Habakkuk

Habakkuk (həbak`ək), prophetic book of the Bible. It is a collection of oracles, perhaps three in number, delivered against the backdrop of the Babylonian threat to Judah in c.600 B.C. The first—a dialogue between the prophet and God—asks how God can remain silent when the wicked prosper. God's reply is to assure the prophet that his purposes will not fail though they seem long in coming to pass. The second oracle is an indictment of the arrogant and rapacious. The third, in which Habakkuk praises God, is a liturgical psalm. It anticipates the fulfilment of divine purposes regarding the salvation of his people. A commentary on the book of Habakkuk (1QpHab) was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Bibliography

See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (1990); O. P. Robertson, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah (1990).

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Habakkuk

(flourished 6th or 7th century BC) One of the 12 Minor Prophets of the Hebrew scriptures, traditional author of the book of Habakkuk. (His prophecy is part of a larger book, The Twelve, in the Jewish canon.) He was perhaps a Temple musician as well as a prophet. He denounced the sins of Judah, identifying their enemies the Chaldeans (Babylonians) as an instrument of God's punishment, but also predicted the final triumph of righteousness.

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Habakkuk Old Testament

1. a Hebrew prophet

2. the book containing his oracles and canticle