Habakkuk
The Questioning Prophet
Habakkuk is unique among the prophets because he did not speak to the people on God's behalf, but to God on behalf of the people. He asked the difficult questions about why God allows evil and injustice. The answer he received—that the righteous shall live by faith—became foundational for Christian theology.
Avaintapahtumat
First Lament
Habakkuk asked God why He did not intervene against the injustice in Judah.
2How long, LORD, must I call for help and you not listen? I cry out to you, "Violence!" and you do not save.
עַד־אָ֧נָה יְהוָ֛ה שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶזְעַ֥ק אֵלֶ֛יךָ חָמָ֖ס וְלֹ֥א תוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃
3Why do you make me see wrongdoing? Why do you look upon trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife breaks out and conflict rises up.
לָ֣מָּה תַרְאֵ֤נִי אָ֙וֶן֙ וְעָמָ֣ל תַּבִּ֔יט וְשֹׁ֥ד וְחָמָ֖ס לְנֶגְדִּ֑י וַיְהִ֧י רִ֦יב וּמָד֖וֹן יִשָּֽׂא׃
4So the law goes numb, and justice never comes forth. The wicked hem in the righteous, and justice comes out twisted.
עַל־כֵּן֙ תָּפ֣וּג תּוֹרָ֔ה וְלֹֽא־יֵצֵ֥א לָנֶ֖צַח מִשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּ֤י רָשָׁע֙ מַכְתִּ֣יר אֶת־הַצַּדִּ֔יק עַל־כֵּ֛ן יֵצֵ֥א מִשְׁפָּ֖ט מְעֻקָּֽל׃
God's Surprising Answer
God answered that He would use the Babylonians as His instrument of punishment.
5Look among the nations and watch. Be astonished, be astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if it were told you.
רְא֤וּ בַגּוֹיִם֙ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטוּ וְהִֽתַּמְּה֖וּ תְּמָ֑הוּ כִּי־פֹ֙עַל֙ פֹּעֵ֣ל בִּֽימֵיכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ כִּ֥י יְסֻפָּֽר׃
6Look, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and impetuous nation, who march across the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.
כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֤י מֵקִים֙ אֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים הַגּ֖וֹי הַמַּ֣ר וְהַנִּמְהָ֑ר הַֽהוֹלֵךְ֙ לְמֶרְחֲבֵי־אֶ֔רֶץ לָרֶ֖שֶׁת מִשְׁכָּנ֥וֹת לֹּא־לֽוֹ׃
11Then they sweep past like the wind and move on—guilty men, whose own strength is their god.
אָ֣ז חָלַ֥ף ר֛וּחַ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר וְאָשֵׁ֑ם ז֥וּ כֹח֖וֹ לֵאלֹהֽוֹ׃
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
God revealed that the righteous shall live by their faith—a central verse in the NT.
2Then the LORD answered me: "Write down the vision; inscribe it plainly on tablets, so that the one who reads it may run.
וַיַּעֲנֵ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר כְּת֣וֹב חָז֔וֹן וּבָאֵ֖ר עַל־הַלֻּח֑וֹת לְמַ֥עַן יָר֖וּץ ק֥וֹרֵא בֽוֹ׃
3For the vision awaits its appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, for it will surely come and will not delay.
כִּ֣י ע֤וֹד חָזוֹן֙ לַמּוֹעֵ֔ד וְיָפֵ֥חַ לַקֵּ֖ץ וְלֹ֣א יְכַזֵּ֑ב אִם־יִתְמַהְמָהּ֙ חַכֵּה־ל֔וֹ כִּֽי־בֹ֥א יָבֹ֖א לֹ֥א יְאַחֵֽר׃
4Look at the proud one: his soul is not upright within him. But the righteous shall live by his faith.
הִנֵּ֣ה עֻפְּלָ֔ה לֹא־יָשְׁרָ֥ה נַפְשׁ֖וֹ בּ֑וֹ וְצַדִּ֖יק בֶּאֱמוּנָת֥וֹ יִחְיֶֽה׃
17For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, from faith to faith, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
δικαιοσύνη γὰρ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν, καθὼς γέγραπται· Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται.
11Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because "the righteous will live by faith."
ὅτι δὲ ἐν νόμῳ οὐδεὶς δικαιοῦται παρὰ τῷ θεῷ δῆλον, ὅτι Ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται,
Habakkuk's Song of Praise
Habakkuk concluded with a powerful song of praise, resolving to rejoice in God regardless of circumstances.
17Though the fig tree does not blossom and the vines bear no fruit, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls—
כִּֽי־תְאֵנָ֣ה לֹֽא־תִפְרָ֗ח וְאֵ֤ין יְבוּל֙ בַּגְּפָנִ֔ים כִּחֵשׁ֙ מַעֲשֵׂה־זַ֔יִת וּשְׁדֵמ֖וֹת לֹא־עָ֣שָׂה אֹ֑כֶל גָּזַ֤ר מִמִּכְלָה֙ צֹ֔אן וְאֵ֥ין בָּקָ֖ר בָּרְפָתִֽים׃
18yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
וַאֲנִ֖י בַּיהוָ֣ה אֶעְל֑וֹזָה אָגִ֖ילָה בֵּאלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃
19The LORD God is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me upon the heights. For the choirmaster, with my stringed instruments.
יְהוִ֤הּ אֲדֹנָי֙ חֵילִ֔י וַיָּ֤שֶׂם רַגְלַי֙ כָּֽאַיָּל֔וֹת וְעַ֥ל בָּמוֹתַ֖י יַדְרִכֵ֑נִי לַמְנַצֵּ֖חַ בִּנְגִינוֹתָֽי׃