Habakkuk 1:5

Habakkuk 1:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
• New International Version (NIV)“Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.

Context of Habakkuk 1:5

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. 4Therefore, the law is ineffective and ignored And justice is never upheld, For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice becomes perverted. [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. 6For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans [who rule in Babylon], That fierce and impetuous nation Who march throughout the earth To take possession of dwelling places that do not belong to them. 7The Chaldeans are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves and are defined only by their decree.

Habakkuk 1:5 word by word

רְא֤וּ בַגּוֹיִם֙ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטוּ וְהִֽתַּמְּה֖וּ תְּמָ֑הוּ כִּי־פֹ֙עַל֙ פֹּעֵ֣ל בִּֽימֵיכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ כִּ֥י יְסֻפָּֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Beholdרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• ye among the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• and regardנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
• and wonderתָּמַהּtâmahh · to astoundedH8539
• will workפָּעַלpâ‛al · to workH6466
• a workפֹּ֫עַלpô‛al · workH6467
• in your daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• ye will not believeאָמַן'âman · be faithfulH539
• though it be toldסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608

Cross-references for Habakkuk 1:5

• Deuteronomy 4:27The Lord will scatter and disperse you among the peoples (pagan nations), and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord drives you.
• Jeremiah 9:25“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will punish all who are circumcised [physically] and yet uncircumcised [spiritually]—
• Jeremiah 25:14(For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even the Chaldeans [who enslaved other nations]; and I will repay [all of] them according to their deeds and according to the work of their [own] hands.)’ ”
• Isaiah 29:14Therefore, listen carefully, I will again do marvelous and amazing things with this people, wonderful and astonishing things; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the understanding of their discerning men will be hidden.”
• Lamentations 4:12The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of the inhabitants of the earth, That the adversary (oppressor) and enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
• Daniel 9:12And He has carried out completely His [threatening] words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers [the kings, princes, and judges] who ruled us, to bring on us a great tragedy; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything [so dreadful] like that which [He commanded and] was done to Jerusalem.
• Acts 13:40Therefore be careful, so that the thing spoken of in the [writings of the] Prophets does not come upon you:
• Isaiah 28:21For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the Valley of Gibeon, To do His work, His unusual and incredible work, And to accomplish His work, His extraordinary work.
• Jeremiah 5:12They have lied about and denied the Lord By saying, “It is not He [who speaks through His prophets]; Misfortune and evil shall not come on us, Nor will we see war or famine.
• Jeremiah 18:18Then [my enemies] said, “Come and let us work out schemes against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest [as Jeremiah predicts], nor the counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us strike him with our tongue [by making charges against him before the king], and let us ignore anything he says.”
• Ezekiel 12:22“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are long and every vision fails’?
• Zephaniah 1:2“I will completely consume and sweep away all things From the face of the earth [in judgment],” says the Lord.
• Acts 6:13They presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the Law [of Moses];

Commentaries on Habakkuk 1:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Behold ye among the heathen - Instead of בגוים baggoyim, among the nations or heathen, some critics think we should read בגדים bogedim, transgressors; and to the same purpose the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic have read; and thus it is quoted by St. Paul Acts 13:41. But neither this, nor any tantamount reading, is found in any of the MSS. yet collated. Newcome translates, "See, ye transgressors, and behold a wonder, and perish." I will work a work in your…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Behold ye among the heathen - The whole tone of the words suddenly changes. The Jews flattered themselves that, being the people of God, He would not fulfill His threats upon them. They had become like the pagan in wickedness; God bids them look out among them for the instrument of His displeasure. It was an aggravation of their punishment, that God, who had once chosen them, would now choose these whom He had not chosen, to chasten them. So Moses had…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Look … observe: Two different Hebrew verbs are also translated as see and tolerate in Habakkuk 1:3. This creates a literary connection between Habakkuk’s questions in Habakkuk 1:3 and God’s reply in 1:5–11.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Behold ... marvellously ... a work--(Compare Is 29:14). Quoted by Paul (Ac 13:41). among the heathen--In Ac 13:41, "ye despisers," from the Septuagint. So the Syriac and Arabic versions; perhaps from a different Hebrew reading. In the English Version reading of Habakkuk, God, in reply to the prophet's expostulation, addresses the Jews as about to be punished, "Behold ye among the heathen (with whom ye deserve to be classed, and by whom ye shall be…Read the comment

Topics related to Habakkuk 1:5

• Babylon
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• Possess
• Pure
• Scoff
• Wrong
• Habakkuk
• Judah, Kingdom of
• Marvel; Marvelous
• believe, believer, belief, unbeliever, unbelief

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