Habakkuk (person)

Biblical record

Habakkuk was the prophet to whom the Old Testament Book of Habakkuk is attributed. In Scripture his name appears only in the book's two headings. The King James Version renders Habakkuk 1:1 as "The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see" and Habakkuk 3:1 as "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth." "Shigionoth" appears to be a term related to a form of song or poetry, but its exact meaning is unknown. Scripture does not record his origins, family, or life.

The book unfolds as follows:

• Habakkuk cries out to God about the violence and injustice spreading through Judah (Habakkuk 1:2-4).
• God answers that He will raise up the Chaldeans, that is, the Neo-Babylonians (Babylon), to execute judgment (Habakkuk 1:5-11).
• Habakkuk asks in turn why God would use a nation more wicked than Judah.
• God answers, "the just shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4).
• The book concludes in chapter 3 with prayer and praise.

On the basis of this content, many date his ministry to around the late seventh century BC, when Babylon was rising in power. Scholars, however, differ on the dating.

Significance within Scripture

The New Testament does not mention Habakkuk by name, but it quotes his words several times. Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38, and it became an important basis for the doctrine of justification, the teaching that one is justified by faith. In Acts 13:41, Paul quotes Habakkuk 1:5.

Habakkuk 2:4 is also regarded as especially important in the Reformation tradition because of its connection with the experience of Martin Luther, who regarded his new understanding of Romans 1:17 as the turning point in his theology.

Interpretation and debated questions

• Connection with temple music: Chapter 3 ends with the note "To the chief singer on my stringed instruments" (Habakkuk 3:19), and musical terms such as Selah appear within the chapter. For this reason, some scholars speculate that Habakkuk may have been a Levite involved in the music of temple worship. The text, however, does not say so.
• The story in the apocryphal Bel and the Dragon: Bel and the Dragon is a Greek addition to the Book of Daniel. It tells how an angel carried Habakkuk, who was taking food to reapers in Judah, to Babylon so that he could feed Daniel, who had been shut in the lions' den. The Catholic and Orthodox churches include this text in the Bible; in Catholic Bibles it appears as Daniel 14. Protestants regard it as apocryphal and do not include it in the canon. The story is a tradition independent of the Book of Habakkuk in the Hebrew Bible.
• Ancient Jewish interpretation: The Dead Sea Scrolls include a commentary that interprets Habakkuk 1-2 by applying it to the circumstances of the community that produced it. It is recognized as evidence of how ancient Jews read Habakkuk.

In the Korean church

Habakkuk 3:17-18, "Although the fig tree shall not blossom … Yet I will rejoice in the LORD," expresses trust in God and gratitude to Him even in hardship. It is therefore a frequent sermon text, including for Thanksgiving and Wheat Harvest Thanksgiving services.

Habakkuk 3:2, "O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years," is often cited as the theme verse for revival meetings and prayer meetings. Habakkuk 2:4 is preached together with Romans 1:17 on Reformation Sunday.