Habakkuk 3:17–18
Bible verses · Also called: Habakkuk 3:17-18, Hab. 3:17-18, Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Though the fig tree does not blossom, Yet I will rejoice in the LORD
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17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
Habakkuk's confession that even if the fig tree, vine, olive, field, flock, and herd all fail, he will still rejoice in the LORD. The passage is cherished as a song of faith whose joy does not depend on circumstances.
Context
Chapter 3 is a song that opens with the heading "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth." In the two preceding chapters, Habakkuk engages in a dialogue with God about the injustice in Judah and the Babylonian invasion. In chapter 3 he recalls God's saving deeds in the Exodus and asks God to act again, confessing that he trembles as he contemplates the coming invasion (Habakkuk 3:16). Verses 17–18 express the resolve that emerges from that fear, and they lead into verse 19: "The LORD God is my strength." Because the chapter closes with a notation addressed to the chief musician and mentioning stringed instruments, it is regarded as a song used in worship.
Interpretation
- As unconditional trust: The items listed represent the entire livelihood of an agrarian society. On this reading, the passage is a confession that even if all of these are lost, the speaker will delight in God himself, showing that faith is not something offered in exchange for blessing.
- As the reality of war and judgment: This reading holds that the losses described are not vague misfortune but the devastation of the land by invasion, and it interprets the passage as a confession of faith offered in the face of national disaster.
- As joy directed toward the God of salvation: Focusing on the phrase "the God of my salvation" in verse 18, this interpretation holds that the ground of joy lies not in one's circumstances but in God's saving acts.
Questions of Application
In discussions of faith amid suffering, this passage is often cited as a counterpoint to prosperity theology. In contrast to the teaching that faith brings prosperity, it presents faith as rejoicing in God even when one has nothing. At the same time, some point out that citing this passage to demand that people experiencing loss and grief rejoice overlooks the fact that Habakkuk first confessed his fear and trembling (3:16).
In the Korean Church
The passage is frequently quoted in sermons for Harvest Thanksgiving (the Feast of Harvest) and the autumn Thanksgiving, as well as during times of economic hardship. Gospel songs that use this passage as their lyrics are also widely sung.
Related Passages
- Habakkuk 3:19
- Job 1:21
- Philippians 4:11–12
- Psalm 73:25–26
See also 6
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