Habakkuk (The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary | THOTC)
Overview
The book of Habakkuk has much to teach us about suffering and complaint, faith and fear, and the fidelity of God in times of trouble; it generates reflection on prayer, peace, violence, and faithfulness. In this volume—one of the few commentaries examining Habakkuk by itself—Heath Thomas explores this overlooked Old Testament prophet in order to hear God’s address for us today.
Utilizing traditional biblical scholarship, Thomas draws from the well of Christian and Jewish interpretation through the centuries. The first part of his commentary is a theological exegesis that engages with both systematic and biblical theology. The second part reflects on the text from a theological perspective, looking for main themes and connections to the rest of the biblical canon.
- Places an emphasis on theological exegesis
- Consistently presents theological reflection on each passage of Habakkuk
- Focuses primarily on theological readings of texts, both past and present
Top Highlights
“Habakkuk prays in a way unique in the prophets. The dialogic call-and-response format of Habakkuk underscores a theology of prayer at work in the book. Prayer is the first and best reflex for negotiating pain in the life of faith.” (Pages 38–39)
“It is more faithful to the poetry of Habakkuk to see that the prophet’s speech is faithfull throughout the book. Most commentaries on the book in the early church believed this as well. Jerome was an exception, however, and a significant one.” (Page 10)
“The term ‘oracle’ (משׂא/maśśāʾ) can be translated as ‘burden’ and then interpreted in such a way as to reinforce the terrible weight of God’s message to Habakkuk—a word of judgment against God’s people.” (Page 63)
“Especially in Habakkuk, God’s message is one of judgment and yet hope, which his people may embrace in faith.” (Page 6)
“The Spirit of God illumines hearts and minds so that readers can be transformed by the reading of Habakkuk.” (Page 8)
- Title: Habakkuk
- Author: Heath A. Thomas
- Series: The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Print Publication Date: 2018
- Logos Release Date: 2019
- Pages: 248
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. O.T. Habakkuk › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9780802868701, 0802868703
- Resource ID: LLS:TWOHOR35HAB
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-05-15T15:39:00Z
Reviews
1 rating
Erich Javier Astudillo Acevedo
4/6/2022
This is the first commentary of this series that I read. I came to it with no particular expectative and it was a wonderful surprise. I went though Habakkuk reading this one together with the NICOT and they complement each other very well. The distribution of this one is uneven, being surprisingly deep in the foundation of chapter 1 and giving great insight that complements the other commentary very well. The final chapter is not so deeply developed as the author admits that space is not enough, but this gets complemented by the final section of biblical theology. I found it really good dealing with prayer, suffering and the process of maturity. The essays are short, but are excellent material to reflect upon the brokenness of the world and our blessed hope of a better world free of sin. I hope the rest of the series keeps the level of this one.
