2:19 no breath at all. A woe is pronounced against those who induce others to sin (Habakkuk 2:15), and another here against those who seek knowledge and life from wood and stone. These are mere created materials, embellished a bit by men, but possess neither life nor knowledge, and so cannot impart such information to others. Man’s heart is corrupt, and so he seeks to escape his Creator; nevertheless, he must somehow seek knowledge and life beyond himself, and so tries to worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator! (Romans 1:25). This sinful ignorance is no less characteristic of modern humanistic evolutionists than it was of the ancient pantheistic evolutionists, and God has pronounced woe on all who turn to such lies.

2:20 his holy temple. This can only refer to God’s heavenly temple (Isaiah 6:1), since the earthly temple built by Solomon was about to be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (II Chronicles 36:19).

2:20 keep silence. Men should stand in mute humility at the very thought of the omnipotent, omniscient God. Instead they, like the pagan Babylonians and the apostate Jews, presume to disobey Him, to find substitutes for Him, to rail against Him, or more often simply to ignore Him in their own clamorous pursuit of wealth and pleasure. Soon may come the proclamation: “Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the LORD is at hand” (Zephaniah 1:7).