Habakkuk 1:2 (KJV)

Passage

O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 1:1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

Habakkuk 1:2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

Habakkuk 1:3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

Habakkuk 1:4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lord", "long", "shall", "thou", "wilt", "hear", "even", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "long", 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 dost thou shew me iniquity and...", so "lord" and "long" 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 "long" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.