Editing Book of Habakkuk (section)

== Background ==
The prophet Habakkuk is generally believed to have written his book in the mid-to-late 7th century BC. It was likely written shortly after the [[Battle of Nineveh (612 BC)]] established the [[Neo-Babylonian Empire]] but before the Babylonian [[Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC)]] and subsequent [[Babylonian captivity]].

===Author===
{{main|Habakkuk}}
In the opening verse, Habakkuk identifies himself as a prophet. Due to the liturgical nature of Habakkuk's book, some scholars think that the author may have been a temple prophet. Temple prophets are described in [[1 Chronicles 25]]:1 as using [[lyre]]s, [[harp]]s and [[cymbal]]s. Some feel that this is echoed in Habakkuk 3:19b, and that Habakkuk may have been a [[Levite]] and [[cantor]] in [[Solomon's Temple]].{{sfnp|Barber|1985|p=15}}

There is no biographical information on the prophet Habakkuk. The only canonical information that exists comes from the book that is named for him.{{sfnp|Brownlow|1961|p=440}}  His name comes either from the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] word [[wikt:חבק|חבק]] (''ḥavaq'') meaning "embrace", or else from an [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] word ''hambakuku'', for a kind of plant.{{sfnp|Lehrman|1948|p=211}}{{sfnp|Leslie|1962|p=503}}

Although his name does not appear in any other part of the Bible, [[Rabbinic literature|Rabbinic tradition]] holds Habakkuk to be the Shunammite woman's son, who was restored to life by [[Elisha]] in [[2 Kings 4]]:16.{{sfnp|Lehrman|1948|p=211}} The prophet Habakkuk is also mentioned in the narrative of [[Bel and the Dragon]], part of the [[deuterocanonical]] [[additions to Daniel]] in a late section of that book. In the superscription of the Old Greek version, Habakkuk is called the son of Joshua of the tribe of Levi.{{sfnp|Lehrman|1948|p=211}} In this book, Habakkuk is lifted by an angel to Babylon to provide Daniel with food while he is in the lion's den.

===Historical context===
[[File:Chaldean-empire-600BCE.png|thumb|right|240px|The [[Neo-Babylonian Empire]] c. 600 BC]]
It is unknown when Habakkuk lived and preached, but the reference to the rise and advance of the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 1:6–11 places him in the middle to last quarter of the 7th century BC.{{sfnp|Coffman|1982|p=61}}{{sfnp|Hailey|1972|pp=271–272}} One possible period might be during the reign of [[Jehoiakim]], from 609 to 598 BC. The Neo-Babylonian Empire was growing in power in this period. The Babylonians marched against Jerusalem in 598 BC. Jehoiakim died while the Babylonians marched towards Jerusalem, and Jehoiakim's eighteen-year-old son [[Jeconiah]] assumed the throne. Upon the Babylonians' arrival, Jehoiachin and his advisors quickly surrendered Jerusalem and [[Zedekiah]] was appointed as a puppet king. With the transition of rulers and the young age and inexperience of Jehoiachin, they could not stand against the Babylonian forces. There is a sense of an intimate knowledge of the Babylonian brutality in 1:12–17.