Habakkuk 1:12
“Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Habakkuk anchors himself in God's eternity and holiness, trusting his people will not perish — God has appointed Babylon only for judgment and correction.
What Does Habakkuk 1:12 Mean?
Reeling from the news, the prophet steadies himself on what he knows of God. The Lord is everlasting, "my God," "mine Holy One" — eternal, covenant-keeping, set apart in purity. On that ground Habakkuk dares to say "we shall not die": the nation will be corrected, but not annihilated, because the Holy One is faithful.
Notice how he reframes Babylon's role. God has "ordained them for judgment" and "established them for correction" — the empire is a rod in the Father's hand, not the final verdict on His people. This is faith reasoning its way through fear: when the future looks like destruction, the believer returns to the unchanging character of God. Because He is everlasting and holy, His discipline aims at restoration, and His people's hope outlasts any disaster He permits.
In the Original Language
qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ), 'Holy One' — set apart in absolute purity, the name on which Habakkuk rests his hope that God will not destroy utterly.