Habakkuk

Habakkuk (hubak'uk) [key], 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.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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