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Habakkuk 1

World English Bible

WEB

1The revelation which Habakkuk the prophet saw. 2Yahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you “Violence!” and will you not save? 3Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up. 4Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted. 5“Look among the nations, watch, and wonder marvelously; for I am working a work in your days which you will not believe though it is told you. 6For, behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation who march through the width of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs. 7They are feared and dreaded. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. 8Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. Their horsemen press proudly on. Yes, their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour. 9All of them come for violence. Their hordes face forward. They gather prisoners like sand. 10Yes, they scoff at kings, and princes are a derision to them. They laugh at every stronghold, for they build up an earthen ramp and take it. 11Then they sweep by like the wind and go on. They are indeed guilty, whose strength is their god.” 12Aren’t you from everlasting, Yahweh my God, my Holy One? We will not die. Yahweh, you have appointed them for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish. 13You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who is more righteous than he, 14and make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things that have no ruler over them? 15He takes up all of them with the hook. He catches them in his net and gathers them in his dragnet. Therefore he rejoices and is glad. 16Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious and his food is good. 17Will he therefore continually empty his net, and kill the nations without mercy?

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Habakkuk Chapter 1 presents a profound dialogue between the prophet #Habakkuk and God, where Habakkuk expresses his deep concern over the rampant injustice and violence he observes in #Judah. The chapter opens with Habakkuk's lament, questioning God about the apparent silence in the face of suffering and wrongdoing. He cries out, 'How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?' (Habakkuk 1:2). This sets the stage for a heartfelt plea for divine intervention, highlighting the prophet's struggle to understand God's ways amidst the chaos of his nation.

In response, God reveals His plan to raise up the #Babylonians as an instrument of judgment against Judah. This revelation astonishes Habakkuk, as he grapples with the idea that a nation more wicked than Judah would be used to execute God's justice. He questions, 'Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?' (Habakkuk 1:13). This chapter emphasizes the tension between divine sovereignty and human suffering, illustrating the prophet's journey from confusion to a deeper understanding of God's purposes. Ultimately, it sets the stage for the themes of faith and trust in God's plan that will unfold in the subsequent chapters.

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Referenced by

  1. 2 Chronicles 36:17v62 Chronicles 36:17 describes the Chaldeans as God's instrument of judgment, which is also prophesied in Habakkuk 1:6, where God raises the Chaldeans to execute His judgment.
  2. Psalms 5:4v13Psalm 5:4 and Habakkuk 1:13 both describe God's holiness and His inability to tolerate wickedness, emphasizing His purity and justice.
  3. Psalms 79:5v2Both Psalm 79:5 and Habakkuk 1:2 express a cry to God questioning how long His anger will last, reflecting a theme of seeking divine intervention amidst suffering.
  4. Isaiah 10:5v6Isaiah 10:5 describes Assyria as the rod of God's anger, a tool for judgment. Similarly, Habakkuk 1:6 speaks of God raising the Chaldeans as a judgment against Israel, showing God's sovereignty in using nations to accomplish His purposes.
  5. Jeremiah 12:1v13Both Jeremiah and Habakkuk question God's justice in allowing the wicked to prosper, reflecting a common theme of theodicy in the prophetic literature.

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