Habakkuk

A prophet of Judah. The date at which he prophesied is uncertain—possibly in the reign of Josiah or of Jehoiakim (about 600 B.C.). Nothing beyond this is known about him. In Hab. 1 the prophet complains that his outcries against wrongdoing in Judah remain unheard by God, but he is assured that punishment by the Chaldeans is close at hand. This raises the problem as to why the pure and holy God should use for the working out of His purposes such a sinful nation. Hab. 2 supplies a solution to the problem: the Chaldeans themselves will come under judgment (see also Morm. 4:5). Hab. 3 contains a lyrical poem describing the coming of Jehovah to judge and to deliver His people.