At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh
Not deride and despise them, and make a jest of them; for good men have a reverence and awe of the righteous judgments of God upon them, when they are in the world, ( Psalms 119:120 ) ; but the sense is, that such shall reckon themselves safe and secure amidst such calamities, provision being made for their protection and sustenance; and be cheerful and comfortable, putting their trust and confidence in the Lord, as Habakkuk was, in a time of great distress, when all the necessaries of life were cut off from the stall, the herds, the flocks, and the fields; ( Habakkuk 3:17-19 ) ; just as a man that is in a good harbour, or has a good house over his head, laughs at blustering storms and winds F8, or thinks himself secure, and so is cheerful and pleasant amidst all the noise that is about him, see ( Habakkuk 1:10 ) ;
neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth;
either, literally taken, beasts of prey, that wander about in the earth, noisome and pernicious ones; which are one of God's sore judgments which he threatens the disobedient with, and promises the obedient he will rid them of; and therefore they have no reason to be afraid of them, see ( Ezekiel 14:21 ) ( Leviticus 26:6 Leviticus 26:22 ) ; some think serpents are particularly designed, which creep upon the earth, and whose, food is the dust of the earth, with all other poisonous animals, between which and men there is an antipathy; and yet good men need not be afraid of these; see ( Mark 16:18 ) ( Acts 28:3-5 ) ; or figuratively, cruel and barbarous men, thieves and robbers, as Jarchi; or rather fierce and furious persecutors, and particularly the beasts of Rome, Pagan and Papal; though the literal sense is to be preferred; the Targum interprets this of the camp of Og, comparable to the beasts of the earth.
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.