Habakkuk 1:3

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 divine revelation that the prophet Habakkuk saw. 2How long, O Lord, am I to cry for help, but you will not listen? I cry out to you, “There’s violence!” yet you will not come to the rescue. Why do you make me see wrongdoing? And why do you watch wickedness? Destruction and violence are in front of me. Quarrels and disputes arise. 4That is why your teaching is numbed, and justice is never carried out. Wicked people surround righteous people so that when justice is carried out, it’s perverted. 5Look among the nations and watch. Be amazed and astonished. I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if it were reported to you.

Habakkuk 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, O Lord. No godly person is left. Faithful people have vanished from among Adam’s descendants!
• Psalms 55:9Completely confuse their language, O Lord, because I see violence and conflict in the city.
• Psalms 73:3because I was envious of arrogant people when I saw the prosperity that wicked people enjoy.
• Psalms 120:5How horrible it is to live as a foreigner in Meshech or to stay in the tents of Kedar.
• Ecclesiastes 4:1Next, I turned to look at all the acts of oppression that make people suffer under the sun. Look at the tears of those who suffer! No one can comfort them. Their oppressors have ⌞all⌟ the power. No one can comfort those who suffer.
• Ecclesiastes 5:8Don’t be surprised if you see poor people being oppressed, denied justice, or denied their rights in any district. One authority is watching over another, and they both have authorities watching over them.
• Jeremiah 9:2I wish I had a place to stay in the desert. I would abandon my people and go away from them. They are all adulterers, a mob of traitors.
• Ezekiel 2:6Son of man, don’t be afraid of them or the things they say. Don’t be afraid, even though thorns and thistles are around you and you live among scorpions. Don’t let the things they say frighten you. Don’t be terrified in their presence, even though they are rebellious people.
• Micah 7:1Poor me! I am like those gathering summer fruit, like those picking grapes. But there aren’t any grapes to eat or any ripened figs that I crave.
• Matthew 10:16“I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves.
• 2 Peter 2:8Although he was a man who had God’s approval, he lived among the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Each day was like torture to him as he saw and heard the immoral things that people did.

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

• God Continued...
• Minister, Christian
• Punishment
• Strife
• Wicked (People)
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Possess
• Pure
• Scoff
• Wrong
• Grievance
• Habakkuk
• strife, disputes, quarrel, arguing, conflict

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