Habakkuk

Notes on
Habakkuk
2 0 2 3 E d i t i o n
Dr. Thomas L. Constable
TITLE AND WRITER
The title of the book is the name of its writer. The meaning of Habakkuk's
name is questionable. It may come from the Hebrew verb habaq, which
means "to fold the hands" or "to embrace." In the latter case, it might
mean "one who embraces" or "one who is embraced." Luther thought it
signified that Habakkuk embraced his people to comfort and uphold them.
Jerome interpreted it to mean that he embraced the problem of divine
justice in the world, the subject of the book.1
All we know for sure about Habakkuk is that he was a prophet who lived
during the pre-exilic period of Israel's history, in the seventh-century B.C.
The simple designation, "the prophet" (1:1), with no other identifying
description, characterizes only two other writing prophets: Haggai and
Zechariah. So Habakkuk is the only book so designated among the pre-exilic
Prophets. The content of the book, which includes wisdom literature and a
psalm of praise, indicates that Habakkuk was a poet as well as a prophet.
He has been called "the freethinker among the prophets."2
The New Testament writers told us nothing about Habakkuk. There are
traditions about who he was that have little basis in fact but are interesting
nonetheless. Since the last verse of the book gives a musical notation
similar to some psalms, some students concluded that he was a musician
and possibly a Levite.3
1See J. Ronald Blue, "Habakkuk," in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, p.
1505.
2George L. Robinson, The Twelve Minor Prophets, p. 119.
3E.g., C. F. Keil, "Habakkuk," in The Twelve Minor Prophets, 2:49.
Copyright Ó 2023 by Thomas L. Constable

2 Dr. Constable's Notes on Habakkuk 2023 Edition
"The precise relationship of the prophets with the temple is

one of the most debated elements in Old Testament study."1
The Septuagint contains an addition to the Book of Daniel: the apocryphal

Bel and the Dragon, which mentions Habakkuk in its title as "the son of
Jeshua of the tribe of Levi."2 It records a legend about Habakkuk that is
pure fantasy: Supposedly an angel commanded Habakkuk to take a meal to
Daniel, who was in the lions' den a second time. When the prophet
complained that he did not know where the den was, the angel picked him
up by a lock of his hair and carried him to the spot (Bel vv. 33-39).
According to rabbinic sources, Habakkuk was the son of the Shunammite

woman whom Elisha restored to life (2 Kings 4). The basis for this theory
is that Elisha's servant told the woman that she would "embrace" a son (2
Kings 4:16), and Habakkuk's name is similar to the Hebrew word translated
"embrace."
UNITY
The major challenge to the unity of the book has come from liberal scholars
who view psalmic material such as chapter 3 as postexilic. The commentary
on Habakkuk found at Qumran does not expound this psalm. However, the
continuity of theme that continues through the whole book, plus the
absence of any compelling reasons to reject chapter 3, argue for the book's
unity.3
DATE
References in the book help us date it approximately, but they make it

impossible to be precise or dogmatic. The LORD (Yahweh) told Habakkuk
that He was raising up the Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians), the fierce and
1Tremper Longman III and Raymond B. Dillard, An Introduction to the Old Testament, p.
463.
2The Septuagint is the name of a translation of the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) into
Greek that was made in the third century B.C. Apocryphal books are those that are not
considered inspired but have some connection with Scripture.
3See O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, pp. 212-14;
and Richard D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, pp. 127-29, for further discussion
of the book's unity.
2023 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on Habakkuk 3
impetuous people who were already marching throughout the whole earth,
and that they would expand their territory even farther (1:6). The first of
the Neo-Babylonian kings was Nabopolassar (627-605 B.C.). This reference
points to a time before 605 B.C., when Babylon defeated the united forces
of Egypt and Assyria at the battle of Carchemish, and became the major
power in the ancient Near East. It may even point to a time before 612 B.C.
when the Babylonians (with the Medes and Scythians) destroyed Nineveh.
However, other references in the book, which describe conditions in Judah

and the ancient Near East, support a date between 608 and 605 B.C. (cf.
1:7-11).1 The background to Habakkuk is the decline of the Judean
kingdom that began with the death of King Josiah in 609 B.C. Leon Wood
dated this book at about 605 B.C.2 King Jehoiakim ruled Judah from 609
to 598 B.C., so it was apparently during his reign that Habakkuk prophesied
(cf. 2 Kings 23:36—24:7; 2 Chron. 36:5-8). This is the opinion of most
evangelical scholars.3 George Robinson believed that the book was written
in 603 B.C.4 J. Sidlow Baxter and Frank E. Gaebelein believe that Habakkuk
wrote it about 600 B.C."5 Richard Patterson favored a date of composition
about 655-650 B.C., during Manasseh's reign.6 Pusey dated the book in the
latter half of Manasseh's reign or the first half of Josiah's reign (c. 660-
620 B.C.).7 E. M. Blaiklock estimated that Habakkuk was born about 630
B.C.8
"On the one hand, Habakkuk announced the Babylonians' rise

to prominence as if it would be a surprise (1:5-6). … On the
other hand, the prophecy seems to assume the Babylonians
had already built a reputation as an imperialistic power (see
1:6-11, 15-17; 2:5-17). … Perhaps the best way to resolve
1See Robertson, p. 37; and Charles Lee Feinberg, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and
Malachi, pp. 11-12.
2Leon J. Wood, The Prophets of Israel, p. 323.
3Patterson, p. 115.
4Robinson, p. 121.
5J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book, 4:208; Frank E. Gaebelein, Four Minor Prophets:
Obadiah, Jonah, Habakkuk, and Haggai, p. 146.

6Patterson, pp. 117, 146-47.
7E. B. Pusey, The Minor Prophets, 2:168.
8E. M. Blaiklock, Today's Handbook of Bible Characters, p. 264.
the problem is to understand the book as a collection of

messages from different periods in the prophet's career."1
Another writer believed that some of the oracles date from before 605
B.C., while others came after 597 B.C., and that the final form of the book
reflects Habakkuk's post-597 B.C. perspective.2 Ralph Smith believed
Habakkuk wrote slightly after Nahum.3 In summary, while it seems
impossible to nail down the precise dates of Habakkuk's ministry, it seems
that he ministered several years before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed
Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
PLACE OF COMPOSITION
Since the Chaldeans were on the rise when Habakkuk prophesied, the
prophet must have lived in Judah. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had
passed out of existence in 722 B.C. with the Assyrian invasion. Thus
Habakkuk was a prophet of the Southern Kingdom who lived in times of
increasing degeneracy, vunerability, and fear.
AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE
The people to whom Habakkuk ministered were Judeans who apparently

lived under the reign of King Jehoiakim. During his reign the Israelites were
looking for help in the wrong places: Egypt and Assyria, in view of growing
Babylonian power. They should have been looking to the LORD primarily, and
their failure to do so was one of the burdens of Jeremiah, Habakkuk's
contemporary.
"Jeremiah and Habakkuk were contemporaries: Jeremiah

taught that wickedness in God's own people is doomed;
Habakkuk, that wickedness in the Chaldeans, also, is doomed.
Tyranny always carries within it the seeds of its own
destruction."4
1Robert B. Chisholm Jr., Handbook on the Prophets, p. 433.

2J.J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, pp. 82-84.
3Ralph L. Smith, Micah-Malachi, p. 97.
4Robinson, p. 127.
Habakkuk's concerns were more philosophical than Jeremiah's, however.

What disturbed him was that the sovereign LORD was not responding to
Habakkuk's evil generation and its internal injustices. He voiced his concern
to Yahweh in prayer (1:2-4). The LORD replied that He was working. He was
raising up a nation that would punish His people for their covenant
unfaithfulness (1:5-11). This raised another problem for Habakkuk, which
he also took to the LORD in prayer: How could He use a more wicked nation
than Judah to punish God's chosen people (1:12—2:1)? The LORD explained
that He would eventually punish the Babylonians for their wickedness too
(2:2-20). The final chapter is a hymn of praise extolling Yahweh for His wise
ways. The purpose of the book, then, was to vindicate the justice of God
so God's people would have hope and encouragement.
"His main subject is, that which occupied Asaph in the 73d
Psalm, the afflictions of the righteous amid the prosperity of
the wicked. The answer is the same; the result of all will be one
great reversal, the evil drawing upon themselves evil, God
crowning the patient waiting of the righteous in still submission
to His holy Will."1
"Of the twelve minor prophets none wrestled more earnestly

with the problem of evil in a disordered society than
Habakkuk."2
"What are godly people to do when the moral and spiritual

fabric of their nation is being ripped apart and the political and
social structures are disintegrating? This is the disturbing
problem addressed by the prophet Habakkuk."3
"Until the day God avenges the Babylonians and restores

Jerusalem, the just live by faith (Hab. 2:1-4), waiting with
confidence for the fulfillment of I AM's unfailing promise that
the wicked will be destroyed (2:5-19) and his legitimate claim
to the whole world will be universally acknowledged (3:1-
16)."4
1Pusey, 2:165.
2Gaebelein,p. 190.
3Kenneth G. Hanna, From Moses to Malachi, p. 504.
4Bruce K. Waltke, An Old Testament Theology, p. 842.
LITERARY FORM
This book employs a variety of literary forms.1 The first part of the book
contains a dialogue between Habakkuk and his God that alternates between
lament and divine pronouncement (1:2—2:5). The second part is a taunt
or mocking song that the prophet put in the mouths of the nations that
had suffered under Babylon's oppression. It consists of five "woes" (2:6-
20). The third part is a psalm, complete with musical directions (ch. 3).
"This book is the personal experience of the prophet told in

poetry, as Jonah's was told in prose."2
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
"Habakkuk is a unique book. Unlike other prophets who

declared God's message to people this prophet dialogued with
God about people. Most Old Testament prophets proclaimed
divine judgment. Habakkuk pleaded for divine judgment. In
contrast with the typical indictment, this little book records an
intriguing interchange between a perplexed prophet and his
Maker."3
"In fact the entire structure and thought of the book is built
around the dialogue between Habakkuk and God."4
"Again, unlike the other prophets, he [Habakkuk] is not

concerned so much with delivering a message as with solving
a problem—a problem which vexed his own sensitive soul
relating to Jehovah's government of the nations."5
"The prophet asked some of the most penetrating questions

in all literature, and the answers are basic to a proper view of
God and his relation to history. If God's initial response
sounded the death knell for any strictly nationalistic covenant
theology of Judah, his second reply outlined in a positive sense
1See Patterson, pp. 119-26.

2J.Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, 3:835.
3Blue, p. 1505.
4Hanna, p. 508.
5Baxter, 4:207.
the fact that all history was hastening to a conclusion that was
[as] certain as it was satisfying. In the interim, while history is
still awaiting its conclusion (and Habakkuk was not told when
the end would come, apparently for him prefigured by
Babylon's destruction), the righteous ones are to live by faith.
The faith prescribed—or 'faithfulness,' as many have argued
that 'emunah should be translated—is still called for as a basic
response to the unanswered questions in today's universe; and
it is this, a theology for life both then and now, that stands as
Habakkuk's most basic contribution."1
"Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah have a great deal in

common. Each one gives a different facet of the dealings of
God with mankind. They show how the government of God is
integrated into the government of men. They also show God's
dealings with the individual."2
"If Zephaniah stressed humility and poverty of spirit as

prerequisites for entering into the benefits of the company of
the believing, Habakkuk demanded faith as the most
indispensable prerequisite. But these are all part of the same
picture. Whereas Zephaniah stressed Judah's idolatry and
religious syncretism, Habakkuk was alarmed by the increase of
lawlessness, injustice, wickedness, and rebellion."3
"Of the enemies which afflicted the covenant people long ago,
three were outstanding—the Edomites, the Assyrians, and the
Chaldeans, or Babylonians. It was given to three of the Hebrew
prophets specially to pronounce the doom of these three
powers. The prophecy of Obadiah sealed the fate of Edom. The
prophecy of Nahum tolled the knell over Assyria. The prophecy
of Habakkuk dug the grave of Babylon."4
1Carl
E. Armerding, "Habakkuk," in Daniel-Malachi, vol. 7 of The Expositor's Bible
Commentary, pp. 495-96. Paragraph division omitted.
2McGee, 3:835
3Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Toward an Old Testament Theology, p. 225. Paragraph division
omitted.
4Baxter, 4:207.
OUTLINE
I. Heading 1:1
II. Habakkuk's questions and Yahweh's answers 1:2—2:20
A. Habakkuk's question about Judah 1:2-4

B. Yahweh's answer about Judah 1:5-11
C. Habakkuk's question about Babylonia 1:12-17
D. Yahweh's answer about Babylonia ch. 2
1. The introduction to the answer 2:1-3

2. The LORD's indictment of Babylon 2:4-5
3. The LORD's sentence on Babylon 2:6-20
III. Habakkuk's hymn in praise of Yahweh ch. 3
A. The introduction to the hymn 3:1

B. The prayer for revival 3:2
C. The vision of God 3:3-15
1. Yahweh's awesome appearance 3:3-7

2. Yahweh's angry actions 3:8-15
D. The commitment of faith 3:16-19a

E. The concluding musical notation 3:19b
MESSAGE
Habakkuk is unusual among the prophetical books in that it tells a story. In

this it is similar to Jonah, which is also the record of a prophet's experience.
Jonah gives the account of a prophet's failure to sympathize with God.
Habakkuk gives the account of a prophet's failure to understand God. Jonah
deals with a problem posed by Nineveh, and Habakkuk deals with a problem
posed by Babylon. Habakkuk, like Jonah, also records one major event in
the life of the prophet. Most of the other prophetic books record the
messages and activities of a prophet over an extended period of years.
Habakkuk does contain prophecies, so it is like the other prophetic books
in this respect.
The key verse in the book is 2:4: "Behold, as for the impudent one, His soul
is not right within him; But the righteous one will live by his faith."1 This
verse suggests the difficulty that Habakkuk faced, and it contains his
declaration following his struggle with faith.
Habakkuk is a book in which a man: the prophet, asked questions and

received answers. Note, for example, 1:2, which voices the prophet's initial
question. Then 3:19 gives his final affirmation, after having received
answers. The contrast between these verses is startling. It is a contrast
between a wail of despair and a shout of confidence.
"From the affirmation of faith's agnosticism we come to the

affirmation of agnosticism's faith."2
This is the story of Habakkuk. At the beginning, we hear a believer

questioning God. The prophet's problem was why God was not doing what
He promised to do, specifically: why was He not delivering His people from
the violence with which the Babylonians were threatening them. Every
believer faces the same problem sooner or later. Circumstances challenge
the promises of God, and we wonder why God does not do something about
the situation. Habakkuk wondered how God could use an even more wicked
nation—Babylon—to discipline the wicked Judahites.
The key verse, 2:4, is similar to the constricted part of an hourglass:

Everything that precedes it leads up to it, and everything that follows it
results from it. It is like a doorway through which everything in the book
passes. This verse contains two contrasting viewpoints on all of life: First,
we have a swollen, proud, conceited person. Second, we have a person who
is full of faith. The first is full of himself or herself, and the second is full of
God. The difference is in attitude: great confidence in self, or great
confidence in God. In both cases, we have something hidden and something
displayed.
In the case of the proud, his soul or inner man is not straight or right within
him. It is not upright or level, but crooked or twisted. His is an unnatural
condition. While his inner, hidden condition is crookedness of soul, his outer,
manifest condition is conceit or pride. He is wrapped up in himself, and
being wrapped up in himself, he is wrapped up in a ball, so to speak—all
1Quotations from the English Bible in these notes are from the New American Standard
Bible (NASB), 2020 edition, unless otherwise indicated.
2G. Campbell Morgan, Living Messages of the Books of the Bible, 1:2:274.
twisted up on the inside. It is interesting that the verse says nothing about
the outcome of the proud. We only have a description of him as swollen
and twisted.
In the case of the righteous, his soul is right within him. His inner, hidden
condition is straight. His outward manifestation of that condition is trust in
God. It is interesting, in passing, that there is only one straightness, but
there are many kinds of crookedness, perversity. If I asked a group of
people to imagine a straight stick, everyone would visualize a stick that is
free of any bends or curves. But if I asked them to imagine a crooked stick,
everyone would visualize a different shape of crookedness. A crooked stick
may be crooked in a hundred different ways, but there is only one way that
a straight stick can be straight. Goodness is basically simple, but evil is
exceedingly complex. Goodness looks only one way, but evil can take many
different forms and shapes.
The central affirmation of Habakkuk is the last part of 2:4: "the righteous
one will live by his faith." There are three key words in this affirmation:
righteous, live, and faith. It is interesting that in the three places where this
verse is quoted in the New Testament, in each case a different word
receives the emphasis.
In Romans 1:17, the emphasis is on "righteous." Paul's concern in Romans

was with the righteousness of God and how people can obtain it. In Hebrews
10:38, the emphasis is on "live." The writer to the Hebrews stressed the
importance of living by faith as a way of life, and not turning back to
Judaism and living by the Mosaic Law. And in Galatians 3:11, the emphasis
is on "faith." Paul contrasted salvation by works and salvation by faith in
Galatians. Thus, we can see that this statement is packed with meaning. In
fact, many Bible students believe that this verse expresses the central
theme of the entire Bible. It has been called the John 3:16 of the Old
Testament.
Now let us relate this to what Habakkuk saw that created a problem of faith
for him. He saw the proud flourishing. He saw crookedness all around him
in a hundred different forms of evil. He also saw the righteous, who were
trusting in God, oppressed, threatened, and persecuted. Specifically, he
saw the proud Babylonians, who did not acknowledge Yahweh, gaining more
and more power. They appeared to be the ones truly alive. He saw the
people of God, who were trusting in Yahweh, losing more and more power.
They appeared to be headed for certain death and possibly extinction. And,
most disturbing of all, Habakkuk saw God doing nothing.
In the hour of his crisis of faith, God spoke to the prophet and gave him
the great truth of 2:4. Faith is the principle that leads to life, in spite of all
appearances, and pride is destructive, in spite of all appearances. Godless
people and their plans seem so strong and invincible. Their enterprises,
which are often in rebellion against God, seem so inevitable to succeed.
Nevertheless, the one whom God regards as righteous, because of his or
her trust in Him, will live on.
What is God doing? He is causing things to work out in harmony with the
principle set forth in 2:4—in spite of appearances. The Sovereign of the
Universe, who often takes centuries to work out His plans—when we want
Him to do it in years, if not months—holds everything in His grasp. He will
fulfill His promises. He will reward faith. He will destroy the crooked and the
proud.
The last part of the book, which follows 2:4, helps us to see the outcome
of believing God's revelation in 2:4. Habakkuk reviewed many of the
crooked manifestations of evil and announced the final destruction of them
all. He also viewed the history of the Israelites as a testimony to the truth
of the book's central affirmation, and he trembled as he projected forward
what God had done in the past, to what He would do to the Chaldeans. The
prophet, who started out thinking that God was doing nothing, ended by
praying that Yahweh would remember mercy, when He poured out His
wrath. He, who thought God had forgotten about the faithful, broke out
into a song of praise as he realized that he could continue to trust God, in
spite of appearances.
Habakkuk does not end with a wail, but with a song. It does not end with
inquiry, but with affirmation. It does not end with frustration, but with faith:
3:17-18.
There are several lessons of timeless importance that Habakkuk teaches its
readers:
One abiding lesson of this book is that people of faith sometimes have
trouble continuing to trust God. If we look at what is happening in our world,
we may come up with the same questions Habakkuk voiced at the beginning
of this book. But if we continue to listen to the Word of God, we can have
peace in our hearts and songs on our lips, while we wait for God to reward
the righteous with life for their faith. This principle is true on two levels:
justification and sanctification.
The only way to obtain a proper legal standing before God (justification) is
by trusting Him. And the only way to continue to live in that righteous
standing before God (progressive sanctification) is to continue to trust
Him, in spite of appearances. We can do so because God has established a
flawless record of faithfulness to His promises, and the Bible is the record
of that faithfulness. Thus, we must live in the light of Scripture, rather than
in the light of experience. God's promises and covenants are a better
indication of reality than circumstances.
We also need to be careful that we do not fall into the category of the
proud, who are wrapped up in themselves. We, too, quickly look to the
proud of this world, who do not bow before God, for explanations. Rather,
we should express our own righteousness by continuing to trust in God, in
spite of appearances. Today, scientific explanations attract more faith than
the simple statements of Scripture. Where will our trust be? We dare not
join the ranks of the twisted and scoffing mockers whose end is not life but
destruction. It is interesting that now some of the so-called "assured facts"
of science are being called into question by scientists themselves.
Notice, too, how Habakkuk handled his questions. He could have set up a
schedule of speaking engagements all over Judah to point out how
inconsistent God was in His governance of human affairs. Fortunately,
instead, he took his questions to God in prayer. God responded by giving
him answers. The revelation of God came to Habakkuk. The prophet listened
to the Word of God. We can say anything to God in prayer. The best place
to take our questions is to God in prayer. And the best place to find answers
from God is in His Word. Some people say that God does not speak as He
spoke in days gone by. It is truer to say that people do not listen to God
as they did in days gone by. Living by faith means becoming people of
prayer and the Word of God.
Furthermore, the inner attitude always manifests itself in outward action.

This is true whether the inner attitude is pride or faith. What is our outward
activity betraying about our inner attitude? Are we really trusting man or
God? Where do we turn first for answers? Scripture, or other "authorities"?
In 2:3, God said, "Though it [the vision, God's explanation] delays, wait for
it; For it will certainly come." Part of being people of faith is that we wait
for explanations, verbal or experiential, that will only come in the future.
Someone has wisely said that Christians are people who do not live by
explanations but by promises.1 We must be content with God's promise
that one day we will understand what is now obscure.
How God will bring His will to pass is a mystery—in large measure. We only
have the outlines of His actions in prophecy, though we have some
remarkably specific details revealed here and there. Nevertheless for the
most part, we must be willing to wait. The promise of God is life for those
who continue to wait on God. Waiting is the hardest work of all, but like
Habakkuk, we will be able to sing as we wait if we keep talking to God and
listening to God.2
1See Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary/Prophets, p. 95.

2Adapted from Morgan, 1:2:273-86.
I. HEADING 1:1
The writer described this book as a "pronouncement" that Habakkuk the

prophet saw in a vision or dream. This burden (Heb. massa', something
lifted up), which the LORD laid on Habakkuk, was a message predicting
judgment on Judah and Babylon.
"Habakkuk's prophecy possesses a burdensome dimension

from start to finish."1
We know nothing more about Habakkuk with certainty than that he was a
true prophet of the LORD who also had the ability to write poetry (ch. 3).
"Like Haggai and Zechariah in the books that bear their names
(Hag. 1:1; Zech. 1:1) Habakkuk is called the prophet. This may
mean that Habakkuk was a professional prophet on the temple
staff …"2
These temple prophets led the people in worshipping God (cf. 1 Chron.
25:1).3
"One of the functions of temple prophets was to give

responses to worshipers who came seeking divine guidance:
when the problem was stated, the prophet inquired of God and
obtained an answer."4
This did not always involve receiving a new revelation from God. Probably
in most cases it involved relaying what God had already revealed.
"Habakkuk may rather have added it [the title "the prophet"]

to his name, because prominently he expostulates with God
1Robertson, p. 135.
2F. F. Bruce, "Habakkuk," in The Minor Prophets, p. 842. Johannes Lindblom, Prophecy in
Ancient Israel, pp. 208, 254, advanced this view.
3On the subject of prophets who led the people in worship, see Aubrey R. Johnson, The
Cultic Prophet in Ancient Israel.

4Bruce, p. 832.
like the Psalmists, and does not speak in the name of God to
the people."1
II. HABAKKUK'S QUESTIONS AND YAHWEH'S ANSWERS 1:2—2:20
The prophet asked Yahweh two questions and received two answers.
"Whereas former prophets had declared the certainties of God

to man, Habakkuk began asking questions of God on behalf of
man."2
A. HABAKKUK'S QUESTION ABOUT JUDAH 1:2-4
This section is a lament and is similar to many psalms of lament (e.g., Ps.
6:3; 10:1-13; 13:1-4; 22:1-21; 74:1-11; 80:4; 88; 89:46; cf. Jer. 12:4;
Zech. 1:12).
"This little book opens in gloom and closes in glory. It begins

with a question mark and closes with an exclamation point."3
1:2 While in prayer, the prophet asked Yahweh "how long" would
he have to keep calling for help before the LORD responded (cf.
2:6; Exod. 16:28; Num. 14:11).4 God hears all prayers because
He is omniscient, but Habakkuk complained that God had not
given evidence of hearing by responding to his prayer. He had
cried out to the LORD reminding Him of the violence that he
observed in Judah, but the LORD had not provided deliverance
(cf. Gen. 6:11, 13; Job 19:7).
"… he [Habakkuk] was a kind of Job of the

prophets; like the afflicted patriarch, he wrestled
with the hard problem of permitted evil, and also
like Job he found peace through an overwhelming
vision of the greatness of the Lord."5
1Pusey, 2:179.
2Smith, p. 103.
3McGee, 3:836.
4See D. A. Carson, How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil.
5Gaebelein, p. 144.
Normally, where justice (Heb. mishpat) and violence (hamas)

are in opposition in the Old Testament, as here, the wicked are
the Israelites—unless they are clearly identified as being others
(e.g., Exod. 23:1-9; Isa. 5:7-15). God had seemingly not heard,
and He certainly had not helped the prophet.
"Not hearing is equivalent to not helping."1
"… he [Habakkuk] told his honest doubt to God,

and not to any mere human 'brains trust.' If we
would only do that instead of sighing abroad our
doubts on human ears, what unrest we would
escape!"2
1:3 Habakkuk wanted to know why Yahweh allowed the disaster

and destitution—that he had to observe every day—to
continue in Judah. Devastation, violence, strife, and contention
were not only common, but they were increasing. Yet Yahweh
did nothing about the situation.
"Violence" (Heb. hamas) occurs six times in Habakkuk (1:2, 3,

9; 2:8, 17 [twice]), an unusually large number of times for
such a short book. The Hebrew word means more than just
physical brutality. It refers to flagrant violation of moral law by
which someone injures his fellowman (e.g., Gen. 6:11). It is any
ethical wrong, and physical violence is only one manifestation
of it. By piling up synonyms for injustice, Habakkuk stressed
the severity of the oppression that existed in Judah.
"This is not an instance of the earthen vessel

finding fault with the potter who made it—an
attitude rebuked by Isaiah and Paul. It is to the
one who answers back in unbelief that Paul says,
'Who indeed are you … to argue with God?' (Rom.
9:20). But there are others who answer back in
faith; their words, when they do so, are the
expression of their loyalty to God."3
1Keil,
2:56.
2Baxter, 4:213.
3Bruce, p. 844.
"The present-day evangelical ministry needs to

declare itself more boldly against injustice; it
should be free to exercise this God-given
obligation without being criticized for preaching
merely a social gospel. Proclaiming the gospel is
not incompatible with responsible exercise of the
prophetic ministry."1
1:4 Since God had not yet intervened to stem the tide of evil, as
He had threatened to do in the Mosaic Law, the Judeans were
ignoring His law. They did not practice justice in their courts,
the wicked dominated the righteous, and the powerful
perverted justice. These conditions were common in Judah.
"When magistrates permit murder, theft,

fornication and the like to go unchecked and
unpunished, God calls the whole nation to
accounting. The unpunished crimes pollute the
land, becoming a growing mortgage against all,
upon which God may finally foreclose, driving
some inhabitants away, destroying others and
permitting different peoples to dwell in the land."2
It is clear from the LORD's reply that follows, that others in the nation beside
Habakkuk were praying these prayers and asking these questions. The
prophet spoke for the godly remnant in Judah as well as for himself.
B. YAHWEH'S ANSWER ABOUT JUDAH 1:5-11
Though God had not responded to the prophet's questions previously, He

did eventually, and Habakkuk recorded His answer. The form of this
revelation is an oracle (a divine pronouncement).
"The hoped-for response to a lament (cf. 1:2-4) would be an

oracle of salvation, but here the response is an oracle of
judgment."3
1Gaebelein, p. 154.
2Robert D. Culver, Toward a Biblical View of Civil Government, pp. 93-94.
3David W. Baker, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, p. 52.
1:5 The LORD told Habakkuk and his people (plural "you" in Hebrew)
to direct their attention away from what was happening in
Judah, to what was happening in the larger arena of ancient
Near Eastern activity. They were to observe something there
that would astonish them and make them marvel. They would
see that God was doing something in their days that they
would not believe—even if someone had just told them about
it.
"The Apostle Paul, quoting from the LXX

[Septuagint translation] on this verse, applies the
principle of God's dealings in Habakkuk's day to
the situation in the church in his own day (Acts
13:41). No doubt God's work of calling the
Gentiles into his church would be just as
astonishing as his work of using the Babylonian
armies to punish Judah."1
"Today the world asks, 'Why doesn't God do

something about sin?' My friend, God has done
something about it! Over nineteen hundred years
ago He gave His Son to die. He intruded into the
affairs of the world. And He says that He is going
to intrude again in the affairs of the world—yet
today the world goes merrily along picking daisies
and having a good time in sin. But God is moving."2
1:6 The LORD urged the prophet and his people to see that He was
in the process of raising up the Chaldeans as a force and power
in their world. The name Chaldeans derives from the ruling class
that lived in southern Mesopotamia and took leadership in the
Neo-Babylonian Empire. The last and greatest dynasty to rule
Babylon was of Chaldean origin. Thus "Chaldean" was almost a
synonym for "Babylonian." The Chaldeans were Semites,
descendants of Kesed, the son of Abraham's brother Nahor
(Gen. 22:22). Some modern Iraqis, especially those from
southern Iraq, still identify themselves as Chaldeans.
1David W. Kerr, "Habakkuk," in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 873.

2McGee, 3:840.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire began its rise to world domination

with the accession of Nabopolassar to the throne of Babylon
in 626 B.C. This aggressive king stimulated the Babylonians
into becoming a ruthless and impetuous nation that—by
Habakkuk's time—had already marched throughout the
ancient Near East and conquered several neighboring nations
(cf. Ezek. 28:7; 30:11; 31:12; 32:12). Babylonia, God
revealed, would be the rod of God's punishment of Judah, as
Assyria had been His instrument of judgment of Israel.
"The seventh-century prophets depicted the Lord

as the sovereign ruler over the nations."1
1:7 Many nations dreaded and feared the Babylonians, who were a
law unto themselves. They lived by rules that they made up,
rather than those that were customary at the time. Similarly,
the Third Reich called error "truth," and right "wrong," to suit
its own purposes.
"If God's people refuse to fear him, they will

ultimately be compelled to fear those less worthy
of fear (cf. Deut 28:47-48; [sic] 58-68; Jer 5:15-
22)."2
The Jews of Habakkuk's day did not believe that God would
allow the Gentiles to overrun their nation (cf. Jer. 5:12; 6:14;
7:1-34; 8:11; Lam. 4:12; Amos 6). Yet their law and their
prophets warned them that this could happen (cf. Deut.
28:49-50; 1 Kings 11:14, 23; Jer. 4; 5:14-17; 6:22-30; Amos
6:14).
1:8 The military armaments of the Babylonians were state of the

art. Their horses, which were major implements of war in the
ancient world, were the swiftest—faster even than leopards
(hyperbole?), one of the fastest animals in the cat family.3 The
Babylonians were more eager to attack their enemies than
wolves (cf. Jer. 5:6). Their mounted soldiers swooped down on
1Robert B. Chisholm Jr., "A Theology of the Minor Prophets," in A Biblical Theology of the
Old Testament, p. 415.
2Armerding, p. 503.
3Hyperbole is exaggeration that is used to say more than is literally meant.
their enemies, as fast and unsuspected as an eagle (or

vulture), diving from the sky to devour a small animal on the
ground (cf. Deut. 28:49; Jer. 5:17; Lam. 4:19). All three of
these animals—that God used for comparison with the
Babylonians—were excellent hunters, fast, and fierce.
1:9 The Babylonians loved violence. The faces of their warriors

showed their love for battle, as they moved irresistibly forward
in conquest. They were as effective at collecting captives from
other countries as the sirocco (hot desert) winds from the East
were at driving sand before them (cf. Jer. 18:17; Ezek. 17:10;
19:12; Jon. 4:8). This enemy was advancing like a whirlwind,
and gathering captives as innumerable as the grains of sand.
1:10 The kings and rulers of the lands that the Babylonians overran
were no threat to them. They laughed at them and their
fortified cities in contempt (cf. 2 Kings 25:7). They heaped up
dirt to capture fortifications. They did not need special
machines, but used whatever materials they found, with which
to build siege ramps to conquer these cities (cf. 2 Sam. 20:15;
2 Kings 19:32; Ezek. 4:2; 21:22; 26:8-9).1
1:11 The Babylonians would sweep through the ancient Near East
like the wind, and pass on from one doomed nation to the next.
Yet Yahweh promised to hold them guilty, because they
worshipped power—as their god—instead of the true God. This
is the reason God would judge them.
"Had Habakkuk listened as carefully to the last line

of God's answer as he did to the extended
description of Judah's chastiser, he might have
avoided the second perplexity that gripped his
soul, the report of which is contained in the verses
that follow (1:12—2:1)."2
1See Yigael Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, pp. 17, 20, 315.
2Patterson, p. 149.
God may seem to be strangely silent and inactive in threatening

circumstances. He sometimes gives unexpected answers to our prayers.
And He sometimes uses unlikely instruments to correct His people.1
"The central idea of the book is the silence of God in the light
of the sins of nations."2
C. HABAKKUK'S QUESTION ABOUT BABYLONIA 1:12-17
This section is another lament (cf. 1:2-4). It expresses the problem of

excessive punishment.
1:12 Power was not Habakkuk's god; Yahweh was. The LORD's
revelation of what He was doing in the prophet's day brought
confidence to his heart and praise to his lips. With a rhetorical
question, Habakkuk affirmed his belief that Yahweh, his God,
the Holy One, was from everlasting (or antiquity). The
implication is that Yahweh is the only true God, and that history
was unfolding as it was because the God who created history
was in charge of events (i.e., sovereign).
Habakkuk believed that the Judeans would not perish

completely (cf. 2:1), because God had promised to preserve
them forever (Gen. 17:2-8; 26:3-5; 28:13-15; Exod. 3:3-15;
14:1-6; Deut. 7:6; 14:1-2; 26:16-18; 2 Sam. 7:12-29). The
prophet, furthermore, now understood that Yahweh had
appointed the Babylonians to judge the sinful Judeans. The
God who had been a Rock of security and safety for His people,
throughout their history, had raised up this enemy to correct
His people—not to annihilate them (cf. Deut. 32:4, 15, 18,
37).
"My friend, if you believe the Bible, you will see

that God's method is to use a sinful nation to
judge a people who are less sinful."3
1See D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, From Fear to Faith: Studies in the Book of Habakkuk and the
Problem of History, pp. 15-18.
2Hanna, p. 506. Bold type omitted.
3McGee, 3:842.
1:13 Because Yahweh was the Holy One (v. 12), Habakkuk knew
that He was too pure to look approvingly at evil, nor could He
favor wickedness. This was a basic tenet of Israel's faith (cf.
Ps. 5:4; 34:16, 21). But this raised another, more serious,
problem in the prophet's mind: Why did the LORD then look
approvingly on the treachery of the Babylonians? Why did He
not reprove them and restrain them when the Babylonians
slaughtered people who were more righteous than they were?
Why did the godly remnant in Judah have to suffer with their
ungodly Judean neighbors?
The prophet's first question (vv. 2-4) arose out of an apparent

inconsistency between God's actions and His character. He was
a just God, but He was allowing sin in His people to go
unpunished. His second question arose out of the same
apparent inconsistency. Yahweh was a just God, but He was
allowing terrible sinners to succeed and even permitted them
to punish less serious sinners. These questions evidenced
perplexed faith rather than weak faith. Clearly Habakkuk had
strong faith in God, but how God was exercising His
sovereignty baffled him.
"… Habakkuk takes his place beside many others,

such as Job (Job 7:16-21; 9:21-24; 12:4-6; 21:1-
16, 21-25; 27:1-12), the psalmist Asaph (Ps. 73),
Jeremiah (Jer. 11:18-19; 12:1-4; 15:15-18;
17:15-18; 20:7-18), and Malachi (Mal. 2:17), who
questioned God as to His fairness in handling the
problems of evil and injustice."1
"It is one thing to face the problems that confront

everyone who believes in a good and omnipotent
God and ask why things are so, or how they can
be so. It is something quite different to question
the Divine goodness or justice, or the very
existence of God, simply because one cannot
answer these questions."2
1Patterson, pp. 158-59.

2Kerr, p. 875.
1:14 Habakkuk asked the LORD why He had made people like fish and
other sea creatures that apparently have no ruler over them
who restrains them.
"This statement probably represents the

prophet's most pointed accusation against the
Almighty. In recognizing the sovereignty of God
among the nations, he must conclude that God
himself is ultimately behind this massive
maltreatment of humanity."1
Big fish eat little fish, and bigger fish eat the big fish. The same
thing was happening in Habakkuk's world. Babylon was
gobbling up the smaller nations, and Yahweh was not
intervening to establish justice.
1:15-16 Babylon was like a fisherman, who took other nations captive
with a hook and a net, and rejoiced over his good catch. Earlier
the prophet compared the Babylonians to hunters (v. 8).
Babylonian monuments depict the Chaldeans as having driven
a hook through the lower lip of their captives and stringing
them single file, like fish on a line.2 This was an Assyrian
practice that the Babylonians continued.
In another Babylonian relief sculpture, the Chaldeans pictured

their major gods dragging a net in which their captured
enemies squirmed.3 The Babylonians even worshipped and
gave credit to the tools they used to make their impressive
conquests, rather than crediting Yahweh (cf. v. 11). They had
as little regard for human life as fishermen have for fish. That
God would allow this to continue seemed blatantly unjust to
Habakkuk.
"Idolatry is not limited to those who bring

sacrifices or burn incense to inanimate objects.
People of position, power, and prosperity often
pay homage to the business or agency that
1Robertson, p. 162.
2W. Rudolph, Micha-Nahum-Habakuk-Zephanja, p. 211.
3T. Laetsch, Bible Commentary: The Minor Prophets, p. 326.
provided them their coveted status. It becomes

their constant obsession, even their 'god.'"1
1:17 Habakkuk finished his question by asking the LORD if the

Babylonians would continue to carry on their evil practices
without sparing anyone. Yahweh's policy of not interfering with
Babylon's wickedness baffled Habakkuk more than His policy
of not interfering with Judah's wickedness. It was Yahweh's
use of a nation that practiced such excessive violence to judge
the sins of His people that Habakkuk could not understand.
"It is what has perplexed more [people] than

Habakkuk—the toleration and use of the wicked
to further the counsels of God."2
"It was the same kind of problem which some of

ourselves felt when Hitler wrought such havoc in
Europe, struck France, bleeding, to the ground,
and even seemed likely to wreak his evil will on
Britain. We could understand that Britain, with
other peoples, was being punished for her godless
ways; but why should it be by the Nazis, the most
brutal, immoral, and anti-Christian horde on
earth?"3
"God can use some very sinful people to cause believers to

suffer. This allows learning to take place in two ways: first,
learning to stop doing one's own sinful actions; second,
realizing that what the evil agent of suffering is doing is not
right either."4
D. YAHWEH'S ANSWER ABOUT BABYLON CH. 2
The LORD gave Habakkuk a full answer to his question about using Babylon
to judge the Israelites.
1Blue, p. 1512.
2Harry Ironside, Notes on the Minor Prophets, p. 282.
3Baxter, 4:210.
4Stephen J. Bramer, "Suffering in the Writing Prophets (Isaiah to Malachi)," in Why, O God?
Suffering and Disability in the Bible and the Church, p. 154.

1. The introduction to the answer 2:1-3
2:1 Habakkuk compared himself to a sentinel on a city wall who

was watching the horizon for the approach of a horseman.
Standing describes the posture of a servant awaiting his
master.1 The figure of a watchman, to describe a prophet, is
common in the Old Testament (cf. Isa. 21:8, 11; Jer. 6:17;
Ezek. 3:17; 33:2-3; Hos. 9:8). The prophet/watchman could
see, by God's enabling, things beyond the sight of other
mortals.
Habakkuk purposed to watch and wait expectantly for the LORD

to reply to this second question, as He had the first, so that
he could report it to his people (cf. 3:16). He prepared himself
for a discussion with the LORD about the situation, as well as
for the LORD 's answer that he expected in a vision or dream
(cf. Job 13:3; 23:4).
"… Habakkuk notes that the Chaldeans have been

sent to reprove/correct the Judahites. Similarly he
expects and deserves God's correction concerning
his doubts and his understanding of the full scope
of God's plans for the future."2
"Only by revelation can the genuine perplexities of

God's dealings with human beings be
comprehended." 3
"Yahweh's response to those who inquire of him

is never automatic. They must be willing to wait in
order to hear 'what God the LORD will speak' (Ps.
85:9 [8])."4
"Oh, if we would only give God time, so that He

might prepare our minds for what He has to say!"5
1Pusey, 2:189.
2Patterson, p. 162.
3Robertson, p. 166.
4Bruce, p. 857.
5Baxter, 4:213.
2:2 Yahweh did respond, and told the prophet to write a

permanent, easy-to-read record of the vision—which He would
give him—on tablets (of clay, stone, or metal; cf. Exod. 31:18;
32:15-16; Deut. 9:10; 27:8). The message was to be written,
"that it may be plain to any, however occupied or in haste."1
Having received and recorded the vision, Habakkuk, and other
messengers, should then "run" to tell their fellow citizens what
God's answer was.
"The matter was to be made so clear that

whoever read it might run and publish it."2
"The effect should be not that he that runneth

may read (as it is sometimes misquoted) but that
he that readeth may run."3
"It [the interpretation of the LORD's command

here] could involve passers-by, who will be able to
read the message as they go by and then pass the
message on informally to those they meet, or it
could mean a herald, whose specific function will
be to spread the message throughout the land (so
NEB, NIV)."4
"Such a reader, and such a runner, was the apostle

Paul. This verse is the key-note of his instruction
to both saint and sinner. Having read the
prophet's words with eyes anointed by the Holy
Ghost, he runs the rest of his days to make them
known to others."5
1Pusey, 2:190.
2Kerr, p. 876. Cf. Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Practical
and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, p. 829; Dan. 12:4.
3Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible, 2:3:224.
4Baker, p. 59. Cf. Feinberg, p. 22; Keil, 2:69. NEB refers to The New English Bible with the
Apocrypha, and NIV refers to The Holy Bible: New International Version.
5Ironside, p. 285.
Another interpretation is that Habakkuk was to publish the

writing so that the reader would know how to run (i.e., how to
live according to God's will).1
2:3 The vision that Habakkuk was about to receive concerned

events that would take place in the future. Though it was a
prophecy that would not come to pass immediately, it would
be fulfilled eventually. Habakkuk was to wait for its fulfillment,
because it would indeed come at the LORD's appointed time
(cf. Dan. 12:4).
"The words simply express the thought, that the

prophecy is to be laid to heart by all the people on
account of its great importance, and that not
merely in the present, but in the future also."2
"Just as, in human life, the timing of certain

actions and events is of crucial importance, so it
is also in the divine scheme of things. … The
apparent lack of divine action, which may cause
faith to falter, is in reality only our inability to
perceive the timing of divine action."3
The writer of the Book of Hebrews quoted this verse (Heb.

10:37). He used it to encourage his readers to persevere in
their commitment to Jesus Christ, since what God had
predicted will eventually come to pass—which in the context
of Hebrews will be the Lord Jesus' return.
2. The LORD's indictment of Babylon 2:4-5
Having prepared the prophet for His answer, the LORD now gave it. What
follows is that revelation.
1J.M. Holt, "So He May Run Who Reads It," Journal of Biblical Literature 83 (1964):301.
2Keil,
2:70.
3Peter C. Craigie, Twelve Prophets, 2:92-93.
"Habakkuk now is told the basic guiding principles upon which

the operation of divine government unalterably proceeds until
the coming of that final appointed time."1
"Habakkuk's indictments remind one of those brought by

Nahum against Nineveh."2
2:4 Babylon was not right in doing what she did, but was puffed
up with pride and evil passions. In contrast, the righteous
person will live by his faith (cf. Gen. 15:6). By implication,
Babylon, the unrighteous one, would not live, because she did
not live by faith (trust in God), but by sight and might. She
sought to gratify her ambitions by running over other people
rather than by submitting to God's sovereignty.
"A proud person relies on self, power, position,

and accomplishment; a righteous person relies on
the Lord."3
"Spiritually, morally, and ethically the ungodly

presumptuously ignore the path of God's
righteousness to follow the way of selfish desires
in the everyday decisions of life."4
"The source of all sin was and is pride."5
This verse appears three times in the New Testament. Paul

quoted it in Romans 1:17 and emphasized "righteous." Faith in
God results in righteousness for both Jews and Gentiles. He
used it again in Galatians 3:11 but to stress "live." Rather than
obtaining new life by obeying the Mosaic Law, the righteous
person does so by faith. In Galatians, Paul was mainly
addressing Gentiles. The writer of Hebrews also quoted this
verse, in Hebrews 10:38, but his emphasis was on "faith." It is
faith that God will reward in the righteous. In Hebrews, the
original readers were primarily Jews. In all three cases, "live"
1Patterson, p. 176.
2Robinson, p. 124.
3The Nelson Study Bible, p. 1522.
4Patterson, p. 177.
5Pusey, 2:192.
has the broader reference to eternal life, but here in Habakkuk,

it is mainly physical life that is in view. Thus, this verse is clearly
a very important revelation in the Bible—even its essential
message.
"It takes three books to explain and apply this one

verse!"1
This is the key verse in Habakkuk, because it summarizes the

difference between the proud Babylonians and their
destruction, with the humble faith of the Israelites and their
deliverance. The issue is trust in God.
"'The just shall live by his faith' was the

watchword of the Reformation, and they may well
be the seven most important monosyllables in all
of church history."2
"Faith may … be defined to be the persuasion of

the truth founded on testimony. The faith of the
Christian is the persuasion of the truth of the
facts and doctrines recorded in the Scriptures on
the testimony of God."3
"The underlying theme of the book may be

summarized as follows: A matured faith trusts
humbly but persistently in God's design for
establishing righteousness in the earth."4
Bruce stated the theme of the book as "the preservation of

loyal trust in God in face of the challenge to faith presented
by the bitter experience of foreign invasion and oppression."5
The Hebrew word 'emunah, faith, can also mean faithful or

steadfast. It can also mean integrity.6 Did the Lord mean that
1Warren W. Wiersbe, "Habakkuk," in The Bible Exposition Commentary/Prophets, p. 411.

2Ibid.,
p. 416.
3Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, 3:67.
4Robertson, p. 136. Italics omitted.
5Bruce, p. 831.
6Chisholm, Handbook on …, pp. 437-38.
the righteous will live by his trust in God or by being faithful to

God: by being a person of integrity? Scripture elsewhere
reveals that both meanings are true: trust and integrity.
However, in this context faith or trust seems to be the primary
meaning, since the Babylonians did not trust Yahweh, whereas
the Israelites did—though imperfectly. Both the Babylonians
and the Israelites, though, had been unfaithful (disloyal or
disobedient) to God.
"The discrepancy between 'faith' and

'faithfulness' is more apparent than real, however.
For man to be faithful in righteousness entails
dependent trust in relation to God (e.g., 1 Sam
26:23-24); such an attitude is clearly demanded
in the present context of waiting for deliverance
(2:3; 3:16-19)."1
"The summons is from speculation to action, from

questioning to conduct, from brooding to duty.
God is attending to His business, and Habakkuk
must attend to his. Running the universe is not his
task. That burden belongs to God. But Habakkuk
has his task, and let him faithfully perform it. Thus
he will live in moral sincerity and in moral security
that righteous living brings in the midst of external
calamities. That is the way for a righteous man to
live in an evil world."2
"This is the first of three wonderful assurances

that God gives in this chapter to encourage His
people. This one emphasizes God's grace, because
grace and faith always go together. Habakkuk
2:14 emphasizes God's glory and assures us that,
though this world is now filled with violence and
corruption (Gen. 6:5, 11-13), it shall one day be
filled with God's glory. The third assurance is in
Habakkuk 2:20 and emphasizes God's
government. Empires may rise and fall, but God is
1Armerding, p. 513.
2Raymond Calkins, The Modern Message of the Minor Prophets, p. 97.
on His holy throne, and He is King of Kings and

Lord of Lords."1
2:5 The LORD advanced the thought of verse 4 further. When a

person drinks too much wine, it leads him (or her) to reveal his
pride publicly. Here, the arrogant man is a personification of
Babylon. The Babylonians were known for their consumption of
wine (e.g., Dan. 5). Wine makes a person dissatisfied with his
present situation and possessions, and he often leaves his
home to find more elsewhere (cf. Prov. 23:31-32).
The proud person is never satisfied—like death that consumes

people every day and never stops. Here, Sheol (the grave) is a
personification of death, in which Habakkuk ascribed human
actions to an inanimate object. Babylon was similar, opening
wide its jaws to consume all peoples. The proud person also
seeks to dominate others, and this, too, marked Babylon.
These were the evidences of Babylon's pride, and the basis for
Yahweh's indictment of this nation (cf. 1:17).
"The lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and

the pride of life, are snares; and we find him that
led Israel captive, himself led captive by each of
these."2
"Sheol is, in the O.T., the place to which the dead

go. (1) Often, therefore, it is spoken of as the
equivalent of the grave, where all human activities
cease; the terminus toward which all human life
moves (e.g. Gen. 42:38; Job 14:13; Ps. 88:3). (2)
To the man 'under the sun,' the natural man, who
of necessity judges from appearances, sheol
seems no more than the grave—the end and total
cessation, not only of the activities of life, but also
of life itself (Eccl. 9:5, 10). But (3) Scripture
reveals sheol as a place of sorrow (2 Sam. 22:6;
Ps. 18:5; 116:3), into which the wicked are turned
(Ps. 9:17), and where they are fully conscious
1Wiersbe, p. 416.
2Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, p. 1164.
(Isa. 14:9-17; Ezek. 32:21). Compare Jon. 2:2;

what the belly of the great fish was to Jonah,
sheol is to those who are therein. The sheol of the
O.T. and hades of the N.T. are identical."1
3. The LORD's sentence on Babylon 2:6-20
The LORD pronounced taunts (mocking statements) on the Babylonians,

announcing that they would receive judgment for their sins. This taunt song
consists of five stanzas of three verses each. Five woes follow. Baker
entitled them "the pillager," "the plotter," "the promoter of violence," "the
debaucher," and "the pagan idolator [sic]."2 Each woe is "an interjection of
distress pronounced in the face of disaster or in view of coming judgment
(cf. Isa. 3:11; 5:11; 10:5; et al.)."3
Judgment for exploitation 2:6-8
2:6 Because of the Babylonians' sins, it was inevitable that the

righteous would ridicule them. They would pronounce "woe"
on them for increasing what was not theirs just to have more,
and for making themselves rich by charging exorbitant interest
on loans. Gaining wealth by oppression and fraud are especially
in view.4 How long would this go on?—they asked themselves
(cf. 1:2). When would God judge Babylon?
"… the ode is prophetical in its nature, and is

applicable to all times and all nations."5
2:7 Those from whom Babylon had stolen would surely rise up and
rebel when they woke up to what was going on. Then they
would turn the tables and Babylon would become plunder for
them. This happened when the Medes and Persians rose up and
overthrew Babylon in 539 B.C.
2:8 Babylon would suffer the same punishment that it had inflicted
on other nations (cf. Prov. 22:8; Gal. 6:7). Its survivors would
1The New Scofield Reference Bible, p. 954.

2Baker, pp. 62, 64, 65, and 67.
3Blue, p. 1514.
4Pusey, 2:195.
5Keil, 2:77.
loot it because it had looted many other peoples. Babylon's

pillaging had involved human bloodshed and violence—done to
the land of Canaan and to the city of Jerusalem and its
inhabitants.
Judgment for self-exaltation 2:9-11
2:9 Babylon used its unjust acquisitions to build a secure

government for itself that it thought would be safe from all
calamity (cf. Gen. 11:4; see also Obad.).1 It built a strong and
rich dynasty ("household") so it would be self-sufficient.
Another interpretation is that the secure "nest" in view is the
capital city rather than the household of the rulers.2
Saving to protect oneself from large future expenses is not

wrong in itself (Prov. 21:20), but to build a fortune so one will
not have to trust in God is saving with the wrong attitude (cf.
James 5:1-6).
2:10 It was shameful for the Babylonians to destroy many other

peoples (cf. vv. 5, 8). By doing so they were sinning against
themselves. That is, they were doing something that would
eventually bring destruction on themselves.
2:11 The stones and woodwork, taken from other nations to build
the Babylonians' fortresses and palaces, would serve as visual
witnesses to the sinful invasions that brought these building
material to Babylon. They would testify to the guilt of the
Babylonians in the day that Yahweh would bring Babylon to
judgment.
Judgment for oppression 2:12-14
2:12 The Babylonians could expect distress because they had built
their cities at the expense of the lives of their enemies (cf. Mic.
3:10). We speak of "blood money" as money obtained by
making others suffer, even shedding their blood. Babylon was
built with "blood money" and the blood, sweat, and tears of
enslaved people. It was a town founded on injustice, and
1Ibid., p. 83.
2Bruce, p. 867.
without injustice it could not have become what it had

become.
"Although the prophet refers to the construction

of a city, his language is probably metaphorical for
the construction of an empire."1
2:13 This verse is the center of this taunt song structurally. It is

significant that it focuses on the LORD of armies: the Judge and
Executioner. His assessment was that the Babylonians' hard
work was in vain; all their labor would amount to nothing. Their
works would turn out to be fuel for fire that would burn them
up: the fire of His judgment (cf. Jer. 51:58).
2:14 Rather than the earth being filled with the glory of Babylon, it
will one day be filled with the knowledge of God's glory, as
comprehensively as the waters cover the sea (cf. Num. 14:21;
Ps. 72:19; Isa. 6:3; 11:9; Jer. 31:34). This has yet to be. This
prediction refers to the ultimate destruction of Babylon in the
eschatological (far distant) future (cf. Rev. 16:19—18:24).
The Babylon in view in the Book of Habakkuk was mainly the

Neo-Babylonian Empire, but ever since Babel (Gen. 11:1-9),
the name Babylon had a symbolic meaning as well as a literal
one. Symbolically, it represented all ungodly peoples who rose
up, in self-reliance, to glorify themselves and reach heaven by
their own works. God destroyed the Neo-Babylonian Empire in
539 B.C., but what Babylon represents will continue until God
destroys it—when Jesus Christ returns to the earth to set up
His new order on earth in the Millennium (cf. Rev. 17—18).
Judgment for aggressive greed 2:15-17
2:15 God would judge Babylon because the Babylonians had

deceived their neighbor nations, with the result that they were
able to take advantage of them. The Babylonians had behaved
like a man who gets a woman drunk so she will lose her self-
control, and he can then undress her. That the Babylonians
1Craigie, 2:98.
took advantage of their victims sexually is implied in the

illustration, as is their love for wine.
2:16 As they had made their neighbors drunk, so the LORD would
give them a cup of judgment that would make them drunk.
Yahweh's right hand is a figure (an anthropomorphism) for His
strong personal retribution: giving back in kind what the person
being judged had given (cf. Isa. 51:17-23; Jer. 25:15-17; Lam.
4:21; Matt. 20:22; 26:42; 1 Cor. 11:29). Having swallowed
the cup's contents, the Babylonians would disgrace
themselves, rather than honoring and glorifying themselves as
they did presently.
Babylon's future disgrace contrasts with Yahweh's future glory

(v. 14). They would expose their own nakedness, just as they
had exposed the nakedness of others (v. 15). The Hebrew text
is graphic and literally reads, "Drink, yes you, and expose your
foreskin," namely, show yourself to be uncircumcised.
Nakedness involves vulnerability as well as shame (cf. Gen.
9:21-25). The LORD pictured Babylon as a contemptible, naked
drunk who had lost his self-control and the respect of
everyone, including himself.
2:17 Babylon's violence (ethical and moral injustice) would come

back to overwhelm him, because he had rapaciously stripped
Lebanon of its vegetation and animals. However, bloodshed in
Lebanon's main town, and the slaughter of its inhabitants, was
an even more serious crime. Lebanon is probably a synecdoche
for all Israel, as it is elsewhere (cf. 2 Kings 14:9; Jer. 22:6, 23),
and "the town" most likely refers to Jerusalem.1
"The Creator of the world has a concern for what

is nowadays called ecology; the cultural mandate
that he has given to the human race includes the
responsible stewardship of plant and animal life."2
1Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which the whole represents a part of it, or a part
represents the whole.
2Bruce, p. 872.
Judgment for idolatry 2:18-20
2:18 Habakkuk, like other prophets, saw through the folly of idolatry
and exposed it (cf. Isa. 41:7; 44:9-20; 45:16, 20; 46:1-2, 6-
7; Jer. 10:8-16). An idol, carved by human hands, cannot help
its maker, because anyone who creates something is always
greater than his or her creation. Images in fact become
teachers of falsehood, since their existence implies a lie,
namely, that they can help humans. An idol-carver trusts in his
own handiwork. Idols cannot even speak, much less provide
help (cf. Rom. 1:22-25).
"Modern people in their sophistications may

regard themselves as free from the obvious folly
of idolatry. What educated, self-respecting person
would be deluded into expecting special powers to
emanate from the form of an antiquated Idol? Yet
the new covenant Scriptures make it plain that
covetousness is idolatry (Eph. 5:5). Whenever a
person's desire looks to the creature rather than
the Creator, he is guilty of the same kind of
foolishness. An insatiable desire for things not
rightly possessed assumes that things can satisfy
rather than God himself. Whenever a person sets
his priorities on the things made rather than on
the Maker of things, he is guilty of idolatry."1
"Famous people are the 'idols' of millions,

especially politicians, athletes, wealthy tycoons,
and actors and actresses. Even dead entertainers
like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Elvis Presley
still have their followers. People may also worship
and serve man-made things like cars, houses,
boats, jewelry, and art. While all of us appreciate
beautiful and useful things, it's one thing to own
them and quite something else to be owned by
them. Albert Schweitzer said, 'Anything you have
that you cannot give away, you do not really own;
it owns you.' I've met people who so idolize their
1Robertson, p. 209.
children and grandchildren that they refused to let

them consider giving their lives for Christian
service."1
"Social position can be an idol and so can vocation

achievement. For some people, their god is their
appetite (Phil. 3:19; Rom. 16:18); and they live
only to experience carnal pleasures [including
following their favorite sports?]. Intellectual
ability can be a terrible idol (2 Cor. 10:5) as people
worship their IQ and refuse to submit to God's
Word."2
"Idolatry begins with deception, encourages

deception, and calls for a commitment to
deception (see Is. 44:20)."3
2:19 The LORD pronounced "woe" on those who ignorantly tried to

coax their mute idols—wood or stone, perhaps overlaid with
gold or silver—to speak (cf. 1 Kings 18:26-29). No matter
what they looked like, or what material they were made out of,
they were still only lifeless objects of art. How foolish it was to
look to one of these as one's teacher or guide!
2:20 In contrast to lifeless idols stands the living and true God.
Yahweh lived in His heavenly, holy temple, not in the works of
human hands.
"He does not lie hid under gold and silver, as the
idols of Babylon [v. 19], but reigns in heaven and
fills heaven, and thence succors His people."4
Therefore all the earth, everything in it, should be quiet before

Him out of respect and awe (fear; cf. v. 1; 3:16). There is no
need to try and coax Him to come to life or to speak (cf. v.
19).
1Wiersbe, p. 418.
2Ibid.
3The Nelson …, p. 1523.
4Jamieson, et al., p. 830.
"This contrasts with the frenetic activity of man

to create 'speaking' gods, and the tumultuous
cries of worshippers to make dumb idols respond
[cf. 1 Kings 18:26]. Lifeless idols approached in
clamour [sic] are silent, while the living God,
approached in silence and reverence, speaks."1
"Because the idolatry that leads to the neglect

and rejection of God is a universal problem, all the
earth is to be silent before the living God."2
"Idolatry is essentially the worship of that which

we make, rather than of our Maker. And that which
we make may be found in possessions, a home, a
career, an ambition, a family, or a multitude of
other people or things. We 'worship' them when
they become the focal point of our lives, that for
which we live. And as the goal and centre [sic] of
human existence, they are as foolish as any
wooden idol or metal image."3
The implication of Yahweh's majestic sovereignty is that He

would take care of Babylon; the Israelites did not have to
concern themselves with that (cf. 3:16).
"God sometimes uses evil people to accomplish

His larger purpose in life. But He never condones
evil, and those who do evil He holds accountable
for their actions."4
"The verse provides a bridge to the next major

section of the prophecy in that it turns to the
positive, looking at God, after the negative,
attention to Babylon's sin."5
1Baker, p. 68.
2Patterson, p. 207.
3Craigie, 2:99.
4Charles H. Dyer, in The Old Testament Explorer, p. 806.
5Baker, p. 68.
Patterson summarized Habakkuk's five woes in a chart:1
HABAKKUK'S FIVE WOES (2:6-20)
Element First Second Third Fourth Fifth
Invective: v. 6 v. 9 v. 12 v. 15 v. 19a
Woe to Plunderer Plotter Pillager Perverter Polytheist

the …
Threat: v. 7 v. 11 v. 13 v. 16 v. 19b
He will be Despoiled Denounced Destroyed Disgraced Deserted

…
Criticism: v. 8 v. 10 v. 14 v. 17 vv. 18, 20
Grounded Spoiling Scheming Surety of Stripping of Supremacy

in … of the against the man/nature of God
nations peoples knowledge
of God
III. HABAKKUK'S HYMN IN PRAISE OF YAHWEH CH. 3
Having received the revelation that Yahweh would destroy Babylon,

Habakkuk could understand that He was just in using that wicked nation to
discipline Israel. Babylon would not go free but would perish for her sins.
Israel's punishment, on the other hand, was only temporary (cf. 2 Sam.
7:16). This insight led Habakkuk to write the prayer of praise that
concludes the book. It is "one of the most moving statements of faith and
trust found in Scripture."2
"it [the Book of Habakkuk] begins with a sob, and ends with a
song …"3
1Patterson, p. 184.
2Baker, p. 68.
3Baxter, 4:208.
"The prayer of the prophet, in the strictest sense of the word,

is contained in the words of verse 2. The rest is, in its form,
praise and thanksgiving, chiefly for God's past mercies in the
deliverance from Egypt and the entering into the promised
land. But thanksgiving is an essential part of prayer, and
Hannah is said to have prayed, whereas the hymn which
followed is throughout one thanksgiving [1 Sam. 2:1]."1
This hymn is similar in language and imagery to Deuteronomy 33, Psalm

18:4-19, and Psalm 68. Its structure is chiastic, as indicated by the
headings below.2
A. THE INTRODUCTION TO THE HYMN 3:1
Habakkuk's prayer is hymn-like in form, like many of the psalms (cf. Ps. 16;
30; 45; 88; 102; 142), and it apparently stood apart from the rest of the
book at one time, as this title verse suggests. Shigionoth may be the title
of the tune that the prophet, and later Israelites, used when they sang this
song. But the Hebrew word is the plural form of the same word used in the
title of Psalm 7, but nowhere else. Shiggaion evidently means a poem with
intense feeling: "a reeling song, i.e. a song delivered in the greatest
excitement, or with a rapid change of emotion."3 If this meaning is correct,
the Israelites were to sing it enthusiastically. The intense feeling, in both
contexts where the word occurs, is a strong desire for justice against sin.
B. THE PRAYER FOR REVIVAL 3:2
The prophet acknowledged that he had received the LORD's revelation (cf.
2:1). It was essentially a revelation of Yahweh: His justice, sovereignty, and
power, and it had filled him with awe. Reception of divine revelation resulted
in the fear of the LORD, as it always should.
Habakkuk called on God to stir up ("revive") the work that He said that He
would do in judging Babylon, namely, to bring it to pass.4 He asked God to
1Pusey, 2:204.
2A chiasmus is a rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or
concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form, usually to
emphasize the central element.
3Keil, 2:93.
4Ibid., 2:94.
make it known to His people "in the midst of the years," namely, the years
between Judah's judgment and Babylon's judgment (cf. 2:6-20). God
undoubtedly did this in part through the Book of Habakkuk. While God was
preparing Babylon for the outpouring of His wrath, Habakkuk asked Him to
remember Israel by extending mercy to her—by shortening the period of
her suffering. This verse contains the only petitions in Habakkuk's prayer:
that God would preserve life, provide understanding, and remember mercy.
Some readers have seen it as an encapsulation of the book's message. It
also expresses the theme of this psalm.1
"This great nation of ours needs the mercy of God today."2
C. THE VISION OF GOD 3:3-15
Habakkuk moved from petition to praise in his prayer. He recalled God's

great power and mercy in bringing the Israelites from Egypt, through the
wilderness, and into the Promised Land. Since God had done this, Habakkuk
was confident that He could and would deliver the Israelites from the
Babylonians and reestablish them in the land.
In this section of text, Habakkuk reflected on God's activity on behalf of

Israel in the past. It is similar to some of the historical psalms, in which the
psalmist reviewed Israel's history.
1. Yahweh's awesome appearance 3:3-7
3:3 The prophet pictured Yahweh as rising over His people, like the
rising sun appeared to rise over Teman, a large town in Edom,
and over Mt. Paran, the mountain opposite Teman (cf. Deut.
33:2-4). These locations were to the east of the Israelites as
they exited Egypt. The idea is not that the LORD would rise over
these eastern places, but that when He arose over His people,
they would see Him like they saw the sun rising in the east
from Mt Sinai when He gave them the Law.3 Another view is
that "Teman and Mount Paran are named probably, as the two
1Ibid.,2:92.
2McGee, 3:855.
3Keil, 2:97-102.
opposed boundaries of the journeyings of Israel through the

desert."1
The name for God used here, Elohim ("God"), is in the

singular—Eloah—perhaps stressing the essential unity of God
who is "the Holy One." Selah is another musical notation
meaning "to lift up" (cf. vv. 9, 13). It probably indicates a place
where the singers of this song were to pause. This pause may
have been to modulate the key upward, to increase the
volume, to reflect on what was just said, to exalt the LORD in
some other way, or to raise an instrumental fanfare.2
The Holy One's splendor covered the heavens like the sun after
sunrise. The self-manifestation of His glory filled the earth with
His praise. Splendor (Heb. hod) describes primarily kingly
authority (e.g., Num. 27:20; 1 Chron. 29:25; et al.), and here
it has particular reference to Yahweh's sovereignty over
creation and history. This is evidently a description of the
LORD's appearance on Mt. Sinai to the Israelites' forefathers.
Moses used similar terms to describe His coming then (cf.
Deut. 33:2).
3:4 The radiance of the Holy One's glory was like the sunlight.
Power seemed to flash from His fingertips like rays (lit. horns)
of light stretch from the rising sun (cf. Exod. 34:29-30, 35).
In spite of this, most of His power remained concealed.
3:5 As God moves through the earth, like the sun, He burns up
what is in front of Him and chars what He leaves behind.
Pestilence (lit. burning heat) and plague (i.e., devastation) are
the accompaniments, the results and evidences of His searing
holiness. The NASB translators rendered two Hebrew words
"plague."
"Plague and pestilence, as proceeding from God,

are personified and represented as satellites; the
former going before Him as it were, as a
shieldbearer (1 Sam. xvii. 7), or courier (2 Sam.
1Pusey, 2:207-8.
2Blue, p. 1518.
xv. 1); the latter coming after Him as a servant (1

Sam. xxv. 42)."1
"In the ancient Near East, important people were

accustomed to being accompanied by attendants
(cf. 1 Sa. 17:7; 2 Sa. 15:1)."2
3:6 Standing like the sun at its zenith, God surveyed the whole
earth. His downward look, like sunrays, caused the nations to
tremble. His glance was enough to make the permanent
mountains shatter and the ancient hills collapse. He always
causes these repercussions since His ways are eternal. What a
contrast He is to lifeless idols (cf. 2:18-19)!
3:7 Habakkuk saw the semi-nomadic Ethiopians and Midianites,

who lived on both sides of Mt. Sinai, trembling with fear,
because they witnessed something of Yahweh's power. The
terms Midianite and Cushite both described Moses' wife (Exod.
2:16-22; 18:1-5; Num. 12:1), so they may be synonymous
here as well. Perhaps this is a reference to Yahweh parting the
Red Sea. It is small wonder that these people trembled, since
His glance can also cause mountains to melt (v. 6).
2. Yahweh's angry actions 3:8-15
Habakkuk now changed from describing the revelation of God in Israel's

earlier history, and various reactions to it, to a description of His acts on
the earth.
"From start to finish, Israel's God is shown to be the victor

over all individuals and nations and the champion of those who
follow in His train."3
3:8 With rhetorical questions, Habakkuk affirmed that Yahweh was

not angry with the (Nile and Jordan) rivers and the (Red) sea
when He altered them. Another view is that the rivers refer to
the rivers of the earth generally, and the sea refers to all the
1Keil,2:101.
2Baker, p. 71.
3Patterson, p. 238.
seas (cf. Nah. 1:4; Ps. 89:10; Job 38:8).1 He was

demonstrating His power for the salvation of His people, as a
Divine Warrior riding His chariot.
"In Canaanite mythology, Baal had confronted the

personified god Yam (sea), alternatively called
Judge River. Israel borrowed this motif but
dropped any idea that natural phenomena are
personified deities. Yahweh is presented as having
engaged in combat with the sea at creation or at
other unspecified periods (cf. Jb. 26:12-13; Pss.
29; 89:9-10)."2
"The horses and chariots of salvation upon which

the Lord is pictured as riding are not the angels,
but the elements—the clouds and the winds. See
Psalm 104:4."3
3:9 Yahweh pulled His powerful bow out, and prepared to use it.
He summoned many arrows to shoot at His enemies (cf. Deut.
32:40-42). This is a notoriously difficult phrase to translate.
"God had enlisted weapons and pledged them on

oath for the destruction of his enemies."4
"In the ancient Near East, warriors would

sometimes empower their weapons with a magical
formula. The Lord is depicted here as doing the
same (see also Jer. 47:6-7)." 5
"Selah." Think of that!
The prophet envisioned the rivers as God's instruments in

dividing portions of the earth.
3:10 Habakkuk personified the mountains and described them as

shaking when they saw the LORD. Torrential rainstorms that
1Keil,2:103.
2Baker, p. 72. See M. D. Coogan Stories from Ancient Canaan, pp. 75-115.
3Feinberg, p. 35.
4Robertson, p. 234.
5Chisholm, Handbook on …, p. 442. See also R. D. Haak, Habakkuk, p. 95.
resulted in flooding swept by Him (cf. Gen. 7:11, 19-20). The

sea lifted up its waves, like hands, in response to His command
(cf. Ps. 77:15-17, 19).
3:11 The sun and moon stood still at His word (cf. Josh. 10:12-13),
and they paled when He sent forth flashes of lightning like
arrows and shining spears (cf. Deut. 32:23, 42). Another view
is that the arrows and spear do not refer to lightning, but
simply to God's agents of judgment generally.1
3:12 The LORD had marched throughout the earth like a cosmic
Warrior subduing Israel's enemies. He had trampled hostile
nations like an ox does when it treads grain. Verses 12 through
15 view God's power as seen by His peoples' enemy.2
3:13 Yahweh had gone forth like a Warrior to save His people and
to deliver His anointed one. This may refer to Moses in his
battles with Israel's enemies, or it may refer to a coming
anointed one: Cyrus (cf. Isa. 45:1), or Messiah (cf. Ps. 2:2; Dan.
9:26),3 or the Davidic kings generally, or more than one of
these.
"If the reference be to a past event (as a pattern)

in [']the head out of the house of the wicked[']
man, then allusion may be to one of the kings of
Canaan. However, if the prophet is speaking of the
future, and this is the more probable, then the
king of the Chaldeans is meant."4
"The first half of the verse provides the key to

understanding the relationship of this chapter to
the rest of the book. Rather than ignoring
wrongdoing (1:2-4), or allowing oppression of his
people to go unpunished (1:12-17), God
remembers his covenant and acts on their behalf.
1Keil, 2:108-9.
2Patterson, p. 246.
3McGee, 3:857.
4Feinberg, p. 37. I have added the quotation marks within this quotation for clarification.
"The head out of the house of the wicked" is Feinberg's quotation from the AV (The Holy
Bible: Authorized King James Version).
The whole purpose of the psalm and of God's

theophany is to indicate the continued presence
of gracious care coupled with divine judgment.
Here we have God's answer to Habakkuk's
complaints (1:12-17)—his people will be saved."1
The LORD had also destroyed the leaders ("smashed the head")
of many evil nations ("the house of evil") that opposed the
Israelites, beginning with Pharaoh. He had disabled their
nations as thoroughly as if someone had slit a body open from
bottom to top, or tore a building off its foundation. "Foot to
neck" is literally "foundation."
"As the [']head of the house' means the prince,

so the 'foundation' means the general host of the
enemy."2
"Selah." In the future, God would do surely do this to the

Chaldean dynasty.
3:14 The LORD used His enemies' own weapons to kill their leaders
in retribution (cf. Judg. 5:26). Israel's enemies had stormed
into the Promised Land with great enthusiasm in order to
scatter God's people, like those who devour oppressed people
in secret.
"The enemies are compared to highway

murderers, who lurk in dark corners for the
defenseless traveller [sic], and look forward with
rejoicing for the moment when they may be able
to murder him."3
3:15 Yahweh had trodden down the Red Sea, as though He rode
through it on cosmic horses, causing it to surge away and leave
a dry road for His people to travel out of Egypt (cf. v. 8). This
section closes with the motif with which it opened (3:8),
namely, the crossing of the Red Sea.
1Baker, pp. 74-75.

2Jamieson, et al., p. 832.
3Keil, 2:111.
D. THE COMMITMENT TO FAITH 3:16-19A
3:16 Habakkuk trembled all over as he waited for the day of

Babylon's invasion of Judah: the day of her distress. He could
do nothing but wait patiently for the Babylonians to grow
stronger and for judgment to come on Israel. It is a terrible
feeling to know that calamity is coming and that one can do
nothing to prevent it.
But Habakkuk could endure this prospect because he

remembered that the omnipotent God of Israel had
consistently defended His chosen people in the past—and had
promised to do so in the future. Earlier when the prophet heard
about the powerful Babylonians, he wanted to talk with God
(2:1). But now, having been reminded of Yahweh's power and
faithfulness, he had nothing more to say (cf. Job 42:1-6). God
would handle the Babylonians. All Habakkuk had to do was wait
and trust.
"Over the years, I've often leaned on three verses

that have helped me wait patiently on the Lord.
'Stand still' (Ex. 14:13), 'Sit still' (Ruth 3:18), and
'Be still' (Ps. 46:10). Whenever we find ourselves
getting 'churned up' within, we can be sure that
we need to stop, pray, and wait on the Lord before
we do some stupid thing."1
3:17-18 Even though everything would get worse in Judah, Habakkuk

determined to praise Yahweh and to rejoice in the God who
would save him (cf. Ps. 18:46; 25:5; Phil. 4:4, 10-19).
"The words 'rejoice' and 'exult' each have the

cohorative [sic cohortative: "I will"] attached. This
is the strongest possible way to say that one is
determined to rejoice in the Lord regardless of
what does or does not happen. Faith means loving
and serving God regardless of circumstances."2
1Wiersbe, p. 422.
2Smith, p. 117.
"The literal is, 'I will jump for joy in the Lord; I will
spin round for delight in God.' Here is the hilarity
of faith!—joy at its best with circumstances at
their worst! What a victory! May it be ours!"1
The prophet pictured the worst of circumstances by using a

variety of rural metaphors drawn from plant and animal life.
Taken together they have the effect of saying that no matter
what bad thing may happen, Habakkuk, and hopefully all Israel,
would trust God. Even though the prophet felt weak physically,
he was strong in faith spiritually. Thus he would live (cf. 2:4).
Many of these bad conditions did typify Judah when the
Babylonians overthrew the nation (cf. Lam. 2:12, 20; 4:4, 9-
10; 5:17-18).
"It is right and proper to voice appreciation of

God's goodness when he bestows all that is
necessary for life, health, and prosperity. But
when these things are lacking, to rejoice in God
for his own sake is evidence of pure faith."2
3:19a "The Lord God" (Sovereign Yahweh), Habakkuk's master and

God, was the source of his strength, even though the
prophet's legs shook (v. 16). He enabled His servant to walk
through the perilous valley he faced—as sure-footedly as the
hoofs of a deer enabled it to navigate precipices (cf. Deut.
32:13; 33:29; 2 Sam. 22:34; Ps. 18:32-33, 39).
This statement of strong confidence sharply contrasts with

the prophet's doubts and fears from which he spoke at the
beginning of this book (1:2-4). A revelation from God, and
Habakkuk's decision to believe what God revealed, turned his
attitude around.
"Habakkuk was about to 'go under' when he

started this book. Destruction, violence, strife,
conflict, injustice, and wickedness were all he
could see. But he cried out to God and his cry did
1Baxter, 4:212.
2Bruce, p. 893.
not go unheeded. The Lord not only answered his

complaint but also provided the confidence
needed to lift him from the quagmire. Habakkuk
started in the pits, but ended on the mountaintop.
His journey was not exactly an easy one, but it
was certainly worth it."1
"In a world in which sometimes there is unjust,

undeserved suffering, the prophet understood
that God's plan is bigger than merely his own life.
And therefore he was willing to commit his life to
the Lord and to keep on trusting."2
Essential elements in true prayer that are obvious in Habakkuk's prayer

include humility, adoration, and petition.3
E. THE CONCLUDING MUSICAL NOTATION 3:19B
A final footnote to this book gives direction to the choir director, who used
this chapter as part of Israel's formal worship. Habakkuk specified the use
of stringed instruments to accompany the singing, undoubtedly because
they set the proper mood.
The book opened with a dialogue between Habakkuk and Yahweh, in which
the prophet vented his fears and the LORD responded in love (ch. 1). Then
it proceeded to a dirge, in which the LORD explained the wickedness of the
instrument that He would use to judge Judah: the Babylonians, He and
promised their ultimate destruction (ch. 2). It closes with a doxology, in
which Habakkuk praised God and recommitted himself to faith in, and
faithfulness to, Yahweh—as he anticipated hard times to come (ch. 3).
"Habakkuk teaches us to face our doubts and questions

honestly, take them humbly to the Lord, wait for His Word to
teach us, and then worship Him no matter how we feel or what
we see."4
1Blue,p. 1522.
2Bramer, p. 155.
3Lloyd-Jones, pp. 58-67.
4Wiersbe, p. 422.
This book can be a great help to people who are discouraged about their
present circumstances, and/or can see nothing good coming in the future.
It helps us adjust our attitude from one of pessimism, and even despair, to
optimism and rejoicing. The crucial issue is whether we will listen to God
and believe Him, namely, whether we will exercise faith.
Armerding, Carl E. "Habakkuk." In Daniel-Minor Prophets. Vol. 7 of The

Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein
and Richard P. Polcyn. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House,
1985.
Baker, David W. Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah: An Introduction and

Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series.
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Zondervan Publishing House, 1980.
Blaiklock, E. M. Today's Handbook of Bible Characters. Minneapolis: Bethany

House Publishers, 1979.
Blue, J. Ronald. "Habakkuk." In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old

Testament, pp. 1505-22. Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B.
Zuck. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1985.
Bramer, Stephen J. "Suffering in the Writing Prophets (Isaiah to Malachi)."

In Why, O God? Suffering and Disability in the Bible and the Church,
pp. 147-59. Edited by Larry J. Waters and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton:
Crossway, 2011.
Bright, John. A History of Israel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1959.
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Expositional Commentary, 2:831-96. 3 vols. Edited by Thomas
Edward McComiskey. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1992, 1993, and
1998.
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Harper and Row, 1947.
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Book House, 2002.
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Press, 1991.
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Press, 1978.
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Moody Press, 1974.
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Missions to the Jews, 1951.
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Press, and New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1970.
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Sons, 1887.
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International Bible Society, 1984.
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Brothers, 1947.
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Row, 1958.
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and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Reprint ed. Grand Rapids:
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University of Wales Press, 1962.
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Martin. Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. Reprint ed. Grand
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Notes on

TITLE AND WRITER

Copyright Ó 2023 by Thomas L. Constable

"The precise relationship of the prophets with the temple is

The Septuagint contains an addition to the Book of Daniel: the apocryphal

According to rabbinic sources, Habakkuk was the son of the Shunammite

References in the book help us date it approximately, but they make it

However, other references in the book, which describe conditions in Judah

"On the one hand, Habakkuk announced the Babylonians' rise

Obadiah, Jonah, Habakkuk, and Haggai, p. 146.

the problem is to understand the book as a collection of

AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE

The people to whom Habakkuk ministered were Judeans who apparently

"Jeremiah and Habakkuk were contemporaries: Jeremiah

1Robert B. Chisholm Jr., Handbook on the Prophets, p. 433.

Habakkuk's concerns were more philosophical than Jeremiah's, however.

"Of the twelve minor prophets none wrestled more earnestly

"What are godly people to do when the moral and spiritual

"Until the day God avenges the Babylonians and restores

"This book is the personal experience of the prophet told in

"Habakkuk is a unique book. Unlike other prophets who

"Again, unlike the other prophets, he [Habakkuk] is not

"The prophet asked some of the most penetrating questions

1See Patterson, pp. 119-26.

"Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah have a great deal in

"If Zephaniah stressed humility and poverty of spirit as

A. Habakkuk's question about Judah 1:2-4

1. The introduction to the answer 2:1-3

III. Habakkuk's hymn in praise of Yahweh ch. 3

A. The introduction to the hymn 3:1

1. Yahweh's awesome appearance 3:3-7

D. The commitment of faith 3:16-19a

Habakkuk is unusual among the prophetical books in that it tells a story. In

Habakkuk is a book in which a man: the prophet, asked questions and

"From the affirmation of faith's agnosticism we come to the

This is the story of Habakkuk. At the beginning, we hear a believer

The key verse, 2:4, is similar to the constricted part of an hourglass:

In Romans 1:17, the emphasis is on "righteous." Paul's concern in Romans

Furthermore, the inner attitude always manifests itself in outward action.

1See Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary/Prophets, p. 95.

The writer described this book as a "pronouncement" that Habakkuk the

"Habakkuk's prophecy possesses a burdensome dimension

"One of the functions of temple prophets was to give

"Habakkuk may rather have added it [the title "the prophet"]

Cultic Prophet in Ancient Israel.

II. HABAKKUK'S QUESTIONS AND YAHWEH'S ANSWERS 1:2—2:20

"Whereas former prophets had declared the certainties of God

A. HABAKKUK'S QUESTION ABOUT JUDAH 1:2-4

"This little book opens in gloom and closes in glory. It begins

"… he [Habakkuk] was a kind of Job of the

Normally, where justice (Heb. mishpat) and violence (hamas)

"Not hearing is equivalent to not helping."1

"… he [Habakkuk] told his honest doubt to God,

1:3 Habakkuk wanted to know why Yahweh allowed the disaster

"Violence" (Heb. hamas) occurs six times in Habakkuk (1:2, 3,

"This is not an instance of the earthen vessel

"The present-day evangelical ministry needs to

"When magistrates permit murder, theft,