Book of Habakkuk

The Book of Habakkuk is the eighth book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Habakkuk, and was probably composed in the late 7th century BC.

Of the three chapters in the book, the first two are a dialog between Yahweh and the prophet. The central message, that "the just shall live by his faith" (2:4), plays an important role in Christian thought. It is used in the Epistle to the Romans 1:17, Epistle to the Galatians 3:11, and the Epistle to the Hebrews 10:38 as the starting point of the concept of faith. A copy of these chapters is included in the Habakkuk Commentary, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Chapter 3 may be an independent addition, now recognized as a liturgical piece, but was possibly written by the same author as chapters 1 and 2.