Habakkuk 1:13 kjv

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?

Habakkuk 1:13 nkjv

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?

Habakkuk 1:13 niv

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

Habakkuk 1:13 esv

You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

Habakkuk 1:13 nlt

But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil.
Will you wink at their treachery?
Should you be silent while the wicked
swallow up people more righteous than they?

Habakkuk 1 verses

Habakkuk 1 13 Meaning

Habakkuk 1:13 expresses the prophet Habakkuk's deep theological struggle and questioning of God. He acknowledges God's absolute purity and holiness, stating that God is "too pure to look on evil" and "cannot tolerate wrong." However, he contrasts this inherent nature of God with what he observes: God appearing to "look on the treacherous" and remaining "silent" while a wicked nation "swallows up one more righteous than he." This verse highlights the tension between God's perfect character and the perplexing reality of rampant evil and injustice that God seems to allow, challenging divine wisdom and justice.

Habakkuk 1 13 Context

Habakkuk 1:13 is part of the prophet Habakkuk's second complaint to God. In the initial dialogue (Hab 1:2-4), Habakkuk laments the widespread injustice and violence within Judah itself and questions why God remains silent and allows it to persist. God's astonishing response (Hab 1:5-11) is that He is raising up the Babylonians (Chaldeans), a fierce and swift nation, to execute judgment upon Judah. This divine answer creates a greater theological problem for Habakkuk. How could a holy God use an even more wicked, brutal, and arrogant nation, which acknowledges no deity but its own strength (Hab 1:11), to punish a people who are, comparatively, "more righteous" than their conquerors? Verse 13 articulates this profound bewilderment, contrasting God's perfect, pure nature with His seemingly inexplicable method of allowing greater evil to overcome lesser evil, challenging God's righteous character based on observed reality. Historically, Judah was in a state of moral decay, prompting God's disciplinary action. The Babylonians were a rapidly rising power, known for their ruthlessness, and their ascendancy seemed to defy a holy God's oversight. This was a direct theological polemic against the idea of God being passive or indistinguishable from pagan deities who might be seen as tolerant of or even complicit in injustice.

Habakkuk 1 13 Word analysis

• "You are too pure" (tehor eynayim): Literally "clean of eyes" or "pure of eyes."
  • "too pure": Implies an inherent, absolute, and active purity. This is not just "untainted" but "unable to endure" evil's presence. God's very gaze, being holy, recoils from sin. This establishes God's fundamental nature as antithetical to evil.
  • "of eyes": Emphasizes perception. God cannot passively observe evil without reacting; His being demands a response against it. This points to His omniscient awareness, which is coupled with His righteous character.
• "to look on evil" (lir'ot ra'): "To see evil," or "to behold evil."
  • This is not a physical inability but a moral impossibility. God's character prohibits Him from looking approvingly upon or overlooking wickedness. His justice must respond. It is an indictment of injustice in any form.
• "and cannot tolerate wrong" (lo tukal havviṭ 'amal): "Cannot behold/look at mischief/trouble/oppression."
  • "cannot tolerate": lo tukal havviṭ, which carries the nuance of not being able to endure, bear, or countenance. It's stronger than just 'not able to see'; it's an aversion that implies repulsion and moral revulsion.
  • "wrong" ('amal): Refers to mischief, trouble, injustice, or oppressive toil, often resulting from deliberate wrongdoing. It encompasses suffering inflicted by injustice, intensifying the gravity of the prophet's concern.
• "Why then do You look" (lamah tibbiṭ): "Why do you behold?"
  • This poses the direct contradiction Habakkuk sees. If God cannot look upon evil, why does He seem to do so without intervening? It is a lament and an appeal for divine consistency from the human perspective.
• "on the treacherous" (boġĕdîm): "Traitors" or "deceivers."
  • This specifically refers to the Chaldeans/Babylonians, known for their perfidy, betrayal, and breaking of treaties. It underscores the profound moral repugnance of the agents God is using. It's a contrast between God's purity and the extreme treachery of the instruments of His judgment.
• "and remain silent" (tachsêh): "You are silent" or "you hold your peace."
  • Conveys the perceived inaction or apparent indifference of God. This silence implies a passive allowance, which is anathema to Habakkuk's understanding of God's active opposition to evil.
• "when the wicked swallows up" (balēa' rasha'): "When a wicked person devours/swallows up."
  • "swallows up" (balēa'): Vivid imagery of total consumption, obliteration, and merciless destruction. It is not just conquest but complete annihilation, mirroring how wild beasts devour their prey. It depicts brutal and overwhelming force.
  • "the wicked" (rasha'): Here, the Babylonians, seen as utterly depraved.
• "one more righteous than he" (tsaddiq mimmennû): "One more righteous than him/it."
  • "more righteous" (tsaddiq mimmennû): Refers to Judah. Not perfectly righteous, but in comparison to the overtly pagan, cruel, and lawless Chaldeans, Judah had some measure of righteousness—they were still God's covenant people. This is the heart of Habakkuk's dilemma: a holy God uses a nation more wicked to judge a nation less wicked, creating a paradox that needs divine resolution.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "You are too pure to look on evil and cannot tolerate wrong": This is a powerful affirmation of God's absolute holiness (tehor eynayim) and intrinsic opposition to all forms of injustice (ra' and 'amal). It sets the unchallengeable premise of God's character, forming the basis for the prophet's perplexity. This understanding counters any pagan notions of a capricious or amoral deity, firmly rooting Yahweh's nature in righteousness.
• "Why then do you look on the treacherous and remain silent": This direct challenge or question to God (lamah tibbiṭ... tachsêh) arises from the perceived incongruity between God's nature (pure) and His action (or inaction) concerning the boġĕdîm. It implies that God's looking upon or remaining silent seems to contradict His very essence, making Him appear complicit in the oppression. This is not an accusation of God being evil, but rather a questioning of His methods and timing from a limited human perspective.
• "when the wicked swallows up one more righteous than he": This phrase captures the immediate consequence and the central paradox of Habakkuk's dilemma. The graphic image of the wicked (rasha') "swallowing up" (balēa') signifies violent, complete subjugation. The fact that the victim is tsaddiq mimmennû (comparatively more righteous) intensifies the prophet's confusion, forcing the theological question of why divine justice allows a worse evil to prevail over a lesser evil. This highlights the problem of suffering, especially of those who seem less deserving, at the hands of those who are undeniably more perverse.

Habakkuk 1 13 Bonus section

The book of Habakkuk is unique among the prophetic books for its format as a dialogue, where the prophet openly challenges God rather than merely delivering divine messages to the people. This verse is central to the problem of theodicy presented by Habakkuk – defending God's justice and goodness in light of the existence of evil and suffering. Habakkuk's wrestling demonstrates that genuine faith can involve profound questions and struggle, without abandoning God's sovereignty. The tension introduced in this verse is eventually resolved in the book not by a complete philosophical explanation but by an assurance of God's ultimate plan and the revelation that "the righteous shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:4). This emphasis on living by faith during perplexing times of divine inaction or seemingly contrary actions foreshadows a crucial New Testament theme regarding the nature of Christian life. The prophet is challenged to trust in God's future vindication despite present appearances, highlighting God's absolute moral character, which must ultimately triumph over all forms of treachery and evil.

Habakkuk 1 13 Commentary

Habakkuk 1:13 lies at the theological heart of Habakkuk's lament, a profound expression of a faithful prophet grappling with the seeming paradox of God's character and His actions in history. Habakkuk firmly asserts God's inherent holiness and purity, declaring Him incapable of even looking upon evil or enduring wrong. This bedrock conviction in God's righteousness (Psa 5:4; 1 Jn 1:5) sets up the severe cognitive dissonance for the prophet. How can such a perfectly holy God appear to "look" or "remain silent" when greater evil (the Chaldeans) devours lesser evil (Judah)?

The problem is not a challenge to God's existence or power, but to His method and timing of dispensing justice. Habakkuk, rooted in the covenant understanding of a righteous God, is bewildered by God's apparent non-intervention against the truly wicked while using them as instruments of judgment. This passage beautifully articulates the human cry for divine intervention and explanation when God's ways seem unfathomable or contrary to His revealed character. It implicitly sets up the response in Habakkuk 2, where God will ultimately provide a timetable for His full justice and calls the righteous to live by faith, demonstrating that divine silence or apparent delay is not approval but part of a larger, perfectly righteous plan (Isa 55:8-9; Rom 2:4).