Berean Standard Bible
Habakkuk 1:13
13Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
Habakkuk 1:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
- New International Version (NIV)Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
- English Standard Version (ESV)You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
- New King James Version (NKJV)You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?
Context of Habakkuk 1:13
11Then they sweep by like the wind and pass through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.” 12Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them for correction. Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? 14You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler. 15The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly.
Read all of Habakkuk 1Habakkuk 1:13 word by word
טְה֤וֹר עֵינַ֙יִם֙ מֵרְא֣וֹת רָ֔ע וְהַבִּ֥יט אֶל־עָמָ֖ל לֹ֣א תוּכָ֑ל לָ֤מָּה תַבִּיט֙ בּֽוֹגְדִ֔ים תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁ בְּבַלַּ֥ע רָשָׁ֖ע צַדִּ֥יק מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃Read the interlinear
- Your eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- are too pureטְהוֹרţehôr · purenessH2890
- to look uponרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- and You cannotלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- and You cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- tolerateנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- tolerateאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- wrongdoingעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
- So whyמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- the faithlessבָּגַדbâgad · to act treacherouslyH898
- Why are You silentחָרֵשׁchârash · be quietH2790
- while the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
- swallow upבָּלַעbâla‛ · to swallow upH1104
- those more righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
- than themselvesמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
Cross-references for Habakkuk 1:13
- Job 15:15If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,
- Psalms 5:4For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You.
- Psalms 11:4The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
- Psalms 34:15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
- 1 Peter 1:15But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,
- Psalms 10:1Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide in times of trouble?
- Psalms 73:3For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- Jeremiah 12:1Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?
- Isaiah 21:2A dire vision is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning.”
- Isaiah 33:1Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.
- Esther 4:14For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
- Psalms 35:22O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
- Psalms 50:3Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him.
- Psalms 83:1O God, be not silent; be not speechless; be not still, O God.
- Proverbs 31:8Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.
- Isaiah 64:12After all this, O LORD, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?
Commentaries on Habakkuk 1:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Thou art of purer eyes - Seeing thou art so pure, and canst not look on iniquity - it is so abominable - how canst thou bear with them who "deal treacherously, and hold thy tongue when the wicked devour the righteous?" All such questions are easily solved by a consideration of God's ineffable mercy, which leads him to suffer long and be kind. He has no pleasure in the death of a sinner.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil - The prophet repeats his complaint (as troubling thoughts are accustomed to come back, after they have been repelled,), in order to answer it more strongly. All sin is hateful in God‘s sight, and in His Holy Wisdom He cannot endure to “look toward iniquity.” As man turns away from sickening sights, so God‘s abhorrence of wrong is pictured by His not being able to “look toward it.” If He looked toward them, they…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 However matters may be, yet God is the Lord our God, our Holy One. We are an offending people, he is an offended God, yet we will not entertain hard thoughts of him, or of his service. It is great comfort that, whatever mischief men design, the Lord designs good, and we are sure that his counsel shall stand. Though wickedness may prosper a while, yet God is holy, and does not approve the wickedness. As he cannot do iniquity himself, so he is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-17Habakkuk struggled to understand how God's answer in Habakkuk 1:5–11 fit with God's character. How could a holy and just God punish Judah using a people more unrighteous than they were?Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. purer ... than to behold evil--without being displeased at it. canst not look on iniquity--unjust injuries done to Thy people. The prophet checks himself from being carried too far in his expostulatory complaint, by putting before himself honorable sentiments of God. them that deal treacherously--the Chaldeans, once allies of the Jews, but now their violent oppressors. Compare "treacherous dealers," (Is 21:2; 24:16). Instead of speaking evil against…Read the comment
Topics related to Habakkuk 1:13
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
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