This verse has the grammatical form of a question but is really a way for Habakkuk to express his complaint. Translators should retain the form of a question, unless it will be misunderstood as a simple request for information. This is not just a rhetorical question, since the prophet does expect to get some response. This response is given in verses 5-11. Although the response deals with the question in a general way, it does not answer the question in the terms in which it is asked.

Verse 2 falls into two halves which are more or less parallel in meaning. In the first sentence the question how long echoes other parts of the Old Testament (compare Psa 13.1, 2; Jer 12.4). It implies that the problem has been troubling the speaker for a long time already. The words cry for help translate a single Hebrew word. In some languages translators will need to supply a goal or object of cry and say “cry to you to help.”

And thou wilt not hear implies that the LORD has given no response up to the present time, but does not imply that he never will respond. Indeed it is the hope that the LORD will eventually respond that makes the prophet keep on asking. This is brought out more clearly by Good News Translation, “how long must I call for help before you listen.” Revised Standard Version‘s rendering how long shall I cry for help, and thou wilt not hear will in some languages give the impression that the LORD has already been helping Habakkuk. On the contrary, the prophet now wants to know how much longer he must cry for help in order to stop the LORD from ignoring him. Therefore for many translators the use of the word “before” (Good News Translation) instead of and will be helpful.

Or cry to thee “Violence!” and thou wilt not save?: in the second sentence the word cry translates a different Hebrew verb from that used in the first sentence, and has a slight difference in emphasis. The previous verb means “to cry for help,” whereas this one means “to cry out in distress or horror.” Compare Moffatt “cry out … complain” and New International Version “call … cry out.” In some languages it is not easy to make this distinction, and many translators will need to do as Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New English Bible, and Jerusalem Bible have done, and use the same word twice. The Hebrew word for “violence” is repeated in verses 3 and 9 and is one of the keywords which links the question (verses 2-4) with the answer (verses 5-11). Violence may also be rendered as “cruel deeds” or “hurtful actions.” The clause in Good News Translation “save us from violence” can then be translated as “help us to escape from those who would treat us cruelly” or “prevent our enemies from doing cruel things to us.” The exclusive pronoun “us” is not present in the Hebrew, but it is permissible to include it, because the prophet is speaking not only for himself but also for the minority of people in Judah, who are honest and who share his outlook. One can also say “before you save your people from violence.” See the above comment on the problem of translating Revised Standard Version‘s rendering of this verse literally. The word save is an important term in the Old Testament and is often used of the LORD’s mighty acts on behalf of his people. Habakkuk feels that such acts are badly needed in his own situation. (The same Hebrew root occurs in 3.8, 13, 18.) In some languages save will be rendered by a phrase; for example, “help us to escape” (see above comment on Violence).

Good News Translation has combined the two halves of the verse into one sentence. It has avoided repeating the verb phrase “call for help” and thus shortens the second half of the verse to “before you save us from violence.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• O LORD, I have been crying out to you for a long time to help me. When will you listen to me? When will you help me (or us [exclusive], or your people) to escape those who want to do cruel things to me (or us, or them)?

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .