New International Version
Habakkuk 1:5
5“Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
Habakkuk 1:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The Lord replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.
Context of Habakkuk 1:5
3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. 6I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. 7They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor.
Read all of Habakkuk 1Habakkuk 1:5 word by word
רְא֤וּ בַגּוֹיִם֙ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטוּ וְהִֽתַּמְּה֖וּ תְּמָ֑הוּ כִּי־פֹ֙עַל֙ פֹּעֵ֣ל בִּֽימֵיכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ כִּ֥י יְסֻפָּֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Beholdרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- ye among the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- and regardנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- and wonderתָּמַהּtâmahh · to astoundedH8539
- will workפָּעַלpâ‛al · to workH6466
- a workפֹּ֫עַלpô‛al · workH6467
- in your daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- ye will not believeאָמַן'âman · be faithfulH539
- though it be toldסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608
Cross-references for Habakkuk 1:5
- Deuteronomy 4:27The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you.
- Jeremiah 9:25“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh—
- Jeremiah 25:14They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”
- Isaiah 29:14Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
- Lamentations 4:12The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
- Daniel 9:12You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.
- Acts 13:40Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:
- Isaiah 28:21The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon— to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.
- Jeremiah 5:12They have lied about the Lord; they said, “He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.
- Jeremiah 18:18They said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.”
- Ezekiel 12:22“Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?
- Zephaniah 1:2“I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
- Acts 6:13They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.
Commentaries on Habakkuk 1:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Behold ye among the heathen - Instead of בגוים baggoyim, among the nations or heathen, some critics think we should read בגדים bogedim, transgressors; and to the same purpose the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic have read; and thus it is quoted by St. Paul Acts 13:41. But neither this, nor any tantamount reading, is found in any of the MSS. yet collated. Newcome translates, "See, ye transgressors, and behold a wonder, and perish." I will work a work in your…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Behold ye among the heathen - The whole tone of the words suddenly changes. The Jews flattered themselves that, being the people of God, He would not fulfill His threats upon them. They had become like the pagan in wickedness; God bids them look out among them for the instrument of His displeasure. It was an aggravation of their punishment, that God, who had once chosen them, would now choose these whom He had not chosen, to chasten them. So Moses had…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Look … observe: Two different Hebrew verbs are also translated as see and tolerate in Habakkuk 1:3. This creates a literary connection between Habakkuk’s questions in Habakkuk 1:3 and God’s reply in 1:5–11.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Behold ... marvellously ... a work--(Compare Is 29:14). Quoted by Paul (Ac 13:41). among the heathen--In Ac 13:41, "ye despisers," from the Septuagint. So the Syriac and Arabic versions; perhaps from a different Hebrew reading. In the English Version reading of Habakkuk, God, in reply to the prophet's expostulation, addresses the Jews as about to be punished, "Behold ye among the heathen (with whom ye deserve to be classed, and by whom ye shall be…Read the comment
Topics related to Habakkuk 1:5
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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