Matthew Poole and continuators on Habakkuk 1:13

13 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil , and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously , and holdest thy tongue , when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he?

O Lord who hast rais'd, and increased the Chaldean Kingdom.

Of Infinite Purity and Holiness.

Ascrib'd unto God to express his knowledge; so his eyes run to and fro, and his eye is upon the righteous.

His Omniscience doth behold all things, and so David expresseth it, Thou beho[illegible: 1 letter]dest mischief and spite to requite it, Psal. 10.14, But he doth not, will not, cannot, see with delight, with approbation.

Of sin and violence.

The same thing repeated to confirm us. All this the Prophet doth lay down as most undoubtedly true, and on which he stays himself; (though he be amazed with the darkness of Providences) and by this he will repress all undue murmurings, when he debates with God about his Providences, most Just and Holy! But why thus or thus?

Seest all the violence done, and bearest with them that do it, why doth not thy hand remove, and avenge what thine eye is offended at, and thy heart abhorreth?

The Chaldeans who were a perfidious Nation, and ruin'd many by their Treacheries; Fraud and Force were both alike to them. And 'tis likely they dealt very falsly with the Iews.

Seemest unconcerned in such a degree as to be silent and say nothing.

Or whilest, it might seem a fit season to speak, when the violent are about their violence, when the Prey is between the Teeth and not swallowed.

The Chaldean, an oppressor, bloody and treacherous against men, an Atheist, or Idolater against God.

Swalloweth down whole, as the word imports, Num. 16.30. and Psal. 124.3.

The Iew, or almost every one of us, as the phrase imports.

Though the Iewes were a very corrupt Nation, yet, compared with the Chaldeans, they were the better, and of the two the Iew was the less evil. Now this Riddle he desired might be unfolded, why is the juster opprest by the unjuster?

Marginal references: Psal. 5.5.; Or, grievance.