Habakkuk.
Habakkuk.
§ 163. Habahhuh (
) means “embracer,” “comforter,” or “wrestler.” Where and when he lived are not expressed. From the circumstances, we draw the probable conclusion that he lived around the time of Jeremiah or a little earlier, because he prophesies concerning the Babylonians, who were going to destroy the kingdom of Judah. In the apocryphal additions to Daniel, [Habakkuk] is mentioned as having brought food to Daniel in the lions’ den.
The book has three chapters that contain: (1) the complaint about the serious sins of the people of Judah; (2) the prophecy of the punishments that would come at the hands of the Chaldeans; (3) comfort regarding their coming liberation; and (4) an exhortation to patience and prayers, whose form he prescribes.