Habakkuk 1

King James Version

Full text for Habakkuk Chapter 1

1¶ The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

2O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! [even] cry out unto thee [of] violence, and thou wilt not save!

3Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause [me] to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence [are] before me: and there are [that] raise up strife and contention.

4Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

5¶ Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for [I] will work a work in your days, [which] ye will not believe, though it be told [you].

6For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, [that] bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces [that are] not theirs.

7They [are] terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

8Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle [that] hasteth to eat.

9They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up [as] the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.

10And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.

11Then shall [his] mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, [imputing] this his power unto his god.

12¶ [Art] thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

13[Thou art] of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, [and] holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth [the man that is] more righteous than he?

14And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, [that have] no ruler over them?

15They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.

16Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion [is] fat, and their meat plenteous.

17Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Habakkuk laments the pervasive violence and injustice in Judah, questioning God's apparent inaction. The Lord responds by revealing He will raise up the Chaldeans, a fierce and swift nation, to execute judgment. The prophet then expresses his perplexity, questioning how a holy God can use an even more wicked nation to punish His people, and why He tolerates their treachery.

Medium Summary

The prophet Habakkuk begins by crying out to the Lord, lamenting the widespread violence, iniquity, and injustice prevalent in Judah, where the law is slack and wrong judgment prevails. He questions why God allows such grievance and does not intervene. The Lord responds by declaring that He is performing a work that will astonish them: He is raising up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, to invade and possess lands not their own. This nation is described as terrifyingly swift and powerful, sweeping through the land, scoffing at kings, and attributing their might to their own god. Habakkuk then shifts his plea, acknowledging God's everlasting nature and holiness, yet questioning why such a pure-eyed God would tolerate the treachery of the Chaldeans. He wonders why God remains silent while the wicked devour those more righteous, treating men like fish without a ruler, to be caught and rejoiced over by their oppressors who then worship their own power and nets.

Long Summary

Habakkuk opens his prophecy with a fervent lament to the Lord, expressing deep distress over the rampant violence, iniquity, and grievance he witnesses in Judah. He cries out, questioning why God does not hear his pleas or intervene to save, observing that spoiling, strife, and contention are pervasive. The prophet notes that the law has become slack, and righteous judgment is corrupted, as the wicked surround and oppress the righteous, leading to perverted justice. In response, the Lord declares that He is about to perform an astonishing work among the nations, one that will be unbelievable even when told. This divine action involves raising up the Chaldeans, described as a bitter, hasty, and terrible nation, destined to march through the land and seize dwelling places that are not theirs. Their power and dignity proceed from themselves, and their horses are swifter than leopards and fiercer than evening wolves, with their horsemen flying like eagles to devour. They are depicted as coming solely for violence, gathering captives like sand, scoffing at kings, and easily overcoming strongholds by heaping dust. The Chaldeans are portrayed as eventually attributing their power to their own god, demonstrating their pride and idolatry. Habakkuk then addresses God, affirming His eternal nature and holiness, stating that Judah will not utterly perish. He acknowledges that God has ordained the Chaldeans for judgment and correction. However, the prophet immediately raises a profound theological dilemma: how can a God of purer eyes than to behold evil tolerate the treachery of the Chaldeans? He questions why God remains silent while this more wicked nation devours those who are comparatively more righteous. Habakkuk likens men to fish of the sea, without a ruler, easily caught by the Chaldeans in their nets and drags, causing the oppressors to rejoice and attribute their success to their own strength, sacrificing to their nets. He concludes by questioning if the Chaldeans will endlessly empty their net, continually slaying nations without restraint.

Core Concepts

  • Prophet's LamentHabakkuk's initial cry to God, expressing distress over the pervasive violence, iniquity, and perversion of justice within Judah.
  • Divine InterventionGod's declaration that He is actively raising up the Chaldeans to execute a judgment that will astonish the people.
  • The Chaldean ScourgeDescription of the Chaldeans as a bitter, swift, and terrible nation, destined to conquer and plunder, characterized by their self-derived power and violence.
  • Theological DilemmaHabakkuk's questioning of God's holiness, wondering how a pure-eyed God can tolerate the greater wickedness of the Chaldeans while they punish the comparatively more righteous.
  • Injustice and OppressionThe prophet's observation that the law is slack, judgment is corrupted, and the wicked oppress the righteous, treating men like helpless fish.
  • Idolatry of PowerThe Chaldeans' practice of attributing their military success and plenteous portion to their own nets and drags, rather than to divine providence.
  • God's Sovereignty in JudgmentDespite Habakkuk's questioning, there is an underlying acknowledgment that God has ordained the Chaldeans for judgment and correction.