Habakkuk 2:19

Faith

¹⁷ For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

¹⁸ What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

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.

²⁰ But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”
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.
WEB: Woe to him who says to the wood, ‘Awake!’ or to the mute stone, ‘Arise!’ Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all within it.
ASV: Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
DARBY: Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake! to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall it teach? Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
BLB: Woe [to] the one saying to the wood, ‘Awake!’ Or to a stone of silence, ‘Arise!’ Can it give instruction? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and not any breath [is] within it.”

ÅB: Ve den som sier til en stokk: Våkn opp! - til en målløs stein: Stå opp! Skulle den være lærer? Den er jo overtrukket med gull og sølv, og det finnes ikke ånd i den.
OTB: Ve ham som sier til et stykke tre, ‘Våkn opp!’
Til en stum stein, ‘Reis deg!’
Kan det være din lærer?
Se, det er overtrukket med gull og sølv,
Men det er ingen ånd i det i det hele tatt.
B1930: Ve den som sier til en stokk: Våkn op! - til en målløs sten: Stå op! Skulde den være lærer? Den er jo overtrukket med gull og sølv, og det finnes ikke ånd i den.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 135:17
They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
Read in context
Jeremiah 10:4
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
Read in context
Jeremiah 10:9
Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.
Read in context
1 Kings 18:26–29
And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
Read in context
Psalms 97:7
Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.
Read in context
Daniel 3:7
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Read in context
Isaiah 44:17
And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
Read in context
Daniel 3:1
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Read in context