Habakkuk Chapter 2 verses 1 thru 5

Habakkuk (embrace)

According to the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, Habakkuk means (embrace). This book would be the eighth, in order, of the Minor Prophets. Of the facts of the prophet's life, we have no certain information.

One important aspect of the ancient Old Testament order of the Hebrew Bible is that the 12 prophetic works of Hosea through Malachi, sometimes referred to as the Minor Prophets, were designed as a single book called The Twelve. Habakkuk is the eighth book of The Twelve.

Habakkuk lived in the final decades of Judah, Israel’s southern kingdom. It was a time of injustice and idolatry, and he saw the rising threat of the Babylonian empire on the horizon. Unlike the other Hebrew prophets, Habakkuk doesn’t accuse Israel or even speak to the people on Yahweh’s behalf. Instead, all of his words are addressed to Yahweh. The book of Habakkuk tells us about Habakkuk’s personal struggle to believe that Yahweh is good when there is so much tragedy and evil in the world.

Habakkuk sees the darkness of the world as an invitation to have faith in Yahweh’s promise to one day set things right. Living with such faith means trusting that Yahweh loves this world and works to one day eliminate all evil forever.

In this chapter 2 we have an answer expected by the prophet (verse 1), and returned by the Spirit of Yahweh, to the complaints which the prophet made of the violence’s and victories of the Chaldeans in the close of the prior chapter. The answer is,  

I. That after Yahweh has served his own purposes by the prevailing power of the Chaldeans, has tried the faith and patience of his people, and distinguished between the hypocrites and the sincere among them, he will consider with the Chaldeans, will humble and bring down, not only that proud monarch Nebuchadnezzar, but that proud monarchy, for their boundless and greedy thirst after dominion and wealth, for which they themselves should at length be made a prey (verses 2-8).

 II. That not they only, but all other sinners like them, should perish under a divine woe.  

1. Those that are jealous are greedy of wealth and honors (verses 9, 11).  

2. Those that are harmful and oppressive, and raise estates by wrongful acts and the violent seizure of someone’s property (verses 12-14).  

3. Those that promote drunkenness that they may expose their neighbors’ to shame (verses 15-17).  

4. Those that worship idols (verses 18-20).

1   Habakkuk resolutely waits for Yahweh’s reply.

watch = ‘mish-meh'-reth’ watch-tower; referring to the place. 

set me = take my station. 

tower = fortress. 

watch = ‘tsaw-faw'’look out; referring to the act = keep outlook. 

unto: = or, in.

And watch to see what He will say unto me = Habakkuk has raised two important questions with Yahweh, yet he asked both with a proper attitude

2   The Righteous Shall Live by His Faith verse 2-5; Woes against Babylon

Write the vision = which I am about to reveal to thee. Reference to the Old Testament (Deut. 27:8). ‘And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.’

The true sense is, “so legible that whoever readeth it, may run to tell all whom he can the good news of the foe’s coming doom, and Judah’s deliverance.”

“Run” is equivalent to announce the divine revelation (Jerm. 23:21); as everyone who becomes informed of a divine message is bound to run, that is, use all dispatch to make it known to others.

 Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!

Have any questions? Feel free to email me; keitner2024@outlook.com