Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk 2 is the middle chapter of a three-chapter book. In Habakkuk 1 the prophet asked why God allows the wicked to devour the righteous. This chapter is the LORD's answer to that question.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 Habakkuk stands upon his watchtower and waits for an answer. The LORD tells him to write the vision plainly upon tablets and declares that, though it tarry, it will surely come at the appointed time.
• Verses 4–5 The one whose heart is lifted up and who enlarges his desire as hell is contrasted with the just man who lives by faith.
• Verses 6–8 First woe: the one who has plundered others will himself be plundered.
• Verses 9–11 Second woe: pronounced upon the one who sets his house on high through unjust gain.
• Verses 12–14 Third woe: pronounced upon the one who builds a town with blood and establishes a city by iniquity. It is accompanied by the promise that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD.
• Verses 15–17 Fourth woe: pronounced upon the one who makes his neighbor drunk in order to look upon his nakedness. The violence done to Lebanon will return upon him.
• Verses 18–20 Fifth woe: pronounced upon the one who trusts in dumb idols. The chapter ends with the words "let all the earth keep silence before him."

Key Verses

• Habakkuk 2:4 "The just shall live by his faith": The New Testament quotes this verse three times. It is a standard text cited in explaining the Protestant doctrine of justification.
• Habakkuk 2:14 "As the waters cover the sea": This expression closely resembles Isaiah 11:9.
• Habakkuk 2:20 "But the LORD is in his holy temple": In contrast to the dumb idols, this verse proclaims the sovereignty of the LORD.

People and Places

• Habakkuk: The prophet of this book. The text records almost nothing about his life.
• The LORD: Answers the prophet's question by means of a vision.
• The proud man: Chapter 2 does not name him. He is commonly understood as the Chaldeans of 1:6, that is, Babylon.
• Lebanon: A mountainous region north of Israel, famous for its cedar forests.

Points for Reflection

• The Hebrew word emunah, translated "faith" in 2:4, can also mean "faithfulness." Accordingly, some interpreters read it as faith that trusts in God, while others read it as faithfulness that endures to the end. The Septuagint renders the phrase "by my faith (faithfulness)."
• The New Testament quotes this verse in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. Paul emphasizes faith in contrast to the works of the law. Hebrews cites it together with 2:3 and emphasizes a faith that perseveres while awaiting the Lord's coming. Since Martin Luther, the Reformation tradition has regarded this verse as a key foundation for the doctrine of justification.
• The Habakkuk commentary among the Dead Sea Scrolls is reported to read "wealth" in place of "wine" in verse 5.

In Korean Churches

• Habakkuk 2:4, together with Romans 1:17, is frequently used as a sermon text on Reformation Sunday.
• Some churches use 2:20 at the opening of worship for silent prayer or as a call to worship.