Introduction

What is the Book of Habakkuk About?

Read this 3-minute introduction to help you find your bearings in the Bible story, and be inspired to read Habakkuk!

Videos
on HABAKKUK

Historical Context
OF HABAKKUK

Accordion Content

Habakkuk is unusual as a prophetic book. It never addresses the people of Judah directly. Rather it is a dialogue between the prophet and God. The prophet Habakkuk was probably a contemporary of Zephaniah and Jeremiah, and possibly even of Ezekiel and Daniel. He probably prophesied no later than the end of Josiah’s reign (640609 BC). 

From Bibles.net: Remember that the ultimate author of every book of the Bible is the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). He has written this book to equip you for life, to help you know the true God, and to give you hope (2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 15:4). The Holy Spirit wrote Habakkuk for your good and to lead you into joy.

Habakkuk was likely written several years prior to Lamentations, somewhere between 640 and 609 BC. The prophet delivered the word of the Lord just before the fall of Assyria. He prophesied that God would use Babylon (“the Chaldeans”) to punish Judah, just as he had used Assyria to punish Israel in 722 (Habakkuk 1:6). This prophecy was fulfilled in 587 and was the occasion for the suffering described in Lamentations. It does not appear that the Babylonians were at the city gates at the time of the composition of Habakkuk. Nonetheless, Habakkuk was aware of the imminent threat. Judgment would come because the people of Judah were spiraling downward in unfaithfulness. They had devolved into syncretistic practices, worshiping Baal on the high places and even offering child sacrifices to Molech. This was abhorrent to the Lord, and he was preparing to pour out his wrath upon them. By this time, Assyria had ruled Judah for more than a century, but Assyria was becoming weaker; Babylon would soon conquer them. Habakkuk prophesied in this tense political climate. He likely lived to witness the destruction of Nineveh by Babylon in 612 BC as well as the battle of Haran (609 BC) and the defeat of the Assyrians at Carchemish (605). He may even have lived to witness the fall of Judah to Babylon in 587.

—Camden Bucey

Source: Content taken from Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah: A 12-Week Study © 2018 by Camden Bucey. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

The Near East at the Time of Habakkuk 

c. 620 BC

Though the exact date of the prophecies of Habakkuk is difficult to determine, it is likely that he prophesied a short time before the Babylonian invasions of Judah, which began in 605 BC. During this time the Assyrian Empire was in decline, and the Babylonians were rising to replace them as the dominant power in the Near East. 

Unless otherwise indicated, this content is adapted from the ESV Global Study Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2012 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Books

Message Series
On Habakkuk

No Simple Answers by Alistair Begg

This 4part message series by Alistair Begg, walks us through the whole book of Habakkuk. You will learn where and how to find acceptance, peace, and even joy when circumstances challenge our understanding of God, and leave us crying out “Why, Lord?” and “How long?”

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Habakkuk Dictionary

As you read through Habakkuk, you might come across words and ideas that are foreign to you. Here are a few definitions you will want to know! Note that this dictionary was created for the New International Version (NIV) Bible.

To pour oil on a person or thing. A person was anointed to show that God had chosen him or her to do a special job. Samuel anointed David to show that God had chosen him to be king.

The capital city and the country that was one of the major political and cultural centers of the ancient world. The city of Babylon was located at the junction of the Euphrates River and major east-west caravan routes. For nearly 1,000 years, until the rise of Assyria in the ninth century BC, Babylon dominated much of the Middle East. Near the end of the seventh century BC, Babylon regained its independence and for nearly 100 years asserted its influence throughout the region and was a constant threat to the kingdom of Judah, finally resulting in the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of Judah’s leading citizens. Babylon was captured by the Persians in 539 BC and then continued to decline, until it was destroyed by the Greek army under Alexander the Great.

Pure; set apart; belonging to God. God is holy. He is perfect and without sin. Jesus is holy too. He is without sin and dedicated to doing what God wants. Because Jesus died to take the punishment for sin and then rose again, people who believe in him have the power to be holy too. God helps them to become more and more pure and loving, like Jesus.

A statue or other image of a god that is made by people and then worshiped as if it had the power of God. Idols are often made of wood, stone, or metal. Sometimes the Bible calls anything that takes the place of God in a person’s life an idol. God tells us not to worship idols but, rather, to worship only him.

That which is right and fair. Most of the prophets in the Bible emphasized that God is just and that he wants his people to act justly. Many of the prophets’ warnings were given because the leaders and people were guilty of injustice (such as cheating others, especially the poor).

Showing more love or kindness to people than they expect or deserve.

(1) To cause to happen. Psalm 65:9 says that the streams are filled with water to provide people with food because God has ordained—or caused—it. (2) To appoint or set apart a person to do special work. Paul was ordained to be a missionary to the Gentiles. (3) To decide or command.

(1) To loot or rob, especially during a war. (2) The property taken by such looting or robbery.

To make known something that was hidden or unknown. In Old Testament times, God revealed himself through his mighty acts and through his words to the prophets and to other people such as Abraham, Moses, and David. In the New Testament, God made himself known by sending Jesus Christ. As Jesus lived on earth, he revealed God’s love, his holiness, and his power, helping us know what God is like. One of the ways God reveals himself to us is through his Word, the Bible. The last book of the Bible is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ because it describes how Jesus will triumph over evil.

Thinking and doing what is correct (or right) and holy. God is righteous because he does only what is perfect and holy. A person who has accepted Jesus as Savior is looked at by God as being free from the guilt of sin, so God sees that person as being righteous. People who are members of God’s family show their love for him by doing what is correct and holy, living in righteous ways.

A gift or offering given to God. A sacrifice usually involved killing an animal to pay for sin. The New Testament tells us that Jesus died as the once-for-all sacrifice for sinners and that no further sacrifices for sin are necessary.

One who saves. The Old Testament almost always speaks of God as the Savior of his people. Sometimes God sent someone to help his people and that person was called a savior. In the New Testament, Savior refers to Jesus. He died and rose again to rescue, or save, us from our sins.

Misery, sorrow, or great suffering.

Very great anger.

Dictionary Source

This content is from What the Bible Is All About, written by Henrietta Mears. Copyright © 1953, 2011 by Gospel Light. Copyright assigned to Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 

Tough Questions
From Habakkuk

We have found answers to some tough questions that we anticipate may arise as you read Habakkuk. We know we can’t answer every question you will have; therefore, we have written this article, so you know how to find answers for your kids: How Do I Answer Tough Questions About the Bible?

Insights aBOUT HABAKKUK

The following insights are from pastors and scholars who have spent significant time studying the book of Habakkuk.

The prophets were truly human. The confidence with which they proclaimed the word of God when they received it was often the end product of wrestling to understand just what God was doing and planning. Habakkuk had two problems with this that we can identify: Why does God seem to do nothing about the wickedness in the world (Habakkuk 1:2)? And why, when he acts, does he use such unworthy agents—in this case the Babylonians (Habakkuk 1:5-6, 13)? The answer the Lord gave him and his response to it will do for us too: hold to what the Lord has spoken (Habakkuk 2:2), wait for his word to be fulfilled (Habakkuk 2:3), and trust him come what may (Habakkuk 2:4; 3:7-19).  

—Alec Motyer  

Source: Content taken from 6 Ways the Old Testament Speaks Today © 2018 by Alec Motyer. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. This book is now licensed under InterVarsity Press.

In our day, when the topic of God’s wrath is taboo everywhere from dinner parties to pastors’ pulpits, our study [of Habakkuk] faces wrath head on. We’ll see how God punishes evil and unrepentant sin and that he must punish sin because he is a just God. So his justice is another theme. At the same time, his mercy is also here to see, because, for his own people, his judgments are meant to restore, not destroy. Additionally, we are going to learn a lot about waiting for God and what he accomplishes in our lives as we look with patience and hope for understanding and answers to prayer. Finally—and perhaps most importantly—we’re going to see that God is faithful to deliver his people, even from messes of their own making, and to save them from death and destruction. 

—Lydia Brownback 

Source: Content taken from Habakkuk: Learning to Live by Faith © 2022 by Lydia Brownback. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Habakkuk, in all his difficulties, went to God in prayer and waited patiently for his answer (see Habakkuk 2:1). He stood on the watchtower and listened to God. G. Campbell Morgan said that when Habakkuk looked at his circumstances, he was confused (see Habakkuk 1:3); but when he waited for God and listened to him, he sang (see Habakkuk 3:18-19).

—Henrietta Mears

Source: This content is from What the Bible Is All About, written by Henrietta Mears. Copyright © 1953, 2011 by Gospel Light. Copyright assigned to Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 

God’s ways are mysterious, and the realization of Habakkuk’s prophecy will mean suffering for the people of God, yet “the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4 ESV). God’s people must look not to themselves but to another—to Jesus Christ. Their confidence does not rest in their own strength, nor in their ability to comprehend everything. It rests instead in the Lord, who is at work on behalf of his covenant people even before they cry out to him. 

—Camden Bucey  

Source: Content taken from Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah: A 12-Week Study © 2018 by Camden Bucey. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 

What if God does things we think are contrary to his character? And so, the prophet dialogues with God. This is natural, and even is encouraged by the Lord, who desires his people to come to him in prayer. The Christian life is a struggle, and it is not easy to walk by faith… This passage demonstrates the effectiveness of prayer and the responsiveness of God. Although God is immutable (see “Theological Soundings” on Lamentations 3), he relates to his people. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Habakkuk 13:8), but he has determined to relate to his people. And so, our prayers to the Lord do not fall upon deaf or unresponsive ears, because he responds according to his will (Habakkuk 1:5–11). Prayer is the framework by which we express our burdens to God. 

—Camden Bucey  

Source: Content taken from Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah: A 12-Week Study © 2018 by Camden Bucey. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 

Often when we look around at our circumstances we want to cry out, “Lord, what are you doing? What is going on?” There is something telling in this kind of stark and honest dialogue with God. It may seem obvious, but lament, rather than revealing a distance from God, reveals that an actual relationship is intact. When we feel close enough to God to talk to him honestly about our circumstances, intimacy is revealed. Moreover, it is often through intimate, honest lament that clarity is received. 

—Paxson Jeancake 

Source: Paxson Jeancake, quoted from his article, “Sometimes a Light Surprises: The Treasured Gift of a Troubled Soul.” This article originally appeared here at The Gospel Coalition.

It is no small wonder why the prophets, in introducing what they have to say refer to it not always as an oracle, as it is here at the beginning of Habakkuk, but as a burden. Indeed, a “burden” is the alternative word for oracle, and I think it is better to read it as a “burden,” because what is actually happening is that God comes in some supernatural way and invades, if you like, the heart and mind of the prophet—a normal individual living a normal life in normal surroundings reading his newspaper, going about his business. And God, if you like, impresses upon this character God’s burden, his burden for a broken world, his burden for his wayward people, and he comes, as it were, and he lays that burden on the shoulders of the prophet. And he gives the prophet to see with eyes that make him unique among his contemporaries. And when he views the events and circumstances of life, he sees them almost as it were, in another dimension which weighs upon him. And so it is that under the direction of God for him to write in this way. To speak in this way, is not simply the proclamation of a seer or the introduction of an oracle, but is in every realistic sense the offloading of a burden.   

—Alistair Begg 

Source: Alistair Begg, “Look and Be Amazed,” (sermon, May 12 2008), https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/look-and-be-amazed/. Copyright Truth For Life. Used with Permission. www.truthforlife.org.

Habakkuk Playlist

Discover music inspired by the message and content of the book of Habakkuk.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus
by Shane and Shane feat. Hannah Hardin | Hymn
Judge of All the Earth
by Shai Linne feat. Sovereign Grace Kids | Rap
Still on the Throne
by Mitch Wong | Contemporary
While I Wait
by Lincoln Brewster | Contemporary
Though The Fruit Tree Doesn't Blossom
by Geraldine Latty | Praise & Worship
Yet Will I Praise You
by Passion feat. Crowder | Praise & Worship
I Will Rejoice (From Habakkuk 3)
by Nathan Clark George | Folk
Waiting Here For You
by Christy Nockels | Praise & Worship
Highlands (Song of Ascents)
by The Worship Initiative feat. John Marc Kohl | Indie
Bigger Than I Thought
by The Worship Initiative feat. Davy Flowers | Praise & Worship
Now But Not Yet
by Aaron Williams | Praise & Worship
Habakkuk's Prayer
by Scottish Psalmist | Indie
More Songs