Answer
The prophet Habakkuk wrote the book of Habakkuk, a brief prophetic work consisting of three chapters. Because of its length, it is grouped with the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. In the Jewish canon, Habakkuk is grouped with other prophets in a collection known as the Twelve.
The book unfolds as an intense dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God, addressing questions Christians and skeptics both ask: “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds” (Habakkuk 1:2–3).
God hears Habakkuk’s complaints and assures him that He will raise the Babylonians to judge the evil that Habakkuk sees around him (Habakkuk 1:5–11). That answer gives rise to another question: how can God use wicked Babylon to punish His own people? (verses 12–17), and so the pattern of complaint-and-response continues. The book of Habakkuk exposes the depth of Israel’s wickedness, tackles the problem of God’s apparent silence in the face of evil, and encourages God’s faithful to remain steadfast. Christians grappling with the persistence of evil in our world can identify with Habakkuk’s cry and take comfort in God’s reply.
The authorship of this book is undisputed, although there’s some debate about whether Habakkuk wrote the third chapter, as it is absent from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Chapter 3, however, is included in the Septuagint.
Based on the liturgical nature of the book, Habakkuk likely served as a temple prophet. Habakkuk wrote the book during the pre-exilic period, possibly after the fall of Nineveh, making dating this book relatively straightforward to the early seventh century BC.
In the Hebrew Bible, Habakkuk is not mentioned outside of the book bearing his name. Nevertheless, his name appears in other Jewish texts, such as Bel and the Dragon, which is found in the Septuagint. Likely derived from folk tales about Daniel, Bel and the Dragon features Habakkuk delivering food to Daniel in the lion’s den.
Often overlooked today, the little book of Habakkuk offers valuable insight. In dealing with the highs and lows of the Christian life, it is beneficial to study Habakkuk.
