Mark

This is the second of four summaries of the New Testament Gospels from Peter Leithart's book, The Four.  This second one covers the Gospel of Mark.

Leithart begins by focusing on several echoes of key words in the Gospel of Mark:

The first is the phrase, "son of God."  Mark uses the phrase to introduce the gospel, and though the Father uses the phrase twice to refer to Jesus, and demons recognize him as the son of God, the disciples don't, and even Jesus seems to want this identity not talked about (in scholarship this is referred to as the "messianic secret").  But it comes up again at the end when Christ is crucified, and a Roman centurion confesses that Jesus is the "son of God."

The second is the word, schizo, which in English means to rend, open, or split.  When Jesus is baptized, we're told that the heavens are opened and this word is used to describe that rending.  It is the same as the word used in the Old Testament to describe the Lord's coming by rending the heavens (Isaiah 64:1; Ps. 18:9) (Leithart 153).  The word is also used at the end of the Gospel when the temple veil is rent (15:38).  This tearing is also linked to the "son of God" phrase, because at the baptism, the Father speaks of Jesus as his son, and at the tearing of the veil, the centurion speaks of Jesus as the son of God.

Finally, there is a link between the baptism scene and the transfiguration scene.  In both, there is a voice from heaven and Jesus is identified by the Father as his beloved son.  In both, there is a reference to Elijah.  John the Baptist is dressed like Elijah in the baptism scene, and Elijah himself appears at the transfiguration scene, and shortly afterwards, Jesus tells his disciples that John is "Elijah" (9:12-13).  Finally, after the transfiguration, Jesus encounters a boy possessed with an unclean spirit.  And after the baptism, Jesus encounters the devil in the wilderness.

From these parallels in the Gospel of Mark, Leithart shows us this sketch of the book as a whole:

1:1-8:21                                                             8:22-16:7 (or 20)

A.  "Son of God," 1:1                                        "Christ," 8:29

Baptism                                                             Transfiguration

   schizo                            

   John                                                                   "Elijah"

   Beloved Son                                                      Beloved Son

   Encounter with demon                                      Encounter with demon

Befuddlement of disciples                                Centurion confesses the "son of God"

                                                                              schizo

From these links between the beginning and the end in Mark, Leithart also suggests there might be a chiasm in the book as a whole:

A   Baptism: splitting heavens and "You are My Son"

      B   Jesus tested in wilderness, 1:12-13

           C   Sower parable, 4:1-9

                 D   Stilling of storm, 6:45-52

                       E   Peter's confession, 8:27-30

                            F   Prediction concerning passion, 8:31-33

                       E'  Transfiguration, 9:2-10

                 D'  Exorcism of possessed boy, 9:14-29

           C'  Vineyard Parable, 12:1-11 (key words are parable and fruit)

      B'  Jesus tested in temple, 12:13-17

A'  Death: splitting veil and "This is the Son"

The A section shows the parallel between splitting of the heavens and the splitting of the veil, and also the mutual identification of the Father and the centurion that Jesus is the Son of God.

From here, I'll quote Leithart:

"The "B" sections connect the wilderness with the corrupted temple, and also connect the tempting scribes, Pharisees, and priests to Satan.  The parables in the "C" sections provide a "bread" and "wine" pair.  Stilling the chaos of the storm (D) is connected with stilling the chaos of demonic possession (D'), and the confession of Peter that Jesus is the Christ (E) is confirmed by the transfiguration (E').  At the center of the whole book is Jesus' first prediction of His death." (155)

Leithart notes that Jesus' prediction of His own suffering and death as a way of explaining what it means to be the "Christ" is at the center in both of these structures, and asks what Mark might be telling us in that?  Here is what Leithart writes later on:

"Early on in the gospel, Jesus warns the disciples, demons, and everybody else not to reveal His identity.  This is the famous "Markan Messianic secret."  Why doesn't Jesus want His disciples and the people who benefit from His ministry talking about Him?  The reason is that Jesus has not yet revealed Himself for who He is, the true Son of God who cannot be recognized until the cross.  He cannot be seen as Son of God until He is seen as the dying Son of God.  He does not want people to recognize Him as the Son of God because of His power.  He wants them to see that the Son of God gives Himself for the disciples." (164)

                                     

Matthew

This is the first of four summaries of the New Testament Gospels from Peter Leithart's book, The Four.  This first one covers the Gospel of Matthew.

He organizes the Gospel into five discourses.  Leithart writes:

"One of the most obvious things about Matthew is that it includes five large sections of teaching.  Look at a red-letter copy of Matthew, and you'll see long sections where Jesus speaks without any, or much, interruption (chs. 5-7, 10, 13, 18, 23-25).  Jesus' five discourses hint that He is a new Moses, since Moses also wrote five books.  Each of these sections ends with basically the same words: "when Jesus finished these words" (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1).  This sentence reminds us of the conclusion of the creation story (Gen. 2:2: "God completed His work," work done by speaking).  It also alludes to the end of Moses' building the tabernacle (Exod. 40:33).  God spoke to create, and then finished; Jesus speaks to re-make, and then finishes His words.  These five discourses are like five pillars that hold up the book of Matthew, set between the "book of Genesis" and the new "Decree of Cyrus." (121)

At the end of this quote, Leithart is referring to the way the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew echoes Genesis, and the way the end of Matthew echoes the end of 2 Chronicles.  While Malachi would later conclude the Christian Bible, 2 Chronicles had concluded the Hebrew Bible with a passage very similar in structure to the "Great Commission" passage at the end of the Gospel of Matthew.  Thus, the Gospel of Matthew retells the whole story of Israel, from start to finish.

Along these lines, Leithart outlines the book of Matthew around these five major discourses, the five pillars, of Matthew:

Matthew                                                         Old Testament

1   Sermon on Mount, 5-7                              Sinai revelation

2   Mission of Twelve, 10                              Deuteronomy: preparation for conquest

3   Parables of Kingdom, 13                          Wisdom of Solomon

4   Disciples as Church, 18                             Forming a new Israel in the midst of Israel,

                                                                        Elijah and Elisha

5   Eschatological Doom, 23-25                     End of Judah; Babylonian exile

The first pillar is the Sermon on the Mount.  Leithart writes: "The sermon presents Jesus as the new and true Moses, delivering the law to the people from a mountain.  It also presents Him as Yahweh, the Lord of Israel, who does not receive the law from angels (Acts 7:53) but delivers the word of the Lord from His own mouth." (132)  Thus, the Sermon places us thematically alongside Moses and the people at Mount Sinai when God made his covenant with liberated Israel.

Leithart notes that the first pillar is similar to the fifth pillar.  Both cover three chapters.  Both begin with a list of promises or threats.  Jesus begins the Sermon with eight beatitudes or blessings, and he begins the Olivet Discourse in chapter 23 with eight woes or curses.  

The second pillar is the Mission of the Twelve.  Jesus sends the twelve disciples out in a quasi-military way, very much like the way the twelve tribes venture into the Promised Land in Joshua.  Jesus is the true Joshua.  This operation is different though.  Leithart writes: Of course, this conquest is quite different from the original conquest.  It is a conquest of liberation and life-giving - the sick healed, dead raised, lepers cleansed, demons conquered.  If this is holy war, it is directed not against Canaanites, but against Satan and his demons.  Like Moses, Jesus instructs and sends the Twelve into the land but does not accompany them." (125)

The third pillar constitutes the Parables of the Kingdom.  Leithart writes: "The third discourse has multiple links to the wisdom literature and to Solomon in particular.  Jesus begins to speak in "parables," a word first used in 13:3, and used twelve times in the chapter.  The Septuagint employs parabole to translate the Hebrew mashal, a wisdom term that can be used both of pithy two-line proverbs and extended allegorical narratives.  In this chapter above all Jesus uses a wisdom style associated with Solomon.  Immediately after Jesus finishes his parabolic teaching, he goes to His home country to teach, and the people are astonished at His "wisdom." (13:54)

The fifth pillar has to do with eschatological doom.  Leithart writes: "Jesus acts as a prophet in the tradition of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, so that this discourse corresponds to the prophecies that come in the latter days of the kingdom of Judah.  Jesus, like Jeremiah, engages in verbal combat with the priests and leaders, and gives an extended prophecy concerning the destruction of the temple by the Romans.  Jesus' style is very similar to the style of Old Testament prophets.  Chapter 23 contains Jesus' most extended and intense condemnation of scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites.  No setting is explicit, but the narrative indicates that this speech takes place in the temple: Jesus arrives in the temple in 21:23, tells parables and engages in debate, but never changes location until the beginning of chapter 24.  The temple setting reminds us of the temple sermons of Jeremiah 7 and 26.  Like Jeremiah, Jesus charges that the scribes and Pharisees have become a "den of robbers" condemnation (Jer. 7:11; Mt. 21:13).  Like the "weeping prophet," Jesus laments the rebellion of the city he condemns (Mt. 23:37-38), and warns Jerusalem she will be left to desolation (23:38; cf. Jer. 22:5).  Matthew 24:1 records Jesus' final departure from the temple, reminiscent of the departure of the glory of Yahweh from the temple in Ezekiel 8-11." (127)

Pillars 1, 2, 3, and 5 can be seen to move through Old Testament history.  Since pillar 3 has us thinking of Solomon, and pillar 5 has us thinking of Jeremiah, Leithart extrapolates that pillar 4 connects us to the era of the divided kingdom.  This leads to considerations of how chapter 18 shows links between Jesus and Elijah/Elisha in 1 and 2 Kings: "In (Matthew 18), Jesus emphasizes that His disciples will be characterized by childlike humility and faith (18:1-3) and warns the community to avoid causing little ones to stumble (18:5-14).  Verses 15-20 sketch out the procedures for dealing with sin among the brothers, and Jesus' final parable describes the spirit of forgiveness that must characterize the church (18:21-35).  Jesus assumes that His disciples will be separated from Israel as a whole.  The word "church" (Greek, ekklesia) is virtually unique to this chapter.  In 16:18, the word refers to Jesus' own temple-community that He intends to build on the rock of Peter, and the word has the same connotation in 18:17.  It is used in the Greek Old Testament to refer to the "assembly" of Israel (cf. Deut. 4:10), and Jesus uses the word to refer to the "new Israel" of His disciples, in contrast to the "Gentiles" outside.  Matthew 18:17 goes beyond 16:18, however, in indicating that the new ekklesia will have its own structures of authority to enforce the community's standards.  In short, Jesus is forming an Israel in the midst of Israel, just as Elijah and Elisha had done during the Omride dynasty." (128)

Leithart sums a lot of this up by showing that, for Matthew, Jesus is Israel and simultaneously God come to Israel: "Jesus is Israel, and He also comes in the guise of all those servants and prophets that Yahweh sends to Israel to call her to follow the covenant.  Jesus is Moses (Mt. 5-7), Joshua (Mt. 10), Solomon (Mt. 13), Elisha (Mt. 18), Jeremiah (Mt. 23-25).  When Jesus comes to Israel, all these leaders of Israel come back again, perfected.  But by emphasizing that Jesus is the beginning of Israel's history, Matthew shows us that God comes whenever these servants come in His name." (130)

Malachi

This is the thirty-third in a series of biblical summaries from David Dorsey's book: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament.  This is the twelfth in the sub-series of minor prophets, covering Malachi.

a   Yahweh is just: he "loves" (the faithful remnant of) Israel but will utterly
      destroy wicked Edom (1:2-5)
     b   priests and people have cheated Yahweh in their offerings (1:6-14)
          c   in the past Levi served in righteousness (2:1-9)
               d   CENTER: stop being faithless! (2:10-16)
          c'  in the future Yahweh's messenger will come (2:17-3:6)
     b'  people have robbed Yahweh in tithes and offerings (3:7-12)
a'  Yahweh is just: he will reward the righteous but will utterly destroy the wicked (3:13-4:3)
conclusion: day of Yahweh (4:4-6

The 'a' pattern emphasizes Yahweh's just judgment.  While the first section emphasizes Edom, and his judgment upon the "wicked" country, that "thought they rebuild, I will tear down, the second section emphasizes a more general judgment upon the wicked, that Yahweh will bring them to an end, leaving them "neither root nor branch."  All this suggests that whether in particular or in general, Yahweh is just.

The 'b' pattern emphasizes unrighteousness with regard to giving back to God.  Both sections emphasize that unacceptable tithes and offerings have been brought.  While the first section speaks of a curse upon those who have cheated Yahweh in their offerings, the second section says, "you are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me."  The first section shows Yahweh wishing someone would shut the doors of his temple so that no more unacceptable offerings could be brought in.  The second section, echoing the doors with windows, shows Yahweh exhorting the people to bring acceptable offerings for his temple, with the promise that he will open the windows of heaven.  Finally, both sections have a five-part introduction, followed by exhortation and promise.

The 'c' pattern emphasizes levitical priests, with the first section looking back to past faithfulness and the second section looking forward to future faithfulness.  The first section emphasizes how the Levites have turned from Yahweh.  The second section emphasizes that when the messenger comes, the Levites will be purified.  In the first section, Levi keeps Yahweh's covenant.  In the second section, the messenger will be the "messenger of the covenant."  In the first section, the priest is the messenger of Yahweh.  In the second, the messenger will.  In the first section, priests have turned aside from the way.  In the second, the messenger will prepare the way before Yahweh.  All this suggests a renewal of the priesthood.

The 'd' section is a central exhortation to repent.  Dorsey writes: "Here Malachi appeals to the people to stop being faithless.  The theme of this unit is the faithlessness of the people - in their social relations, their spiritual obligations, and their marital relations." (323-324)

Dorsey writes concerning the conclusion:

"The appendix, because it both concludes the book and stands outside the symmetric arrangement, is doubly highlighted.  It serves as the book's grand finale, capsulizing Malachi's message: Yahweh has wonderful plans for his people.  He is going to send his representative to his people to take charge and to right all wrongs - someone like the prophet Elijah.  He will bring Israel back to Yahweh.  So take heart!  And most important: "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel" (4:4)  With this closing injunction, we have come full circle in the Old Testament, which began, it will be recalled, with the Book of the Law of Moses.  Malachi calls Israel to return to that law, to return to its original treaty with God." (324)

Zechariah

This is the thirty-second in a series of biblical summaries from David Dorsey's book: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament.  This is the eleventh in the sub-series of minor prophets, covering Zechariah.

a   call to repentance (1:1-6)
b   Zechariah's nighttime vision (1:7-6:8)
c   symbolic-action message: silver and gold crown (6:9-15)
d   message about fasting and call to repentance (7:1-8:23)
e   Israel's future restoration (9:1-11:3)
f   symbolic-action message: shepherd and two staffs (11:4-17)
g   Israel's future restoration (12:1-14:21)

Dorsey writes: "The book falls into two parts based on topic.  Chapters 1-8 focus on rebuilding the temple, with exhortations to the postexilic community to build the temple and to repent of their former sinful ways.  Chapters 9-14 shift to the topic of Israel's future restoration.  Zechariah, then, exhibits the same overall negative-to-positive arrangement as Haggai, Ezekiel, and other prophetic books." (318)

Sections b, d, e, f, and g all seem to exhibit symmetrical structures emphasizing that Israel should rebuild the temple, and/or repent:

Zechariah 1:7-6:8

a   four horsemen, four horns and four smiths who patrol the earth (1:7-21)
     b   man and the measuring line: Yahweh is coming to dwell in Jerusalem; the exiles
          should leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem, which will be restored (2:1-13)
          c   Yahweh's house purified; high priest's iniquity is removed; sin of the land
               will be removed (3:1-10)
               d   CENTER: the temple will be completed! (4:1-14)
          c'  every sinner's house is cursed: the scroll (same dimensions as tabernacle)
               with the curses goes out over the land to bring a curse on any sinner (5:1-4)
     b'  women and the measuring basket: Israel's iniquity is carried back to Babylon,
          where a house will be built for it to dwell in (5:5-11)
a'  four chariots who patrol the earth (6:1-8)

Zechariah 7-8

a   people from Bethel come to Jerusalem to entreat Yahweh (7:1-3a)
     b   fasting: condemnation for fasting selfishly (7:3b-6)
          c   past call to righteousness and justice by prophets was rejected; thus ancestors
               exiled and land made desolate (7:7-14)
               d   CENTER: rebuild the temple! (8:1-13)
          c'  present call to righteousness and justice: obey and Yahweh will do good
               to the people and land (8:14-17)
     b'  fasting: fasts will be turned to feasts of joy
a'  people from many cities will come to Jerusalem to entreat Yahweh in the future (8:20-23)

Zechariah 9:1-11:3

a   coming judgment upon Lebanon and other nations: Tyre will be devoured by fire (9:1-7)
     b   Yahweh will return to his temple and reign over all the earth, "from sea to sea and from
           the Euphrates to the ends of the earth" (9:8-10)
           c   Yahweh will save and restore Israel, "for they are his sheep" (9:11-17)
                d   CENTER: appeal to Yahweh, not idols! (10:1-2b)
           c'  Yahweh will save Israel; they wander like sheep; but Yahweh
                cares for his flock" (10:2c-7)
     b'  Yahweh will cause the exiles to return from all over the earth, "from the land of Egypt
           and...from Assyria...and they shall pass through the sea" (10:8-12)
a'  coming judgment upon Lebanon and other regions: "fire will devour your (Lebanon's)
     cedars" (11:1-3)

Zechariah 11:4-17

a   bad shepherds are replaced: Israel's bad shepherds sold the flock;
     prophet told to take over flock (11:4-6)
     b   the equipment of a good shepherd: two good staffs, Grace and Union; becomes a good
          shepherd over flock, protecting the oppressed (11:7-8a)
          c   good shepherd breaks the staff "Grace" when sheep spurn him; breaks covenant
               with the nation (11:8b-10)
               d   CENTER: good shepherd is humiliated: the shameful wages of thirty shekels
                    of silver (11:11-13)
          c'  good shepherd breaks the staff "Union"; breaks relationship between Judah
               and Israel (11:14)
     b'  the equipment of a bad shepherd: flock will not be cared for; oppressed will
          not be protected (11:15-16)
a'   bad shepherd is back: Israel ends up where it started - with a worthless shepherd
      who deserts the flock (11:17)

Zechariah 12-14

a   all the nations of the earth will gather against Jerusalem, but Yahweh will defeat them (12:1-4)
     b   Judah's leaders will be strengthened; they will be "like a blazing pot in the midst
          of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves (12:5-9)
          c   repentance of house of David and the people (12:10-14)
               d   CENTER: cleansing from sin and uncleanness (13:1-2)
          c'  repentance of prophets (13:3-6)
     b'  Judah's leader will be struck and the sheep scattered; one-third will remain;
          "and I will put this third into the fire" (13:7-9)
a'  all the nations will gather against Jerusalem; but Yahweh will defeat them and become
     their king; he will have them assemble every year in Jerusalem to worship him (14:1-21)

Haggai

This is the thirty-first in a series of biblical summaries from David Dorsey's book: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament.  This is the tenth in the sub-series of minor prophets, covering Haggai.

a   message of rebuke and exhortation to rebuild the temple (1:2-11)
b   report of people's obedient response; temple begun (1:12-15)
c   messages of encouragement and promise (2:1-23)
     (1)   message of reassurance and encouragement in the work (2:1-9)
     (2)   message of promise: Yahweh will now bless them (2:10-19)
     (3)   message about Zerubbabel's significance (2:20-23)

Dorsey writes: "The book's five parts form a significant linear progression: Haggai's message of rebuke and exhortation is followed by the people's positive response, which is followed in turn by three messages of divine encouragement and promise.  This layout highlights the book's main theme: Israel's obedience, particularly in regard to the temple, will result in God's favor." (315)

Of particular notice as well, all five messages are dated.  The first message is dated the first day of the sixth month.  The second message is dated the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.  The third message is dated the twenty-first day of the seventh month.  The fourth message is dated the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month.  The fifth message is also dated the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month.

Finally, two of these five messages seem to have symmetrical structures centered around the exhortation for the people to rebuild the temple.

Haggai 1:2-11

a   introduction: these people say, "The time has not yet come for Yahweh's house to be built (1:2-11)
     b   question: is it a time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house
          remains a ruin? (1:3-4)
          c   you planted much but it brought little; you eat, drink, put on clothes, etc,
               but still lack (1:5-6)
               d   CENTER: therefore, build my house! (1:7-8)
          c'  you expected much but got little; what you brought home, I blew away (1:9a-b)
     b'  question: why?  because my house remains a ruin while you are busy in
          your own houses (1:9c-d)
a'  conclusion: this is why there is scarcity and crop failure (1:10-11)

Haggai 2:1-9

a   splendor of the former temple was greater than this small temple being built (2:3)
     b   encouragement to take courage (2:4a-c)
          c   reassurance of Yahweh's presence (2:4d)
               d   CENTRAL POINT: carry out the terms of the covenant that Yahweh
                    commanded when he brought his people out of Egypt (particularly:
                    build him a dwelling!" (2:5a)
          c'  reassurance of Yahweh's presence (2:5b)
     b'  encouragement: soon Yahweh will shake the nations and bring their wealth and
          fill this temple with it (2:6-8)
a'  splendor of this present temple will surpass that of the former temple (2:9)

Zephaniah

This is the thirtieth in a series of biblical summaries from David Dorsey's book: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament.  This is the ninth in the sub-series of minor prophets, covering Zephaniah.

a   coming judgment upon the wicked of Jerusalem (1:2-6)
     b   coming judgment of corrupt leaders (1:7-13)
          c   Yahweh's judgment of all the nations (1:14-18)
               d   CENTER: call to repentance (2:1-3)
          c'  Yahweh's judgment of all the nations (2:4-15)
     b'  coming judgment of corrupt political leaders (3:1-7)
a'  coming restoration of Jerusalem and its fortunes (3:8-20)

The 'a' pattern links the coming judgment on Jerusalem with the eventual restoration that God will bring.  In the first section, Judah is idolatrous, follows Baal, swears by Molech, and does not seek Yahweh or inquire of him.  In the second section, Judah seeks refuge in Yahweh, calls upon his name, serves him, not idols, with one accord.  All this suggests that restoration will follow judgment.

The 'b' pattern links the coming judgment on different leaders within Judah.  The first section refers to the rich of Jerusalem.  The section discusses their greed, violence, and corruption.  It also discusses their view of Yahweh: that he will do no good, nor will he do ill.  The second section refers to the religious leaders of Jerusalem.  This section also discusses their greed, violence, and corruption.  The second section proclaims that Yahweh is righteous and that he does no wrong.  All this suggests the certainty and comprehensiveness of the judgment to come upon Judah.

The 'c' pattern emphasizes a judgment to come upon all nations.  The first section focuses on the great and terrible day of Yahweh that will come against all the earth and all the inhabitants of the earth.  The second section focuses on oracles against the nations, against all the gods of the earth and against the inhabitants of the sea coast.  All this suggests the comprehensiveness of judgment outside of Israel and Judah.

The 'd' section is a central exhortation to repent.  Dorsey writes: "The placement of the call to repentance at the center of the symmetry underscores its key role for the reversal of Judah's fortunes.  And closing the book with encouraging, uplifting units of promise and hope indicates the positive motivational purpose of the book.  Zephaniah calls the people of Judah, including its leaders, to turn back to their gracious and forgiving God." (314)

Habakkuk

This is the twenty-ninth in a series of biblical summaries from David Dorsey's book: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament.  This is the eighth in the sub-series of minor prophets, covering Habakkuk.

a   Habakkuk's first complaint (1:2-4)
     b   Yahweh's first answer (1:5-11)
          c   Habakkuk's second complaint (1:12-17)
               d   CENTER: wait, for in the end the wicked will be punished (2:1-5)
          c'  Yahweh's answer to second complaint (2:6-20)
     b'  Yahweh's final answer (3:1-15)
a'  Habakkuk's final resolution of his first complaint (3:16-19)

The 'a' pattern links Habakkuk's first complaint to its later resolution.  In the first section, he asks, "how long must I wait for your justice?"  In the second section, he says he will wait for God's help as long as it takes, no matter what, that God is the source of his joy.  In the first section, he complains that God does not hear Habakkuk's cries for help.  In the second section, Habakkuk hears Yahweh's arrival to help and is silenced.  Both sections have extended first-person speeches.  In the first section, Habakkuk asks how long he must wait for God's salvation.  In the second section, Habakkuk says he will wait, no matter what, for God is his salvation.  In the first section, Habakkuk expresses a frustrated cry to God, who is not saving him.  In the second section, Habbakuk expresses a joyful cry to the God who saves.  All this suggests that God addresses Habakkuk's complaint.

The 'b' pattern compares the initial success of the Babylonian army over Judah with the ultimate success of Yahweh's army over Babylon.  The first section expresses Yahweh's first answer to Habakkuk's complaint, that the powerful army of Babylon will come.  Yahweh's later final answer is that Yahweh's army will vanquish Babylon.  Both sections begin with statements about Yahweh's work.  The first section is a highly militaristic portrayal of an unstoppable powerful army.  The second section is a highly militaristic portrayal of Yahweh's unstoppable powerful army.  In the first section, the Babylonians come, proceed, and go forth.  In the second section, Yahweh comes, proceeds, and goes forth.  The first section describes the Babylonians' horses, the peoples' intentions to devour their enemies, and that the army originates from a distant place in the north.  The second section describes Yahweh's horses, Babylon's intentions to devour peoples, and that Yahweh's army comes from the south.  All this suggests that Babylon's conquest of Judah is a temporary measure which will give way to Yahweh's final victory over Babylon.

The 'c' pattern links Habakkuk's second complaint with Yahweh's answer.  Habakkuk's second complaint is: how can you allow the wicked to destroy nations more righteous than themselves?  To this, Yahweh pronounces "woes" upon the wicked.  They will be punished.  All wrongs will be righted.  Both sections begin with rhetorical questions.  Both sections focus on the wickedness of the Babylonians in their conquests.  Both sections focus on the Babylonians' foolish, human-originated idolatry.  The first section questions Yahweh's justice with the Babylonians.  The second section answers the question of Yahweh's justice with the Babylonians.  All this suggests Yahweh's address of the question Habakkuk raises.

The 'd' section is a central exhortation to wait.  Dorsey writes: "The theme of waiting is highlighted by its occurrence at the beginning, middle, and end of the book.  These structurally prominent units declare that God will ultimately right all wrongs, but his people must wait with patience for this to happen."