What does Habakkuk 1:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In prayer the prophet asked Yahweh "how long" would he have to call for help before the Lord responded (cf. Habakkuk 2:6; Exodus 16:28; Numbers 14:11). God hears all prayers because He is omniscient, but Habakkuk meant that God had not given evidence of hearing by responding to his prayer. He had cried out to the Lord reminding Him of the violence that he observed in Judah, but the Lord had not provided deliverance (cf. Genesis 6:11; Genesis 6:13; Job 19:7). Normally where "justice" (Heb. mishpat) and "violence" (hamas) are in opposition in the Old Testament, as here, the wicked are Israelites unless they are clearly identified as being others (e.g, Exodus 23:1-9; Isaiah 5:7-15). God had apparently not heard, and He certainly had not helped the prophet. [source][source]

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Context Summary

Habakkuk probably lived toward the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, when the Chaldeans were preparing to invade the land. Jerusalem was filled with wickedness. Crimes of violence and lawlessness had become so numerous that the prophet was appalled at the sight. He could only point to the fate of other nations, which must also befall Judah unless the people repented. Paul quotes Habakkuk 1:5 in Acts 13:41. The Chaldeans are compared to the leopard, the evening wolf, and the east wind. The prophet turns to Jehovah in an agony of expostulation and entreaty. Was He not from everlasting? Was He not Israel's Rock? The prophet's solace is the reflection, "We shall not die." An ancient reading is, "Thou canst not die." We are reminded of Revelation 1:18. O thou undying, unchanging, life-giving Savior, we cling to thee amid the storms that sweep the world, as limpets to the rock. [source]

Chapter Summary: Habakkuk 1

¹  Unto Habakkuk, complaining of the iniquity of the land,
⁵  is shown the fearful vengeance by the Chaldeans
¹²  He complains that vengeance should be executed by them who are far worse