Habakkuk 2:19
New International Version
Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”

New Living Translation
What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside.

English Standard Version
Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it.

Berean Standard Bible
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.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all.

New American Standard Bible
“Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ That is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet there is no breath at all inside it.

NASB 1995
“Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it.

NASB 1977
“Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a dumb stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it.

Legacy Standard Bible
Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it.

Amplified Bible
“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who says to the wooden image, ‘Awake!’ And to the speechless stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Look, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it.

Christian Standard Bible
Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to mute stone: Come alive! Can it teach? Look! It may be plated with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to mute stone: Come alive! Can it teach? Look! It may be plated with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Woe to him who says to wood: “Wake up, and to deaf stone, Get up! They are worthless and they are overlaid in gold and no spirit is in them

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Woe to him that says to the wood, Awake, arise; and to the stone, Be thou exalted! whereas it is an image, and this is a casting of gold and silver, and there is no breath in it.

Contemporary English Version
What can you learn from idols covered with silver or gold? They can't even breathe. Pity anyone who says to an idol of wood or stone, "Get up and do something!"

Douay-Rheims Bible
Woe to him that saith to wood: Awake: to the dumb stone: Arise: can it teach? Behold, it is laid over with gold, and silver, and there is no spirit in the bowels thereof.

English Revised Version
Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
'How horrible it will be for the one who says to a piece of wood, "Wake up!" and to a stone that cannot talk, "Get up!' " Can that thing teach [anyone]? Just look at it! It's covered with gold and silver, but there's absolutely no life in it."

Good News Translation
You are doomed! You say to a piece of wood, "Wake up!" or to a block of stone, "Get up!" Can an idol reveal anything to you? It may be covered with silver and gold, but there is no life in it.

International Standard Version
"Woe to the one who says to a tree, 'Wake up!' or 'Arise!' to a speechless stone. Idols like this can't teach, can they? Look, even though it is overlaid with gold and silver, there's no breath in it at all."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Woe unto him that saith to the wood: 'Awake', To the dumb stone: 'Arise!' Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

Literal Standard Version
Woe [to] him who is saying to wood, Awake, | To a mute stone, Stir up, | It [is] a teacher! Behold, it is overlaid—gold and silver, | And there is no spirit in its midst.

Majority Standard Bible
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.”

New American Bible
Ah! you who say to wood, “Awake!” to silent stone, “Arise!” Can any such thing give oracles? It is only overlaid with gold and silver, there is no breath in it at all.

NET Bible
The one who says to wood, 'Wake up!' is as good as dead--he who says to speechless stone, 'Awake!' Can it give reliable guidance? It is overlaid with gold and silver; it has no life's breath inside it.

New Revised Standard Version
Alas for you who say to the wood, “Wake up!” to silent stone, “Rouse yourself!” Can it teach? See, it is gold and silver plated, and there is no breath in it at all.

New Heart English Bible
Woe to him who says to the wood, 'Awake.' or to the mute stone, 'Arise.' Shall this teach? Look, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in its midst.

Webster's Bible Translation
Woe to 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.

World English Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
Woe to him who is saying to wood, 'Awake,' 'Stir up,' to a dumb stone, It a teacher! lo, it is overlaid -- gold and silver, And there is no spirit in its midst.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woe to the Chaldeans
18What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. 19Woe 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.” 20But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.…

Cross References
1 Kings 18:26
And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.

Psalm 135:15
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

Psalm 135:17
they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths.

Isaiah 26:14
The dead will not live; the departed spirits will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them.

Isaiah 40:19
To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?

Isaiah 41:26
Who has declared this from the beginning, so that we may know, and from times past, so that we may say: 'He was right'? No one announced it, no one foretold it, no one heard your words.

Isaiah 57:6
Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. Even to them you have poured out a drink offering and offered a grain offering. Should I relent because of these?


Treasury of Scripture

Woe to him that said 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 middle of it.

that.

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…

Psalm 97:7
Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

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.

it is.

Isaiah 40:19
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

Isaiah 46:6
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

Jeremiah 10:4,9
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not…

and there.

Psalm 135:17
They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

Jump to Previous
Arise Awake Breath Dumb Gold Guidance Inside Laid Midst Mute Overlaid Piece Plated Silver Stone Teach Teacher Wake Woe Wood Wooden
Jump to Next
Arise Awake Breath Dumb Gold Guidance Inside Laid Midst Mute Overlaid Piece Plated Silver Stone Teach Teacher Wake Woe Wood Wooden
Habakkuk 2
1. Unto Habakkuk, waiting for an answer, is shown that he must wait by faith.
5. The judgment upon the Chaldean for unsatiableness,
9. for covetousness,
12. for cruelty,
15. for drunkenness,
18. and for idolatry.














Verse 19. - The prophet now denounces the folly of the maker and worshipper of idols. With this and the following verses compare the taunts in Isaiah 44:9-20. The wood. From which he carves the image. Awake! Come to my help, as good men pray to the living God (comp. Psalm 35:23; 44:28; Isaiah 51:9). Arise, it shall teach! The Hebrew is bettor rendered, Arise! it teach! i.e. shall this teach? - an emphatic question expressing astonishment. Vulgate, Numquid ipse docere poterit? The LXX. paraphrases, καὶ αὐτό ἐστι φαντασία, "and itself is a phantasy." It is laid, over. "It" is again emphatic, as if pointed at with the finger. Hence the Vulgate, Ecce iste coopertus est; and Henderson, "There it is, overlaid," etc. The wooden figure was encased in gold or silver plates (see Isaiah 40:19; Daniel 3:1).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Woe
ה֣וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!

to him who says
אֹמֵ֤ר (’ō·mêr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to wood,
לָעֵץ֙ (lā·‘êṣ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

‘Awaken!’
הָקִ֔יצָה (hā·qî·ṣāh)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6974: Arise, be awake, watch

or to silent
דּוּמָ֑ם (dū·mām)
Adverb
Strong's 1748: A silence, in silence, silently

stone,
לְאֶ֣בֶן (lə·’e·ḇen)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 68: A stone

‘Come alive!’
ע֖וּרִי (‘ū·rî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 5782: To rouse oneself, awake

Can it
ה֣וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

give guidance?
יוֹרֶ֔ה (yō·w·reh)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3384: To flow as water, to lay, throw, to point out, to teach

Behold,
הִנֵּה־ (hin·nêh-)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

it [is]
ה֗וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

overlaid
תָּפוּשׂ֙ (tā·p̄ūś)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

with gold
זָהָ֣ב (zā·hāḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky

and silver,
וָכֶ֔סֶף (wā·ḵe·sep̄)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3701: Silver, money

yet there is no
אֵ֥ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

breath
ר֖וּחַ (rū·aḥ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

in
בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ (bə·qir·bōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

it at all.
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every


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OT Prophets: Habakkuk 2:19 Woe to him who says to (Hab Hb)
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