RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Gwatkin Habakkuk
be made of his Vie de Luther (Valence, 1840); Vie de Calvin (Paris, 1840); Histoire des dogmes Chretiens (2 vols., Paris, 1862); and the posthumous Theologie biblique (1870). His chief fame, however, rests upon his La France protestante (9 vols., Paris, 1846-59), to which he contributed all the articles except those on artists and poets. Together with C. Weiss, A. Coquerel, jr., and C. Read he also founded in 1852 the Societe d'histoire du protestantisms frangais, of which he was secretary and vicepresident, as well as editor of the journal of the society.
HAAS, JOHN AUGUSTUS WILLIAM : Lutheran; b. at Philadelphia Aug. 31, 1862. He was educated at the University of Pennsylvania (A.B., 1884), the Lutheran Seminary at Mt. Airy, Philadelphia (1887), and the University of Leipsic (1887-88). He then held pastorates at Grace Lutheran Church, New York City, in 1S88-96, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church in the same city in 1896-1904. Since 1904 he has been president of Muhlenberg College, Allentown Pa., where he is also professor of religion and philosophy. In theology his position is conservatively Lutheran, although he makes allowance for modern positions, especially with regard to Biblical research and the doctrine of inspiration and atonement. He has written Commentary on the Gospel of Mark (New York, 1895); Biblical Criticism (Philadelphia, 1902); and Bible Literature (1903), and was also a coeditor and contributor of the Lutheran Cyclopedia (New York, 1899).
HAAS, LORENZ: German Roman Catholic; b. at Hungenberg, a village of Germany, Dec. 18, 1844. He was educated at the universities of Munich and Wurzburg, after which he was vicar of Erlangen (1868-71), teacher of religion at Bamberg (1871-73), and a member of the foundation of St. Stephen's, Augsburg, where he was also occupied at the lyceum and gymnasium (1873-79). He then taught at Burghausen (1880-88) and at Munich for a portion of a year (1888), after which he was a professor at the lyceum in Passow in 1888- 1900. Since 1900 he has held a similar position in the lyceum of Bamberg. He has written Die notwendige Intention des Ministers zur gultigen Verwaltung der heiligen Sakramente (Bamberg, 1869); De philosophorum scepticorum successionibus eorumque usque ad Sextum Empiricum scriptis (Wurzburg, 1875); Ueber Hypnotismus und Suggestion (Augsburg, 1893); and Die immaterielle Substanzialitat der menschlichen Seele (Regensburg, 1903).
HABAKKUK (LXX., Ambakoum; Vulgate, Habacuc): The eighth of the Minor Prophets. From the subscription to the third chapter it has been inferred that the author was a Levite, and in the superscription of Bel and the Dragon in Codex Chisianus this is stated as a fact. The subscription mentioned suggests personal official participation in the song service of the Temple. While there is no certain knowledge of Habakkuk's life, a very rich body of legend clusters about his name (F Delitzsch, De Habacuci prophetm vita atque (state, Leipsic, 1842). The titles of chaps, i. and iii. show that he was a well-known prophet of Judah.
The book is cast in the form of dialogue. Chap. i. 2-4 contains the prophet's complaint against the corruption among his people; i. 5-11 is the divine answer foretelling the impending judgment through the Chaldeans; i. 12-17 expresses the prophet's wonder at their use by the Almighty; the divine answer follows in a fivefold "wo" presaging the overthrow of the enemy (ii. 2-20); chap. iii. is the answer of the trusting community to this double revelation, closing with an expression of perfect confidence in God. The kernel of the book is in the second announcement, ii. 2-3.
Against the early and persistent interpretation that in i. 2-4 the prophet has the Chaldeans in mind are: (1) that the same sins are denounced by other prophets (e.g., Ezek. xiii. 8); (2) that as component parts of the prophecy appear the sin, the punishment, forgiveness, and restoration; (3) the use of "law" in i. 4, which must mean the divine law. Also that the punishment of the Hebrews by the Chaldeans involves retribution of the instrument also is an integral part of the prophecy. The interpretation given avoids any necessity for considering i. 5-11 an interpolation, or for taking ii. 9-20 as a later addition, or for regarding the whole as a short preexilic prophecy worked over in the Exile.
There is only internal evidence upon which to determine the date either of the prophet or of his writing. Delitzsch's date, after the twelfth regnal year of Josiah, involving the assumption that Zeph. i. 7 depends on Hab. ii. 20, is doubtful — the dependence may be the other way. It is better to accept the verdict of most of the later critics and place it shortly before the battle of Carchemish. Delitzsch's later placing of Habakkuk under Manasseh is against i. 5 "in your days."
The diction of Habakkuk is classical, the words are rare and often peculiar to himself, the style is artistic and independent of earlier models. Chap, iii., an example of the highest art in Hebrew poetry, pictures Yahweh coming forth from Sinai in theophany to judge the foes of his people. All creation is in consternation at his presence; the earth is shaken to its foundations, sun and moon withdraw before the bright glow of his arrows and spear. Even the prophet, to whom the purpose of this coming is known, is stricken with terror until he recovers in view of the end which he sees and breaks off in a song of triumph. There is a close relationship between parts of the song and Ps. lxxvii. 16-20, and between Jer. iv. 13, v. 6, and Hab. i. 8. The passage ii. 4 is used by Paul in Rom. i. 17 and Gal. iii. 11; it is used also in Heb. x. 37-38, but in much altered form. (W. VoLCKf.)
It is scarcely possible to regard as a unit the prophecy ascribed to Habakkuk. At any rate chap. iii. gives no indication of a close relation with the first two chapters. The inscription (iii. 1) and the musical note (iii. 19) indicate the use of the chapter in the second temple, while the style and contents correspond to those of some of the latest psalms (e.g., Ps. lxviii.). The Chaldeans of i. 6 are not mentioned or suggested, and the fact that in verse 13, as the parallelism shows, it is the people of Israel that is called the "anointed" indi-
Habakkuk Hadad