Habakkuk 2:19

Habakkuk 2:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
• New International Version (NIV)Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all.

Context of Habakkuk 2:19

17The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction done to the animals will terrify you because of the slaughter and violence done to lands, cities, and all their inhabitants. 18“What benefit is there in a carved idol when its maker has carved it? What benefit is there in a molded statue, a teacher of lies, when its maker has molded it? The one who formed it trusts himself to make worthless idols that cannot speak. ‘How horrible it will be for the one who says to a piece of wood, “Wake up!” and to a stone that cannot talk, “Get up!” ’ Can that thing teach ⌞anyone⌟? Just look at it! It’s covered with gold and silver, but there’s absolutely no life in it.” 20The Lord is in his holy temple. All the earth should be silent in his presence.

Habakkuk 2:19 word by word

ה֣וֹי אֹמֵ֤ר לָעֵץ֙ הָקִ֔יצָה ע֖וּרִי לְאֶ֣בֶן דּוּמָ֑ם ה֣וּא יוֹרֶ֔ה הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא תָּפוּשׂ֙ זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֔סֶף וְכָל־ר֖וּחַ אֵ֥ין בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Woeהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
• unto him that saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to the woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
• Awakeקִיץqûts · to awakeH6974
• to the dumbדּוּמָםdûmâm · silenceH1748
• stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• Ariseעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
• it shall teachיָרָהyârâh yârâ' · to showH3384
• laidתָּפַשׂtâphaώ · to captureH8610
• over with goldזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091
• and silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• no breathרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
• at all in the midstקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130

Cross-references for Habakkuk 2:19

• 1 Kings 18:26They took the bull he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon. They said, “Baal, answer us!” But there wasn’t a sound or an answer. So they danced around the altar they had made.
• Psalms 97:7Everyone who worships idols and brags about false gods will be put to shame. All the gods will bow to him.
• Isaiah 44:17But the rest of the wood they make into gods, carved statues. They bow to them and worship them. They pray to them, saying, “Rescue us, because you are our gods.”
• Jeremiah 51:47That is why the days are coming when I will punish Babylon’s idols. The whole country will be put to shame, and all its soldiers will lie dead.
• Daniel 3:7As soon as they heard the sound of rams’ horns, flutes, lyres, harps, and three-stringed harps with all other kinds of instruments, all the people from every province, nation, and language bowed down and worshiped the gold statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
• Daniel 5:23But you made yourself greater than the Lord of heaven. You had the utensils from his temple brought to you. You, your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them. You praised your gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, or stone. These gods can’t see, hear, or know anything. You didn’t honor God, who has power over your life and everything you do.
• Jonah 1:5The sailors were afraid, and they cried to their gods for help. They began to throw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship’s load. Now, Jonah had gone below deck and was lying there sound asleep.
• Isaiah 40:19Craftsmen make idols. Goldsmiths cover them with gold. Silversmiths make silver chains for them.
• Isaiah 46:6People pour gold out of their bags and weigh silver on scales. They hire a goldsmith. He makes it into a god. They bow down and worship it.
• Jeremiah 10:4Craftsmen decorate them with silver and gold and fasten them ⌞together⌟ with hammers and nails so that they won’t fall over.
• Daniel 3:1King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. He set it up in a recessed area in the wall in the province of Babylon.
• Acts 17:29So if we are God’s children, we shouldn’t think that the divine being is like an image made from gold, silver, or stone, an image that is the product of human imagination and skill.
• Revelation 17:4The woman wore purple clothes, bright red clothes, gold jewelry, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable and evil things from her sexual sins.
• Psalms 135:17They have ears, but they cannot hear. They cannot breathe.

Commentaries on Habakkuk 2:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Wo unto him - How foolish and contemptible to worship a thing formed by the hand of man out of wood, stone, gold, or silver! The meanest brute is superior to them all; it breathes and lives, but they have no breath in them. However, they are said above to be teachers of lies; that is, they appeared to give out oracles: but these were lies; and were not given by the statue, but by the priest.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19But then the greater is the “Woe” to him who deceiveth by them. The prophet passes away from the idols as “nothings” and pronounces “woe” on those who deceive by them. He. first expostulates with them on their folly, and would awaken them. “What hath it profited?” (As in Psalm 115:5; 1 Corinthians 12:2) Then on the obstinate he denounces “woe.” “Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise.” Self-made blindness alone could, in the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-20Verses 15-20 A severe woe is pronounced against drunkenness; it is very fearful against all who are guilty of drunkenness at any time, and in any place, from the stately palace to the paltry ale-house. To give one drink who is in want, who is thirsty and poor, or a weary traveller, or ready to perish, is charity; but to give a neighbour drink, that he may expose himself, may disclose secret concerns, or be drawn into a bad bargain, or for any such…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-20In the fifth taunt song, the Babylonians face criticism for worshiping idols. Whether people carve or cast idols, they cannot save or teach their worshipers (Isaiah 42:17). Only the Lord truly deserves worship (Habakkuk 2:20; Exodus 20:2–6; compare Ecclesiastes 5:1–2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Awake--Arise to my help. it shall teach!--rather, An exclamation of the prophet, implying an ironical question to which a negative answer must be given. What! "It teach?" Certainly not [Maurer]. Or, "It (the idol itself) shall (that is, ought to) teach you that it is deaf, and therefore no God" [Calvin]. Compare "they are their own witnesses" (Is 44:9). Behold--The Hebrew is nominative, "There it is" [Henderson]. it is laid over with gold ... no…Read the comment

Topics related to Habakkuk 2:19

• Carving
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Blood
• Consult
• Put
• Teach
• Weary
• Wood
• Dumb
• Habakkuk
• Jehoiachin
• Stone, Stones

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