At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Habakkuk |
| Date | ~609-597 BC (before Babylonian invasion) |
| Genre | Prophecy and dialogue |
| Purpose | Wrestling with God's use of wicked Babylon to judge Judah |
| Chapters | 3 |
Outline
| Chapter | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Habakkuk's first complaint and God's answer (Babylon coming) and second complaint |
| 2 | God's answer, "the righteous shall live by his faith" and woes |
| 3 | Habakkuk's prayer and theophany and final trust |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| Wrestling with God | Honest theological complaint |
| "Righteous shall live by faith" | Habakkuk 2:4, quoted 3x in NT (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38) |
| God's sovereignty | Even over evil empires |
| Faith in middle of disaster | Habakkuk 3, trust regardless |
Key passages
- Habakkuk 2:4, "the righteous shall live by his faith" (foundational for NT justification)
- Habakkuk 3:17-19, "Though the fig tree should not blossom… yet I will rejoice in the LORD"