Habakkuk 1:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The prophet questions, "Why dost thou look on the scornful? Why dost thou keep silence when the wicked devour the righteous?" He observes how men are treated like the fish of the sea, and like creatures that lack leadership.

Acknowledging that God's gaze cannot tolerate evil nor show favor to oppressors, the prophet is moved to reflection. The people of Judah suffered immensely at the hands of the Babylonians, a ruthless army that, in their unbridled power, desecrated sacred spaces, including the holy temple in Jerusalem, taking priests captive at the altars and profaning the sanctified objects as foretold. Upon returning to their homeland, they indulged in a life of merriment, relishing the spoils of their plunder, unpunished for their iniquities, unconcerned by adversaries, and boldly conquering all they chose, experiencing great prosperity, magnified by the misfortunes of the fallen. With unabated fury and unchecked oppression, they took pride in their victories. Witnessing their cold-hearted triumphs, the prophet was astonished and pondered the divine justice, striving to grasp the unfathomable patience of the Almighty, who gazes benignly at those steeped in contempt and wickedness, remaining silent while the unrighteous devour the righteous.

The prophet observes that punishment often eludes the wicked, and instead, God’s wrath seems to be diverted, leading people to turn against one another. They act like fish, voraciously consuming the weak and demonstrating a coarseness of life that mirrors the unsociable existence of mountain reptiles. Unlike social animals following a leader, the Babylonians were cruel and inaccessible, motivated by greed to consume those weaker than themselves. It is not far-fetched to interpret the prophet’s words as condemnation of the devil and his malicious forces. These scornful beings, rejecting the fear of the divine, embody extreme wickedness, while God embodies immense patience. Once we fell under their influence, we became wretched, turning against one another in a society void of a mediator, our sovereign being Christ, the Lord of all creation. Thus, we became like fish, voiceless and mute, lacking expressions of faith and praise for God. Instead, we turned upon each other, living lives devoid of reason, resembling fish in the waters. Our thoughts became so base that they seemed entirely deranged, and when it came to irritability and cruelty, our nature was akin to poisonous creatures, striving to outdo them in ferocity.

It is not that the oppressed is entirely righteous or perfect, but merely that he is more just than his oppressor. Just as fish without a leader, and irrational animals, as well as various reptiles abandoned by Providence, are subject to the strongest, and he who possesses superior strength dominates others; so it is among humans—rational beings made in Thy image—where it is not reason or virtue that prevails, but physical power and sheer force.

If one were to understand this in general terms relative to Providence, as if the prophet were voicing the question, “Why does the devil wield such influence in the world; and why, when the Lord reigns, does a cruel government belong to another?” the implication would be that there is a reason behind this, and tied to the previous thoughts, Lord my God, my holy one! I know that under Thy rule and protection, we shall not face death; I also understand that You have set a foe for this purpose, that through him, as an instrument of execution, You might correct but not annihilate the wicked. I know too that the unjust do not please You at all, and that Your sight is free from all corruption, and that You cannot overlook the sufferings of those who suffer from injustice. Yet I cannot discern why the wicked Cain slays the righteous Abel (Genesis 4) while You remain silent. Why does the angry sea creature consume everything, including Your prophet Jonah (Jonah 2)? Why does evil triumph while the just suffer? I do not assert that anyone could stand justified before You without sin, nor do I disregard human frailty; yet, just as Sodom and Gomorrah seem justified compared to Jerusalem, and the publican in the Gospel is more acquitted than the Pharisee (Luke 18), so one tormented by evil is indeed sinful; nevertheless, he is still more righteous than the one who oppresses him.

Why, then, is there no standard or measure to discern: if the righteous is already oppressed and enslaved, would he not be ruled by the wicked but rather by those who are less unjust than he? I could claim that events occur independently of You, and that the wicked possess such immense power outside of Your desire. But to think so would be blasphemous. Therefore, if You are the Sovereign and Lord of all creation, it is necessary that You ensure nothing transpires without Your consent. However, all of this is expressed not because the prophet personally believes it, as he has already clarified, but to reflect the human restlessness that he represents; it is akin to the way the Apostle often aligns himself with various human perspectives. For example, here he states, “I see another law within my members, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members” (Romans 7:23). And as a novice, he admits, “Brethren, I do not claim to have attained it” (Philippians 3:13), “for we know in part, and we prophesy in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9); yet, he also asserts, “But when perfection comes, the partial disappears” (1 Corinthians 13:10). To claim that he possesses only partial knowledge while also being perfect cannot be a trait of the same individual. One should not consider his own statements in his letter to the Corinthians, “Brethren, I have used myself and Apollos as examples to teach you” (1 Corinthians 4:6), as uniform to the Apostle but rather as unique to the human method of reasoning.

How, then, can You engage with humanity as with fish of the sea, or with reptiles that have no guide, when the angels for every person constantly behold the face of the Father in heaven (Matthew 18:10), and “the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalm 33:8)? Just as the divine Providence pertains to each individual person, so regarding other creatures, we must recognize the general distribution, order, and management of existence. For instance: How do fish multiply and thrive in the waters? How do reptiles and quadrupeds emerge from the earth, and what sustenance do they consume? Yet it is illogical to diminish the majesty of God to the notion that He is aware at each moment of the births and deaths of every mosquito, bedbug, flea, and gnat on the earth, or how many fish are born in the seas, or which smaller fishes will fall victim to the larger ones. Let us not be so base in our worship of God as to diminish His power to such an extent, reducing ourselves to injustice by claiming that His Providence over intelligent beings is the same as over unintelligent ones. Thus, the well-known apocryphal text says that an angel named Tyre was assigned to guard reptiles and similarly, special angels were designated for fish, trees, and all animals to protect them.

He acknowledges, "I know that thou abhorrest every vice; for thou art the Source of righteousness," yet he expresses his desire to understand why the proud and the indifferent seem to flourish, while it appears that the righteous suffer at the hands of the wicked. Here, the Prophet does not describe the righteous as perfect in all aspects, but rather as one who is comparatively more just than those who commit wrongdoing. This is reflected in the translations by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion: "you are silent when the wicked devour him who is more righteous than he."

Thus, I assert, this is the essence of the saints' life, and in this conflict, one is perpetually at risk until death arrives. Yet, at the culmination, that is, in the celebration of victory, what do the saints proclaim? O Death, where is your victory? Such will be the exultation of the conquerors. O Death, where is your sting? (Hos. 13:14; 1 Cor. 15:55). The sting of death is sin, which brings about death. Sin resembles a scorpion; it strikes us, and we perish. But when can we confidently declare, O Death, where is your victory? This assurance is granted to us, not in this earthly existence, but following the resurrection: then it will be given to the saints, that they may neither desire to sin nor have the ability to do so.