Among the shortest, least read, yet most important books of the Bible is that of Habakkuk. From him the apostle Paul derived the text for his gospel of justification by faith (Gal. 3:11; Rom. 1:17); and from him, through Paul, the Reformer Luther received the heritage of the same truth.
The Man
Contrary to what might be expected in view of the significance of his message, Habakkuk was an obscure man. The names of most of the prophets have recognizable meaning, which cannot be said of this name, unless we accept the theory that it is a derivative from the Assyrian, in which language it seems to designate a lowly garden vegetable. The date of his preaching is conjectural, being around 630 or 629 n. c., early in Josiah's reign (2 Kings 22; 23:1-35), when the great reformation was set in motion: a time when the effects of the long, infamous reign of Manasseh were still felt pathetically by those who had sought to remain faithful to the precepts of Moses.
Of his personal history nothing is known, though from the experience revealed notably in chapter 2, verses 1-3, as well as from the breadth and poignancy of his problem, it appears that he was a man of profound reflection and observation, characterized by intimate communion with God, for shallow minds are not vouchsafed significant revelations by God.
The Book
An analysis of the structure and content of the book as an indivisible unit is necessary for the understanding of the sentence which is the heart of his message. (See 2:4.) Chapter 1, verse 1 gives the superscription. Chapter 1, verses 2-4, gives expression to Habakkuk's plaint because of the lawlessness and social injustice, especially the besetment of the righteous (verse 4), which was rife in the land. To this comes the divine response (verses 5-11), in the form of a promise that punishment would come upon the land through the instrumentality of the Babylonians.
However, this leads to a yet deeper perplexity. (See 1:12-17.) Why does God permit such merciless treatment of Judah at the hands of these heathen? is the immediate historical problem. But the question with keenest pathos is the moral one as to why God looks on while the knave ravages the saint, the brutal slay the meek, and the unholy oppress the righteous. Verse 13; cf. 1:4.
Philosophers have called this the problem of theodicy—the justification or vindication of God's ways to man. How can a good God suffer an evil world? Thinkers, from the Stoics to Leibnitz and Kant, have wrestled with this problem. Men of the Bible, like Job, Jeremiah (cf. 12: 1, 2; 15: 15ff.), the psalmist (cf. 73, etc.), and others confronted God with this query and asked an answer of Him. It is, in fact, the persistent problem of man's collective existence. A recent work by Paul Radin, "Primitive Man as Philosopher," contains a chapter, "The Tragic Sense of Life," which illustrates the poignancy of this question in the thought of many primitive peoples. There is retold "the profound tale of the Baila woman who spent her long life seeking God so that she might ask Him why He had afflicted her with so many misfortunes." To await the answer, with exemplary nobility of soul the prophet withdrew (2:1-3), figuratively, to his tower of silent observation and prayerful reflection. Then, in this receptive state he received preliminary directions for receiving the response; and, since it would be permanent, and of interest to all, he was bidden to write it so that learned and unlearned, the slow and the hasty reader, would gain an understanding of it. These instructions are freighted with the admonition that the answer is to be awaited in confidence.
The divine answer comes then in brief, pithy form in verse 4: "The righteous shall live by his faith," A. R. V. That is, What you say about the wicked is true, but the good man on his part will live by his faith and his life will be based on integrity.
Verses 5-19 expand the thought of verse 4a, giving a description of the way of the unrighteous through the literary device of five woes on oppression, cruel ambition, injustice, drunkenness, violence, idolatry. This part seems to follow as the understanding resultant from heeding the advice of verse 4b. So must also be understood the remainder of the book. Chapter 3, verses 1-15, follows with a promise of salvation to Jehovah's people; and the conclusion (verses 16-19) issues in a victorious paean to Jehovah, the strength of His people. Verse 20.
The Heart of the Message
"The righteous shall live by his faith." Who is meant by the righteous man is obvious in the context. He is contrasted with the wicked man, who is here said to be "puffed up." This latter is a pictorial word descriptive of an uneven, rough road. Morally it means arrogant, unstable, having pitfalls and objects of stumbling. Over against him is the upright, even tempered soul (Isa. 40:3, 4), one who is even, steady in doing what is right (cf. 1:4). Such is the righteous man. The concept of the righteous or just man has in this book no complicated theological implications, such, for instance, as to "imputed" or "imparted" righteousness.
The concept here 18 very simple, referring only to the virtue of uprightness according to the given standards, which in Habakkuk's day were, both religious and civil, embodied in the code of Moses. In this sense it is in all ages perfectly obvious who is "not upright" (verse 4a), that is, does not do what is right; and who is righteous, that is, does what is right.
Now, the good, well-doing man "shall live by his faith." "Faith" is qualified as a characteristic possessed actually or ideally by the righteous man. The Hebrew word for "faith" here is "'e munch," which means "faithfulness," "unwavering loyalty." Its basic idea is physical steadiness or firmness, as in Exodus 17:12 of the hands of Moses (cf. Isa. 33:6). From this develop the further meanings of permanency (1 Chron. 9:26), trueness (Jer. 5:3; 7:28); of trustworthiness (2 Rings 12:15, 16); righteousness (1 Sam. 26:23; Isa. 59.4; Jer. 5:1) ; finally, of integrity of character and conduct. "Such a character has in it the principle of permanence, while the Chaldean, whose soul is not upright in him, shall perish. (Cp. Prov. 10: 25)." * This word is also used of God's faithfulness in general, in His heavenly reign, toward Israel and the righteous, in carrying out His promises, and so forth. (See any complete Hebrew lexicon for references.) So then, the "faith" of the righteous is the permanence, steadiness, faithfulness, of his integrity of character, the loyal adherence to Jehovah and His law as against the heathen Chaldean or the faithless, apostate, unfair, injustice-loving countryman of Habakkuk.
The righteous man by his loyal continuance in righteousness (i. e., doing what is right, a virtue of which everybody is capable) "shall live." Men live by a great variety of things. That on which they thrive is that by which they live. The unrighteous, in the context, lives by wrong doing; therefrom he derives the quality of satisfaction, that state of being, which is properly called his life. Again, in contrast with him and in the same sense, the righteous lives by doing and being good. This kind of life is thus stated to be its own goal and reward, the all-absorbing interest of the righteous man.
The divine response appears in the form of an injunction, "he shall," as though there were a possibility or even a tendency for the righteous man to live by something else. Indeed, in a world in which he is exposed to indignities and mistreatment, the tendency frequently appears in the good man to cast about In various directions for satisfaction and compensation, most easily in the direction of the other man, his experiences and affairs. Frequently a comparative type of righteousness develops which does not thrive on its own doing of right and duty irrespective, of which the attitude of Peter (John 21:22) is one case in point, and the answer by Jesus is an exact application of the principle expressed in God's answer to Habakkuk. By his own faith in the right and his faithfulness in doing what is right shall the good man live. Never mind the unfair treatment which is meted out to you by the wicked; never mind what you regard as favored treatment of others, which you may even better deserve; do you simply focus your whole being on a loyal life of goodness, and therewith be content.
Habakkuk's problem was, How can the good man get along in this world? The answer is plain, yet profound, and never has a more satisfactory answer been given. It should be noted that while Paul quotes these words from Habakkuk, he is dealing with quite another question, namely, How can a man become righteous? Because of this, Habakkuk must not be read in the light of Paul's application of his words, nor Paul in the light of Habakkuk's situation. Each must be taken by himself.
It must also be observed that the pathetic "why?" (1:2, 3, 13) is not answered. God withholds the explanation as to why He permits injustice and wickedness to be dealt the righteous. The human mind, being finite and otherwise limited, is unable to comprehend the reason for this in the mind of an infinite, transcendent God. How can a father explain his actions to his babe? However, no prohibition is laid upon the rational quest of a solution. Only a proviso is made, namely, that the individual who is bent on such a quest remain faithful in his life to divine principles and standards of conduct. The fatal error in vogue among philosophers is that they feel it necessary for the sake of objectivity of thought to withdraw themselves from subjective participation in a positive religious life. But how can a child hope to understand his father by estranging himself from him? Only in the cultivation of an intimate relationship can there rest the possibility of an understanding.
While a theoretical answer to the plaintive "why?" is not given, yet there is proffered a practical solution in the empiricism of a faithful life of doing what is right. A deepening understanding of God is gained through growing intimacy with Him. Chapter 3. The problem loses its poignancy in the experience of confidence toward God as the one who is in charge of the world and will bring all things to an equalization, and the establishment of a just order. Meanwhile, a life of faithful, steady doing what is right will change "the tragic sense of life" to a psalm of joy and strength (note 3:17-19; the entire third chapter is in the form of a psalm), to a freshness of life filled with active power and confidence (3:19; cf. Ps. 73: 23-28) drawn from God, who is good though inscrutable.
College Place, Wash.
* Davidson on Habakkuk, Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, ad loc.
