Habakkuk 2:18

You people of Babylonia need to know that your idols are completely [RHQ] useless, because it is people who made them. Statues that have been carved or made in a mold deceive you. Those who trust in idols are trusting in things that they themselves created, things that cannot speak!

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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?

In Context

17You did violent [PRS] things to the people in Lebanon, and you killed the wild animals there, but you will be punished severely for doing that. You have killed [MTY] many people and you have destroyed their lands and their cities.

19Terrible things will happen to you who say to lifeless idols that are made of wood, ‘Wake up!’ Idols certainly cannot [RHQ] tell you what you should do; they look nice/beautiful because they are covered with silver and gold, but they are not alive.

Read all of Habakkuk 2

Cross References

Psalms 115:4But their idols are only statues made of silver and gold, things that humans have made.

Isaiah 1:31Those among you who are very strong will become like [MET] dry wood, and the work they do will be like [MET] a spark; both they and the evil things that they do will burn up completely, and no one will be able to put out the fire.

Isaiah 42:17But those who trust in carved idols, and say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be completely humiliated/disgraced.”

Isaiah 44:10Only foolish people [RHQ] would make idols in a mold, idols that would never help them at all.

Isaiah 45:16All those who make idols will be humiliated. They will all be disgraced together.

Isaiah 46:1It is as though Bel and Nebo, the statues of the gods of Babylonia, are bowing down as those statues are put on animals and carried away! The statues are heavy burdens and will cause the animals to become tired [SAR]!

Matthew Henry on Habakkuk 2:16-20

Judgment Predicted. ( b. c. 600.) 15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! 16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the Lord 's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. 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… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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