Habakkuk

Booth offers a distinctive, illuminating and memorable reading of Habakkuk as a three-panel literary triptych, with corresponding outer panels and a “rhetorical helix” centred on Habakkuk 2:13–14. Her proposal brings the book’s literary unity, Habakkuk’s movement from complaint to worship, and the worldwide significance of God’s glory into unusually clear focus. Although many of the individual theological themes have precedents in earlier commentaries, Booth combines them in a fresh and coherent way that helps readers see how the dialogue, woes and concluding prayer belong together. Her missional interpretation of 2:13–14 as anticipating the worldwide fulfilment of God’s purposes is stimulating, though its direct connection with the Great Commission is better understood as Christian canonical reflection than as the passage’s immediate historical meaning. Some of the proposed literary correspondences are also more suggestive than demonstrable, and this is not the strongest volume for detailed philology or technical exegesis. Nevertheless, its theological insight, canonical sensitivity and usefulness for teaching and preaching make it a valuable contribution to the Habakkuk literature.

Habakkuk gets a plush treatment here. Because this volume succeeds on so many levels, I see it as the best single volume on Habakkuk around. [Full Review]

I think that Maxwell Booth has done a service to the church in calmly and carefully providing a deeply theological, deeply missiological, real and canonically sensitive reading of the book of Habakkuk. I hope that it is widely read, and that it will become a ‘Standard’ (Series title pun very much intended) commentary on this provocative, vital and fascinating ‘Minor Prophet’. [Full Review]

Very well researched and very readable and applicable. An excellent commentary on this short but profound book.