The obvious and hidden of Habakkuk

So who was Habakkuk or Chavakuk חֲבַקּ֖וּק which means to hug or embrace

Not much is known about him and only that he may have lived just before the Babylonian exile,around the late 7th century BCE.He is considered one of the 12 minor prophets of Tanakh or the Old Testament.So let us jump in and look.

Here is Habakkuk 1:2

עַד־אָ֧נָה יְהֹוָ֛ה שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶזְעַ֥ק אֵלֶ֛יךָ חָמָ֖ס וְלֹ֥א תוֹשִֽׁיעַ

Until how long Lord will I cry out and not be heard,I cry to you about violence and You will not save.

A couple fun things ,the first word used in “I cry out” is shivati שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי which is related to the verb “shua” meaning to cry out in desperation which is where the verb Yeshua meaning salvation (to be rescued) comes from,also Jesus Hebrew name.If you fell in the woods and broke a leg and were yelling to be rescued that would be shua ,so yeshua means to be rescued and with a capital Y ,Yeshua/Jesus.And then the word used at the end in you will not save is toshei’a תוֹשִֽׁיעַ ,also related to Yeshua /Jesus.

So a very intertesting begining.

Here is 1.6

“I am raising up the Babylonians,
    that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth
    to seize dwellings not their own.”

Although the Hebrew uses the term Kashdim/כַּשְׂדִּ֔ים as opposed to Babylonians which is not as common.This appears then pre exilic because often the term used is Bavel for Babylon rquating them with the tower of Babel.Although the name Babylon is not related to Babel which means confused in Hebrew whereas Babylon means gate of the gods in Greek.But in any case a very prophetic verse.It appears the Babylonians called themselves Babilim which is Akkadian for gate of the gods which could further validate the Biblical account at Babel.It is unclear how the Kasdim or Chaldeans differ from Akkadia or Babylonia.Although in books like Jeremiah the Babylonians and Chaldeans are used interchangeably but in any case both peoples would have come from Summerian and Akkadian stock.The Arameans and Assyrians were farther north and west into northwestern Iraq,Syria and Lebanon.

Here is 2.2 the Lord’s response to the complaint

“Write down the revelation
    and make it plain on tablets
    so that a herald may run with it.
³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
    it speaks of the end
    and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
    it will certainly come
    and will not delay”

Could this be speaking of the Revelation of St John on Patmos?

Here is 2.4

Behold, it is puffed up-his soul is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

This passage is crucial to our belief in salvation by faith and this passage is what inspired Martin Luther to question the Catholic Church.

One thing very striking about the second chapter of Habakkuk is that although it is prophecy it also is wosdom literature,sort of Ecclesiastes and Jeremiah rolled into one.Reading in general the second chapter of Habakkuk has as much about our lives as believers as it has prophecy!

Here is 2.6-9

“⁶ “Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,

“‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
    and makes himself wealthy by extortion!
    How long must this go on?’
⁷ Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
    Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
    Then you will become their prey.
⁸ Because you have plundered many nations,
    the peoples who are left will plunder you.
For you have shed human blood;
    you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

⁹ “Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain,
    setting his nest on high
    to escape the clutches of ruin!”

very interesting ,no book in scripture quite like it!

Habakkuk 3 is a prayer shigayon form which is a musical a form also used in psalm 7 and not a lot is known about this form but it could come from an Akkadian root meaning to lament.However from the language used by the prophet it may be a stringed instrument like a harp or a lute type of instrument.

Please read the third chapter it is beautiful and maybe some day I’ll make a song out of it.

Thank you all and God Bless !