Habakkuk 2:13

Habakkuk 2:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
• New International Version (NIV)Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts That the peoples labor to feed the fire, And nations weary themselves in vain?

Context of Habakkuk 2:13

11For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will answer them from the woodwork. 12Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice! Is it not from the Lord of Armies that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing? 14For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory, as the water covers the sea. 15Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath and even making them drunk, in order to look at their nakedness!

Habakkuk 2:13 word by word

הֲל֣וֹא הִנֵּ֔ה מֵאֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וְיִֽיגְע֤וּ עַמִּים֙ בְּדֵי־אֵ֔שׁ וּלְאֻמִּ֖ים בְּדֵי־רִ֥יק יִעָֽפוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• not of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
• that the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• shall labourיָגֵעַyâga‛ · be weary/toilH3021
• in the veryדַּיday · sufficiencyH1767
• fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• and the peopleלְאֹםle'ôm le'ôm · peopleH3816
• shall wearyיָעֵףyâ‛aph · to faintH3286
• vanityרִיקrîyq · vainH7385

Cross-references for Habakkuk 2:13

• Genesis 11:6The Lord said, “If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
• 2 Samuel 15:31Then someone reported to David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” “Lord,” David pleaded, “please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
• Job 5:13He traps the wise in their craftiness so that the plans of the deceptive are quickly brought to an end.
• Psalms 39:6Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them.
• Psalms 127:1Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.
• Proverbs 21:30No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel will prevail against the Lord.
• Isaiah 41:5The coasts and islands see and are afraid, the whole earth trembles. They approach and arrive.
• Isaiah 50:11Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with torches; walk in the light of your fire and of the torches you have lit! This is what you’ll get from my hand: you will lie down in a place of torment.
• Isaiah 55:2Why do you spend silver on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.
• Jeremiah 51:58This is what the Lord of Armies says: Babylon’s thick walls will be totally demolished, and her high gates set ablaze. The peoples will have labored for nothing; the nations will weary themselves only to feed the fire.
• Malachi 1:4Though Edom says, “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of Armies says this: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called a wicked country and the people the Lord has cursed forever.

Commentaries on Habakkuk 2:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13The people shall labor in the very fire - All these superb buildings shall be burnt down. See the parallel passage, Jeremiah 51:58; (note), and the note there. Shall weary themselves for very vanity? - For the gratification of the wishes of ambition, and in buildings which shall be brought to naught.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that (the) people (nations) shall labor - o In (for) the very fire - literally, to suffice the fire? By God‘s appointment, the end of all their labor is for the fire, what may suffice it to consume. This is the whole result of their labor; and so it is as if they had toiled for this; they built ceiled palaces and gorgeous buildings, only for the fire to consume them. And the peoples shall weary themselves for very…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-14Verses 5-14 The prophet reads the doom of all proud and oppressive powers that bear hard upon God's people. The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, are the entangling snares of men; and we find him that led Israel captive, himself led captive by each of these. No more of what we have is to be reckoned ours, than what we come honestly by. Riches are but clay, thick clay; what are gold and silver but white and yellow earth? Those…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-14In the third taunt song, the Babylonians face condemnation for their murder and corruption, which they used to gain wealth and build their cities. God will turn their apparent gain into a total loss. Earth will be filled: Unlike violence and stolen wealth, the awareness of the Lord's glory will spread as widely as water in the ocean (Isaiah 11:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. is it not of the Lord of hosts--Jehovah, who has at His command all the hosts of heaven and earth, is the righteous author of Babylon's destruction. "Shall not God have His turn, when cruel rapacious men have triumphed so long, though He seem now to be still?" [Calvin]. people ... labour in the ... fire ... weary themselves for ... vanity--The Chaldeans labor at what is to be food for the fire, namely, their city and fortresses which shall be burnt…Read the comment

Topics related to Habakkuk 2:13

• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Lord of Hosts
• Blood
• Consult
• Put
• Teach
• Weary
• Wood
• Faint
• Habakkuk

Commentaries on Habakkuk 2

• 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