Habakkuk 2:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This is not the action of the Lord Almighty; indeed, one can rightly assert that such acts are not a divine gift nor something to take pride in. Consequently, these deeds will not go unpunished; what the divine and holy essence cannot condone, it inevitably corrects as wrongdoing. Isn't it appalling and utterly evil to incinerate vast numbers of people and plunge nations into despair, consigning illustrious cities along with their inhabitants to flames, and leading entire nations and their leaders into hopelessness through suffering? In a similar manner, the Jewish leaders, who persecuted all the prophets, cannot be justly excused. They believed their actions would benefit Jerusalem, yet they constructed it upon blood and oppressed all around them. They insulted some, killed others, and stoned even more, ultimately adding the Son to their list of victims, using the law as a convenient justification for their madness, claiming to mourn Christ's disregard for the commandments of Moses. However, it is easily demonstrated, through the prophet's words, that their fervor was against God and “not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10:2). Thus, they became impoverished, filled with despair as war ravaged them. This fate befell the Jewish people, who arrogantly treated the Son with disdain and, as I mentioned, had previously put the prophets to death before Him.

The people of the Chaldean nation will find themselves worn out as the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord's glory; that is, when Babylon falls, the power of God will be clearly displayed to all, much like the flooding waters that envelop the seas. The glory of God will pervade the entire universe, akin to how the waters saturate the depths of the ocean.

Moreover, it is apparent that the adversary, Antichrist, and erroneous teachings of heretics are establishing a city on blood, meaning their community thrives on the ruin of the deceived, constructing a fortress on wickedness, voicing injustice against God, and raising their prideful faces. When this is realized, the truth will emerge that they indeed build a city founded on blood, constructed upon iniquities. In this context, the Scripture queries, ‘Is not all this from the Lord Almighty?’ suggesting that this arrangement is not sanctioned by the Lord of Hosts, a title the Septuagint translates as ‘Almighty.’ A multitude will become impoverished, and although countless tribes may be led astray, they will either grow weary—which the term δλιγοφύκησαν signifies—or they will become constrained, rendered insignificant compared to the great multitude that comprises the Church. They languish in the fire, which may refer to being consumed by the malice of the devil or being scorched by the divine fire, of which Christ declares, ‘Fire have I come to bring down to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled’ (Luke 2:49). Through this suffering, they are urged to turn away from their former paths, leading to repentance and abandonment of their beginning ways, which is encapsulated in the term ὀλιγοφυκία (small-mindedness). Upon this realization, the glory of the Lord will encompass the creation when, during the Apostolic preaching, ‘their broadcasting shall reach all the earth’ (Psalm 18:5), such that the waters of the Lord shall wash away all the bitterness and corruption of this age, in which the world was intoxicated due to the devil’s deceptions. Thus, the psalm proclaims, ‘Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered’ (Psalms 31:1).

Furthermore, though it may not seamlessly align with the current passage, we can also reference Jerusalem—the city filled with the blood of the prophets, noted in Scripture (Matthew 23:35) for shedding the blood of saints from one gate to another, as well as the lament about the Lord's sufferings, ‘His blood is upon us and upon our children’ (Matthew 27:25). God, through the prophet Isaiah, admonishes, ‘When you lift up your hands to Me, I will not hear you, for your hands are filled with blood’ (Isaiah 1:15). According to this same prophet, iniquity supports a city where justice appears to slumber, with its construction not stemming from the Lord of Hosts. Therefore, many nations became weary in the fire, and numerous tribes succumbed to weakness when the city faced siege by the armies of Titus and Vespasian. Those who arrived for the Passover were trapped within the city like prisoners, suffering from hunger and destitution. The siege by Hadrian led them to total destruction. Following the downfall of that blood-stained city and the fortress of iniquity, alongside the devastation of nations by fire and the scattering of the tribes that came to their aid, the glory of Christ filled the entire universe, saturating the world with His message and teachings as the waters cover the earth.