SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:16
Por esto hará sacrificios a su malla, y ofrecerá sahumerios a su red; porque con ellos engordó su porción, y engrasó su comida.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 1:16
Verse 16. They sacrifice unto their net] He had no God; he cared for none; and worshipped only his armour and himself. King Mezentius, one of the worst characters in the AEneid of Virgil, is represented as invoking his own right hand and his spear in battle. AEn. x. 773. Dextra mihi Deus, et telum quod missile libro, Nunc adsint.
"My strong right hand and sword, assert my stroke. Those only gods Mezentius will invoke." DRYDEN.
And Capaneus, in Statius, gives us a more decisive proof of this self-idolatry. Thebaid, lib. x.
Ades, O mihi dextera tantum Tu praeses belli, et inevitabile Numen, Te voco, te solum Superum contemptor adoro.
"Only thou, my right hand, be my aid; I contemn the gods, and adore thee as the chief in battle, and the irresistible deity." The poet tells us that, for his impiety, Jupiter slew him with thunder.
This was an ancient idolatry in this country, and has existed till within about a century. There are relics of it in different parts of Europe; for when military men bind themselves to accomplish any particular purpose, it is usual to lay their hand upon their sword: but formerly they kissed it, when swearing by it. With most heroes, the sword is both their Bible and their God. To the present day it is a custom among the Hindoos annually to worship the implements of their trades. See WARD.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag , etc.] Either to their idols, to fortune and the stars, as Aben Ezra; imagining they gave them success, and prospered them in the arts and methods they used: or to their arms, as the Targum; nor was it unusual with the Heathens to worship their spears, sacrifice to them, and swear by them f55 . So Justin says f56 , originally the ancients worshipped spears for gods, in memory of whose religion spears are still added to the images of the gods. Lucian asserts that the Scythians sacrificed to a scimitar; and Arnobius says the same; and Ammianus Marcellinus reports, that the Quadi worship their swords or daggers instead of gods; and that it was usual to swear by the spear is evident from others f60 . Or else the sense is, they sacrificed to their own valour and courage, skill and conduct. Because by them their portion [is] fat, and their meat plenteous : that is, by their angle, net, and drag; or by those things signified by them, the arts and methods they used to subdue nations, conquer kingdoms, and bring them into subjection to them; they enlarged their dominions, increased their riches and revenues, and had plenty of everything that was desirable for food and raiment, for pleasure and profit; or to gratify the most unbounded ambition, having everything that heart could wish for and desire: the allusion is to making sumptuous feasts, and rich banquets, on occasion of victories obtained.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-17 - However matters may be, yet God is the Lord our God, our Holy One. We are an offending people, he is an offended God, yet we will no entertain hard thoughts of him, or of his service. It is great comfor that, whatever mischief men design, the Lord designs good, and we ar sure that his counsel shall stand. Though wickedness may prosper while, yet God is holy, and does not approve the wickedness. As he cannot do iniquity himself, so he is of purer eyes than to behold i with any approval. By this principle we must abide, though the dispensations of his providence may for a time, in some cases, seem to us not to agree with it. The prophet complains that God's patience wa abused; and because sentence against these evil works and workers wa not executed speedily, their hearts were the more fully set in them to do evil. Some they take up as with the angle, one by one; others the catch in shoals, as in their net, and gather them in their drag, their enclosing net. They admire their own cleverness and contrivance: ther is great proneness in us to take the glory of outward prosperity to ourselves. This is idolizing ourselves, sacrificing to the drag-ne because it is our own. God will soon end successful and splendi robberies. Death and judgment shall make men cease to prey on others and they shall be preyed on themselves. Let us remember, whateve advantages we possess, we must give all the glory to God __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
על 5921 כן 3651 יזבח 2076 לחרמו 2764 ויקטר 6999 למכמרתו 4365 כי 3588 בהמה 1992 שׁמן 8082 חלקו 2506 ומאכלו 3978 בראה׃ 1277
