Habakkuk 2 · Verse 13

Habakkuk 2:13

Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
Habakkuk 2:13, King James Version

Habakkuk 2:13 in other translations

BSBIs it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?
WEBBehold, isn’t it from the LORD of Armies that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?
ASVBehold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?
YLTLo, is it not from Jehovah of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?
DARBYBehold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?
BBESee, is it not the pleasure of the Lord of armies that the peoples are working for the fire and using themselves up for nothing?
WebsterBehold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

What does Habakkuk 2:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. is it not of the Lord of hosts--Jehovah, who has at His command all the hosts of heaven and earth, is the righteous author of Babylon's destruction. "Shall not God have His turn, when cruel rapacious men have triumphed so long, though He seem now to be still?" [Calvin]. people ... labour in the ... fire ... weary themselves for ... vanity--The Chaldeans labor at what is to be food for the fire, namely, their city and fortresses which shall be burnt. Jr 51:58 adopts the same phraseology to express the vanity of the Chaldean's labor on Babylon, as doomed to the flames.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 The people shall labor in the very fire - All these superb buildings shall be burnt down. See the parallel passage, Jer 51:58 (note), and the note there. Shall weary themselves for very vanity? - For the gratification of the wishes of ambition, and in buildings which shall be brought to naught.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Habakkuk 2:5-14

The prophet reads the doom of all proud and oppressive powers that bear hard upon God's people. The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, are the entangling snares of men; and we find him that led Israel captive, himself led captive by each of these. No more of what we have is to be reckoned ours, than what we come honestly by. Riches are but clay, thick clay; what are gold and silver but…

Read the full comment on Habakkuk 2:5-14 →

Habakkuk 2:13 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.

הֲל֣וֹאha.Lo'¿ [is it] notH3808
הִנֵּ֔הhi.Nehthere!H2009
מֵאֵ֖תme.'Etfrom withH854
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָא֑וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635
וְיִֽיגְע֤וּve.yi.ge.'Uso they may laborH3021
עַמִּים֙'a.MimpeoplesH5971
בְּדֵי\־be.dei-for [the] sufficiency ofH1767
אֵ֔שׁ'EshfireH784
וּלְאֻמִּ֖יםu.le.'u.Mimand nationsH3816
בְּדֵי\־be.dei-for [the] sufficiency ofH1767
רִ֥יקrikvanityH7385
יִעָֽפוּ\׃yi.'A.futhey grow wearyH3286

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

Cross references for Habakkuk 2:13

  • Jeremiah 51:58

    Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

  • Proverbs 21:30

    There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.

  • Isaiah 50:11

    Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.

  • Psalms 127:1-2

    A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

  • Malachi 1:4

    Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.

  • Isaiah 55:2

    Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

  • Genesis 11:6-9

    And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

  • Psalms 39:6

    Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

  • Job 5:13-14

    He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong. They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

  • Isaiah 41:5-8

    The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

  • 2 Samuel 15:31

    And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

  • Jeremiah 51:64

    And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
is it.
Ge 11:6-9; 2Sa 15:31; Job 5:13,14; Ps 39:6; 127:1,2; Pr 21:30
Isa 41:5-8; 50:11; 55:2; Jer 51:58,64; Mal 1:4
for very vanity. or, in vain.

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

Context

  • Habakkuk 2:12

    Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!

  • Habakkuk 2:13

    Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

  • Habakkuk 2:14

    For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

Read all of Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk 2:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿No es esto de Jehová de los ejércitos? Los pueblos pues trabajarán para el fuego, y las gentes se fatigarán en vano.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Voici, n’est-ce pas de par l’ Éternel des armées que les peuples travaillent pour le feu, et que les peuplades se lassent pour néant?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Siehe, ist es nicht von Jehova der Heerscharen, daß Völker fürs Feuer sich abmühen, und Völkerschaften vergebens sich plagen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Numquid non hæc sunt a Domino exercituum? laborabunt enim populi in multo igne, et gentes in vacuum, et deficient.