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HABAKKUK 1

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS *

* Although they are not inspired, paragraph divisions are the key to understanding and following the original author's intent. Each modern translation has divided and summarized the paragraphs. Every paragraph has one central topic, truth, or thought. Each version encapsulates that topic in its own distinct way. As you read the text, ask yourself which translation fits your understanding of the subject and verse divisions.

In every chapter we must read the Bible first and try to identify its subjects (paragraphs), then compare our understanding with the modern versions. Only when we understand the original author's intent by following his logic and presentation can we truly understand the Bible. Only the original author is inspired - readers have no right to change or modify the message. Bible readers do have the responsibility of applying the inspired truth to their day and their lives.

Note that all technical terms and abbreviations are explained fully in the following documents: Hebrew Grammatical Tems, Textual Criticism, and Glossary.

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

1. Notice the dialogue of Habakkuk 1.
   1. Habakkuk speaks to YHWH, Hab. 1:1-4
   2. YHWH responds, Hab. 1:5-11
   3. Habakkuk responds, Hab. 2:12-17
   
   
2. There is a question concerning to what period and to whom Hab. 1:2-4 relate.
   1. unfaithful Judean society
   2. Judah under Babylonian dominance
   
   
3. Judah is not invaded because of the weakness of YHWH but because of His Holiness. He sent Babylon (cf. Deut. 28:38-57; 2 Kgs. 24:1-7; Isa. 10:5-27; 41:2-4; 42:24-25; 44:28; 45:1-7; Jer. 5:14-19; 25:1-13; 27:6-22; 51:20-23; Amos 3:11).
   
   
4. Habakkuk's address to YHWH is structured as rhetorical questions, Hab. 1:2,3,12,13 (twice), 14,17. How does a God of holiness and covenant promise:
   1. not respond to the prayers of His people?
   2. allow the sins of Judah to continue?
   3. allow a godless, arrogant invader to judge His people?
   
   

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:1
  ¹The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

1:1 "oracle" This term (BDB 672, KB 639) means "burden" or "load." It denotes

1. a voice lifted to proclaim a divine message (i.e., Nah. 1:1; Mal. 1:1)
2. a message carried by someone to a recipient
3. a heaviness associated with a judgment message (i.e., Isa. 13:1; 15:1; 19:1; 22:1)

▣ "the prophet" See SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:2-4
 ²How long, O Lord, will I call for help,
 And You will not hear?
 I cry out to You, "Violence!"
 Yet You do not save.
 ³Why do You make me see iniquity,
 And cause me to look on wickedness?
 Yes, destruction and violence are before me;
 Strife exists and contention arises.
 ⁴Therefore the law is ignored
 And justice is never upheld.
 For the wicked surround the righteous;
 Therefore justice comes out perverted.

1:2-4 The prophet addresses YHWH about the unfaithfulness of Judah to His covenant. Why has He not acted!

1:2-3 "How long. . .why" This begins Habakkuk's lament against God in the form of questions as to how God is manifesting Himself in history. We must remember that the fate of a nation was related to its national God. The injustice of the people of God in Habakkuk's day caused him to question the holiness and justice of God (cf. Job, Psalm 73; Jer. 12:1-4).

▣ "How long" This is literary imagery (cf. Ps. 13:1-2; Jer. 12:4), a prayer for God to act on behalf of His people.

1:2 "O Lord" This is just one of several names/titles for Israel's God used in this chapter.

1. Lord, Hab. 1:1,12 ‒ this is the covenant name for Israel's Deity, YHWH
2. God, Hab. 1:12 ‒ This is the SINGULAR form of Elohim
3. Holy One, Hab. 1:12
4. Rock ‒ This title (BDB 849) was used of God in Deut. 32:15,18,30, and Ps. 18:1-2; 19:14; 2 Sam. 22:2ff; Ps. 78:35; Isa. 44:8). It speaks of (a) the strength, stability, and unchanging nature of the one true God or (b) God as a mighty, impregnable fortress.

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HOLY ONE

▣ "You will not hear" YHWH is silent (cf. Hab. 1:13e,d; Ps. 28:1; 35:22; 39:12; 83:1; 109:1). This was the great fear of faithful Israelites. This was one of Job's complaints! In times of distress, fallen humans feel God has abandoned them. This is where

1. a knowledge of Scripture
2. a review of history
3. a personal relationship with God

helps faithful followers overcome their feelings with biblical theology!

▣ "save" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SALVATION (OT Term).

▣ Habakkuk 1:2-3 describes the sins of God's covenant people. YHWH has made some promises and warnings (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28) but it seems He has not acted on them (Hab. 1:4)!

Habakkuk 1:3-4 describes what is happening in Judean society in the seventh century, as Amos did in the eighth century B.C.

1. there is destruction, Hab. 1:3
2. there is violence, Hab. 1:3 (cf. Hab. 1:2,9; 2:8,17)
3. there is strife, Hab. 1:3
4. there is contention, Hab. 1:3
5. the law is ignored, Hab. 1:4
6. justice is not upheld, Hab. 1:4
7. the wicked surround the righteous, Hab. 1:4
8. justice is perverted, Hab. 1:4

All of these imply the exploitation of the poor by the wealthy and powerful. Collectively, they speak of a corrupt court system.

Some scholars (JB) think that this is a description of Judah under the domination of Babylon, but I think it refers to faithless Judah before the invasion and exile.

1:4 "law" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION.

The MT has the VERB (BDB 806, KB 916, Qal IMPERFECT), which means

1. Arabic ‒ grow cold
2. MT ‒ grow numb
3. later Hebrew ‒ vanish

It is found in only three passages in Qal (one in Niphal, Gen. 38:8).

1. Gen. 45:26 ‒ stunned (NASB)
2. Ps. 77:2 ‒ without weariness (NASB)
3. here

Because of Judah's flagrant covenant disobedience, God's word, which was meant to bring peace, joy, and stability in society, was ineffective! We ignore it (and Him) at our own peril!

▣ "justice" Justice (BDB 1048, cf. Exod. 23:6; Deut. 16:19; 24:17; 27:19; 1 Sam. 8:3; Pro. 17:23; Lam. 3:35; and Amos 2:7) is YHWH's will for everyone in Israelite society because it reflects His character and treatment of them (cf. Deut. 32:4).

The words "justice" in Deut. 16:20 and "righteousness" in Deut. 16:18 are from the same Hebrew root (BDB 841), which speaks of a standard. A judge ruled according to the standard which was the revealed will of God ("justice, and only justice"). Leaders (local and priestly judges) were to model the mercy, yet fairness, of YHWH (cf. Exod. 23:6-8).

SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS

▣ "the wicked" Here in Hab. 1:4 this refers to disobedient Judeans, while in Hab. 1:13 the same word (BDB 957) refers to the Babylonian invaders.

▣ "perverted" This VERB (BDB 785, KB 874, Pual PARTICIPLE) occurs only here in the OT. It is from a root that denotes "twisted" or "crooked." Without God's revelation, fallen humans and their societies become corrupt and self-seeking! God's laws are not restrictions from joy but aids to peace, stability, and fairness.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:5-11
 ⁵"Look among the nations! Observe!
 Be astonished! Wonder!
 Because I am doing something in your days—
 You would not believe if you were told.
 ⁶For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
 That fierce and impetuous people
 Who march throughout the earth
 To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.
 ⁷They are dreaded and feared;
 Their justice and authority originate with themselves.
 ⁸Their horses are swifter than leopards
 And keener than wolves in the evening.
 Their horsemen come galloping,
 Their horsemen come from afar;
 They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.
 ⁹All of them come for violence.
 Their horde of faces moves forward.
 They collect captives like sand.
 ¹⁰They mock at kings
 And rulers are a laughing matter to them.
 They laugh at every fortress
 And heap up rubble to capture it.
 ¹¹Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on.
 But they will be held guilty,
 They whose strength is their god."

1:5-11 In response to Habakkuk's question of Hab. 1:2-4, YHWH responds that He has/is addressing the covenant violations of His people. However, He is bringing judgment from an unexpected group (i.e., the Babylonians/Chaldeans). The surprise of Hab. 1:5 must date the prophecy before the fall of Assyria's capitals in the early 600's B.C.

1:5 There is a series of four PLURAL IMPERATIVES.

1. look ‒ BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal
2. observe ‒ BDB 613, KB 661, Hiphil
3. be astonished ‒ BDB 1069, KB 1744, Hithpael
4. wonder ‒ BDB 1069, KB 1744, Qal

What YHWH is going to reveal to Habakkuk will utterly surprise him (Hab. 1:5d). This is quoted in Acts 13:41.

The MT has "among the nations" (בגוים), which is followed by most English translations. But notice how the NEB follows the LXX and Peshitta (בגדים, BDB 93, which is used in Hab. 1:13; 2:5; also note Acts 13:41). The UBS Text Project gives the MT a "C" rating (considerable doubt).

▣ "Because I am doing something" The MT has "for a work is working" (NOUN and Qal PARTICIPLE from same root, BDB 821, KB 950). The SUBJECT is not specifically addressed.

1. YHWH ‒ LXX, Peshitta, NASB, NKJV, TEV, NJB
2. undefined ‒ NRSV, JPSOA, REB

The UBS Text Project supports #2 but gives it a "C" rating (considerable doubt).

▣ "your days" This is PLURAL and refers to Habakkuk and the covenant people. God will act in the prophet's lifetime.

1:6-11 Notice how YHWH describes the Chaldeans (i.e., Isa. 5:26-29; 13:17-22; Jer. 4:5-9,12-13;5:15-17; 6:22-26; Ezek. 23:22-35).

1. fierce (lit. "bitter," BDB 600 I, cf. Jdgs. 18:25)
2. impetuous (lit. "hasty," BDB 554 I; NET Bible suggests "greedy," but the word itself denotes speed; there is a sound similarity between #1 and #2)
3. who march through the earth to seize dwelling places
4. dreaded (BDB 33)
5. feared (BDB 431)
6. justice (BDB 1048) and authority (lit. "dignity," BDB 673) originate with themselves (cf. Hab. 1:11c)
7. their cavalry (cf. Isa. 5:26-30; Jer. 4:13; Hos. 13:7)
   1. swift as leopards (also imagery of eagles)
   2. eager as wolves
   3. devour like eagles/vultures
8. they move forward collecting captives
9. they laugh at
   1. kings
   2. rulers
   3. fortresses
10. besiege cities/forts
11. sweep through like the wind and pass on

1:6 "I am raising up the Chaldeans" This was also foretold by Isaiah (cf. Isa. 39:6) and Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 4:11-13). Chaldeans (lit. "kasdim," see DSS) can be both a racial term and a title. In Dan. 2:2 it refers to a group of wise men but in this context it obviously refers to the national racial entity that made up the Neo-Babylonian Empire. God is going to use this very cruel nation as an instrument to judge His people. At this point and time no one dreamed that Assyria, the current dominant empire of the Fertile Crescent, could be defeated.

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHALDEANS

▣ "Who march throughout the earth" This is a hyperbolic statement referring to the ANE or Fertile Crescent. It means the "known world" of the seventh century B.C.

For "earth" see SPECIAL TOPIC: LAND, COUNTRY, EARTH (OT).

1:7 "dreaded" This ADJECTIVE (BDB 33) is used of

1. the fear of YHWH among Israel's enemies ‒ Exod. 15:16; 23:27
2. YHWH's wrath against covenant disobedience ‒ Deut. 32:25

▣ "feared" "" This VERBAL (BDB 431, KB 432, Niphal PARTICIPLE) means "fear" or "awe." This is the common term for fear

1. of enemies ‒ Deut. 1:21,29; 2:4; 3:2,22; 7:18,19; 20:1,3; 31:6; Jos. 11:6
2. peoples of the earth fear the people of God ‒ Exod. 34:10; Deut. 6:22; 28:10 (cf. Jos. 4:24); Jos. 9:24; Ps. 66:3-4,5; Zeph. 2:11; Mal. 1:14
3. Israel is to fear/awe/respect YHWH ‒ Deut. 4:10; 5:5; 6:2,13,24; 10:12,20; 13:11; 14:23; 17:13, 19; 19:20; 21:21; 25:18; 28:58; 31:12; Jos. 4:24
4. Israel is not to fear their enemies ‒ Deut. 7:21

These two descriptive words were meant to reveal YHWH's awesome greatness to His covenant people's enemies, but because of Judah's disobedience, they now reflect her dread and fear of the Babylonian invaders.

▣ "Their justice and authority originate with themselves" They are informed totally by human judgment (cf. Hab. 1:11c) and not related to YHWH. This is what shocked the prophet so badly. God did not answer his question concerning injustice but complicated matters by using a godless nation to punish faithless Judah.

1:8 The destruction of the Assyrian Empire and the dominance of the Neo-Babylonian Empire in the Fertile Crescent was very, very rapid (see Nahum).

▣ "swifter than leopards" This is a metaphor for speed used in Dan. 2:6.

▣ "wolves in the evening" Wolves were vicious, night-time predators that parallel the speedy leopards (cf. Jer. 5:6).

The textual question is related to "in the evening."

1. The phrase "wolves in the evening" is also found in Zeph. 3:3 and Jer. 5:6.
2. In Jer. 5:6 the NASB translates it as "of the desert."

The same Hebrew consonants can be vowel pointed two ways.

1. in the evening ‒ Peshitta, NASB, NKJV, NRSV, NJB
2. of the desert (or "of Arabia," LXX) ‒ JPSOA, REB, NET

The UBS Text Project, p. 351, gives option #1 a "C" rating (considerable doubt).

▣ "Their horsemen came galloping" This implies haughty pride (cf. Deut. 28:49ff).

1:9 "Their horde of faces moves forward" The Hebrew phrase is ambiguous but seems to imply:

1. their greed pushes them on
2. as the east wind destroys crops by its heat, so too, this powerful army (cf. NKJV, NJB, REB)

The word "eastward" (BDB 870) appears in the MT, but since the Babylonians approached Jerusalem from the west after descending along the coast, some change it to "forward" (NASB, NRSV, JPSOA). However, "from the east" may be an idiom of an enemy from Mesopotamia (i.e., Hos. 13:15), as "from the north" is a more literal image used often by Jeremiah (Jer. 4:11; 13:24; 18:17).

▣ "They collect captives like sand" Assyria exiled conquered people to maintain their control over national entities. Babylon continued this policy of fear, intimidation, and hopelessness.

1:10 "They mock at kings" This refers to their easy military conquest.

▣"heap up rubble" This is either a description of destroyed cities or a reference to the siege ramps used to scale the walls of fortified cities. The second option is most probable.

1:11 This line of poetry can refer to:

1. imagery of a storm
2. cessation of prophecy
3. the invader leaves after its destruction and victory (i.e., possibly exile)

▣ "But they will be held guilty" They whose strength is their god" Assyria had this same proud heart (cf. Isa. 10:12-14). Neo-Babylon is responsible for her acts, even though directed by God's will.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:12-17
 ¹²Are You not from everlasting,
 O Lord, my God, my Holy One?
 We will not die.
 You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge;
 And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.
 ¹³Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,
 And You can not look on wickedness with favor.
 Why do You look with favor
 On those who deal treacherously?
 Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up
 Those more righteous than they?
 ¹⁴Why have You made men like the fish of the sea,
 Like creeping things without a ruler over them?
 ¹⁵The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook,
 Drag them away with their net,
 And gather them together in their fishing net.
 Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
 ¹⁶Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
 And burn incense to their fishing net;
 Because through these things their catch is large,
 And their food is plentiful.
 ¹⁷Will they therefore empty their net
 And continually slay nations without sparing?

1:12 "Are You not from everlasting
   O Lord. . ." The name YHWH refers to the covenant God of Israel as the ever-living One (cf. Exod. 3:14; Deut. 33:27). God is the only one who possesses life and He alone gives it.

SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD (NT)

▣ "my God, my Holy One" Notice the personal element involved in the prophet's commitment to the God of Israel. The term "Holy One" reflects the character of God, but because of the historical events, many Jews are beginning to question God's power and justice.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HOLY ONE

▣ "We will not die" This can be a question or an affirmation. It seems to be linked to the Covenant and Messianic promises to the nation of Judah (cf. Gen. 49:10; 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17). If they are destroyed, what will become of God's promises?

There is a textual variant. Some relate it to

1. the covenant people ("we will not die," במות) ‒ MT, LXX, NASB, NKJV
2. YHWH Himself ("You will not die," תמות) ‒ NRSV, TEV, NJB, JPSOA, REB, NET (from the "Tiqqun Soferim," which make up 18 ancient scribal textual corrections)

The question is, "Does this phrase relate to 'Are you not from everlasting' of Hab. 1:12a or to 'the continuance of the covenant people'"? Apparently a later Jewish scribe altered the text for option #1. The UBS Text Project, p. 353, gives option #1 a "B" rating (some doubt).

The following is the note from UBS Handbook forTranslators, p. 82.

"The Masoretic Hebrew text next has two words which RSV translates as We shall not die. The second of these words is one of eighteen instances in the Old Testament which an ancient scribal tradition lists as places where the text had been deliberately altered by the scribes. The purpose of these alterations was to avoid any appearance of disrespect to God. In this case the original wording (only one letter different in Hebrew) is recorded as meaning "you do not die." The very idea that God could die was held to be disrespectful, and hence the change was made to We shall not die."

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

▣ "O Rock" This imagery speaks of God's unchanging stability and protection (cf. Deut. 32:4,15,18,30,31; 2 Sam. 23:3; Ps. 18:2,31; 92:15; 95:1; Isa. 26:4; 30:29).

▣ "has appointed them to judge
  . . .has established them to correct" YHWH is the instigator of Judah's enemies. He Himself has sent the Babylonians (cf. Jer. 51:20-23), as He earlier sent Assyria (cf. Isa. 10:5-6). History is YHWH's workshop! He is the first cause of all things. He uses evil for His purposes (cf. 2 Chr. 20:6; Eccl. 7:14; Isa. 14:24-27; 43:13; 45:7; 54:16; Jer. 18:11; Lam. 3:33-38; Amos 3:6).

1:13 "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil" This is Habakkuk's main issue. Literally "to look with pleasure."

Does God use evil to accomplish His purposes? The subject of God's connection to evil is difficult. Genesis 3 seems to assert "evil" in initial creation (i.e., Garden of Eden). Was this God's plan or a perversion of God's plan? Is Satan an enemy or a servant in the OT (see A. B. Davidson, OT Theology, p. 300-306). For sure, God used Satan in the death of Jesus to accomplish His will for human redemption. In this context in Habakkuk, God is the One who sends Babylon and, for that matter, Assyria, to judge His people.

I feel more comfortable in asserting God's use of evil for His purposes than God being involved in evil Himself (i.e., James 1:17; 1 John 1:5). A helpful book for me in this area is John W. Wenham, The Goodness of God. There is a new book on this subject by John Noe, The Creation of Evil: Casting Light Into the Purpose of Darkness. This book came out in 2015. The author is a fellow member of the Evangelical Theological Society.

▣ "swallowed up" This is Hebrew imagery for destruction (cf. Ps. 35:25; Isa. 49:19; Lam. 2:16).

▣ "Those more righteous than they" Judah is wicked but not that wicked! Yet, because they know God, they are more wicked than those who have never known. God is willing for His own name to be maligned so that His people would turn back to Him.

For "righteous" see SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS.

1:14 The meaning of this verse is uncertain. It can mean

1. an affirmation of YHWH as creator
2. a question of YHWH treating humans like fish to be caught and killed (i.e., Judah by the Babylonians)
3. the Jewish Study Bible, p. 1228, suggests this is a reversal of Gen. 1:26,28
4. the Judeans are being treated like other animals who do not know God

The MT implies "he" with the inflection of the VERB. The Chaldeans are mentioned specifically in Hab. 1:6.

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHALDEANS

▣ "Drag them away with their net" Marduk, the chief god of the Neo-Babylonians, is often pictured as dragging a net full of defeated enemies.

In Hab. 1:15 there are three methods of catching fish mentioned.

1. with a baited hook (BDB 335, lit. "mouth" or "lip")
2. with a dragnet behind a boat (VERB, BDB 176, KB 204 and "net," BDB 357 II, cf. Hab. 1:16,17)
3. with a hand cast net (BDB 485, cf. Hab. 1:16)

1:16 "they offer a sacrifice to their net
   And burn incense to their fishing net" This refers to one of two things:

1. the worship of their military machine
2. the victory of their god in the symbol of dragging a fishing net full of conquered people

Just a personal note, I worry about any national entity that thinks their military power assures their security and longevity without taking into account the will/purpose of the one true, creator God!

1:17 This is the final question of discouragement of both the prophet and the people. The Dead Sea Scroll's commentary on Habakkuk (see REB) has "drawing their sword" instead of "drawing their net." Both are military imagery of defeat.

▣ "without sparing" This describes the Babylonian invaders. The same VERB (BDB 328, KB 328, Qal IMPERFECT) is used of YHWH in Lam. 2:2,17,21. Sin has consequences!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. How is Habakkuk different from the other prophets?
2. Whose sin does Hab. 1:2-4 describe? Is this a different group from 1:13?
3. Who are the Chaldeans of Hab. 1:6?
4. What is the theological thrust of Hab. 1:7?
5. Why is YHWH's use of Babylon as an instrument of judgment so distressing to Habakkuk?
6. Explain in your own words the meaning of Hab. 1:14.

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