Habakkuk 2:3 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Bible Comments

For the vision is yet for an appointed time... — Better, For the vision is to have its appointed day, and it pants for the end. and it shall not disappoint, i.e., it pants for the day of completion, which shall do it justice. It longs to fulfil its destiny.

It will not tarry. — This translation is unfortunate. The prophet has just said that it will tarry. Nevertheless, he adds, men are to wait for it, because “it will surely come, and shall not be behindhand, seil, on its appointed day. This and Habakkuk 2:4 are welded into the Apostle’s exhortation in Hebrews 10:37. The citation is not from the Hebrew, but is an adaptation of the equally familiar LXX. variant, ὅτι ἐρχόμενος ἥξει καὶ οὐ μὴ χρονίσῃἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ.

Habakkuk 2:3

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.