Amplified Bible
Habakkuk 1:3
3Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? For destruction and violence are before me; Strife continues and contention arises.
Habakkuk 1:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
- New International Version (NIV)Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises.
Context of Habakkuk 1:3
1The oracle (a burdensome message—a pronouncement from God) which Habakkuk the prophet saw. 2O Lord, how long will I call for help And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? For destruction and violence are before me; Strife continues and contention arises. 4Therefore, the law is ineffective and ignored And justice is never upheld, For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice becomes perverted. 5[The Lord replied,] “Look among the nations! See! Be astonished! Wonder! For I am doing something in your days— You would not believe it if you were told.
Read all of Habakkuk 1Habakkuk 1:3 word by word
לָ֣מָּה תַרְאֵ֤נִי אָ֙וֶן֙ וְעָמָ֣ל תַּבִּ֔יט וְשֹׁ֥ד וְחָמָ֖ס לְנֶגְדִּ֑י וַיְהִ֧י רִ֦יב וּמָד֖וֹן יִשָּֽׂא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Why dost thou shewרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- me iniquityאָ֫וֶן'âven · evil: wickednessH205
- to beholdנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- grievanceעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
- for spoilingשֹׁדshôd shôd · violenceH7701
- and violenceחָמָסchâmâs · violenceH2555
- raise upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
- strifeרִיבrîyb rib · strifeH7379
- and contentionמָדוֹןmâdôn · strifeH4066
Cross-references for Habakkuk 1:3
- Psalms 12:1Save and help and rescue, Lord, for godly people cease to be, For the faithful vanish from among the sons of men.
- Psalms 55:9Confuse [my enemies], O Lord, divide their tongues [destroying their schemes], For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
- Psalms 73:3For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- Psalms 120:5Woe to me, for I sojourn in Meshech, and I live among the tents of Kedar [among hostile people]!
- Ecclesiastes 4:1Then I looked again and considered all the acts of oppression that were being practiced under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.
- Ecclesiastes 5:8If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight [of corruption]; for a higher official watches over another official, and there are higher ones over them [looking out for one another].
- Jeremiah 9:2Oh that I had in the wilderness A lodging place (a mere shelter) for wayfaring men, That I might leave my people And go away from them! For they are all adulterers [worshiping idols instead of the Lord], [They are] an assembly of treacherous men [of weak character, men without integrity].
- Ezekiel 2:6And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words; though briars and thorns are all around you and you sit among scorpions, neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house.
- Micah 7:1Woe is me (judgment is coming)! For I am Like one who gathers the summer fruits, like one who gleans the vintage grapes. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, No first-ripe fig which my appetite craves.
- Matthew 10:16“Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].
- 2 Peter 2:8(for that just man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by what he saw and heard of their lawless acts),
Commentaries on Habakkuk 1:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And cause me to behold grievance - עמל amal, labor, toil, distress, misery, etc., the common fruits of sin.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Why dost Thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold - , or rather, “Why beholdest Thou grievance?” God seemed to reverse what He had said by Balaam Numbers 23:21, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, and hath not seen grievousness in Israel”; and in the Psalms Psalm 10:14, “Thou hast seen, for thou (emphatic) beholdest grievousness and wrong, to put it in Thy hand,” i. e., Thou layest it up in Thy hand, to cast it back on the head of the evildoer…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3In Habakkuk’s time, destruction and violence were widespread in Judean society (see Habakkuk Book Introduction, “Setting”).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. violence ... Why dost thou show me iniquity?--Similar language is used of the Chaldeans (Ha 1:9, 13), as here is used of the Jews: implying, that as the Jews sinned by violence and injustice, so they should be punished by violence and injustice (Pr 1:31). Jehoiakim's reign was marked by injustice, treachery, and bloodshed (Jr 22:3, 13-17). Therefore the Chaldeans should be sent to deal with him and his nobles according to their dealings with others…Read the comment
Topics related to Habakkuk 1:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Habakkuk 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Amplified Bible — © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631
Commentaries