“Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4 ESV Puffed up – Let’s get the Greek out. Neither Habakkuk nor Paul nor God Himself use the word “soul.” The Hebrew is nephesh. We have the English translation “soul” because of the…
“Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4 ESV Behold – How would you summarize Paul’s entire message in a single verse? The question is important not only for theological reasons but also because your answer will reveal what you believe…
But the righteous shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4 But – Once more the vocabulary is simply an appended vav. The word for the righteous (tsadik) becomes ve-tsadik (the vav is appended). Context determines the translation and “but” seems appropriate because the text is about a contrast. However, that isn’t quite enough for us…
“and you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man do, he shall live by them. I am YHWH.” Leviticus 18:5 Live By Them – Is there a more important Hebrew phrase? Hardly! God provides an answer to the question, “What does it mean to live by faith?” “Wait,” you say. “This…
Behold, the soul of him is puffed up and is not upright, but the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4 Faith – We all know the second part of this verse. Paul quotes it in Romans as the centerpiece of the theology of grace. “The just shall live by faith.” We don’t earn…
“But the righteous shall live by his faith” Habakkuk 2:4 Faith – Does faith confuse you? Do you wonder, “What does it mean to live by faith?” “How can I pay the bills by faith?” “How do I make sense of living by faith when my life is consumed with just living?” “Do I…
