HABAKKUK THE PROPHET (HABAKKUK 1:1) · TWO KINGDOMS

Habakkuk. He asked the LORD “how long?”, waited on his watch for the answer, and ended in a song.

SCRIPTURE CALLS

Prophet

ERA

Two kingdoms 930–586 BC

IN THE DAYS OF

No ruler named beside him

BOOK

Habakkuk

HOW THE WORD CAME

“The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.”

THE CALL

How the word came

  • “The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.” Much of the book is his own questions to the LORD and the LORD's answers. Habakkuk 1:1–2 Habakkuk 1:5 Habakkuk 1:12–13 Habakkuk 2:2
  • He waited for the answer like a watchman: “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower”. He was told to write the vision down plainly “upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk 2:1–3
  • Chapter 3 is “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth”, with “Selah” in it and a note at the end for “the chief singer on my stringed instruments”. Habakkuk 3:1 Habakkuk 3:3 Habakkuk 3:19

THE MESSAGE

The word in its main themes

How long?

“O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!”

Habakkuk 1:2 (KJV) →

The Chaldeans raised up

“For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation”

Habakkuk 1:6 (KJV) →

Why the wicked over the righteous?

The just shall live by his faith

“though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

Habakkuk 2:3 (KJV) →

“but the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4 (KJV) →

Five woes

“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

Habakkuk 2:14 (KJV) →

“But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Habakkuk 2:20 (KJV) →

Yet I will rejoice

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines”

Habakkuk 3:17 (KJV) →

“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Habakkuk 3:18 (KJV) →

THE WORD TO …

To whom the word was spoken

TO THE CHALDEAN

“Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee”

Habakkuk 2:8 (KJV) →

THE BOOK

The book of Habakkuk

  • 1 Heading Habakkuk 1:1
  • 2 How long? Habakkuk 1:2–4
  • 3 The answer: the Chaldeans Habakkuk 1:5–11
  • 4 The second question; the watchtower Habakkuk 1:12–2:1
  • 5 The vision; the just shall live by faith; five woes Habakkuk 2:2–20
  • 6 The prayer Habakkuk 3:1–19

WHERE THE NEW TESTAMENT QUOTES IT · 4

Each band joins a chapter of Habakkuk to the New Testament books quoting it (4 books).

HOW THE STORY ENDS

Scripture says, tradition says

SCRIPTURE SAYS

  • From the textScripture says nothing of Habakkuk outside his book. Habakkuk 1:1 Habakkuk 3:1

TRADITION SAYS

  • An angel carries “a prophet, called Habbacuc” by the hair of his head from Judea to Babylon to bring Daniel his dinner in the lions' den, and sets him back again. T. Witton Davies judged this episode a later addition to the story. Bel and the Dragon 1:33–39 [50] Who says so: Bel and the Dragon 33–39, an addition to Daniel in the Greek Bible, printed in the Apocrypha of the King James Version, Davies (1913) assumes a Hebrew text of about 136 BC, the Greek being later
  • The Greek heading of Bel and the Dragon says it was taken “From the prophecy of Hambakoum, son of Jesus, of the tribe of Levi.”[46] Who says so: The Septuagint's heading to Bel and the Dragon, as translated by A. B. Davidson (1896), In the Greek translation, which Davies (1913) holds later than a Hebrew original; no firmer date is given here
  • Habakkuk was of the tribe of Simeon. “It is said that when Jerusalem fell in 586 he fled to Ostracine on the borders of Egypt, but returned to his native place on the withdrawal of the Chaldeans … and died two years before the return of the exiles from Babylon. His tomb was pointed out in Keilah.”[46][50] Who says so: The Lives of the Prophets ascribed to Epiphanius, as summarised by A. B. Davidson (1896), Davidson calls the ascription to Epiphanius (bishop from AD 367) perhaps wrong; he does not date the work

OPEN QUESTIONS

Where readers have differed

Under Jehoiakim, as the Chaldeans rose

S. R. Driver (1891); A. B. Davidson (1896)

The Chaldeans are being raised up (Hab 1:6). Driver: “The prophecy may be assigned with great probability to the reign of Jehoiakim (B.C. 608-598)”. Davidson puts chapter 1:5–11 no earlier than the battle of Carchemish (“605 — 4”). Habakkuk 1:6 [3][46]

Late in Manasseh's reign

C. F. Keil (1868); Seder Olam, as reported by the Jewish Encyclopedia (1905)

Keil narrows the choice to Josiah's reign or “the closing years of Manasseh” and leans to Manasseh. The Seder Olam places Joel, Nahum and Habakkuk “in the reign of Manasseh.”[11][42]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 7

Habakkuk 1 Habakkuk 2 Habakkuk 3 Acts 13 Romans 1 Galatians 3 Hebrews 10

PASSAGES · 5

Habakkuk 1:1–3:19 Acts 13:40–41 Romans 1:17 Galatians 3:11 Hebrews 10:37–38

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture gives no call, no family, no home and no king for Habakkuk.
  • Habakkuk 3 is set for music, but the text does not say Habakkuk was a Levite or a temple singer.

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • L. C. L. Brenton (tr.), The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament, translated into English (1844), Jeremiah in the Greek order: chs. 34:2 (Heb. 27:2, no verse 1), 35:1 (Heb. 28:1), 36:24 (Heb. 29:24), 46:1–18 (Heb. 39, verses 4–13 absent); read in the site's Brenton text (data/text/lxxe).
  • L. C. L. Brenton (tr.), The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament and Apocrypha (1851), the opening sentence of Lamentations (checked against the 1879 Bagster scan).
  • S. R. Driver, An Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament (1891), pp. 239–240 (Jer 10:11), 248, 253–254 (the Greek text of Jeremiah), 298–299 (Obadiah), 314–315 (Nahum), 317–319 (Habakkuk, Zephaniah), 432–435 (Lamentations).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. D. Patrick, The Prophecies of Jeremiah, vol. 1 (Keil and Delitzsch) (1874), Introduction, pp. 31–35 (the Greek text; Graf 1862 quoted); scan of the 1880 printing.
  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Kennedy, The Prophecies of Jeremiah, vol. 2, with The Lamentations (Keil and Delitzsch) (1874), Introduction to Lamentations, pp. 349–350.
  • C. F. Keil, tr. D. Patrick, The Prophecies of Jeremiah (Keil and Delitzsch) (1874), note on Jer 25:11 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. D. Patrick, The Prophecies of Jeremiah (Keil and Delitzsch) (1874), note on Jer 27:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. M. G. Easton, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), note on Dan 9:2, reporting Ewald (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, The Twelve Minor Prophets (Keil and Delitzsch) (1868), Introduction to Obadiah (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, The Twelve Minor Prophets (Keil and Delitzsch) (1868), Introduction to Nahum, quoting Vitringa (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, The Twelve Minor Prophets (Keil and Delitzsch) (1868), Introduction to Habakkuk (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, The Twelve Minor Prophets (Keil and Delitzsch) (1868), Introduction to Zephaniah (read on Bible Hub).
  • G. C. Workman, The Text of Jeremiah (1889), pp. 117–118, 222–223.
  • A. W. Streane, The Double Text of Jeremiah (1896), p. 13.
  • A. W. Streane, The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, together with the Lamentations (Cambridge Bible) (1881), p. 172 (note on 25:11).
  • A. W. Streane, Jeremiah and Lamentations (Cambridge Bible, revised edition) (1913), note on Jer 27:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • A. W. Streane, Jeremiah and Lamentations (Cambridge Bible, revised edition) (1913), introductory note to Jer 39, reporting Giesebrecht, Duhm and Cornill (read on Bible Hub).
  • A. S. Peake, Jeremiah and Lamentations, vol. 2 (The Century Bible) (1910), p. 13 (note on 25:11).
  • M. Faulhaber, "Jeremias", Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 8 (1910), the text of the book; the tradition of his death (online text).
  • M. G. Easton, Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), entry "Jeremiah, Book of" (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. von Orelli, "Jeremiah", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), his death (online text; not checked against a scan of the printed edition; read on Bible Hub).
  • R. S. Hess, Review of E. Tov, The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research, 3rd ed. (2015), Denver Journal (facts only) (2017), on 4QJer b and 4QJer d and the shorter Greek edition.
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on Jer 25:11 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on Jer 27:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on Jer 40:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A Bible Commentary for English Readers (c. 1878–1884), note on Matt 27:9 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on Jer 25:11 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on Jer 40:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on Zech 1:12 (read on Bible Hub).
  • John Gill, An Exposition of the Old Testament (1748–1763), note on Jer 27:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament (1746–1748), note on Matt 27:9 (read on Bible Hub).
  • Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826), note on Matt 27:9 (read on Bible Hub).
  • R. Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and D. Brown, A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Whole Bible (1871), note on Matt 27:9, quoting John Lightfoot's Horae Hebraicae (read on Bible Hub).
  • Augustine, tr. S. D. F. Salmond, The Harmony of the Gospels (NPNF First Series, vol. 6) (1888), 3.7.29–31.
  • M. B. Riddle (ed.), Editor's note to Augustine, Harmony of the Gospels 3.7 (NPNF First Series, vol. 6) (1888), note 1344 in the CCEL text.
  • M. L. Rodkinson (tr.), New Edition of the Babylonian Talmud: Tract Baba Bathra (1902), pp. 44–45 (Baba Bathra 14b–15a: the order of the prophets; who wrote which books).
  • I. H. Hall (tr.), "The Lives of the Prophets", Journal of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis 7 (1887), pp. 36–37 (Jeremiah), from a Syriac manuscript ascribed to Epiphanius of Cyprus.
  • Tertullian, tr. S. Thelwall, Scorpiace (ANF vol. 3) (1885), ch. 8.
  • Jerome, tr. W. H. Fremantle, Against Jovinianus (NPNF Second Series, vol. 6) (1893), 2.37.
  • J. Rendel Harris, The Rest of the Words of Baruch: A Christian Apocalypse of the Year 136 A.D. (1889), pp. 21, 24.
  • E. G. Hirsch, V. Ryssel, S. Schechter and L. Ginzberg, "Jeremiah", Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 7 (1904), biblical data; in rabbinical literature (Seder Olam 26); the Christian legend.
  • M. Seligsohn, "Seder 'Olam Rabbah", Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 11 (1905), authorship; the dates it gives the prophets.
  • Jewish Encyclopedia, "Hezekiah", Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 6 (1904), §2 (Zephaniah's ancestor; Ibn Ezra and Abravanel).
  • Origen, tr. F. Crombie, A Letter to Africanus (ANF vol. 4) (1885), sections 7–8.
  • G. A. Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets, vol. 2 (The Expositor's Bible) (1898), pp. 41, 47 (Zephaniah), 78, 85 (Nahum), 167, 171 (Obadiah), 193 (Zechariah's seventy years).
  • A. B. Davidson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah (Cambridge Bible) (1896), pp. 12–13 (Elkosh; date of Nahum), 45–46, 49, 53 (Habakkuk), 96–97 (Zephaniah).
  • E. B. Pusey, The Minor Prophets, with a Commentary (first published 1860–77; London printing of 1883) (1883), Introduction to Obadiah, pp. 227–229.
  • C. J. Gadd, The Fall of Nineveh: the newly discovered Babylonian Chronicle, No. 21,901, in the British Museum (1923), pp. 15–16, 40–41 (reverse, lines 38–45).
  • D. D. Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, vol. 2 (1927), §§776–778, pp. 295–296 (the Rassam Cylinder on Ni', Thebes).
  • T. Witton Davies, in R. H. Charles (ed.), The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, vol. 1 (1913), pp. 655–656 (Bel and the Dragon: date; verses 33–39).

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