Habakkuk 2:4 (KJV)

Passage

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:

Habakkuk 2:6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "behold", "soul", "lifted", "upright", "just", "shall", and "live". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "behold", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For the vision is yet for an..." into verse 5's "Yea also because he transgresseth by wine...", so "faith" and "behold" 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 "faith" and "behold" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.