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!”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Habakkuk pours out a raw complaint: he has cried to God about violence and feels unheard and unrescued.
What Does Habakkuk 1:2 Mean?
The book's first words from the prophet are not praise but protest. Surrounded by violence in his own land, Habakkuk has prayed and prayed, and heaven seems silent. "How long" is the ancient cry of every sufferer who waits on God past the point where they can see why the wait continues.
Scripture does not rebuke this honesty; it preserves it. Habakkuk shows that faith can hold a question without letting go of God — he aims his complaint at the Lord precisely because he still believes the Lord hears and saves. The man of God may say plainly, "This is too long, and I do not understand," and still be standing inside the covenant. Our laments, brought to God rather than away from Him, are themselves a form of trust.
In the Original Language
shava' (שָׁוַע), 'cry out' — a desperate shout for help in distress, the voice of one pleading to be rescued.