How long?

Habakkuk’s prophecy was written as a conversation he had with God. He spoke to him about the trouble that he was witnessing, and God replied giving his interpretation of the events.

The words O Lord demonstrated that he acknowledged God to be superior to him, which is why he addressed his complaint to him. In turning to God he looked to him for help to solve the problem of evil that was being perpetrated.

The words how long shall I cry for help described his frustration at God’s seemingly inactivity (Psalm 13:1–2). He wondered how much longer he had to speak to God for him to resolve what was happening.

His words, you will not hear and you will not save, showed that he wondered if God really cared about what was going on and whether he would do something about it. His words expressed his concern that God seemed to be disinterested in stepping into the fray to bring it to an end.

Habakkuk’s cry to God showed how desperate he was for him to intervene. Habakkuk’s use of the word violence described the evil that was prevalent. It was a horrendous situation and he needed God to step up to save the Israelites from the actions of those who were committing acts of violence, wickedness, and injustice.