Habakkuk
was a late 7th-early 6th century BCE prophet who wrestled with the problem of
faith when he saw God's Chosen people about to undergo the humiliation of the
Babylonian Exile. His basic message underscored the ultimate power of God over
human history and a call to faithfulness. (The familiar "The Lord is in his
holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him" is from the 2nd
chapter.) We know nothing about the prophet's personal life. Habakkuk is
one of the 12 books known as the Minor Prophets, primarily because of their
brevity. The prophet is probably the author of the first two chapters, and
chapter 3 is believed to be the work of another.