O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
O Lord, how long shall I cry ... even cry out unto thee of violence ... Why dost thou show me iniquity?
Similar language is used of the Chaldeans (Habakkuk 1:9; Habakkuk 1:13) as hero is used of the Jews: implying that as the Jews sinned by violence and injustice, so they should be punished by violence and injustice (Proverbs 1:31). Jehoiakim's reign was marked by injustice, treachery, and bloodshed (Jeremiah 22:3; Jeremiah 22:13-17). Therefore the Chaldeans should be sent to deal with him and his nobles according to their dealings with others (Habakkuk 1:6; Habakkuk 1:10-11; Habakkuk 1:17). Compare Jeremiah's expostulation with Yahweh, Jeremiah 12:1, "Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee, yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: wherefore doth the way of the racked prosper?" Jeremiah 20:8; and Job 19:7-8.
Why dost thou ... cause me to behold grievance? Drusius and Maurer deny that the Hebrew verb х tabiyT (H5027)] is ever active. Translate, '(Wherefore) dost thou behold (without doing aught to check it) grievance?' The context favours the English version. But the omission of 'me,' which the English version supplies, favours the translation, "Why dost thou behold grievance" (without interposing to punish it)? In Habakkuk 1:5 Yahweh replies, though seemingly now an unconcerned spectator of grievance, "Behold ... I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you."
And there are that raise up strife and contention - so Calvin. But Maurer translates, 'there is strife, and contention raises itself.' In the English version the relative 'that' is to be understood-literally, 'there is (he that) raiseth up strife and contention.' In Maurer and Henderson's view the active Hebrew verb х yisaa' (H5375)] is taken intransitively of exalting or raising one's self, as in Hos. 12:15 (Hebrew Bible); or Hab. 13:1 (the English version Bible). Others avoid even the latter license, by understanding the verb impersonally '(one) raiseth up contention.' The collocation of the words in the Hebrew sentence favours this view х wayªhiy (H1961) riyb (H7379) uwmaadown (H4066) yisaa' (H5375)].