Habakkuk 1:12—2:4
Chapter 1
Plea and Description
But you, are you not the Lord from old ages? You, my holy God, cannot die. You have set these people to serve your justice, and you have made them as firm as a rock, to carry out your punishment.The Lord, your eyes are too pure to tolerate wickedness, and you cannot look on oppression. Why, then, do you look on treacherous people and watch in silence while the evildoer swallows up one better than himself?
You treat human beings like fish in the sea, like reptiles who are nobody’s concern.
This nation catches everyone on its hook, pulls them out with its net, and heaps them up in its dragnet.
Pleased and delighted with their catch, they offer sacrifices to their net and burn incense to their dragnets, since these have supplied them with plenty of fish and abundant food.
Will they then continue, endlessly emptying their nets, slaughtering nations without mercy?
Chapter 2
Waiting and Oracle
I will stand on my watchtower and take my position on the battlements; I will see what he replies if there is an answer to my question.
Then the Lord responded and said: “Write down the vision, inscribe it on tablets so it can be easily read,
since this is a vision for an appointed time; it will not fail but will be fulfilled in its proper time. If it is delayed, wait for it, because it will come a and will not be late. Look:
I don’t look with favor on the one who gives way; the upright, on the other hand, will live by his faithfulness.”
Commentaries
Plea and Description.
In response to God’s reply, the prophet persists in voicing his complaint, highlighting that the Babylonians are unfaithful and unjust (13), idolatrous (16), and cruel (17b). From his perspective, the punishment divinely announced seems excessive and unfair, intensifying the suffering of the righteous. Like Job, Habakkuk seeks to understand God’s actions throughout history. His prayer is persistent, bold, and even daring, yet always filled with confidence and hope (cf. Job 19:25-27).
Waiting and Oracle.
Like a sentry, the prophet waits alert and watchful for the Lord’s response to his second complaint. God does not delay and instructs him to write down his words clearly, a message that is essential for understanding his actions in human history and the attitude he expects from his faithful: “The ambitious will fail; the righteous, because of their faithfulness, will live” (4). The proud, who trust in their wealth and military or political power, are insatiable, like death, which will inevitably overtake them (5). In this context, the Hebrew word “emunah” signifies steadfastness and faithfulness in the face of violence and injustice. Although it may seem that the Lord is delaying, the righteous are called to “hope against all hope” (Rom 4:18). It is not so much faith in doctrine or teaching as it is complete trust in the Lord of history, who will fulfill his promises and execute his plan.