Paul's Favorite Bible Verse

In the classical period in which Paul lived, interpretation of texts was a bit more creative and less technical than we see in our postmodern times. The text didn't have to have one "correct" meaning. The profound words of sages, prophets, philosophers, and teachers were regarded as having layers of meaning.

That's how it is with Paul's favorite Bible verse. It meant one thing to the people who read it originally, about 600 years before Paul. By Paul's time, it meant several things and had multiple ramifications for people who cared about God's unfolding plan in history.

The verse in question has been translated in some pretty different ways in modern versions of the Bible. Some scholars are convinced a scribe transmitted one or two words with minor errors. Other scholars think the text passed down to us by the Massoretes in the 10th century C.E. is just fine as it is.

You're probably wondering what verse I'm calling Paul's favorite. The answer might surprise you, and I'm going to introduce it in my own translation:

Behold, his soul is puffed up,

it is not right within him,

But the righteous

will live

by his faith.

—Habakkuk 2:4 My Translation

What on Earth Was Habakkuk Talking About . . .

Habakkuk lived in the days when Babylon expanded to rule much of the Near East. The tiny kingdom of Judah held on in a turbulent time. Their sister nation, Israel, had fallen about eighty years prior (the capital, Samaria fell in 722 B.C.E.). And Babylon first threatened Judah and then, in three separate incidents, they took over Jerusalem and Judah.

Jerusalem paid tribute to Babylon in 605 B.C.E. when they defeated the Egyptians. Then in 599 B.C.E. Babylon laid siege to the city, finally taking it in 597 B.C.E. When the governors set up by Babylon rebelled, the emperor Nebuchednezzar had the temple and city razed. The people, at least many of the upper classes, were marched off to Babylon, relocated so as to put an end forever to Judah (although Judah was later restored in the Persian era).

Thus, Psalm 137:1 says, "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion" (NASB).

In the book of Habakkuk, Babylon is called Chaldea. The Babylonian army is terrifying, says the prophet. Their horses are faster than leopards. They come for violence. They will drag the people away with hooks and nets as if they were fish.

The prophet was scandalized by this. How could the loving God allow his sacred people to be taken captive to another land?

So chapter 2 of Habakkuk is a vision of the judgment of Babylon, which will come after Judah is in captivity. And verse 4 is about Babylon's pride and also about how people in Judah should comport themselves through the coming misfortunes.

"Behold, his soul is puffed up," is about either Babylon as a whole or perhaps refers to an individual Babylonian who stands for the rest. "It is not right within him." Clearly the Babylonians are prideful and cruel.

"But the righteous," could refer to all of Judah, just the faithful followers of Yahweh in Judah, or to an individual Judean who stands for the rest. "Will live." This could mean they will survive the horrific experiences of siege and forced captivity. Or perhaps by "live" the prophet meant "live their lives day by day."

"By faith." Clearly Habakkuk means by trusting in Yahweh. In the monstrous circumstances sure to come, faith or trust in God will help the faithful get through.

To paraphrase, Habakkuk 2:4 in context likely meant something like this: Babylon is puffed up and wicked, but the righteous ones in Judah will live day to day by trust in God.

The Meaning Paul Saw . . .

Paul and the apostles and Jesus-followers of his time had a playlist of Bible verses that could be read as referring to Jesus and salvation in the last days. They were not "Messianic prophecies" in the strict sense. It would be better to see them as sayings and poetic lines that were pregnant with meaning.

The most famous such passage is Isaiah 53 (which actually starts in Isaiah 52:13). Many people think Isaiah may have been expressing mysteries about Christ centuries before Christ came. Others think Isaiah may have meant something else, but the words are so appropriate to Christ, they naturally came to be used to refer to him.

What Paul does with his favorite Bible verse, Habakkuk 2:4, is to look at a deeper meaning. I feel certain—seeing evidence of Paul's brilliant grasp of meaning in the ancient texts—that Paul was aware of Habakkuk's original intent. That did not stop him from seeing a fuller meaning.

Here is the way Paul was reading it:

Behold, Babylon's soul is puffed up,

it is not right within them,

But the Righteous One (Jesus)

will live (be resurrected)

by his faith.

—Habakkuk 2:4 Modified to Reflect Paul's Use

Note: I am indebted to Douglas Campbell for this insight into Paul's reading of Habakkuk 2:4. I confess, before reading Campbell, I wondered for years what Paul was getting at. See Campbell's BEYOND JUSTIFICATION.

The Faith of Jesus . . .

What motivated Jesus to descend into humanity, take on weakness and limitation, submit himself to inferior powers, endure tortures that he could easily put a stop to, and experience death?

Faith. In the Father. In the merit of his actions and the good results it would bring.

Faith and faithfulness are both possible meanings of the Hebrew and Greek words translated as faith. Only context can tell you if a saying is more about faith/belief or faithfulness/loyalty.

For Paul, Habakkuk 2:4 was pregnant with meaning about Jesus. He is the Righteous One. He lived after he died. By his faith, he went all the way to the cross. By his faith, he stayed until his life was extinguished. By his faith, he chose the greater good instead of comfort or mere acclaim. By his faith, the Spirit gave him life after death and raised him in a new body superior to the former one.

And this is all incredibly important for you and me. Why do I say that?

Because it was Jesus' faith that saved us, not our own.

See more about "The Faith of Jesus" here.