The Book of Habakkuk: Interpretive Commentary

Introduction

The book of Habakkuk is a religious text attributed to the prophet Habakkuk. It is believed to have been written in the 7th century BC and is the eighth book in twelve Minor Prophets.¹ No biographical information is known about the author, with his name only appearing few times throughout the book. The text relays the conversation between God and the prophet Habakkuk, who questions the former and His benevolence and intentions towards His creations in the world where evil is allowed to exist. Thus, the book can be attributed to the literary genre of Biblical prophecy because it offers a narration of specific messages from God as recounted by a prophet who is in contact with the Deity. The book is addressed to the general public to “help believers wrestle with God’s justice in the world, exploring what it means to have faith in God in a world that is full of injustice.”² This interpretive commentary aims to offer an analysis of the content of the main literary units of the book of Habakkuk.

Interpretive Commentary on Chapters of Habakkuk

Literary Unity in the Book of Habakkuk

The book of Habakkuk is formally divided into three chapters that relay the dialogue between Habakkuk and God. Historically, there exist numerous approaches to the division of the religious text into literary units. For example, many scholars maintain that the book consists of two primary units, arguing that chapters one and two should be considered a single entity, with chapter three being a distinct section.³ Meanwhile, others contest that the text as a whole presents a coherent literary unit and does not require any further dissection.⁴ Traditionally the division of the Habakkuk into three parts is accepted. Thus, the text’s three literary units include 1:1–2:4, 2:5–20, and 3:1–19.⁵ The following commentary will be based on the commonly accepted division.

The Dialogue between Habakkuk and God: 1:1–2:4

The first literary unit includes chapter one and five first paragraphs of chapter two of the Habakkuk. They are viewed as a single literary unit due to the continuous conversation between the prophet Habakkuk and God. The unit contains complaints of the prophet that are answered by the Deity, with the conversation reaching its climax in 2:4. In 1:2–4, Habakkuk questions his faith in God due to the apparent divine absence in the world, where evil and injustice continue to persist.⁶

God promptly answers the prophet in 1:5–11, promising to raise the Babylonians to “discipline the wicked among God’s people.”⁷ Although Habakkuk is relieved to have received an answer, he finds it dissatisfactory. He further questions the Deity, wondering whether such a brutal response is consistent with the nature of a just, benevolent God.⁸ The following answer the prophet receives is a vision that helps him understand the Divine plan and accept justice for his people.

The discussed unit is better understood within the historical context of 7^th century BC. It is presumed that the book of Habakkuk was written in the second half of the century after the Babylonian Empire was established and became a considerable military power.⁹

It was a genuine threat to the Kingdom of Judah, making the Lord’s promise of disciplining God’s people more tangible and menacing. The context helps the readers understand Habakkuk’s concerns and doubts. The prophet questions God in the time of great crisis for Judah, with the Kingdom being threatened both by internal and external forces. The crucial response he receives is “the righteous live by their faith.”¹⁰ Thus, the prophets’ dialogue with the Deity in the first literary unit shows that the righteous people must have faith in God and the justice He grants them. Overall, the dialogue reveals that faith is the ultimate trust and dependence on the Divine. The righteous will survive because they believe in God and His plan for them, and through the understanding of that plan, they can become closer to Him and find true satisfaction.

Five Woes against Workers of Injustice: 2:5–20

The second defined literary unit concerns chapter two, paragraphs five through twenty. In this part of the text, Habakkuk’s vision given to him by God is related. The prophetic dream shows the punishments the wicked are going to endure on account of the crimes and injustices they have committed.¹¹ Specifically, vision recounts five woes or sorrows that are destined to befall those who oppress others, generate an unjust gain, engage in immoral behavior, shame the weak, and worship false idols.¹²

The prophecy can be interpreted as a divine warning not to sin, as those who do will be punished harshly. Furthermore, paragraphs 2:18 and 2:19 are dedicated to the discussion of the futility of idolatry. The prophet describes idols through the materials they are made of, stating: “See, it is gold and silver plated, and there is no breath in it at all.”¹³ It can be argued that idol worshiping is compared to materialistic urges, while God asks the righteous to surrender capitalistic desires and pursue spiritual satisfaction. Thus, the literary unit emphasizes that the Biblical teachings should find practical applications in the lives of the people of faith.

Habakkuk’s Psalm: 3:1–19

Chapter three of the book presents a separate literary unit written as a prayer of the prophet. In the text, Habakkuk expresses his fears of God’s rath for his misdeeds and death.¹⁴ Nevertheless, the prophet also proclaims his faith in the Deity and states that the Divine being is just and merciful and recognizes His work in small blessings such as good harvests the Judah people can enjoy.¹⁵ Moreover, Habakkuk recognizes that salvation lies in God, who will overcome death.¹⁶ In the historical context, it can also be asserted that the overcoming of death is an allegory to the eventual fall of the Babylonian Empire and other enemies of the Kingdom of Judah. Habakkuk insists that he has faith in God and his plan and, like him, the readers should trust that their woes will pass and their enemies will perish. Thus, the path to salvation lies in living by the teachings of God and the belief in His omnipotence and omnibenevolence.

Conclusion

In summary, the book of Habakkuk attempts to reconcile the idea of why human suffering and injustice with the existence of a benevolent God. The text affirms that faith in the Deity is paramount for survival and salvation and that the Divine plan does not always have to be revealed to the righteous. The Habakkuk encourages its readers to apply the religious tenets in practice and continue to believe, trust, and have confidence in God. Within the field of theology, the book helps understand the complexity of the world and the perplexity of faith.

Bibliography

Firth, David G. The Book of Habakkuk. 1st ed. Austin, Texas: The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2020.

Handaric, Mihai. “Faith as a Proper Answer in Crisis: Expecting God’s Intervention from Habakkuk’s Perspective – Hab. 1:1-2:4.” Kairos 15, no. 1 (2021), 65–80. Web.

Hiramatsu, Kei. “The Structure and Structural Relationships of the Book of Habakkuk”. The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 3, no. 2 (2016): 106–129.

Legaspi, Michael C. “Opposition to Idolatry in the Book of Habakkuk.” Vetus Testamentum 67, no. 3 (2017), 458–469. Web.

Ogunkunle, Caleb O. “ Sovereignty of God in Habakkuk.” Testamentum Imperium 2 (2009), 1–12.

Footnotes

1. David G. Firth, The Book of Habakkuk, 1st ed. Austin, Texas: The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2020, 5.
2. Firth, The Book of Habakkuk, 6.
3. Kei Hiramatsu, “The Structure and Structural Relationships of the Book of Habakkuk,” The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 3, no. 2 (2016): 110.
4. Hiramatsu, “The Structure and Structural Relationships of the Book of Habakkuk,” 110.
5. Hiramatsu, “The Structure and Structural Relationships of the Book of Habakkuk,” 110.
6. Mihai Handaric, “Faith as a Proper Answer in Crisis: Expecting God’s Intervention from Habakkuk’s Perspective – Hab. 1:1-2:4,” Kairos 15, no. 1 (2021): 65. Web.
7. Handaric, “Faith as a Proper Answer in Crisis,” 66.
8. Firth, The Book of Habakkuk, 10.
9. Caleb O. Ogunkunle, “Sovereignty of God in Habakkuk,” Testamentum Imperium 2 (2009): 3.
10. Handaric, “Faith as a Proper Answer in Crisis,” 75.
11. Ogunkunle, “Sovereignty of God in Habakkuk,” xx.
12. Firth, The Book of Habakkuk, 13-15.
13. Michael C. Legaspi, “Opposition to Idolatry in the Book of Habakkuk,” Vetus Testamentum 67, no. 3 (2017): 466. Web.
14. Firth, The Book of Habakkuk, 17.
15. Firth, The Book of Habakkuk, 17.
16. Legaspi, “Opposition to Idolatry in the Book of Habakkuk,” 469.