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The Prophet Habakkuk

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- Chapter 1 -

1
The burden that Habakkuk the prophet saw.(a)
2
How long, O Lord, shall I cry out, and you will not heed? Shall I shout to you while suffering violence, and you will not save?
3
Why have you revealed to me iniquity and hardship, to see plunder and injustice opposite me? And there has been judgment, but the opposition is more powerful.(b)
4
Because of this, the law has been torn apart, and judgment does not persevere to its conclusion. For the impious prevail against the just. Because of this, a perverse judgment is issued.

The LORD’s Answer

5
Gaze among the nations, and see. Admire, and be astounded. For a work has been done in your days, which no one will believe when it is told.
6
For behold, I will raise up the Chaldeans, a bitter and swift people, marching across the width of the earth, to possess tabernacles not their own.
7
It is dreadful and terrible. From themselves, judgment and their burden will issue.(c)
8
Their horses are more nimble than leopards and swifter than wolves in the evening; their horsemen will spread out. And then their horsemen will approach from far away; they will fly like the eagle, hurrying to devour.(d)
9
They will all approach towards the prey; their face is like a burning wind. And they will gather captives together like sand.(e)
10
And concerning kings, he will triumph, and sovereign rulers will be his laughingstock, and he will laugh over every fortress, and he will transport a rampart and seize it.
11
Then his spirit will be altered, and he will cross over and fall. Such is his strength from his god.(f)

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

(Psalm 11:1–7)
12
Have you not existed from the beginning, Lord my God, my holy one, and so we shall not die? Lord, you have stationed him for judgment, and you have established that his strength will be swept away.(g)
13
Your eyes are pure, you do not behold evil, and you cannot look towards iniquity. Why do you look upon the agents of iniquity, and remain silent, while the impious is devouring one who is more just than himself?
14
And you will make men like the fish of the sea and like the creeping things that have no ruler.
15
He lifted up everything with his hook. He drew them in with his dragnet, and gathered them into his netting. Over this, he will rejoice and exult.(h)
16
For this reason, he will offer victims to his dragnet, and he will sacrifice to his netting. For through them, his portion has been made fat, and his meals elite.
17
Because of this, therefore, he expands his dragnet and will not be lenient in continually putting to death the peoples.(i)

Footnotes

(a)1:1 Burden:Such prophecies more especially are called burdens, as threaten grievous evils and punishments.(Challoner)
(b)1:3 In this case, the word ‘contra’ does not mean ‘against’ but ‘opposite’ or ‘in front of.’ Notice that in the Latin ‘contra’ plays into ‘contradictio,’ and, in the English, ‘opposite’ plays into ‘opposition.’(Conte)
(c)1:7 In this verse, judgment and their burden ‘issue’ from themselves. This is related to verse 4 where ‘a perverse judgment is issued.’(Conte)
(d)1:8 The reference to ‘wolves in the evening’ means that wolves move swiftly as night falls, to hunt their prey.(Conte)
(e)1:9 The captives are like sand because of their great number (like the many grains of sand), and because they are as easily gathered as a handful of sand.(Conte)
(f)1:11 Then shall his spirit, etc:Viz., the spirit of the king of Babylon. It alludes to the judgment of God upon Nabuchodonosor, recorded Dan. 4., and to the speedy fall of the Chaldean empire.(Challoner)
(g)1:12 Or, ‘you have established his strength to be swept away.’(Conte)
(h)1:15 The metaphor of a fisherman is used to describe the Antichrist. The words ‘hamo,’ ‘sagena,’ and ‘rete’ describe the equipment used by a fisherman.(Conte)
(i)1:17 The word ‘interficere’ means to execute or to put to death, in the sense of a death sentence by one in authority, not in the sense of killing in the streets.(Conte)
1
The revelation which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2
LORD,(a) how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you “Violence!” and will you not save?
3
Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up.
4
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted.

The LORD’s Answer

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.
6
For, behold,(b) 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.
7
They are feared and dreaded. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
8
Their 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.
9
All of them come for violence. Their hordes face forward. They gather prisoners like sand.
10
Yes, 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.
11
Then they sweep by like the wind and go on. They are indeed guilty, whose strength is their god.”

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

(Psalm 11:1–7)
12
Aren’t you from everlasting, LORD my God,(c) my Holy One? We will not die. LORD, you have appointed them for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish.
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,
14
and make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things that have no ruler over them?
15
He 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.
16
Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious and his food is good.
17
Will he therefore continually empty his net, and kill the nations without mercy?

Footnotes

(a)1:2 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.
(b)1:6 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
(c)1:12 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
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