The Riches of Poetry

I think that if most of us were to define poetry or explain what distinguishes poetry from prose, we would probably point to end rhyme. Along with end rhyme, we might consider things like structure, meter, and maybe internal rhyme. Of course, slam poetry is quite a bit different, so if we were going to include that in our definition, we would probably have to expand beyond meter and end rhyme. And over the course of history, end rhyme was not so important in English poetry. In fact, it is largely adopted from Romance language poetry. Old English poetry, along with the poetry of the Scandanavians used an entirely different structure focusing on specific rules of alliteration. Different languages have different understandings of verse based on the nature of their language, and Hebrew is no exception. Because the vast majority of Hebrew words end with the same small set of available sounds, end rhyme would be really boring. Instead of rhyming words, Hebrew rhymes ideas in poetic verse.

There are a few different ways of doing this, which can seem a little odd to someone unfamiliar with it. Sometimes one line will establish an idea and the next line will expand on it in a synonymous way. This adds a layer of meaning or a similar image to an idea, but both parts aren’t necessarily to be taken as fact. This gets humorously misunderstood in the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus enters Jerusalem straddling two different animals. Sometimes when numbers are used, the second line increments the first by some factor (Psalm 62:11). Sometimes Hebrew poetic couplets are oppositional. The first line makes a statement and the second line offers a counter example, usually to the same effect. Imagine a child saying something like, “Ice cream is good, but broccoli is bad!” 

Habakkuk 2:4 is an excellent example of this oppositional kind of couplet, but it is a little more complex than simply ice cream against broccoli. We can look at this as having five sections, but only the last four are really important. It begins with a call to observe, but then moves into a well-constructed set of ideas. Two groups are identified: the proud and the righteous. Each group also gets commentary on the condition of their lives. The spirit of the proud isn’t right within them. The righteous live by faith. Just like poetry in any language, the point isn’t necessarily to eliminate all possible interpretations aside from one that is considered objectively true. On the contrary, understanding how these ideas are set up as antagonistic parallels, can help us to meditate more deeply on the meaning of this verse.

Certainly the proud and the righteous are not exact opposites, as if every characteristic of the proud is reversed in the righteous. We could imagine someone we might consider righteous being proud of their goodness. We might also imagine a person who is generally proud and arrogant doing good things, even if they do them for selfish reasons. However, broadly speaking, we can say that one important point about the righteous made by putting them against the proud is their humility. To be righteous is to be humble.

A good Lutheran interpretation of this verse would focus on the part about faith. Perhaps this is the reason for the humility of the righteous. They live not by their own works but by faith. They understand that they haven’t accomplished salvation. They haven’t given themselves life. They rely on God’s love, simply clinging to God in faith and relying on God’s promises. The proud think they can do it all themselves, and in relying on themselves they hurt their own spirit, cutting it off from God’s love and mercy, foolishly relying on their own strength which simply isn’t up to the task. They are sick in spirit because they can see their failures and silently suffer with them, isolating and feeling overwhelming guilt for all their sins, a guilt they know they cannot overcome by their own power. They try to fill up what is lacking with whatever they can cling to, all the while missing the bountiful goodness of God. From a Lutheran perspective, this is about works-righteousness and the futility of that way of life. Not coming before God for mercy will make your spirit sick, not right within you.

This certainly would work for Luther himself, who struggled against his own feelings of overwhelming guilt over sin. Perhaps he was proud of heart, trying to solve his problems on his own before he came to a realization about what justification really means. He became righteous, not because he had earned it, but simply because he discovered that Christ had already made him righteous, even while he was still a sinner. All he needed to do was live by faith, trusting in God’s mercy. So it wasn’t that this new understanding of justification made him righteous, but rather he discovered the righteousness Christ had given him through understanding justification properly.

However, this isn’t the only way to understand this verse. Again, poetry is particularly well equipped to allow us to meditate on different interpretations without dismissing all but one. The righteous living by faith may not simply be a matter of faith in God. The most direct understanding of that word is faithfulness, fidelity. The claim here is that a righteous person keeps their promises, stays true to their word, and doesn't betray others who trust them. They are trustworthy and faithful. There is a beautiful simplicity to this. When a righteous person gives their word, you know it will be done. They don’t make promises they don’t intend to keep. They aren’t playing some political game, befriending both sides for the sake of their own personal gain. There is peace and rest in this way of life. Work hard. Be honest. Serve the Lord.

Meanwhile, the proud don’t have a right spirit. Something is wrong with them. They don’t seem to be striving for rest and peace. Instead, they do whatever they can for their own personal gain, for the sake of wealth and glory. We can imagine that this leads to a troubled mind, trying to find the right people to support by predicting who will come out of a conflict on top rather than by determining who is simply right. Every decision is made in anxiety, gambling with life, wealth, and well-being. They may be proud of winning, proud of the status they can attain through unrighteous means, but they aren’t healthy. They don’t have peace in their lives. They have guilt and regret, and live in fear that they will make the wrong decision and it will all fall apart.

There are probably other interpretations as well, and the nature of poetry encourages readers to seek them out. We can hold these non-contradictory layers of meaning simultaneously. It is true that the righteous are saved by faith in God’s promises apart from works. It is also true that this salvation drives believers to be more faithful in their relationships with others, being honest and trustworthy throughout their lives. Perhaps we can find in this single verse pity for the proud, the joy of the righteous, and the power of God’s work in the world. Who can tell what else we can find if we ponder further. And if a single verse in Habakkuk can be examined so deeply, just think of what can be done with the entire Bible. We could drink forever, and this well will never run dry.