Habakkuk
Old Testament · translated from the Hebrew
Habakkuk asks God why he tolerates injustice, and why he will use Babylon, which is more wicked, to punish Judah. God answers, and the prophet ends with a song of trust even when everything is lacking.
How it is laid out
Key verses
- Habakkuk 2:4 — The righteous by his faithfulness will live
- Habakkuk 3:17 — Though the fig tree does not blossom
- Habakkuk 3:18 — Yet I will exult in YHWH
Who wrote it
Habakkuk the prophet (1:1). Chapter 3 is his prayer, with directions for singing (3:1, 19).
When it was written
Probably in the late 7th century BC, around 610–600, when the Chaldeans were rising (1:6).
For whom, and in what situation
For Judah, which saw violence within the land (1:2-4) and the advance of the Chaldeans, that is, Babylon (1:6). Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38 quote 2:4.
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