Habakkuk 1 · Verse 5

Habakkuk 1:5

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.

Habakkuk 1:5, King James Version

Habakkuk 1:5 in other translations

BSB	“Look at the nations and observe— be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.
WEB	“Look among the nations, watch, and wonder marvelously; for I am working a work in your days which you will not believe though it is told you.
ASV	Behold ye among the nations, and look, and wonder marvellously; for I am working a work in your days, which ye will not believe though it be told you.
YLT	Look ye on nations, and behold and marvel greatly. For a work He is working in your days, Ye do not believe though it is declared.
DARBY	See ye among the nations, and behold, and wonder marvellously; for I work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be declared to you.
BBE	See among the nations, and take note, and be full of wonder: for in your days I am doing a work in which you will have no belief, even if news of it is given to you.
Webster	Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe though it be told you.

What does Habakkuk 1:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

5. 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 punished, as despisers; the sense implied, which Paul expresses): learn from them what ye refused to learn from Me!" For "wonder marvellously," Paul, in Ac 13:41, has, "wonder and perish," which gives the sense, not the literal wording, of the Hebrew, "Wonder, wonder," that is, be overwhelmed in wonder. The despisers are to be given up to their own stupefaction, and so perish. The Israelite unbelievers would not credit the prophecy as to the fearfulness of the destruction to be wrought by the Chaldeans, nor afterwards the deliverance promised from that nation. So analogously, in Paul's day, the Jews would not credit the judgment coming on them by the Romans, nor the salvation proclaimed through Jesus. Thus the same Scripture applied to both. ye will not believe, though it be told you--that is, ye will not believe now that I foretell it.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 5 Behold 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 Act 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 days - As he is speaking of the desolation that should be produced by the Chaldeans, it follows, as Bp. Newcome has justly observed, that the Chaldeans invaded Judah whilst those were living whom the prophet addressed. Which ye will not believe - Nor did they, after all the declarations of various prophets. They still supposed that God would not give them up into the hands of their enemies, though they continued in their abominations! It is evident that St. Paul, in the above place, accommodates this prediction to his own purpose. And possibly this sense might have been the intention of the Divine Spirit when he first spoke the words to the prophet; for, as God works in reference to eternity, so he speaks in reference to the same; and therefore there is an infinity of meaning in his Word. These appear to be the words of God in answer to the prophet, in which he declares he will entirely ruin this wicked people by means of the Chaldeans.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Habakkuk 1:1-11

The servants of the Lord are deeply afflicted by seeing ungodliness and violence prevail; especially among those who profess the truth. No man scrupled doing wrong to his neighbour. We should long to remove to the world where holiness and love reign for ever, and no violence shall be before us. God has good reasons for his long-suffering towards bad men, and the rebukes of good men. The day will come when the cry of…

Read the full comment on Habakkuk 1:1-11 →

Habakkuk 1:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

רְא֤וּre.'UseeH7200

בַגּוֹיִם֙va.go.Yimamong the nationsH1471

וְֽהַבִּ֔יטוּve.ha.Bi.tuand lookH5027

וְהִֽתַּמְּה֖וּve.hit.ta.me.Huand be astoundedH8539

תְּמָ֑הוּte.Ma.hube astonishedH8539

כִּי\־ki-forH3588

פֹ֙עַל֙fo.'ala deedH6467

פֹּעֵ֣לpo.'El[I am] about to doH6466

בִּֽימֵיכֶ֔םbi.mei.Khemin days yourH3117

לֹ֥אlo'[which] notH3808

תַאֲמִ֖ינוּta.'a.Mi.nuyou will believeH539

כִּ֥יkiifH3588

יְסֻפָּֽר\׃ye.su.Parit will be recountedH5608

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Habakkuk 1:5

Acts 13:40-41
Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
Isaiah 29:14
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Lamentations 4:12
The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 5:12-13
They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
Jeremiah 9:25-26
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.
Jeremiah 18:18
Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
Isaiah 29:9
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
Jeremiah 25:14-29
For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me: …
Zephaniah 1:2
I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord.
Daniel 9:12
And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 12:22-28
Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God. …
Acts 6:13-14
And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

ye among.
De 4:27; Jer 9:25,26; 25:14-29
and regard.
Isa 29:14; La 4:12; Da 9:12; Ac 13:40,41
for.
Isa 28:21,22; Jer 5:12,13; 18:18; Eze 12:22-28; Zep 1:2; Ac 6:13,14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Habakkuk 1:4
Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
Habakkuk 1:5
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.
Habakkuk 1:6
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.

Read all of Habakkuk 1

Habakkuk 1:5 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Mirad en las gentes, y ved, y maravillaos pasmosamente; porque obra será hecha en vuestros días, que aun cuando se os contare, no la creeréis.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Voyez parmi les nations, et regardez, et soyez stupéfaits; car je ferai en vos jours une œuvre que vous ne croirez pas, si elle vous est racontée.
German Elberfelder 1871	Sehet unter den Nationen und schauet und erstaunet, staunet; denn ich wirke ein Werk in euren Tagen-ihr würdet es nicht glauben, wenn es erzählt würde.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Aspicite in gentibus, et videte; admiramini, et obstupescite: quia opus factum est in diebus vestris, quod nemo credet cum narrabitur.