3
righteousness.").
10
There is no doubt that justification by faith is taught in the OT. Gen. 15:6
indicates that it is! In my view, however, the question is whether the doctrine is taught in Hab.
2:4. An OT text must be dealt with on its own terms. We must not let a NT use of an OT text
override the meaning of the text that has temporal priority. Clark and Hatton offer the sound
reminder that "Habakkuk's own meaning in its original context must be respected, and not
changed to conform to the New Testament application of his words."
11
We will return to this
issue later in the paper.
Another recent commentary suggests that "Paul quoted only a portion of this passage, . . .
and read 'but the righteous shall live by faith' (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11). NT writers adapted OT
scriptures to fit their purposes."
12
Paul certainly did adapt the text of Hab. 2:4 to fit his purposes.
But what needs to be answered is a far more specific series of questions. We should at least ask
how Paul adapted the text from Habakkuk, and on what basis he made use of this OT text. Was
his adaptation somewhat arbitrary, or was it consistent with the actual text of Habakkuk and with
the accepted norms of Biblical theology?
In his recent commentary on Romans, Douglas Moo states that "the main problem is that
Paul appears to give the words [of Habakkuk] a different meaning." He adds that Habakkuk was
addressing a person already righteous, while Paul was showing how a person can attain right
standing before God. He summarizes his position by asserting that "in both the meaning of the
9
Ibid., p. 168. Cf. also his discussion on p. 14 of the Introduction.
10
Author's translation. It is important to note the verb used in this verse, a perfect plus waw
consecutive. The use of such a verb form in narrative indicates habitual or recurring action.
11
David J. Clark and Howard A. Hatton, A Translator's Handbook on the Books of Nahum,
Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (New York: United Bible Societies, 1989), p. 93.
12
Ralph L. Smith, Micah-Malachi, WBC (Waco: Word Books, 1984), p. 107.