Habakkuk Chapter 1 — The Prophet's Complaint
Habakkuk questions why God allows injustice to prevail in Judah, and God responds by announcing that He is raising up the Chaldeans to bring judgment.
1The revelation which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2LORD,*When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh). 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,†“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection. 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, LORD my God,‡The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim). my Holy One? We will not die. LORD, 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?
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Habakkuk 1:5
“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.”
This verse emphasizes that God's ways of acting in history can be unexpected and beyond human comprehension.
Habakkuk 1:13
“You 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”
This verse captures the central theological struggle of the prophet regarding the holiness of God in the face of human wickedness.
Chapter Summary
Habakkuk 1 begins with the prophet expressing deep distress over the lawlessness and violence within Judah, asking God why He permits iniquity and perverted justice to continue unchecked. In response, God reveals a startling plan: He is raising up the Chaldeans, described as a fierce and bitter nation, to execute judgment. The text details the power and speed of the Chaldean army, noting their ability to conquer strongholds and their lack of regard for other kings. However, this answer leads to a second complaint from Habakkuk. He acknowledges God’s eternal holiness but struggles to understand how a pure God can use such a treacherous and wicked nation to punish those who are more righteous than themselves. He compares the conquerors to fishermen gathering helpless people like fish in a net and questions if this relentless destruction will ever be brought to an end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Habakkuk is distressed by the violence, strife, and injustice he sees within Judah. He feels that the law has become paralyzed and that the wicked are surrounding the righteous, leading to perverted justice.
The Chaldeans, also known as the Babylonians, are the nation God is raising up to judge Judah. The text describes them as a fierce, swift, and dread-inducing people who rely on their own strength as their god.
After hearing that God will use the Chaldeans for judgment, Habakkuk wonders how a holy and eternal God can use a nation that is even more wicked and treacherous than Judah to accomplish His purposes.
Study Note
The dialogue format of this chapter is unique among the prophets, as it focuses on a conversation between the prophet and God rather than a direct message to the people.
Related Chapters
Job Chapter 1
Both books deal with the difficult questions of why God permits suffering and the nature of divine justice.
2 Kings Chapter 24
This chapter provides the historical context for the Babylonian invasion that Habakkuk prophesied.
Nahum Chapter 1
Like Habakkuk, Nahum addresses God's judgment on nations and His sovereignty over the earth.
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