According to the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, Habakkuk means (embrace). This book would be the eighth, in order, of the Minor Prophets. Of the facts of the prophet's life, we have no certain information.
Habakkuk lived in the final decades of Judah, Israel’s southern kingdom. It was a time of injustice and idolatry, and he saw the rising threat of the Babylonian empire on the horizon. Unlike the other Hebrew prophets, Habakkuk doesn’t accuse Israel or even speak to the people on Yahweh’s behalf. Instead, all of his words are addressed to Yahweh. The book of Habakkuk tells us about Habakkuk’s personal struggle to believe that Yahweh is good when there is so much tragedy and evil in the world.
Habakkuk sees the darkness of the world as an invitation to have faith in Yahweh’s promise to one day set things right. Living with such faith means trusting that Yahweh loves this world and works to one day eliminate all evil forever.
In this chapter 2 we have an answer expected by the prophet (verse 1), and returned by the Spirit of Yahweh, to the complaints which the prophet made of the violence’s and victories of the Chaldeans in the close of the prior chapter. The answer is,
I. That after Yahweh has served his own purposes by the prevailing power of the Chaldeans, has tried the faith and patience of his people, and distinguished between the hypocrites and the sincere among them, he will consider with the Chaldeans, will humble and bring down, not only that proud monarch Nebuchadnezzar, but that proud monarchy, for their boundless and greedy thirst after dominion and wealth, for which they themselves should at length be made a prey (verses 2-8).
II. That not they only, but all other sinners like them, should perish under a divine woe.
1. Those that are jealous are greedy of wealth and honors (verses 9, 11).
2. Those that are harmful and oppressive, and raise estates by wrongful acts and the violent seizure of someone’s property (verses 12-14).
3. Those that promote drunkenness that they may expose their neighbors’ to shame (verses 15-17).
4. Those that worship idols (verses 18-20).
After waiting for an answer from Yahweh, Habakkuk finally gets what he is looking.
Beginning with verse 6 we see the ‘Woe to the Chaldeans’
6. Shall not all these = the “nations” and “peoples” (verse 5) “heaped unto him” by the Chaldean.
parable = Hebrew. mashal. Comparison: Often a parable or proverb as a story of comparisons.
take up a parable = a sarcastic song.
proverb = enigma, mystery, riddle, puzzle or trick. Hebrew. hidah, as in Psa. 78:2.
against him = when dislodged from his former reputation.
Woe = Note the five woes in verses: 6, 9, 12, 15, 19. The “sarcastic song” here begins, and continues to the end of the chapter. It is a symmetrical whole, and consists of five stanzas; the first three consisting of three verses each, the fourth of four verses, and the last of two. Each stanza has its own subject, and all except the last begin with “Woe”; and all have a closing verse introduced with “for,” “because,” or “but.”
how long? = i.e. for his time is short. How long meant to retain his ill-gotten gains?
thick clay = pledges.
ladeth himself with thick clay = namely, gold and silver dug out of the “clay,” of which they are a part.
7. suddenly = the answer to the question, “How long?” (verse 6).
Bite = or, exact usury. Often used of usury.
vex = shake. Or to agitate (as with fear)
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