Habakkuk 1:2 (GNV)

Passage

O Lord, howe long shall I crye, and thou wilt not heare! euen crye out vnto thee for violence, and thou wilt not helpe!

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 1:1 The burden, which Habakkuk the Prophet did see.

Habakkuk 1:2 O Lord, howe long shall I crye, and thou wilt not heare! euen crye out vnto thee for violence, and thou wilt not helpe!

Habakkuk 1:3 Why doest thou shewe mee iniquitie, and cause me to beholde sorowe? for spoyling, and violence are before me: and there are that rayse vp strife and contention.

Habakkuk 1:4 Therefore the Lawe is dissolued, and iudgement doeth neuer go forth: for the wicked doeth compasse about the righteous: therefore wrong iudgement proceedeth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lord", "howe", "long", "shall", "crye", "thou", "wilt", and "heare". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "howe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "The burden which Habakkuk the Prophet did..." into verse 3's "Why doest thou shewe mee iniquitie and...", so "lord" and "howe" belong inside that flow. In Habakkuk context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lord" and "howe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.