Habakkuk
Here is a list of words and their definitions that may need to be defined in Habakkuk (ESV)
I. Prophetic Dialogue and Divine Action:
Oracle / Burden (Hebrew: massa) (Habakkuk 1:1): The prophetic revelation or weighty message that the prophet Habakkuk "saw." It often implies a message of judgment or significant divine pronouncement.
Complaint / Complain (Habakkuk 1:2-3, 13): Habakkuk's anguished expressions of grievance and questioning directed towards God concerning the prevalence of injustice, violence, and the prosperity of the wicked.
Violence / Destruction (Habakkuk 1:2-3, 9; 2:8, 17): Acts of physical harm, cruelty, lawlessness, and devastation, which Habakkuk sees rampant in Judah and perpetrated by the Chaldeans.
Iniquity / Wrong / Wickedness / Evil (Habakkuk 1:3, 13; 2:1, 9, 12): Sin, moral corruption, injustice, and acts contrary to God's righteous character and law.
Strife / Contention (Habakkuk 1:3): Conflict, discord, quarrels, and disputes, indicative of the breakdown of social order.
The Law is paralyzed / Torah is numbed (Habakkuk 1:4): God's instruction and legal standards (the Torah) are rendered ineffective, not enforced, or ignored, leading to a failure of justice.
Justice (Hebrew: mishpat) (Habakkuk 1:4, 12 [implied by God's character]): Fairness, equity, and moral rightness according to God's standards. Habakkuk laments that justice "never goes forth" or is perverted.
Chaldeans (Habakkuk 1:6): The Neo-Babylonians, a powerful and ruthless Mesopotamian people who rose to prominence in the late 7th century BC, conquering Assyria and eventually Judah. God reveals He is "raising up" the Chaldeans as an instrument of judgment.
Dread / Terrifying / Feared (Habakkuk 1:7): Describing the fearsome and intimidating nature of the Chaldean army.
Appointed (for judgment / for reproof) (Habakkuk 1:12): God has ordained or designated the Chaldeans as instruments to carry out His divine judgment and correction.
Rock (Habakkuk 1:12): A metaphor for God, emphasizing His strength, stability, faithfulness, and His role as a refuge and a firm foundation.
Traitorous / Treacherous (Habakkuk 1:13; 2:5): Those who are unfaithful, deceitful, and betray trust. Habakkuk questions why God is silent when the treacherous swallow up those more righteous than themselves.
Watchtower / Post / Guard (Habakkuk 2:1): The place or stance Habakkuk takes to wait attentively for God's response to his complaints and to "see what he will say to me." It symbolizes a posture of expectant waiting for divine revelation.
Vision (Habakkuk 2:2-3): The divine revelation or message that God commands Habakkuk to write down clearly so that it can be easily read and understood, and which has an appointed time for its fulfillment.
Appointed time (Habakkuk 2:3): The specific, divinely determined time when God's prophetic word or plan will come to pass. The vision "awaits its appointed time."
Woe (oracles) (Habakkuk 2:6, 9, 12, 15, 19): Exclamations of grief, distress, or denunciation, introducing a series of pronouncements of judgment against various sins of the Chaldeans (and by extension, any who practice such evils), including extortion, unjust gain, violence, shaming others, and idolatry.
Pledge / Debts (Habakkuk 2:6-7): Security or an item taken as collateral for a loan. The woe oracle speaks of those who "lade themselves with pledges," likely through extortion or oppressive lending.
Idol / Image (Graven image, molten image) (Habakkuk 2:18-19): A physical representation of a deity, carved from wood or stone, or cast from metal, worshipped as a god. Habakkuk denounces idols as mute, lifeless, and deceptive, offering no help.
Sheol / Grave (Habakkuk 2:5): The realm of the dead, depicted here with an insatiable appetite, like the arrogant man who is never satisfied.
Theophany (Described in Habakkuk 3:3-15): A visible manifestation or appearance of God, often accompanied by dramatic natural phenomena (earthquakes, storms, pestilence, light) and displays of His awesome power and majesty, as He comes in judgment and for the salvation of His people.
Pestilence (Habakkuk 3:5): A widespread, deadly infectious disease, portrayed as accompanying God in His majestic appearance.
Cush(an) / Midian (Habakkuk 3:7): Ancient peoples or regions, possibly in Arabia or southeast of Israel. Their "tents" or "curtains" are described as trembling at God's mighty coming, indicating the fear and upheaval caused by His appearance.
Chariots of salvation (Habakkuk 3:8): God is poetically depicted as a divine warrior riding chariots as He comes to save His people.
Anointed one (Hebrew: mashiach) (Habakkuk 3:13): Literally "anointed one." In this context, it likely refers to God's chosen people Israel, or their king, whom God comes to save.
Selah (Habakkuk 3:3, 9, 13): A Hebrew term of uncertain meaning, found in the Psalms and in Habakkuk 3 (which is a psalm). It is likely a liturgical or musical notation, possibly indicating a pause, an instrumental interlude, or an emphasis. (See definition in Psalms list for more detail).
Shigionoth (Title of Habakkuk Chapter 3, "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth."): A Hebrew term of uncertain meaning, possibly referring to a specific musical style or type of psalm, perhaps characterized by strong emotion, irregular rhythm, or ecstatic expression (similar to "Shiggaion" in Psalm 7).
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments (Habakkuk 3:19): An instruction indicating that this psalm (Habakkuk 3) was intended for use in formal worship, accompanied by stringed musical instruments, and directed by the leader of the temple musicians.
II. Character and Emotional States:
Proud / Arrogant / Haughty (Habakkuk 1:11 [ESV "their own might is their god"]; 2:4-5): Having an excessively high opinion of oneself, insolent, and disdainful of God and others. The soul of the proud is "not upright."
Righteous (Habakkuk 1:4, 13; 2:4): Those who are morally upright, just, and live in faithful obedience to God. The famous declaration "the righteous shall live by his faith" (or "faithfulness") is central (Habakkuk 2:4).
Faith / Faithfulness (Hebrew: emunah) (Habakkuk 2:4): Steadfastness, loyalty, trustworthiness, and firm belief or trust, especially in God and His promises, even in the face of difficult circumstances and unanswered questions. This is the means by which the righteous will endure and live.
Tremble / Quiver (Habakkuk 3:16): Habakkuk's physical and emotional reaction of awe, fear, and agitation upon hearing and contemplating God's awesome power and impending judgment.
Rejoice / Take joy (in the LORD / in the God of my salvation) (Habakkuk 3:18): Despite the surrounding desolation and impending hardship, Habakkuk resolves to find his ultimate joy and exultation in God Himself and His salvation.
Strength / Stronghold (Habakkuk 1:12 [God as Rock]; 3:19): God is the source of Habakkuk's ultimate strength and security.
III. Other Notable Terms:
Wine (Habakkuk 2:5, 15): Used in the context of the arrogant man being treacherous like wine, and in a woe oracle against those who make their neighbors drink to shameful ends.
Lebanon (Habakkuk 2:17): A mountainous region north of Israel, known for its cedar forests. The "violence done to Lebanon" (likely deforestation or destruction by invading armies) will overwhelm the destroyers, symbolizing nature itself bearing witness against their destructive actions.
This list aims to clarify some of the key terms and concepts encountered in the Book of Habakkuk (ESV). Understanding these words within their literary, historical, and theological context will help the reader engage more deeply with the prophet's honest struggles, God's sovereign responses, and the book's powerful affirmation of faith in the midst of turmoil.