Christian Standard Bible
Habakkuk 1:3
3Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
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 pronouncement that the prophet Habakkuk saw. 2How long, Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen or cry out to you about violence and you do not save? Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. 4This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted. 5Look at the nations and observe — be utterly astounded! For I am doing something in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it.
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 12:1Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race.
- Psalms 55:9Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city;
- Psalms 73:3For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- Psalms 120:5What misery that I have stayed in Meshech, that I have lived among the tents of Kedar!
- Ecclesiastes 4:1Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun. Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them.
- Ecclesiastes 5:8If you see oppression of the poor and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation, because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them.
- Jeremiah 9:2If only I had a traveler’s lodging place in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a solemn assembly of treacherous people.
- Ezekiel 2:6“But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them and do not be afraid of their words, even though briers and thorns are beside you and you live among scorpions. Don’t be afraid of their words or discouraged by the look on their faces, for they are a rebellious house.
- Micah 7:1How sad for me! For I am like one who — when the summer fruit has been gathered after the gleaning of the grape harvest — finds no grape cluster to eat, no early fig, which I crave.
- Matthew 10:16“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.
- 2 Peter 2:8(for as that righteous man lived among them day by day, his righteous soul was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) —
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
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