The prophet Habakkuk, in the later part of the seventh century B.C., cried out to God because of the oppression that was rife on every hand, and wondered when divine righteousness would at last be vindicated on earth. God answered his complaint and bade him be patient: the oppressor would at last reap the judgment which his heaven-defying ways had incurred and God’s purpose would be accomplished; meanwhile, the righteous man would preserve his life by his loyal trust in God.
“For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.
Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:3f.)
In the Septuagint version as quoted by our author some words are given a different emphasis:
“Because the vision is yet for an appointed time, and it will appear at length and not in vain: if he is late, wait for him; because he will surely come, he will not delay. If he draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him, but my righteous one196 will live by faith (faithfulness).”
Here it is not simply for the fulfilment of the vision that the prophet is told to wait, but for a person, presumably an expected deliverer. When this deliverer appears, he will vindicate the righteousness of God and put down the oppressor; if, however, he draws back, that will indicate that he is not God’s chosen agent. But if he does not draw back, but shows himself to be indeed God’s chosen agent, His “righteous one”, then by his faithfulness he will win his life. The deliverer in question is not called “the Lord’s anointed” in so many words, but the Septuagint interpretation of this passage is essentially messianic. Our author, then, is but dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s of the Septuagint interpretation when he applies the prophecy to the second coming of Christ. The clause with which he introduces the quotation (“for yet a very little while”) is not taken from any otherwise attested text of Hab. 2:3, but it may be a reminiscence of the Septuagint version of Isa. 26:20 (“a little moment”). Then the identity of the expected deliverer is made clearer. In the Septuagint “he will surely come” is literally “coming he will come” (an imitation in Greek of a common Hebrew idiom). Our author places the definite article before the participle “coming” so as to yield the messianic title “The Coming One”—the title used, for example, by John the Baptist199 when he sent his disciples to Jesus with the question: “Are you the Coming One, or are we to expect someone else ?” (Matt. 11:31/Luke 7:19). “The Coming One will come; He will not delay.” In his quotation of Hab. 2:4 our author inverts the two parts of the verse: “my righteous one shall live by faith” is applied to the Christian believer, tempted to wonder if Christ will ever return in accordance with His promise; and the warning about the divine displeasure which will rest upon anyone who draws back is applied to him who yields to the temptation to relapse from his Christian profession into his earlier way of life. The reason for the inversion is not hard to determine: by this means “my righteous one” becomes the subject of both parts of the verse. If he perseveres in faith he will gain his life; if he shrinks back he will prove himself reprobate.
The clause “the righteous shall live by his faith” is twice quoted by Paul (Gal. 3:11; Rom. 1:17) in a context which suggests that he gave it the meaning: “it is he who is righteous by faith that will live”. Indeed, this clause might well be regarded as the “text” of the Epistle to the Romans, and along with Gen. 15:6 it forms a principal testimonium for the doctrine of justification by faith. There is no fundamental difference in this respect between Paul and the author of Hebrews; but our author, reproducing this Paul omits the possessive pronoun from the clause altogether. It is plain that our author does not take the quotation from Paul. C. H. Dodd suggests that the quotation was current as a testimonium to the coming of Christ in primitive Christian times, and that its use in this way is reflected independently both in Paul’s writings and in Hebrews. That it was current as a testimonium clause together with part of its context, emphasizes the forwardlooking character of saving faith, and in fact includes in “faith” not only what Paul means by the word but also what Paul more often expresses by the companion word “hope”. If Paul speaks about being “saved through faith” (e.g., Eph. 2:8), he also says: in hope were we saved” (Rom. 8:24).204 And we remember our Lord’s words to His disciples when He warned them of coming days which would test their faith severely: “In your patience ye shall win your souls” (Luke 21:19; cf. RSV: “By your endurance you will gain your lives”).205 It is patient endurance of this kind that our author desires his readers to show, and he is persuaded, for all his solemn warnings, that they will indeed show it, and gain true life thereby.
Above is by F.F. Bruce
Below is by Charles Welch
The quotation from Habakkuk. This introduces the quotation from Habakkuk which figures so prominently in the epistles to the Romans and Galatians. The words ‘The just shall live by faith’ are divisible under three heads and the apostle has taken this course with the verse. ‘The just by faith shall live’ (Rom. 1:17). The argument of Romans 1 is concerning the provision of righteousness. ‘The just by faith shall live’ (Gal. 3:11). The argument of Galatians 3 revolves around works of law, and faith. ‘The just by faith shall liv’ (Heb. 10: 38). The argument of Hebrews chapters 10 and 11 is entirely devoted to ‘living by faith’. Here we have a splendid example of exhortation, where doctrine and practice are both given their place. Referring once again to Hebrews 6:12 we read of ‘faith and patience’ inheriting the promises. Out of the thirty-two occurrences of pistis (‘faith’) in Hebrews, 29 are found in this practical section 10:19-13:25. The essence of the test of Habakkuk (2:3,4) seems to be found in the words ‘though it tarry, wait!’ The delay, the silence of God (Hab. 1:1-4) is solved by the assurance that ‘the vision is yet for an appointed time’. The waiting does not mean that God is indifferent. All the details of His purpose have an appointed time. This fact of itself should enable us to wait. Further, ‘at the end it shall speak and not lie’. When the time does come, nothing can prevent God from speaking, acting, delivering, or doing whatever is particularly required. Yet further, the feeling of delay is merely human. ‘Though it tarry … it will surely come, it will not tarry’ It is here that the prophet writes the words which are repeated and interpreted with such fulness by the apostle Paul, ‘the just shall live by his faith’. The Hebrew believers had suffered the spoiling of their goods, and a reference to Habakkuk 3:17, with its sixfold failure of fig, vine, olive, field, fold and stall, places them in the goodly fellowship of the prophets. The better and enduring possessions that they had are found in Habakkuk 3:19, ‘The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places’. Living by faith is placed in contrast with ‘drawing back unto perdition’, and this drawing back is in its turn contrasted with ‘believing unto the acquiring (not “saving”) of the soul’.