Matthew Poole and continuators on Habakkuk 3:14

14 Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages : they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly .

O God,

either meant of the staves or arms of the Canaanitish Kings which they lifted up against Israel, thereby provoking Israel to fight; in which being overcome, they perisht by their own Arms taken from them, or it may be meant of the Weapons of Ioshua, and Israel, called Staves, for that they were Arrows and Spears, which are armed Staves, or it might be translated Tribes; so with the Tribes of Israel, the Tribes of Gods anointed, or by them were these Canaanites destroyed.

All the Cities, and all the unwalled Towns; for so Israel destroyed the Daughters with the Mothers; i. e. the Villages with the Cities.

The Inhabitants of Canaan, but particularly the five Kings, ver. 11. let. f. of whose conspiracy you read Iosh. 10. which see.

With violence invading every side; a Tempest made up of contrary Winds and Exhalations, moving as violently as irregularly

to disperse and drive away from the Earth.

The joy they took was such as is the joy of men, who take the spoil of Enemies, and come to feast, not fight.

They dreamt of nothing else but eating up Gods people as they would eat bread.

Helpless and Friendless as they seemed to be, poor Israel.

Either by secret Conspiracy, or by secret execution of the Plot they laid against Israel.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 paragraph]