Habakkuk

Habakkuk prophesied on the eve of the Babylonian crisis (c. 615-605 BCE). The book is structured as two complaints and two divine answers, followed by a closing psalm-prayer. First complaint: why is the wicked prospering and Torah being ignored in Judah? (1:2-4). First answer: God is raising up the Babylonians to judge Judah (1:5-11). Second complaint: but the Babylonians are more wicked than Judah — how can you use the more wicked to judge the less wicked? (1:12-2:1). Second answer: write the vision plainly; the wicked's soul is puffed up, but the righteous shall live by his faith (emunah); judgment will come on Babylon in its turn (2:2-20). Closing psalm: even if fig tree does not blossom and fields yield no food, "yet I will rejoice in the LORD" (3:17-18). "The righteous shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:4) is cited by Paul (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11) and Hebrews (10:38) as foundational to justification by faith. It is also cited by the Qumran pesher applied to the Teacher of Righteousness — the same OT verse read in profoundly different ways.