Habakkuk overview

I like the overview from my NRSV translation:

In dialogue with God, Habakkuk wrestles with the primary question:  Why does the Lord permit the righteous to suffer while the wicked prosper?  As the prophet continues to raise a series of questions, the Lord responds.  The prophet becomes particularly concerned with how a wicked people (the Babylonians) can play a role in God's work.  Anticipating evil's ultimate defeat in the future, the book concludes with an ancient hymn depicting God's triumphs over evil in past times.

In the midst of prevailing evil, Habakkuk's vision declares that those who trust in their own power and might will ultimately experience defeat, but "the righteous live by faith" (2:4).  The apostle Paul uses this affirmation to construct his argument on righteousness by faith (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11) , an argument used by protestant reformers to support the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

For Habakkuk, however, the question at stake is not how one is made righteous but rather how the righteous might fact evil's apparent domination.  The prophet's vision emphasizes trust in God despite circumstances.  The book's concluding poem embodies this vision in which the fruit of trust is not visible, yet the prophet continues his trust in God.