Habakkuk 1:9-The Babylonian Army Comes from the East to Commit Acts of Violence and Gather Prisoners Like Sand

Habakkuk 1:1 The following is the message which God revealed to Habakkuk the prophet: 1:2 How long, Lord, must I cry for help? But you do not listen! I call out to you, “Violence!” But you do not intervene! 1:3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? Why do you put up with wrongdoing? Destruction and violence confront me; conflict is present and one must endure strife. 1:4 For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted. 1:5 “Look at the nations and pay attention! You will be shocked and amazed! For I will do something in your lifetime that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. 1:6 Look, I am about to empower the Babylonians, that ruthless and greedy nation. They sweep across the surface of the earth, seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.” 1:7 They are frightening and terrifying; they decide for themselves what is right. 1:8 Their horses are faster than leopards and more alert than wolves in the desert. Their horses gallop, their horses come a great distance; like a vulture they swoop down quickly to devour their prey. 1:9 All of them intend to do violence; every face is determined. They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. (NET)

Habakkuk 1:9 Each and every one of them is characterized as seeking to commit acts of violence. A multitude of their faces from the east indeed are characterized as gathering prisoners of war like sand. (My translation)

In Habakkuk 1:2-4, we noted that the prophet Habakkuk on behalf of himself and the faithful remnant of Judah complains that the Lord had failed to judge the unrepentant, apostate individuals in the southern kingdom of Judah.

However, in Habakkuk 1:5-11, the Lord responds to these complaints by asserting that He will send the Babylonians as His instruments to judge these unrepentant, apostate individuals in the southern kingdom of Judah.

Here in Habakkuk 1:9 we have three more descriptions of the Babylonian army, which brings us to a total of fifteen descriptions of the Babylonians which are contained in Habakkuk 1:5-9.

These three descriptions in verse 9 appear in two assertions.

The first description of the Babylonian army in verse 9 appears in the first assertion and solemnly states that each and every one of them is characterized as seeking to commit acts of violence.

Of course, these acts of violence are committed by the Babylonian soldiers against the citizens of the various nations located in the Mesopotamian and Mediterranean regions of the world in Habakkuk’s day which would be the seventh century B.C. and specifically in 605 B.C.

In Habakkuk 1:9, the noun ḥāmās pertains to a strong, fierce, destructive force resulting in acts that maim, destroy or kill often implying lawlessness, terror and lack of moral restraint.

Here the word is used with reference to violence committed by each member of the Babylonian military when it attacks other nations in order to conquer and subjugate them to themselves.

It also contains the figure of metonymy which means that violence is put for acts of violence committed by the members of the Babylonian army.

Interestingly, this word was used by Habakkuk in Habakkuk 1:2-3 when issuing His complaints to the God of Israel about the unrepentant, apostate citizens of the southern kingdom of Judah.

Habakkuk 1:1 The message, which Habakkuk, the prophet saw the Lord communicate: 2 How long O Lord must I repeatedly cry for help? But You never want to respond! How long must I repeatedly cry out to You in anguish, “Violence!” But You never want to deliver! 3 Why do you cause me to witness acts of injustice? Namely, why do you cause me to observe wicked acts. Specifically, I experience destructive acts of violence in my presence? Therefore, conflict is present so that contention arises. (My translation)

Now, here in Habakkuk 1:9, the Lord uses the word to describe the actions of the Babylonian army.

We noted in our previous studies in Habakkuk 1:1-8 that the Babylonian empire led by Nebuchadnezzar was serving God in that they were the instrument used to judge Judah and Jerusalem.

In Jeremiah 25:9, and 27:6, the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah describes Nebuchadnezzar as His servant because this king and his empire were the Lord’s instrument in judging Judah and Jerusalem.

God used Nebuchadnezzar to discipline the nation of Israel for their disobedience.

Jeremiah 25:1-11 also teaches that the Lord delivered Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s power because of their idolatry.

Also, a comparison of Leviticus 25:1-12, 26:32-35, 43, Jeremiah 25:11, 29:10 and 2 Chronicles 26:21 indicates that the Lord delivered Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s power because they failed to respect the Sabbath Day and the sabbatic year in which every seventh year they were to let the land rest.

So therefore, since this word ḥāmās is used here in Habakkuk 1:9 to describe the acts of violence committed by the Babylonian soldiers and appears in Habakkuk 1:2-3 to describe the violent acts committed by the unrepentant, apostate citizens of the southern kingdom of Judah, the implication is that God was going to use the evil Babylonians to judge the evil apostate citizens of Judah.

Therefore, by using Babylon to judge the unrepentant, apostate citizens of the southern kingdom of Judah, God was using evil to judge evil.

The Babylonians were unregenerate, deceived by the devil and living independently of God.

On the other hand, despite being in a covenant relationship with God, the unrepentant, apostate citizens of Judah were also involved in evil because they unrepentantly disobeyed the commands and prohibitions found in the Mosaic Law.

The second and third descriptions of the Babylonian army in Habakkuk 1:9 appear in the second assertion, which solemnly states that a multitude of the Babylonian soldiers’ faces from the east are indeed characterized as gathering prisoners of war like sand.

The second description of the Babylonian army emphatically states that there is a multitude of their soldiers and they are from the east and of course, Babylon was located geographically to the east of Judah and the Mediterranean region of the world.

The third description asserts that the Babylonian soldiers are characterized as gathering prisoners like sand.

Therefore, in this description, we can see that the Lord God of Israel is comparing the Babylonian army gathering prisoners of war with sand which is uncountable and thus, this description is asserting that the Babylonians have innumerable number of prisoners of war from their conquests.

Therefore, Habakkuk 1:5-11 brings into view the spiritual law or principle called “the law of retribution.”

This law or principle means that because of enormity of the violent acts committed by the unrepentant, apostasy citizens of the kingdom of Judah and because of God’s holy character, the judgment that will be executed against these apostate citizens of Judah will be multiplied.

This is indicated by the fact that the Lord is telling the citizens of Judah that He is sending a multitude of soldiers from the east who have committed violent against other nations, namely the Babylonians.

These verses also bring into view another spiritual law or principle, namely “the law of retaliation,” which means that to the degree to which these unrepentant apostate citizens of Judah rebelled against their God, the Lord would retaliate against them by expressing His wrath against for their ungodly behavior.

He would do so by employing a wicked evil nation like themselves, namely Babylon.

Habakkuk 1:5-11 is also expressing the biblical concept of lex telionis (cf. Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21; Prov. 12:14; 19:17; Ezek. 35:15; Hos. 4:9; Joel 3:4-8; Jer. 50:15, 29), which means that the people of the unrepentant, apostate citizens of the kingdom of Judah would be treated in the same cruel manner as they demonstrated toward their fellow citizens and other nations by the cruel Babylonians.

Therefore, these verses teach that God not only holds individuals accountable for their conduct but also nations.

In Habakkuk 1:5-11, this principle of lex telionis means that the God of Israel’s judgment of these unrepentant, apostate citizens of Judah would fit the crimes they committed against Him and their fellow human beings.

Their punishment would correspond to the crimes they committed against their fellow citizens and other nations.

In other words, the punishment of these unrepentant, apostate citizens of Judah would fit their crimes they committed against God and others.