HEBREW WORD STUDY – VIOLENCE – CHAMAN – חמנ 

Habakkuk 1:2: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!”

The word for violence in Hebrew is chaman which has extremely broad usages. This is a word that can speak volumes. This word expresses the idea of wealth or pleasure that is obtained through violence, oppression, theft, etc. In includes predatory lending, ponzie schemes, corrupt businessmen who put others out of business to enhance their own. It includes corrupt means of government to obtains funds, like allowing a lottery to move beyond a game to an act of desperation among people. It even includes those who get abortions so they can pursue their own selfish lifestyles. Ultimately, it carries out the idea of enhancing your own power, wealth and/or pleasure at the expense of another person. Chaman even involves little things like overcharging for your services or a product. Yes, even selling a used car for its market value but not telling the buyer it needs a new transmission. Using a promise of God’s blessing as a tool to enhance your own power or wealth base, like giving an offering to get more from God rather than giving out of a sacrificial heart of love is chaman.

Habakkuk cries to God in verse 2 asking why He allows all this to go on. God answers that prayer by saying that He has answered Habakkuk’s first prayer. He is preparing a coming judgment to fall on the nation. There is an old saying that I get sick of hearing, but have to admit it is true; “Be careful what you pray for.” God tells Habakkuk, that not only has He answered the prayer but just how He going to deal with this chaman. He was preparing the Babylonians to overpower the nation, they will kill, rape, steal, plunder and destroy the nation. Many will die, all will be destitute, they will starve and be homeless. Their nation, one of the most powerful and wealthiest nations in the world will be reduced overnight into a nation like a third world nation.

Yet revival would come, but not quite the way Habakkuk wanted. Why should the just and righteous have to suffer along with the chaman makers? God explains in Habakkuk 2:4: “But the just shall live by faith.” Well, that is not much of an answer until God brings Habakkuk to the realization of verse 3:17-18: “Although the fig tree will not blossom, neither will there be fruit on the vines; the labor of the olive will fail, and the fields will yield no food, the flock will be cut off from the fold, and there will be no herd in the stalls: still I will be able to rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Even if tragedy or destruction falls on the nation, church, or family, God will bring joy to the faithful. And really isn’t joy in the midst of trials better than sorrow, pain, and depression in the midst of plenty?