John Trapp on Habakkuk 1:6

Verſe 6. For loe, I raiſe up the Chaldaeans, that bitter, and haſty nation] The Chaldaeans were anciently the Philoſophers of the Babylonians: Babylon was a Province of the Aſſyrian Empire; but not the ſame with Niniveh, (only walled about by Semiramis and by her called Babylon) as Suidas noteth. Niniveh was the Metropolis, Babylon ruled by Prefects. One of whom, viz Merodach Baladan) rebelling againſt Eſar-haddon King of Niniveh, tranſlated the whole kingdome to the Babylonians,Gualth. uſing the help and counſell of the Chaldaeans, famous for their wiſdome and authority: which yet was not done without the Lord who then ſtirred them up, and now ſent them againſt the Jewes, to averge the quarrell of his covenant. In like manner God hath in theſe laſt times raiſed up the Turkes that bitter and haſty nation, bitter and bloody, haſty and headlong, [non-Latin text not transcribed] purſuing their victories and ſubduing in a ſhort ſpace many nations, and kingdomes to their Empire. Hence the Jews are in the former verſe called upon to view among the heathen what havock the Chaldaeans had made; that is, ſhould ſhortly make by overrunning Syria, the greater part of all Aſia, and ſome part alſo of Africa. In the greatneſſe of the Turkiſh Empire is ſwallowed up at this day both the name and Empire of the Saracenes, the moſt glorious Empire of the Greekes, the renowned kingdomes of Macedonia, Peloponneſus, Epirus, Bulgaria, Servia, Boſina, Armenia, Cyprus, Syria, Egypt, Judaea, Tunes, Argeirs, Media, Chaldaea, with a great part of Hungary; as alſo of the Perſian kingdome,Turk. Hiſt. pref. to the Reader. and all the Churches and places ſo much ſpoken of in ſcripture (the Roman only excepted, which yet he daily threateneth) and in briefe ſo much in Chriſtendome, as far exceedeth that which is thereof at this day left. In fine, no part of the world is left untouched by the Othoman monarchy, but America only;Turk. hiſt. 132. not more happy in her rich mines, then in that ſhe is ſo far from ſo great and dangerous an enemy. The King of Spaine, of all other Princes Mahometan or Chriſtian that border upon the Turk, is beſt able to wage war with him. How far and with what bitterneſſe and haſt he hath carried on his Catholike Monarchy, is better known then that it need here to be related. Q. Elizabeth put a ſtop to him.Cambd. Eliſab. 285. Captaine Drake and his ſouldiers when they took Sancto Domingo Anno. 1585. (where his arms were to be ſeen in the town-hall with this inſcription, Non ſufficit orbis) derided his avarice and ambitions: but the poor Indies groane heavily under his cruelty: and Grynaeus commenting upon theſe words that bitter and haſty nation, Tribuuntur illis duo, ſaith he, Two things are here attributed to the Chaldees bitterneſſe, and ſwiftneſſe in undertaking and diſpatching conqueſts: quibus dotibus Iberos noſtra aetate praeditos, proh dolor, experimur, this by wofull experience we find now adayes too much verified of the Spaniards.