New King James Version
Habakkuk 1:13
13You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?
Habakkuk 1:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
- New International Version (NIV)Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
- English Standard Version (ESV)You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
- New Living Translation (NLT)But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they?
Context of Habakkuk 1:13
11Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.” 12Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction. You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he? 14Why do You make men like fish of the sea, Like creeping things that have no ruler over them? 15They take up all of them with a hook, They catch them in their net, And gather them in their dragnet. Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
Read all of Habakkuk 1Habakkuk 1:13 word by word
טְה֤וֹר עֵינַ֙יִם֙ מֵרְא֣וֹת רָ֔ע וְהַבִּ֥יט אֶל־עָמָ֖ל לֹ֣א תוּכָ֑ל לָ֤מָּה תַבִּיט֙ בּֽוֹגְדִ֔ים תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁ בְּבַלַּ֥ע רָשָׁ֖ע צַדִּ֥יק מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- of purerטָהוֹרţâhôr ţâhôr · pureH2889
- eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- than to beholdרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- and canstיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- not lookנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- on iniquityעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
- thou upon them that deal treacherouslyבָּגַדbâgad · to act treacherouslyH898
- holdest thy tongueחָרֵשׁchârash · be quietH2790
- when the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
- devourethבָּלַעbâla‛ · to swallow upH1104
- more righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
Cross-references for Habakkuk 1:13
- Job 15:15If God puts no trust in His saints, And the heavens are not pure in His sight,
- Psalms 5:4For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You.
- Psalms 11:4The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
- Psalms 34:15The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
- 1 Peter 1:15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
- Psalms 10:1Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble?
- Psalms 73:3For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- Jeremiah 12:1Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
- Isaiah 21:2A distressing vision is declared to me; The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, And the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All its sighing I have made to cease.
- Isaiah 33:1Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, You will be plundered; When you make an end of dealing treacherously, They will deal treacherously with you.
- Esther 4:14For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
- Psalms 35:22This You have seen, O Lord; Do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me.
- Psalms 50:3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
- Psalms 83:1Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God!
- Proverbs 31:8Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
- Isaiah 64:12Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord? Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?
Commentaries on Habakkuk 1:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Thou art of purer eyes - Seeing thou art so pure, and canst not look on iniquity - it is so abominable - how canst thou bear with them who "deal treacherously, and hold thy tongue when the wicked devour the righteous?" All such questions are easily solved by a consideration of God's ineffable mercy, which leads him to suffer long and be kind. He has no pleasure in the death of a sinner.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil - The prophet repeats his complaint (as troubling thoughts are accustomed to come back, after they have been repelled,), in order to answer it more strongly. All sin is hateful in God‘s sight, and in His Holy Wisdom He cannot endure to “look toward iniquity.” As man turns away from sickening sights, so God‘s abhorrence of wrong is pictured by His not being able to “look toward it.” If He looked toward them, they…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 However matters may be, yet God is the Lord our God, our Holy One. We are an offending people, he is an offended God, yet we will not entertain hard thoughts of him, or of his service. It is great comfort that, whatever mischief men design, the Lord designs good, and we are sure that his counsel shall stand. Though wickedness may prosper a while, yet God is holy, and does not approve the wickedness. As he cannot do iniquity himself, so he is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-17Habakkuk struggled to understand how God's answer in Habakkuk 1:5–11 fit with God's character. How could a holy and just God punish Judah using a people more unrighteous than they were?Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. purer ... than to behold evil--without being displeased at it. canst not look on iniquity--unjust injuries done to Thy people. The prophet checks himself from being carried too far in his expostulatory complaint, by putting before himself honorable sentiments of God. them that deal treacherously--the Chaldeans, once allies of the Jews, but now their violent oppressors. Compare "treacherous dealers," (Is 21:2; 24:16). Instead of speaking evil against…Read the comment
Topics related to Habakkuk 1:13
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries