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Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Habakkuk 1:2

Verse Habakkuk 1:2. O Lord, how long shall I cry] The prophet feels himself strongly excited against the vices which he beheld; and which, it appears from this verse, he had often declaimed against, but in vain; the people continued in their vices, and God in his longsuffering.

Habakkuk begins his prophecy under a similar feeling, and nearly in similar words, as Juvenal did his Satires: -

Semper ego auditor tantum?

Nunquamne reponam?

Vexatus toties rauci Theseide Codri?

Sat. i. 1.

"Shall I always be a hearer only?

Shall I never reply?

So often vexed?"


Of violence] The most unlawful and outrageous acts.

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See also Habakkuk 1:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    O LORD, HOW LONG SHALL I CRY - Literally, “how long have I cried so intensely to Thee?” Because it is always the cry of the creature to the One who alone can hear or help - its God. Of this cry the Pr...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS CHAPTER 1 The Judgment of Judah Through the Chaldeans Announced _ 1. The prophet's cry to Jehovah (Habakkuk 1:1) _ 2. The answer (Habakkuk 1:5) 3. The prophet's plea (H

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    COMPLAINT AGAINST YAHWEH FOR HIS TOLERANCE OF WRONG-DOING. In bitter remonstrance with Yahweh, the prophet asks how long he must cry Violence! and look on wretchedness and trouble, robbery, strife and...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. CRY. cry for help in distress; as in Psalms 18:6; Psalms 18:41; Psalms 22:24. Compare Job 19:7;...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _HABAKKUK'S COMPLAINT CONCERNING EVIL -- HABAKKUK 1:1-4:_ Habakkuk identified himself simply as "the prophet." He wrote, "The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see." (Habakkuk 1:1) He was given a...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE FIRST QUESTION. Habakkuk 1:2-4 RV. O Jehovah, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? I cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save. Why dost thou show me iniquity, and look upon p...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! O LORD, HOW LONG SHALL I CRY ... EVEN CRY OUT UNTO THEE OF VIOLENCE ... WHY DOST T...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PROPHET'S BURDEN. THE ANSWER OF JEHOVAH 1. Burden] RM 'oracle': see on Isaiah 13:1. 2, 3. HOW LONG?.. WHY?] Even a prophet (Habakkuk 1:1) can ask such questions. He never denies the existence of...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE PROBLEM OF ASSYRIA Habakkuk _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF ASSYRIA Assyria was a country to the north and east of Israel. For many years, it ruled most of the world. Nahum, Habakkuk...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (1-4) Habakkuk complains of the apparent triumph of wickedness among his countrymen....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    EVEN CRY OUT. — The latter half of the verse is best rendered “_Even cry unto thee_ ‘_Violence!_’_ and thou wilt not save._” The single word “violence!” (_châmâs_) occurs elsewhere, as an appeal for a...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    עַד ־אָ֧נָה יְהוָ֛ה שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי וְ לֹ֣א תִש

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Habakkuk 1:1 Habakkuk 1:2; Habakkuk 2:1 (or 8) Yet it is the first piece which raises the most difficult questions. All admit that it is to be dated somewhere along the line of Jeremiah's long career...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE APPARENT PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED Habakkuk 1:1-17 Habakkuk probably lived toward the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, when the Chaldeans were preparing to invade the land. Jerusalem was fille...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In this first division of the Book we have the prophet's statement of the problems which vexed his soul. The first was the apparent indifference of Jehovah both to his prayer and to the condition of p...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! [even] cry out to thee (a) [of] violence, and thou wilt not save! (a) The Prophet complains to God, and bewails that among the Jews is left no fa...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Save. Some think that he expresses the sentiments of the weak, like David, (Psalms lxxii. 2.) or what he had formerly entertained. The language of the prophets is very bold, Exodus xxxii. 32., Job ii...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    We have the Prophet at his devotions, pleading with the Lord concerning the sorrows and exercises of the Church. He not only laments the iniquities of those that oppress the Lord's heritage, but the i...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Lectures on the Minor Prophets. W. Kelly. There is no prophetic delivery among the twelve lesser books more peculiar and characteristic than that of Habakkuk. It has no longer the occupation with the...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _BOLDNESS WITH GOD_ ‘O Lord, how long shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear?’ Habakkuk 1:2 These are strong words to be spoken by saint to God. They are part of a whole context of similar strong word...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    As I have already reminded you, interpreters think that the Prophet speaks here of future things, as though he had in his view the calamity which he afterwards mentions; but this is too strained a mea...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    First of all, the prophet complains that the evil which exists among the people is insupportable. This is the natural effect of the working of the Spirit of God in a heart jealous for His glory and de...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    O LORD, HOW LONG SHALL I CRY, AND THOU WILT NOT HEAR!.... The prophet having long observed the sins and iniquities of the people among whom he lived, and being greatly distressed in his mind on accoun...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! [even] cry out unto thee [of] violence, and thou wilt not save! Ver. 2. _O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear?_] Lo, this is the...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _O Lord, how long shall I cry_, &c. How long shall I complain unto thee of might overcoming right, and thou wilt not save or prevent it? The prophet here proposes the common objection against Providen...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF JEHOVAH'S JUDGMENT...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    O Lord, how long shall I cry, until 'when would he have to raise his voice, AND THOU WILT NOT HEAR? Jehovah, the God of the covenant, refused to heed any appeal in the interest of the people while the...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-11 The servants of the Lord are deeply afflicted by seeing ungodliness and violence prevail; especially among those who profess the truth. No man scrupled doing wrong to his neighbour. We should lo...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    O LORD: unto God alone he makes his application, as only able to redress all grievances. HOW LONG! it may be some years he had preached, and in preaching had complained and cried out against wickednes...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Habakkuk 1:2 LORD H3068 cry H7768 (H8765) hear H8085 (H8799) out H2199 (H8799) Violence H2555 save...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    HABAKKUK'S CRY FROM HIS HEART - WHY DOES GOD NOT SEE AND ACT? (HABAKKUK 1:2). Habakkuk 1:2 ‘O YHWH, how long shall I cry, And you will not hear? I cry out to you of violence, And you will not sav...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Habakkuk's prayer concerning evil in dispersed Israel. God's voice to Israel and Habakkuk's testimony to God. CHARACTERS: God, Habakkuk. CONCLUSION: We must not think it strange if God som...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Zechariah 1:1. _The burden,_ the prophecy, _which Habakkuk the prophet saw._ Here he opens his commission, as divinely inspired with vision, and invested with a charge which he must deliver. God laid...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _O Lord! how long shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear?_ THE CRISIS OF PRAYER The question to be answered is this: How long will God suffer His people to pray, and still neglect to hear? Answer-- 1....

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see._ RESPONSIBILITIES We can see how appropriate is the word “burden” used by the prophets to describe their gift and duty. The obligation laid on them oft...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    HABAKKUK—NOTE ON HABAKKUK 1:2 First Cycle. Habakkuk is disappointed that God does not seem to be answering his prayers. God’s response shows that, although Habakkuk doesn’t realize it, his prayers are...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.] BURDEN] (cf. Nahum 1:1). HABAKKUK 1:2. HOW] A complaint; wickedness continued long, and God did not interfere. HABAKKUK 1:3. WHY] dost thou behold violence without checking it? some;...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION VERSE 1:1-2:20 PART I. JUDGMENT UPON THE EVIL, IN THE FORM OF A COLLOQUY BETWEEN THE PROPHET AND GOD....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn at this time to the book of Habakkuk. Very little is known concerning the personal background of Habakkuk. Very little, nothing is known. We don't know really anything about his backgrou...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Jeremiah 14:9; Lamentations 3:8; Psalms 13:1; Psalms 13:2; Psalms 22:1

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