A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
Ver. 1. A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet] Habakkuk signifieth a wrestler, that by closing striveth to get the better, as hath been before noted on Habakkuk 1:1. To close with the adversary is the best way to supplant him, or to avoid the blow: so is running into God the way to escape him. The prophet had heard God's speech and was afraid, Habakkuk 3:2. He saw his wrath ready to break forth, and therefore gets in with him by this prayer. He knew that,
“ Flectitur iratus voce rogante Deus ”(Ovid).
God suffereth himself often to be overcome by the prayers of his people; and yieldeth much unto them when most bitterly bent, Matthew 24:20; he therefore sets shoulders and sides to work, and wrestles lustily in this chapter. He knew it was a prophet's work to pray as well as preach; and between these two to divide his time. "God forbid" (saith Samuel, who is reckoned the first of prophets, Act 3:24), "that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: I will also teach you the good and right way," 1 Samuel 12:23. So doth this prophet; he both preferreth a prayer (the word תפלה say some, signifieth such a prayer as is made by a mediator before a judge; we have an advocate with the Father, 1Jn 2:1), and dedicated the same to the people, to be used by them in the time of the captivity: which yet they shamefully neglected to do, as Daniel acknowledgeth, Daniel 9:13; or if they did anything towards it, they merely sought themselves in it, and so lost their labour, Zechariah 7:5; whereas had they prayed as here is prescribed, confessing their sins, and beseeching God not to deal with them after their deserts, but according to his ancient lovingkindnesses, that never fail, they might have found mercy, Lamentations 3:22. The altar of incense stood against the mercy seat; and, Revelation 9:13, the prayers of the saints from the four corners of the earth sound and do great things in the world, make it ring. It was the speech of a learned man; If there be but one sigh come from a gracious heart it fills the ears of God, so that God hears nothing else.
Upon Shigionoth] Vocabulum musicum est, cuius ratio Hebraeis ignota, saith Buxtorf; it is a musical term, the reason whereof is unknown to the Hebrew doctors to this day. Yet Rabbi Salomon (and with him most interpreters) rendereth it pro ignorantiis, for ignorances, or as touching his own and his people's errors; which the prophet here (convinced by God's former answer to his expostulation) confesseth with confusion of face. Ignorance surely is a blushful sin; especially if affected and delighted in (as the Hebrew word seemeth to imply, confer Proverbs 5:1; Pro 20:1). Private ignorance, though it do somewhat excuse a man (sc. a tanto from so much not a tote, from everything, Luk 12:47), yet is it a sin to be confessed and bewailed; for Christ died for the not knowing of the people, Hebrews 9:7, αγνοηματα, and destruction is threatened, pro nonscientia, or lack of knowledge, Hosea 4:6. But Calvin well observeth here, that the prophet by begging pardon for ignorances, doth not omit his own and the people's more grievous sins; but showeth that men must also be sensible of their lesser lapses, and cry out with David (after whose example this whole song is framed), "Who can understand his errors" (or ignorances, unwitting and inconsiderate sins)? "O cleanse thou me from secret faults," Psalms 19:12 .