Habakkuk 1:13 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Habakkuk 1:13
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
an eye (literally or figuratively) · noun, common feminine dual absolute
behold
מֵרְא֣וֹתme.re.'ot
H7200
to see · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
evil
רָ֔עRa'
H7451
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) · adjective, masculine singular absolute
canst
תוּכָ֑לtu.Khal
H3201
to be able · verb, qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
look
וְהַבִּ֥יטve.ha.Bit
H5027
to scan · conjunction + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
iniquity
עָמָ֖ל'a.Mal
H5999
toil · noun, common both genders singular absolute
lookest
תַבִּיט֙ta.Bit
H5027
to scan · verb, hiphil imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
treacherously
בּֽוֹגְדִ֔יםbog.Dim
H898
to cover (with a garment) · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
tongue
תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁta.cha.Rish
H2790
to scratch · verb, hiphil imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
wicked
רָשָׁ֖עra.Sha'
H7563
morally wrong · noun, common masculine singular absolute
devoureth
בְּבַלַּ֥עbe.va.La'
H1104
to make away with (specifically by swallowing) · preposition + verb, piel infinitive construct
righteous
צַדִּ֥יקtza.Dik
H6662
just · adjective, masculine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Psalms 5:4-5 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
Psalms 34:15-16 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Jeremiah 12:1-2 Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper…
Habakkuk 1:3-4 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strif…
Proverbs 31:8-9 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
2 Samuel 4:11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of y…
Psalms 10:15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
Psalms 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Habakkuk 1:12–end
The prophet, having received of the Lord that which he was to deliver to the people, now turns to God, and again addresses himself to him for the ease of his own mind under the burden which he saw. And still he is full of complaints. If he look about him, he sees nothing but violence done by Israel; if he look before him, he sees nothing but violence done against Israel; and it is hard to say which is the more melancholy sight. His thoughts of both he pours out before the Lord. It is our duty to be affected both with the iniquities and with the calamities of the church of God and of the times and places wherein we live; but we must take heed lest we grow peevish in our resentments, and carry…
purer . . . than to behold evil--without being displeased at it.
canst not look on iniquity--unjust injuries done to Thy people. The prophet checks himself from being carried too far in his expostulatory complaint, by putting before himself honorable sentiments of God.
them that deal treacherously--the Chaldeans, once allies of the Jews, but now their violent oppressors. Compare "treacherous dealers," (Isa 21:2; Isa 24:16). Instead of speaking evil against God, he goes to God Himself for the remedy for his perplexity (Psa 73:11-17).
devoureth the man that is more righteous--The Chaldean oppresses the Jew, who with all his faults, is better than his oppressor (compare Eze 16:51-52).
Adam Clarke on Habakkuk 1:13
Thou art of purer eyes - Seeing thou art so pure, and canst not look on iniquity - it is so abominable - how canst thou bear with them who "deal treacherously, and hold thy tongue when the wicked devour the righteous?" All such questions are easily solved by a consideration of God's ineffable mercy, which leads him to suffer long and be kind. He has no pleasure in the death of a sinner.
John Gill on Habakkuk 1:13
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity,.... The Lord with his eyes of omniscience beholds all things good and evil, and all men good and bad, with all their actions; but then he does not look upon the sins of men with pleasure and approbation; since they are contrary to his nature, repugnant to his will, and breaches of his righteous law: and though sin in general may be included here, yet there seems to be a particular respect had to the "evil" or injury done by the Chaldeans to the Jews, in invading their land, spoiling their substance, and slaying their persons; and to the "iniquity", labour, or grievance, by which may be meant the oppression and viol…
The Church Fathers
"For the Lord does not desire to look upon wrongs, for he, the almighty one, observes all those who perform lawless deeds, and he will save me; and do you plead before him, if you can praise him, as it is possible even now." Not only did the Lord not countenance wrongs, but he did not even wish to see them, as another prophet said: "You who are of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on wrong." You see, what providence, what protection, what comprehension! Even if he does not take vengeance, he nevertheless abhors actions.
(Verse 13, 14.) Your eyes are the world's eyes, so that you may not see evil, and you cannot look upon injustice. Why do you not look upon those who commit wickedness and remain silent as the wicked devour the righteous? And you make men like the fish of the sea, and like the reptile that has no ruler? LXX: The world's eye, so that it may not see evil, and it cannot look upon grief. Why do you look upon those who despise, will you be silent when the wicked devours the righteous? And he will make men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler. Such is what Jeremiah speaks to God: You are just, Lord, I confess; yet I will speak judgments to you: Why does the way of the wicked prosper; why do all who are treacherous thrive? You planted them, and they have taken root; they grow, they bring forth fruit; you are near in their mouths and far from their heart. (Jeremiah 12:1-2). Therefore, Abacuc is also in the same opinion: Lord, you are the eyes of the world, he says; and I know that you do not willingly look upon evil and injustice, nor can anyone doubt your justice. However, why do you allow the Babylonians to boast with such cruelty, and the just Israel to be oppressed by the impious Nebuchadnezzar: not because the one who is oppressed is perfectly just, but because he is more just than the one who oppresses him. And just as fish, who do not have a ruler, and irrational animals, and a multitude of reptiles without providence, submit to the stronger, and whoever is stronger in strength, dominates the other: so among men, the rational animal, created in Your likeness, reason and merit will not prevail; but the strength of the body and irrational strength will. But if we want to understand in a general way, regarding providence, when the prophet asks: Why does the devil have so much power in the world, and exercise tyranny while God rules? This will be the meaning, and with the previous explanations, this interpretation will be connected: I know, O Lord my God, my holy one, that because of your providence and defense, we do not die; and I know that you have allowed an adversary, so that, like an executioner himself, he may seize and not kill sinners. I wonder why it seems unjust to you that nothing pleases you, and your eyes are free from all wickedness, and you cannot see the sufferings of those who are subjected to injustice. However, I…
Eye · ANTHROPOMORPHIC USES OF — ANTHROPOMORPHIC USES OF
Happiness · 12:1; — 12:1;
Happiness Of The Wicked, The · Sometimes a stumbling-block to saints — Sometimes a stumbling-block to saints
Persecution · OF THE RIGHTEOUS — OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Habakkuk 1:13
13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
13. Mundus es oculis, ne videas malum, et aspicere ad molestiam non potes (non poteris, adverbum;) quare aspicis transgressores? dissimulas quum impius devorat justiorem se?
The Prophet here expostulates with God, not as at the beginning of the chapter; for he does not here, with a holy and calm mind, undertake the defense of God's glory, but complains of injuries, as men do when oppressed, who go to the judge and implore his protection. This complaint…
The believing confidence expressed in this verse does not appear to be borne out by what is actually done by God. The prophet proceeds to lay this enigma before God in Hab 1:13-17, and to pray for his people to be spared during the period of the Chaldaean affliction. Hab 1:13. "Art Thou too pure of eye to behold evil, and canst Thou not look upon distress? Wherefore lookest Thou upon the treacherous? and art silent when the wicked devours one more righteous than he? Hab 1:14. And Thou hast made men like fishes of the sea, like reptiles that have no ruler. Hab 1:15. All of them hath he lifted up with the hook; he draws them into his net, and gathers them in his fishing net; he rejoices therea…
Habakkuk found it difficult to harmonize God’s answer (1:5-11) with what he understood about God’s character. How could a holy and just God chastise Judah by using a people more unrighteous than they were?
1:12 Despite his perplexity, Habakkuk did not renounce God. With the words my God, my Holy One, he reaffirmed his commitment to the Lord before asking serious questions about what God had revealed to him. • In light of God’s character and covenant relationship with Israel, Habakkuk was certain that God would not wipe his people out. • to correct us: Cp. Heb 12:5-11. • our Rock: A common image of God’s faithfulness and strength (see Deut 32:15; 1 Sam 2:2; Ps 18:2; 1 Cor 10:4; 1 Pet 2:6-8).
Rashi on Habakkuk 1:13
[You are] of eyes too pure to behold evil?
gaze like וּלְהַבִּיט, and to gaze upon iniquity.
one more righteous than he that he will blind the eyes of Zedekiah (II Kings 25:7).
