Yahweh’s Answer to Habakkuk’s New Complaint (Habakkuk 2:2-5)

“Professional messengers, who carried tablets that contained situational updates, diplomatic correspondence, and provincial requests, were an important component of both everyday business and of the critical aspects of diplomacy in the royal courts [of] the ancient Near East. They were needed as “runners” to carry their lord’s commands since kings seldom paid state visits to each other’s capitals. Naturally, the content of the message that they transported as swiftly as possible could bring relief or concern” (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary). Habakkuk was given a message to be run to God’s people, and it brought both relief and concern.

² Then Yahweh replied:

“Write down the revelation
    and make it plain on tablets
    so that a herald may run with it.
³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
    He hastens to the end
    and He will not lie.
Though He lingers, wait for Him;
    He will certainly come
    and will not delay.

⁴ “See, the enemy is puffed up;
    his desires are not upright—
    but the righteous person will live by trust in His faithfulness—
⁵ indeed, wine betrays him;
    he is arrogant and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
    and like death is never satisfied,
he gathers to himself all the nations
    and takes captive all the peoples.

Yahweh has an answer that speaks to the concerns of His prophet, Habakkuk, and to all the faithful in Judah. Yahweh is coming to judge the Babylonians. Yahweh is the revelation or vision that hastens to the end and does not lie. Though He seems to linger, which allows Babylon to accomplish its destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, His judgment is coming (He told Jeremiah that it would take 70 years, Jeremiah 25:11).

The punishment will come upon the Babylonians for their arrogance, but the righteous persons in Judah will not experience punishment but will live by their trust in Yahweh’s faithfulness. Each of the verbs in verses 3 could have a neuter subject (“it”) with reference to the revelation, or a masculine subject (“he”). It seems that the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, understands Yahweh to be the subject of these verbs, and that is Paul’s interpretation also in Romans 1:17. Yahweh’s wrath is bringing salvation. His judgment of Babylon is bringing redemption and release for Israel. His judgment on Jesus Messiah is bringing redemption for all who believe.

Babylon’s arrogance and greediness, bolstered by much wine (Daniel 5), is insatiable, capturing country after country, nation after nation, people after people. But as the revelation makes clear, woe is coming to him.