BOB – Habakkuk

by Stephen Rodgers

HABAKKUK IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Trust God even when He seems unresponsive or unfair.”

TITLE

Like the majority of the other prophetic books, Habakkuk is named for the prophet who gave the prophecy that bears his name (Habakkuk 1:1).

Per the MSB:

This prophetic book takes its name from its author and possibly means “one who embraces” (Hab. 1:1; 3:1). By the end of the prophecy, this name becomes appropriate as the prophet clings to God regardless of his confusion about God’s plans for his people.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Beyond his name, we basically know nothing about Habakkuk. The fact that he is called “Habakkuk the Prophet” seems to suggest that he was relatively well-known, and needed no further identification. There is even disagreement as to whether the origin of his name itself is either Hebrew or Babylonian.

Since so little is actually known about Habakkuk, legends and stories abound in an attempt to fill the gap. Here are some of them so that you don’t get your facts mixed up with your fiction…

Per Constable:

The New Testament writers told us nothing about the prophet. There are traditions about who Habakkuk 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. The Septuagint addition to the Book of Daniel, the apocryphal Bel and the Dragon, mentions Habakkuk in its title as the son of Jeshua of the tribe of Levi. It records a legend about him 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’ servant told the woman that she would “embrace” a son (2 Kings 4:16), and Habakkuk’s name is similar to the Hebrew word for “embrace.”

Despite everything we don’t know, the one thing we do know is that the book was originally intended for the people of Judah.

DATE

Given the date of composition, we do know that Habakkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zephaniah.

Per the MSB:

The mention of the Chaldeans (Hab. 1:6) suggests a late seventh century B.C. date, shortly before Nebuchadnezzar commenced his military march through Nineveh (612 B.C.), Haran (609 B.C.), and Carchemish (605 B.C.), on his way to Jerusalem (605 B.C.). Habakkuk’s bitter lament (Hab. 1:2–4) may reflect a time period shortly after the death of Josiah (609 B.C.), days in which the godly king’s reforms (cf. 2 Kin. 23) were quickly overturned by his successor, Jehoiakim (Jer. 22:13–19).

Most traditional scholars therefore date the book somewhere between 609 BC and 605 BC, but it’s impossible to be very precise or dogmatic on this particular point.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Habakkuk wrote at a time where corruption was on a distinct upswing in Judah. Seeing the rampant sin around him, he questioned God, asking Him what He would do. God’s response was that he was sending the Chaldeans (Babylonians) as His judgment on Judah. Habakkuk protested that this particular judgment was unjust, since he believed that the Chaldeans were even more wicked than the Judeans, and therefore God’s use of them was somehow unjustified. God’s response was that He would always punish evil, and that Habakkuk needed to wait and trust in Him (putting him in a similar position to Job).

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are two major themes in Habakkuk:

  • Justice. Habakkuk affirms that God is holy and just (Hab. 1:12-13; 3:3), and will always punish the wicked (Hab. 1:5-11; 2:2-20) at the “appointed time” (Hab. 2:3). While the righteous may have to wait for vindication (or the evil for their punishment), it will always come.
  • Faith. Faith is needed to endure injustice (Hab. 2:4). Even when life seems confusing, God’s people are to wait and trust that He will eventually make things right (Hab. 2:3). The righteous “live by faith,” (Hab. 2:4), not by the way that things appear on the surface (Hab. 1:4).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are no significant interpretive challenges to Habakkuk that I’m aware of.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

The first two chapters fall into the dramatic format of dialogue; more specifically, they are question-and-answer exchanges between the prophet and God. The prophet’s vision of God’s appearance (Hab. 3:3–15) is a theophany, and it is followed by a personal testimony (Hab. 3:17–19). Overall, the first-person format of the dialogue, the visionary theophany, and the testimony make the book read like a personal journal.

OBJECTIONS

In some circles it is popular to advance the claim that Habakkuk 1-2 and Habakkuk 3 have different authors.

Per Constable:

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 either. 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. (O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, pp. 212-14.)

It should also be noted that while the Habakkuk Pesher only contains chapters 1-2,  both the Scroll of the Minor Prophets from Wadi Murabbaat and the Greek Scroll of the Minor Prophets from Nahal Hever both contain chapters 1-3.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Habakkuk 2:4 (famously quoted by Paul in Romans)
  • Habakkuk 3:18

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Habakkuk records at least one potential answer to the so-called Problem of Evil: God sometimes uses one form of evil as a judgment on another form of evil…while declaring that ultimately all evil will be punished.

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Habakkuk”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Habakkuk”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Habakkuk”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Habakkuk”
  • NET Bible, Habakkuk
  • NIV Study Bible, Habakkuk
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Habakkuk”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Habakkuk”
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook