Habakkuk 2: The Righteous Live by Faith
Habakkuk waits on his watchtower; God tells him to write the vision, declares that the righteous live by faith, and pronounces woes on the proud.
Habakkuk 2 (WEB)
1 I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
2 Yahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.
3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come. It won’t delay.
4 Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith.
5 Yes, moreover, wine is treacherous. A haughty man who doesn’t stay at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol, and he is like death, and can’t be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations, and heaps to himself all peoples.
6 Won’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?’
7 Won’t your debtors rise up suddenly, and wake up those who make you tremble, and you will be their victim?
8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you, because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all who dwell in it.
9 Woe to him who gets an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil!
10 You have devised shame to your house, by cutting off many peoples, and have sinned against your soul.
11 For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it.
12 Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, isn’t it of Yahweh of Armies that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory, as the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, pouring your inflaming wine until they are drunk, so that you may gaze at their naked bodies!
16 You are filled with shame, and not glory. You will also drink, and be exposed! The cup of Yahweh’s right hand will come around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of the animals, which made them afraid; because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to every city and to those who dwell in them.
18 “What value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute idols?
19 Woe to him who says to the wood, ‘Awake!’ or to the mute stone, ‘Arise!’ Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in its midst.
20 But Yahweh is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!”
Habakkuk 2 (KJV)
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:
6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!
7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?
8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.
11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the Lord’s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.
17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
Habakkuk 2 (ASV)
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will speak with me, and what I shall answer concerning my complaint.
2 And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.
4 Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith.
5 Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man, that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples.
6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and that ladeth himself with pledges!
7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booty unto them?
8 Because thou hast plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder thee, because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all that dwell therein.
9 Woe to him that getteth an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil!
10 Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thy soul.
11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.
15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, to thee that addest thy venom, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
16 Thou art filled with shame, and not glory: drink thou also, and be as one uncircumcised; the cup of Jehovah’s right hand shall come round unto thee, and foul shame shall be upon thy glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of the beasts, which made them afraid; because of men’s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all that dwell therein.
18 What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
Summary
Habakkuk resolves to wait. He takes his stand at his watch and on the ramparts to look out and see what God will say and how to answer concerning his complaint. Yahweh answers, telling him to write the vision plainly on tablets so that anyone who runs may read it, for the vision is for an appointed time and will surely come, though it tarries; the faithful are to wait for it. At the heart of God's answer comes the great word: the proud man's soul is puffed up and not upright within him, but the righteous will live by his faith. God then turns to judgment, pronouncing a series of five woes against the arrogant oppressor. Woe to the one who piles up what is not his and grows rich by extortion; woe to the one who builds his house by evil gain to escape harm; woe to the one who founds a town in bloodshed and a city in iniquity; woe to the one who makes his neighbors drunk to shame them; and woe to the one who trusts in lifeless idols of wood and stone. In the midst of these woes shines a promise that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh's glory as the waters cover the sea. The chapter ends in awed silence: Yahweh is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
Voices
- Habakkuk — The prophet who takes his stand on the watchtower to wait for God's reply, ready to listen and to answer concerning his complaint.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who answers, commanding the vision to be written, declaring that the righteous live by faith, pronouncing woes on the proud, and promising his glory will fill the earth.
- The proud oppressor — The arrogant and violent figure—greedy, bloodthirsty, and idolatrous—against whom God pronounces his five woes, whose soul is puffed up and not upright.
Key Verse
Habakkuk 2:4 (WEB)
Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith.
Lessons Learned
- Faith involves waiting: taking our stand and watching for God to speak even when answers do not come at once.
- God's vision is for an appointed time; though it tarries, it will surely come and will not delay.
- The righteous live by faith, trusting God's word rather than their own strength or sight.
- Pride and greed lead to ruin; God's woes assure us that injustice will be repaid.
- History is moving toward the day when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God's glory.
- Faith waits and watches. Habakkuk says, “I will stand at my watch… and will look out to see what he will say to me” (Habakkuk 2:1, WEB). Faith expects God to answer and positions itself to listen.
- God's word is sure though it tarries. “Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come. It won’t delay” (Habakkuk 2:3, WEB). God's promises are kept on his schedule, not ours.
- The righteous live by faith. “The righteous will live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, WEB). This is the gospel in seed form: life with God comes by trusting him, as Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews proclaim of faith in Christ.
- God's glory will fill the earth. “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14, WEB). The triumph of God's glory is more certain than the present triumph of evil.
- Habakkuk takes his stand on the watchtower to wait for God's answer (2:1). What does this posture teach us about how to seek God in seasons of confusion?
- Why does God tell Habakkuk to write the vision plainly and to wait for it (2:2-3)? How does that help someone struggling to trust God's timing?
- “The righteous will live by his faith” (2:4) is quoted three times in the New Testament. What does this verse mean here, and how does the gospel fulfill it?
- The five woes target pride, greed, violence, and idolatry. Why is it good news, not just bad news, that God promises to judge such evil?
- Verse 14 promises that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God's glory. How could keeping that future in view change the way you live today?
- Habakkuk does not walk away in frustration; he climbs the watchtower to watch and wait (2:1). Faith brings its questions to God and then stays put, expecting him to speak. Encourage the group to cultivate this patient, attentive waiting in prayer and in the Scriptures.
- God tells him to write it plainly so it can be read on the run and to trust that the vision, though delayed, will surely come (2:2-3). God's promises are certain even when slow, and writing them down helps us hold on. Remind the group that delay is not denial.
- Here it means the upright person lives by trusting God's word and timing, in contrast to the proud man who trusts himself (2:4). Paul and Hebrews take it up (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38) to teach that we are justified and kept by faith, not works—faith resting on Christ crucified and risen.
- If God simply ignored evil, the universe would be unjust and the oppressed would have no hope. The woes assure us that pride, greed, bloodshed, and idolatry will be repaid (2:6-19). God's commitment to judge wrong is part of his goodness and the ground of our comfort.
- The promise lifts our eyes above present injustice to God's certain future, when his glory will be as universal as the sea (2:14). Living in light of that day frees us from despair and fuels patient faithfulness. Invite the group to let this hope reshape today's priorities.