and
perplexities of our lives. If it be a miracle for the Unseen to speak with men, then that is
a miracle that happens almost every hour.
III. How we should dispose ourselves to receive God’s messages.
1. We should get up, up above the heads of the crowd, up above the crush and
clamour of the worldly throng, to where there is clearer air and greater peace. It is
not the new play we want, nor the most fashionable church, but the new vision of His
face. Wherever we can get most of that is the place for us.
2. We are next to quicken our whole being into a listening and receptive attitude.
3. Quiet is needed also; for God most often speaks in a still, small voice. (J. C.
Johnston, M. A.)
The watch-tower
Almost nothing is known about the personal history of the author of the prophecy
contained in this book. He himself retires into the background, as one content to be
forgotten if the Word of God uttered by him receives the attention it deserves. The self-
abnegation of many of those whom God employed to do a great work among His ancient
people teaches a lesson that is much needed. It implies a whole-hearted consecration to
God’s work and interests in the world that ought to be more aimed at than it sometimes
is. It is a trial that comes to the prophet’s faith, and how he met it, that are brought
before us in the whole passage of which our text forms a part. What was the trial of his
faith? In answer to his Cry to God to interpose to put a stop to abounding wickedness in
the Covenant nation, the reply is given to him that terrible judgment was about to fall
upon it, and from an unexpected quarter—from Babylon. The havoc that would be made
by this fierce, proud, self-sufficient world-power is made in vision to pass distinctly and
clearly before him. He sees its terrible army marching through the land—a garden of
Eden before it and a wilderness behind it. The scene that thus fills his mind’s eye, his
patriotic spirit would not allow him to contemplate unmoved. He trembles for the safety
of his people under this dark cloud of judgment. He seeks refuge from them in God,
holding fast the conviction that a righteous God would not allow a wicked, proud nation
like that of the Chaldeans to hold His people for ever in cruel bondage. “Art Thou of
purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst Thou not look upon iniquity? Wherefore
lookest Thou, then, upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest Thy tongue when the
wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?” As he contemplates the
Chaldean army, conscious of its own strength and making a god of it, ravaging the whole
land, this conviction grew doubtful to him. It seemed sometimes to slip away from his
grasp. This was the trial of his faith, and the greatness of it can only be measured by the
sincerity of his religion and the strength of his patriotism. How does he meet this trial?
The words of our text inform us. “I will stand upon my watch-tower, and set me upon the
fortress, and will watch to see what He will say in me, and what I shall answer to my
plea.” He resolves to lay his doubts before God, and to wait upon Him—withdrawing his

19. attention from all earthly things—for solution. In carrying out this resolution he
compares himself to one who mounts the watch-tower—attached to ancient towns and
fortresses—that he may scan the surrounding district to see if any one might be
approaching, whether friend or foe. Like one on the watch-tower in the eager strained
outlook for some messenger, would the prophet be in relation to the expected
explanation from God. When he himself tells us that on this watch-tower he was
watching to see what God would say in him—for this is the proper rendering of the
words—waiting for an inward voice he could recognise as God’s, the spiritual nature of
the transaction is placed beyond all doubt. The revelation which came to his soul thus
waiting, of which we have an account in the subsequent part of the chapter, solved his
difficulties and strengthened his faith and hope. The assurance was given to him, as we
learn from the 14th verse, that not only Canaan, but “the whole earth would be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
I. The mounting of this watchtower. This is an exercise to which we must be no
strangers if we are to have God’s light shining on our path, God’s voice saying to us:
“This is the way, walk ye in it,” and God’s hand laid upon us to strengthen us for every
trial and conflict.
1. May we not regard it as laying before God the difficulties caused by his own
dealings? There was a mystery in the events of Providence which the prophet felt
that he could not penetrate. Was it possible that God’s chosen people—to whom
pertained the adoption and the glory and the covenants—would be overwhelmed in
the disasters in which he saw them plunged? Would the ungodly might of Chaldea be
allowed to crush them altogether, and all the hopes bound up in their life? To the eye
of sense this seemed likely, but the prophet knew that behind all events and forces
there was a personal God—Jehovah the Covenant God of Israel. He knew that they
were but carrying out His will, and he would not believe, even though the
appearances of things pointed to it—that that will was seeking the destruction of the
Covenant nation. Sense was drawing him one way, his faith was drawing him
another, and the questions born of this conflict which were agitating his mind he
wisely resolves to lay before God. What are Job’s wonderful speeches in his
conversations with his friends, but a series of impassioned reasonings with God
about His dealings with him? What, again, was Asaph’s exercise under the
triumphing of the wicked as recorded in a well-known Psalm, but a talking with God
about HIS dealings? And do we not find the plaintive Jeremiah, when his soul was
sore vexed with cruel opposition, saying, “Righteous art Thou, O Lord, when I plead
with Thee; yet let me talk with Thee of Thy judgments. Wherefore doth the way of
the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?” It is
not a blind impersonal force that the believer sees behind the events that take place,
compelling sullen submission to whatever happens? No! It is a loving Father to
whom appeal may be made about the perplexing questions that may be aroused by
His own dealings. Fatalism—in which things, are accepted simply because they
cannot be changed—is not Christian resignation, and falls far short of the attitude in
which the believing heart can find rest. Openness in our dealings with God is what
He delights in, and what will lead us to the knowledge of that secret of His that is
with them that fear Him. Faith will have its difficulties both with the wondrous
revelation God has given to us in His Word, and with the unfolding of His purposes
in the course of His Providence. The finest natures—those touched to finest issues—
are very often those who feel these difficulties most keenly, and have to fight their
way to the bright shining shore of certainty and rest by buffeting with many a storm.
And the best way of dealing with all those difficulties is just to take them to the

20. watch-tower and lay them before God.
2. But this dealing with God about questions that may perplex us implies the stilling
of our souls before Him, that He may give us light and guidance. The prophet after
pleading with God, expostulating with Him on the apparent contradiction between
the Divine providence and the Divine promise, places himself before God and waits
for His voice. That he may hear it all the better—may catch the slightest whisper of
the Divine voice within him—he retires into himself, quiets his own spirit, and
intently waits. The expressive language of the Psalmist may be used to describe his
“attitude,” “My soul is silence unto God. And this exercise, need we say, is essential
to the obtaining of any deep insight into God’s will, to our receiving those discoveries
of Himself as a God of grace and love, that will give us rest even under the most
trying dispensations. It is by the Divine voice within us that the Divine voice without
us in His written Word is clearly, distinctly understood, and is made to throw its
blessed light upon Divine Providence. Without the inward revelation that comes to
us by the teaching of God’s Spirit, the outward revelation given in our Bibles will
remain dark and unintelligible. If we do not withdraw now and again from the bustle
and noise of the world, and commune with our own hearts, the Divine voice will be
lost to us. It will remain unheard, as the bell striking the hour above some busy
thoroughfare is often unheard by those in the throng. It is the calm lake which
mirrors the sun most perfectly, and so it is the calm soul that will catch the most of
the heavenly glory that shines upon the watch tower, and reflect it on the world
around. But we must not think of this calmness or silence of the soul toward God as a
mere passive attitude. “It requires the intensest energy of all our being to keep all our
being still and waiting upon God. All our strength must be put into the task; and our
soul will never be more intensely alive than when in deepest abnegation it waits
hushed before God.” Though it may involve an apparent contradiction, the silent
soul will be one full of the spirit of prayer. The prophet had been pleading with God
for light to guide him in dark days, and it is with a longing pleading soul that he
mounts the watch-tower and waits for an answer. He has directed his prayer to God,
and he looks up expecting an answer. There is really as much prayer in this silent
submissive waiting for an answer to his cry as there was in the cry itself. The
expectant look of the beggar after his request has been made has often more power
to move the generous heart than the request itself. And the mounting of the watch-
tower after prayer to maintain an outlook for the promised answer puts beyond all
doubt that we have been sincere and earnest in the exercise, and will have power
with God. The place on the watch-tower may have to be maintained for a time before
the answer comes, but it is sure to come in some form or another.
4. But last of all here, this standing upon the watch-tower has been regarded by
some as the prophet’s continuance at his work notwithstanding the difficulties that
encompassed it. Not unfrequently in the Old Testament is the prophet’s office
compared to that of a watchman. What the watchman in the tower did in the earthly
sphere—keeping an outlook for the people and warning them of coming danger—the
prophet was to do in the spiritual sphere. And so when the prophet here says: “I will
stand upon my watch-tower,” he is regarded as meaning, “I will not leave my post—
the place in which God has put me, but will wait in the faithful discharge of every
commanded duty for the solving of my doubts and the removal of my difficulties.”
Certainly in acting in such a way he took the very best plan of getting his way made
clear. When we allow our perplexities, whatever they may be, to keep us back from
work God is plainly laying to our hands, they will increase around us. Activity and
steadfastness in duty will purge our spiritual atmosphere, while melancholy in active

21. brooding will laden it with pestilential vapours. A higher attainment still is to have
the soul stilled before God, and expectant even in the midst of our labour.
II. What is enjoyed in this watch-tower. The prophet’s experience was one so rich and
blessed that a glimpse of it may well stir us up to follow his example:
1. He heard the Divine voice for which he listened. “Then Jehovah answered me and
said.” He became aware of a Divine presence within his soul, and conscious of a
Divine voice speaking to his heart. His waiting and looking up met with a rich
reward. Though this experience cannot now come in the same form to the trustful
waiting soul, yet, in its inner essence, it may and does come. The indwelling of the
Holy Spirit within believers as their tether is a blessed reality. They who submit
themselves to His guidance will be led by Him into all truth, will not only gain a deep
insight into God’s will, but will see its bearing upon events in Providence. It was a
very simple truth that was now divinely spoken to the prophet: “Behold his soul
which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” The man
or the race of men that are lifted up with vain self-confidence shall experience no
tranquillity, but they who abide firm in their allegiance to God and make Him their
trust shall he maintained by His mighty gracious power. The simplest truths, that
may in some of their aspects have long been familiar to us, are often used in the
teaching of the Spirit to lift the soul above the mists that obscure its vision. It will be
the declaration of truths thus divinely spoken to our hearts that will be accompanied
with greatest power.
2. Again, let us notice that this experience brought him a new sense of the Divine
presence with His people. The song with which the sad prophecy ends, recorded in
the third chapter, expresses this sense of the Divine nearness to His people. The land
that had witnessed such marked manifestations of His presence and power, the
memory of which was fondly cherished by the pious, had not been forsaken by Him.
What had been done when “God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount
Paran,” would again be done for the overthrow of the proud oppressor, and for the
deliverance of the humble fearers of His name. The eternal order lay behind the
confusion caused by the wicked, and would in due time assert itself, for the God of
this order was behind all.
3. So the prophet finds his labours for the land and people he loved sustained by a
restful hope. Dark days may come in which the fig-tree shall not blossom, and there
shall be no fruit in the vine, and the field shall yield no meat, but when their
purifying work is accomplished brighter times shall dawn. His labour shall not be in
vain in the Lord. Neither will ours if done in the right spirit. (R. Morton.)
Watchfulness
I. The duty of watchfulness.
1. This duty arises from various causes which affect us in our outward
circumstances, as well as in our minds and hearts. They are our enemies or our
friends; such as build up the character of man for good, and lift it heavenwards, or
mar it and force it downwards to destruction. The ever-present, active, and all-
pervading causes of good and evil, acting upon man’s moral and spiritual nature,
provide a powerful reason for this duty. For while a man is thus taught his
dependence upon God for strength, and is shewn his own weakness in the battle of
life, he is at the same time taught to use every precaution against his fees, to guard

22. every avenue of his heart against their influence, and to be vigilant and watchful in
all his daily undertakings.
2. But watchfulness as a moral duty may be considered as a recognition of God’s laws
and government. The man who waits, like Habakkuk, for the Almighty, will see the
hand of God everywhere. He recognises God as the watchful Father, noting every tear
and hearing every sigh that inspires the watchful heart with hope, and that sheds a
bright ray of comfort through the gloom.
II. Faith founded upon the revelations of God is an argument against all mistrust and
doubt of His power and goodness.
1. The answer which God gave to the prayers of Habakkuk was the authority by
which he met every quibble of his opponents, and by which he confronted his
enmity.
2. A true faith acts on the revelation of God in the life history of Christ, and on the
soul’s immortality. In the life of Christ, weighted with suffering the most intense, we
find a solution to our own troubles, as well as their sanction. Then let us “stand upon
our watch.” (W. Horwood.)
On the watch-tower
There is no remedy, when such trials as those mentioned by the prophet in the first
chapter meet us, except we learn to raise up our minds above the world. For if we
contend with Satan, according to our own view of things, he will a hundred times
overwhelm us, and we can never be able to resist him. Let us therefore know that here is
shown to us the right way of fighting with him: when our minds are agitated with
unbelief, when doubts respecting God’s providence creep in, when things are so
confused in this world as to involve us in darkness, so that no light appears, we must bid
adieu to our own reason; for all our thoughts are nothing worth when we seek, according
to our own reason, to form a judgment. Until then the faithful ascend to their tower, and
stand in their citadel, of which the prophet here speaks, their temptations will drive
them here and there, and sink them as it were in a bottomless gulf. But that we may
more fully understand the meaning, we must know that there is here an implied contrast
between the tower and the citadel, which the prophet mentions, and a station on earth.
As long, then, as we judge according to our own perceptions we walk on the earth; and
while we do so, many clouds arise, and Satan scatters ashes in our eyes, and wholly
darkens our judgment, and thus it happens that we lie down altogether confounded. It is
hence wholly necessary that we should tread our reason under foot, and come nigh to
God Himself. We have said that the tower is the recess of the mind, but how can we
ascend to it? Even by following the Word of the Lord. For we creep on the earth; nay, we
find that our flesh ever draws us downward,—except when the truth from above
becomes to us, as it were, wings, or a ladder, or a vehicle, we cannot rise up one foot, but,
on the contrary, we shall seek refuges on the earth rather than ascend into heaven. But
let the Word of God became our ladder, or our vehicle, or our wings, and, however
difficult the ascent may be, we shall yet be able to fly upward, provided God’s Word be
allowed to have its own authority. We hence see how unsuitable is the view of those
interpreters who think that the tower and the citadel is the Word of God; for it is by
God’s Word that we are raised up to this citadel, that is, to the safeguard of hope, where
we may remain safe and secure while looking down from this eminence on those things
which disturb us and darken all our senses as long as we lie on the earth. This is one

23. thing. Then the repetition is not without its use; for the prophet says, “On my tower will
I stand, on the citadel will I set myself.” He does not repeat in other words the same
thing because it is obscure, but in order to remind the faithful that, though they are
inclined to sloth, they must yet strive to extricate themselves. And we soon find how
slothful we become, except each of us stirs up himself. For when any perplexity takes
hold on our minds we soon succumb to despair. This, then, is the reason why the
prophet, after having spoken of the tower, again mentions the citadel. (John Calvin.)
Watching for God
1. It is our safest way, in times of temptation and perplexity, not to lie down under
discouragement, but to recollect ourselves, and fix our eyes on God, who only can
clear our minds and quiet our spirits; therefore the prophet, after his deep plunge in
temptation, sets himself to look to God, and get somewhat to answer upon his
arguing, or reproof and expostulation, that so his mind may be settled.
2. It is by the Word that the Lord cleareth darkness, and would have His people
answer their temptations and silence their reasonings.
3. Meditation, earnest prayer, withdrawing of our minds off from things visible, and
elevating them towards God, are the means in the use whereof God revealeth
Himself, and His mind from His Word, to His people in dark times.
4. Faithful ministers ought to acquit themselves like watchmen in a city or army, to
be awake when others sleep, to be watching with God, and over the people, seeking
after faithful instructions which they may communicate, seeking to be filled from
heaven with light and life, that they may pour it out upon the people; and all this
especially in hard times.
5. Albeit the Lord’s people may have their own debates and faintings betwixt God
and them, yet it is their part to smother these as much as they can, and to bring up a
good report of God and His way to others. (George Hutcheson.)
On noting the providences of God
The observer of grace should be studious to discern the workings of Divine providence,
and to consider their purposes in the counsels of the Most High. We inquire into the
importance of observing the various ways in which the Almighty is pleased to address us,
and of determining how far we have hitherto regarded them, and turned them to our
individual improvement. In reply to the complaints of His servant, the Almighty shows
that mercy would not be long extended; that the Chaldeans would soon inflict summary
vengeance on the Jews. To these declarations of the Divine displeasure the prophet
rejoins by stating the conviction of his own safety, and of the protection which would be
extended to the rest of God’s people. He had hoped that God would have been satisfied
with gentler corrections, and not have employed an idolatrous nation to punish His
chosen people. But he resolves to wait patiently, in quietness and in confidence, for the
answer of God, that he may know what statement he was to publish. Every Christian is
as a man standing on the watch, as one who will have to give account; who watches to
see what God will say to him. The will of God is declared both in His Word and in His
works. The great end to be effected by watchfulness is, that we may know our actual
state, and be ready at any time for aught that may befall us. It is that we may not be

24. surprised, that we may not be taken at unawares. What do you propose to answer when
you are called to appear before an all-seeing God? He has not only spoken to us in
national judgments and mercies, He has said a word privately to each one of us as
individual. (Richard Harvey, M. A.)
Man’s moral mission in the world
Wherefore are we in this world? We are not here by choice, nor by chance. Man’s moral
mission—
I. Consists in receiving communications from the eternal mind. This will appear—
1. From man’s nature as a spiritual being.
(1) Man has a native instinct for it.
(2) A native capacity for it.
(3) A native necessity for it.
2. From man’s condition as a fallen being. As a sinner, man has a deeper and a more
special need than angels can have. Communications from God are of infinite moment
to man.
3. From the purposes of Christ’s mediation. Christ came to bring men to God. His
Cross is the meeting-place between man and his Maker.
4. From the special manifestations of God for the purpose. These we have in the
Bible.
5. From the general teaching of the Bible. In the Book men are called to audience
with God.
II. How are divine communications to be received I Two things are necessary—
1. That we resort to the right scene. The prophet to his “tower.”
2. That we resort to the right scene in the right spirit.
III. Man’s moral mission consists in imparting communications from the eternal mind.
That we have to impart as well as to receive is evident—
1. From the tendency of Divine thoughts to express themselves. Ideas of a religious
kind always struggle for utterance.
2. From the universal adaptation of Divine thoughts.
3. From the spiritual dependence of man upon man.
4. From the general teaching of the Bible.
IV. Man’s moral mission consists in the practical realisation of communications from
the eternal mind. In the Divine purpose there is a period fixed for the realisation of every
Divine promise. However distant it may seem, our duty is to wait in earnest practical
faith for it. Learn who it is that fulfils his moral missions in the world. The man who
practically carries out God’s revelation in the spirit and habits of his life. Notice—
(1) The reasonableness of religion.
(2) The grandeur of a religious life.

25. (3) The function of Christianity.
What is the special design of the Gospel? To qualify man to fulfil his mission on earth.
(Homilist.)
The Lord’s Answer
2 Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald[b] may run with it.
BAR ES, "The answer is, that it is indeed for a long time yet. Write the vision, that it
may remain for those who come after and not be forgotten, and make it plain upon the
tables, whereon he was accustomed to write ; and that, in large lasting characters, that
he may run that readeth it, that it may be plain to any, however occupied or in haste. So
Isaiah too was commanded to write the four words, “haste-prey-speed-spoil.”
CLARKE, "Write the vision - Carefully take down all that I shall say.
Make it plain upon tables - Write it in a full plain, legible hand.
That he may run that readeth it - That he who attentively peruses it may speed to
save his life from the irruption of the Chaldeans, by which so many shall be cut off. The
prophet does not mean that the words are to be made so plain, that a man running by
may easily read them, and catch their meaning. This interpretation has been frequently
given; and it has been incautiously applied to the whole of the Bible: “God’s book is so
plain, that he that runs may read;” but it is very foolish: God never intends that his
words shall be understood by the careless. He that reads, studies, meditates, and prays,
shall understand every portion of this sacred book that relates immediately to his own
salvation. But no trifler can understand it. If the contents of a play-bill were to be read as
many read the Bible, they would know just as much of the one as they do of the other.

26. GILL, "And the Lord answered me,.... As he does his ministers and people sooner
or later, in one way or another, when they call upon him with humility and reverence,
with faith and fervency:
and said, Write the vision; which the prophet now had from him, concerning the
coming of the Messiah, and the destruction of the enemies of the church and people of
God: and this he has orders to "write"; not only to tell it to the people then present, for
their particular information and satisfaction; but to write it, that it may be read over and
over, and that it may remain, and be of use in times to come:
and make it plain upon tables, engrave it in plain legible letters on tables of wood;
on box tree, as the Septuagint version; on which they used to write before paper was
found out and used. Writing tables are of ancient use; they were used in and before the
times of Homer, for he speaks (o) of writing very pernicious things on a two leaved table;
wherefore Josephus must be mistaken when he suggests (p) that letters were not found
out in the times of Homer. These tables were made of wood, sometimes of one sort, and
sometimes of another; sometimes they were made of the pine tree, as appears from
Euripides (q) but, for the most part, of box (r), according to the Greek version as above;
and consisted sometimes of two leaves, for the most part of three or five, covered with
wax (s), on which impressions were easily made, and continued long, and were very
legible; and these impressions or letters were formed with an iron style or pen; see Jer_
17:1 this the Greeks and Tuscans first used, but was afterwards forbidden by the
Romans, who, instead of it, ordered an instrument of bone to be used (t): hence these
tables were wont to be called "wax", because besmeared with it; and so, in wills and
testaments written on them, the heirs are said to be written either in the first wax, or in
the bottom of the wax (u), that is, of the will, or in the lowest part of the table, or what
we should call the bottom of the leaf or page: and it was a custom among the Romans, as
Cicero (w) relates, that the public affairs of every year were committed to writing by the
Pontifex Maximus, or high priest, and published on a table, and set to view within doors,
that the people might have an opportunity and be able to know them; yea, it was usual to
hang up laws, approved and recorded, in tables of brass, in their market places, and in
their temples, that (x) they might be seen and read; the same we call annals. In like
manner the Jewish prophets used to write and expose their prophecies publicly on
tables, either in their own houses, or in the temple, that everyone that passed by might
read them.
That he may run that readeth it; may run through the whole without any difficulty,
without making any stop, being written in such large capital letters; and those cut so
well, and made so plain, that a man might run it over at once with ease, or even read it as
he was running; nor need he stop his pace, or stand to read. The Targum is,
"write the prophecy, and explain it in the book of the law, that he may hasten to obtain
wisdom, whoever he is that reads in it.''
HE RY, " The prophet must write the vision, Hab_2:2. Thus, when St. John had a
vision of the New Jerusalem, he was ordered to write, Rev_21:5. He must write it, that
he might imprint it on his own mind, and make it more clear to himself, but especially
that it might be notified to those in distant places and transmitted to those in future
ages. What is handed down by tradition is easily mistaken and liable to corruption; but
what is written is reduced to a certainty, and preserved safe and pure. We have reason to

27. bless God for written visions, that God has written to us the great things of his prophets
as well as of his law. He must write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, must write
it legibly, in large characters, so that he who runs may read it, that those who will not
allow themselves leisure to read it deliberately may not avoid a cursory view of it.
Probably, the prophets were wont to write some of the most remarkable of their
predictions in tables, and to hang them up in the temple, Isa_8:1. Now the prophet is
told to write this very plain. Note, Those who are employed in preaching the word of
God should study plainness as much as may be, so as to make themselves intelligible to
the meanest capacities. The things of our everlasting peace, which God has written to us,
are made plain, they are all plain to him that understands (Pro_8:9), and they are
published with authority; God himself has prefixed his imprimatur to them; he has said,
Make them plain.
JAMISO , "Write the vision — which I am about to reveal to thee.
make it plain — (Deu_27:8). In large legible characters.
upon tables — boxwood tables covered with wax, on which national affairs were
engraved with an iron pen, and then hung up in public, at the prophets’ own houses, or
at the temple, that those who passed might read them. Compare Luk_1:63, “writing
table,” that is, tablet.
that he may run that readeth it — commonly explained, “so intelligible as to be
easily read by any one running past”; but then it would be, “that he that runneth may
read it.” The true sense is, “so legible that whoever readeth it, may run to tell all whom
he can the good news of the foe’s coming doom, and Judah’s deliverance.” Compare
Dan_12:4, “many shall run to and fro,” namely, with the explanation of the prophecy,
then unsealed; also, Rev_22:17, “let him that heareth (the good news) say (to every one
within his reach), Come.” “Run” is equivalent to announce the divine revelation (Jer_
23:21); as everyone who becomes informed of a divine message is bound to run, that is,
use all dispatch to make it known to others [Henderson]. Grotius, Ludovicus De Dieu,
and Maurer interpret it: “Run” is not literal running, but “that he who reads it may run
through it,” that is, read it at once without difficulty.
CALVI , "We have seen in the first chapter Habakkuk 1:2 that the Prophet said in
the name of all the faithful. It was indeed a hard struggle, when all things were in a
perplexed state and no outlet appeared. The faithful might have thought that all
things happened by chance, that there was no divine providence; and even the
Prophet uttered complaints of this kind. He now begins to recover himself from his
perplexities; and he ever speaks in the person of the godly, or of the whole Church.
For what is done by some interpreters, who confine what is said to the prophetic
office, I do not approve; and it may be easy from the contempt to learn, that the
Prophet does not speak according to his private feeling, but that he represents the
feelings of all the godly. So then we ought to collect this verse with the complaints,
which we have before noticed; for the Prophet, finding himself sinking, and as it
were overwhelmed in the deepest abyss, raises himself up above the judgement and
reason of men, and comes nearer to God, that he might see from on high the things
which take place on earth, and not judge according to the understanding of his own
flesh, but by the light of the Holy Spirit. For the tower of which he speaks is
patience arising from hope. If indeed we would struggle perseveringly to the last,
and at length obtain the victory over all trials and conflicts, we must rise above the

28. world.
Some understand by tower and citadel the Word of God: and this may in some
measure be allowed, though not in every respect suitable. If we more fully weigh the
reason for the metaphor, we shall be at no loss to know that the tower is the recess
of the mind, where we withdraw ourselves from the world; for we find how disposed
we are all to entertain distrust. When, therefore, we follow our own inclination,
various temptations immediately lay hold on us; nor can we even for a moment
exercise hope in God: and many things are also suggested to us, which take away
and deprive us of all confidence: we become also involved in variety of thoughts, for
when Satan finds men wandering in their imaginations and blending many things
together, he so entangles them that they cannot by any means come nigh to God. If
then we would cherish faith in our hearts, we must rise above all these difficulties
and hindrances. And the Prophet by tower means this, that he extricated himself
from the thoughts of the flesh; for there would have been no end nor termination to
his doubts, had he tried to form a judgement according to his own understanding; I
will stand, he says, on my tower, (24) I and I will set myself on the citadel. In short,
the sentence carries this meaning—that the Prophet renounced the judgement of
men, and broke through all those snares by which Satan entangles us and prevents
us to rise above the earth.
He then adds, I will watch to see what he may say to me, that is, I will be there
vigilant; for by watching he means vigilance and waiting, as though he had said,
“Though no hope should soon appear, I shall not despond; nor shall I forsake my
station; but I shall remain constantly in that tower, to which I wish now to ascend: I
will watch then to see what he may say to me. ” The reference is evidently to God;
for the opinion of those is not probable, who apply this “saying” to the ministers of
Satan. For the Prophet says first, ‘I will see what he may say to me,’ and then he
adds, ‘and what I shall answer.’ They who explain the words ‘what he may say,’ as
referring to the wicked who might oppose him for the purpose of shaking his faith,
overlook the words of the Prophet, for he speaks here in the singular number; and
as there is no name expressed, the Prophet no doubt meant God. But were the words
capable of admitting this explanation, yet the very drift of the argument shows, that
the passage has the meaning which I have attached to it. For how could the faithful
answer the calumnies by which their faith was assailed, when the profane
opprobriously mocked and derided them—how could they satisfactorily disprove
such blasphemies, did they not first attend to what God might say to them? For we
cannot confute the devil and his ministers, except we be instructed by the word of
God. We hence see that the Prophet observes the best order in what he states, when
he says in the first place, ‘I will see what God may say to me;’ and in the second
place, ‘I shall then be taught to answer to my chiding;’ (25) that is, “If the wicked
deride my faith, I shall be able boldly to confute them; for the Lord will suggest to
me such things as may enable me to give a full answer.” We now perceive the simple
and real meaning of this verse. It remains for us to accommodate the doctrine to our
own use.
It must be first observed, that there is no remedy, when such trials as those

29. mentioned by the Prophet in the first chapter Habakkuk 1:4 meet us, except we
learn to raise up our minds above the world. For if we contend with Satan,
according to our own view of things, he will a hundred times overwhelm us, and we
can never be able to resist him. Let us therefore know, that here is shown to us the
right way of fighting with him, when our minds are agitated with unbelief, when
doubts respecting God’s providence creep in, when things are so confused in this
world as to involve us in darkness, so that no light appears: we must bid adieu to
our own reason; for all our thoughts are nothing worth, when we seek, according to
our own reason, to form a judgement. Until then the faithful ascend to their tower
and stand in their citadel, of which the Prophet here speaks, their temptations will
drive them here and there, and sink them as it were in a bottomless gulf. But that we
may more fully understand the meaning, we must know, that there is here an
implied contrast between the tower and the citadel, which the Prophet mentions,
and a station on earth. As long then as we judge according to our own perceptions,
we walk on the earth; and while we do so, many clouds arise, and Satan scatters
ashes in our eyes, and wholly darkens our judgement, and thus it happens, that we
lie down altogether confounded. It is hence wholly necessary, as we have before said,
that we should tread our reason under foot, and come nigh to God himself.
We have said, that the tower is the recess of the mind; but how can we ascend to it?
even by following the word of the Lord. For we creep on the earth; nay, we find that
our flesh ever draws us downward: except then the truth from above becomes to us
as it were wings, or a ladder, or a vehicle, we cannot rise up one foot; but, on the
contrary, we shall seek refuges on the earth rather than ascend into heaven. But let
the word of God become our ladder, or our vehicle, or our wings, and, however
difficult the ascent may be, we shall yet be able to fly upward, provided God’s word
be allowed to have its own authority. We hence see how unsuitable is the view of
those interpreters, who think that the tower and the citadel is the word of God; for
it is by God’s word, as I have already said, that we are raised up to this citadel, that
is, to the safeguard of hope; where we may remain safe and secure while looking
down from this eminence on those things which disturb us and darken all our senses
as long as we lie on the earth. This is one thing.
Then the repetition is not without its use; for the Prophet says, On my tower will I
stand, on the citadel will I set myself. He does not repeat in other words the same
thing, because it is obscure; but in order to remind the faithful, that though they are
inclined to sloth, they must yet strive to extricate themselves. And we soon find how
slothful we become, except each of us stirs up himself. For when any perplexity
takes hold on our minds, we soon succumb to despair. This, then, is the reason why
the Prophet, after having spoken of the tower, again mentions the citadel.
But when he says, I will watch to see, he refers to perseverance; for it is not enough
to open our eyes once, and by one look to observe what happens to us; but it is
necessary to continue our attention. This constant attention is, then, what the
Prophet means by watching; for we are not so clear-sighted as immediately to
comprehend what is useful to be known. And then, though we may once see what is
necessary, yet a new temptation can obliterate that view. It thus happens, that all