Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine
Or rather, "how much less" or "more F15, wine dealing
treacherously": or "a man of wine", as Aben Ezra supplies it;
that is, a winebibber, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it: and
the sense in connection with the preceding verse ( Habakkuk 2:4
) is, if a Jew, elated with his works of righteousness, his soul
is not right in him, "how much less" a drunken, treacherous,
proud, and ambitious heathen? if the Scribes and Pharisees, who
expected the coming of the Messiah, yet withdrew from him, and
opposed themselves unto him when come, "how much more" will such
persons set themselves against him and his interest, thus
described? by whom are meant, not the Babylonian monarchs,
Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and the Chaldeans, as usually
interpreted, though there are many things in the account
applicable to them; but this is breaking the thread of the
prophecy, which carries on the account of the enemies of Christ,
and of his kingdom, from his first to his second coming; whereas
to interpret this prophecy of the Chaldeans is to go back to
times before the first coming of Christ; nor does it seem
necessary to say anything more concerning them, since the people
of God might be satisfied that these would be in their turn
destroyed, and they delivered from them; and that they, the Jews,
could not be cut off as a people, since the promise of the
Messiah, as springing from them, is firmly established; and it is
so strongly asserted, that he should come at the appointed time,
and not tarry: after which the prophet goes on to observe two
different sorts of people among the Jews; one sort proud and vain
glorious, who opposed themselves to Christ when he came; the
other sort true believers in him, who lived by faith upon him: so
things would stand among the Jews when Christ came, and so they
did; there was a separation among them on his account: next the
prophet proceeds to observe another sort of enemies to Christ and
his interest among the heathens, which was not to be wondered at,
and therefore introduced by a comparative particle, "how much
more" or "less"; and who must be removed to make way for his
kingdom and glory in the latter day, manifestly pointed at in (
Habakkuk
2:14 Habakkuk
2:20 ) now who can these be but the Romans, both Pagan and
Papal in succession? and with these and their rulers, civil and
ecclesiastical, do the characters given as well agree as with the
Babylonian monarchy, and the Chaldeans, or better and therefore,
after Cocceius and Van Till I shall choose to interpret the whole
of them; and it is well known that several of the Roman emperors
were greatly given to luxury and intemperance, the first
character they stand described by in the text. Tiberius was
greatly addicted to this vice; and, because of his greediness
after wine F16, used to be called Biberius Caldius
Mero, instead of Tiberius Claudius Nero; his successor Caligula
spent the immense riches Tiberius had gathered together in less
than a year's time in luxury and intemperance {q}; and Claudius,
that succeeded him, scarce ever went out of his doors but he was
drunk F18; and Nero, who came after him to
the empire, was of unusual luxury and sumptuousness, as the
historian says F19; he used to keep on his banquets
from the middle of the day to the middle of the night F20; to
say nothing of Domitian, Commodus, and other emperors that
followed after them: and these men were deceitful and
treacherous, both to their friends and enemies; and it is no
wonder that such as these should oppose themselves to the kingdom
and interest of Christ, as they did. Kimchi interprets this of
Nebuchadnezzar; and Jarchi of Belshazzar; and most interpreters
think it refers to his drinking in the vessels of the temple, (
Daniel 5:2
Daniel 5:3 ) :
[he is] a proud man;
the Roman emperors were excessively proud, like the unjust judge,
neither feared God, nor regarded man; nay, set up themselves for
gods, and required divine worship to be given them. Caius
Caligula claimed divine majesty to himself, and set himself up to
be worshipped among his brother gods; he built a temple to his
own deity, and appointed priests and sacrifices; and placed a
golden image of himself in it, and clothed it every day with such
a garment as he himself wore F21; he also set up his own
image in the temple at Jerusalem. Nero suffered himself to be
called lord and god by Tiridates king of the Armenians, with
bended knees, and hands lift up to heaven. Domitian and
Aurelianus took the same titles as Nero did; and Dioclesian would
be worshipped as a god, and called himself the brother of the sun
and moon; and no marvel that such men as these should be enemies
to Christ, and persecutors of his people: neither keepeth
at home;
or "dwells not in the fold" F23; in the sheepfold of Christ,
in his church, being none of his sheep, an alien from the
commonwealth of Israel; and so it denotes a infidel, an heathen;
a fit character for the Pagan emperors, who had no habitation in
the house of God. Kimchi interprets it of Nebuchadnezzar's
kingdom not being continued; or of his being driven from his
habitation, his palace, from among men, to live with beasts; but
it is the character, and not the punishment, of the person that
is here pointed at: who enlargeth his desire as hell, and
[is] as death, and cannot be
satisfied;
death and the grave, though such vast numbers are continually
slain by the one, and laid in the other, yet are never satisfied;
see ( Proverbs
27:20 ) ( Proverbs
30:15 Proverbs
30:16 ) . This describes the insatiable thirst of the Roman
emperors after honour, riches, and universal monarchy; who were
never satisfied with what they obtained: but gathereth unto
him all nations, and heapeth unto him all
people;
that is, subdued them, and made them provinces of the Roman
empire, and tributary to it, even almost all the then known
world; hence the Roman empire is called the whole world, (
Luke 2:1 ) so
Agrippa, in his orations to the Jews, mentions all nations as
subject to the Romans F24.