Habakkuk 1:4 kjv

Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

Habakkuk 1:4 nkjv

Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

Habakkuk 1:4 niv

Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

Habakkuk 1:4 esv

So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.

Habakkuk 1:4 nlt

The law has become paralyzed,
and there is no justice in the courts.
The wicked far outnumber the righteous,
so that justice has become perverted.

Habakkuk 1 verses

Habakkuk 1 4 Meaning

Habakkuk 1:4 articulates the prophet's deep distress over the pervasive moral and judicial decay in Judah. He laments that God's law, meant to guide and govern society, has become inactive and ineffective ("paralyzed" or "slacked"). Consequently, true justice, the equitable application of the law, cannot emerge or be implemented in the land. This dire situation is explained by the fact that the wicked oppress and outnumber the righteous, twisting the legal system so that any judgment that does occur is perverse and contrary to divine standards. It highlights a complete breakdown of righteousness, social order, and the integrity of the judicial process, leading to the oppression of the just.

Habakkuk 1 4 Context

Habakkuk 1:4 is part of the prophet Habakkuk's initial lament and complaint (1:2-4) to God. Having witnessed rampant wickedness, violence, and injustice within Judah, Habakkuk questions God's apparent silence and inaction. The preceding verses (1:2-3) detail the pervasive sin: "violence," "iniquity," "wrath," "strife," and "contention." This verse serves as the culmination of Habakkuk's observation of societal decay, specifically highlighting the failure of the divinely ordained legal and moral framework (the Law) to bring about justice. It sets the stage for God's surprising response in Habakkuk 1:5-11, where He reveals His plan to raise up the Babylonians (Chaldeans) as an instrument of judgment, which in turn leads to Habakkuk's second complaint. The historical setting is pre-exilic Judah, likely during the tumultuous late 7th century BC, a period marked by moral decline despite fleeting religious reforms, heading towards the Babylonian exile.

Habakkuk 1 4 Word analysis

• Therefore (כֵּן – kēn): This adverb functions as a logical consequence. It directly connects the described social and moral breakdown in the preceding verses (violence, strife) to the subsequent inability of the law to function. It signifies, "because of the prior situation."
• the law (תּוֹרָה – torah): Not merely a legal code, but God's divine instruction and revealed will for how His people should live. It encompasses covenant obligations, ethical principles, and judicial statutes designed to guide behavior and ensure justice within the community.
• is paralyzed (פּוּג – pūg): The Hebrew verb pūg means to grow faint, grow numb, cease to function, become inactive. It implies a state of being rendered powerless or ineffective, not necessarily broken or abolished, but dormant and unable to exert its intended influence or authority. It describes a moral inertia where the torah is present but cannot achieve its purpose.
• and justice (וּמִשְׁפָּט – umishpaṭ): Mishpaṭ refers to the practical application of the law, righteous judgment, equity, due process, and the vindication of rights. It's justice as administered and manifested in society.
• never goes forth (לֹא יֵצֵא – lōʾ yēṣēʾ): The negation lōʾ ("never" or "not") combined with yēṣēʾ ("goes out" or "emerges") indicates that justice is unable to break through the pervasive corruption to be realized in real-world actions or outcomes. It implies a paralysis of the entire judicial and social system, where rightful decisions cannot come to light.
• For the wicked (כִּי רָשָׁע – kī rāshāʿ): "For" introduces the reason for the paralysis. Rāshāʿ describes those who are morally evil, unrighteous, defiant against God's law, and are inherently prone to injustice.
• surround (כָּתַר – kātar): Meaning to encompass, encircle, crown, or besiege. It portrays the righteous as being hemmed in, overwhelmed, or metaphorically besieged by the pervasive influence and actions of the wicked. This vivid image suggests a complete lack of escape or freedom from their oppression.
• the righteous (צַדִּיק – tzaddīq): Individuals who align their lives with God's will, are innocent, upright, and adhere to covenant stipulations. They are those who genuinely seek justice and righteousness.
• thus justice (וְכֵן מִשְׁפָּט – v’kēn mishpaṭ): The conjunction "thus" (kēn) here signifies the direct result or consequence of the wicked surrounding the righteous. It marks a distorted outcome concerning justice.
• goes forth perverted (יֵצֵא מְעֻקָּל – yēṣēʾ m’uqqāl): Yēṣēʾ ("goes forth") once again, but this time with m’uqqāl, meaning twisted, crooked, distorted, perverse, or warped. This paints a stark picture: when justice does manage to "emerge," it is fundamentally corrupt and acts contrary to its true nature, delivering unjust outcomes. This is not just a lack of justice, but active injustice delivered under the guise of legal process.

• "Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth": This phrase paints a picture of systemic breakdown. The divine order is rendered inert by human wickedness, leading to a void where justice should be. It signifies not just neglect, but an active subversion that makes the righteous principles powerless.
• "For the wicked surround the righteous": This is the underlying cause for the legal paralysis and perversion of justice. It depicts a state of affairs where the corrupt have gained such influence or numbers that they effectively oppress and marginalize those who seek to live righteously, making fair governance impossible.
• "thus justice goes forth perverted": This phrase tragically highlights the ultimate consequence. Any form of 'justice' that does emerge from such a corrupted environment is inherently tainted. It implies a manipulation of legal processes and judgments to favor the wicked and condemn the innocent, demonstrating a profound spiritual and social illness.

Habakkuk 1 4 Bonus section

The state described in Habakkuk 1:4 illustrates the consequences when a society, particularly a covenant people, loses its moral compass and disregards the divine standards that are meant to ensure flourishing and righteousness. It presents a critical challenge to the conventional understanding of God's immediate punitive action for sin, leading Habakkuk to question divine justice itself. This verse not only highlights internal corruption but also implies that Judah's failure to uphold justice could, in part, be a reason for God's impending judgment through an external force like Babylon. The prophetic lament over judicial perversion is a recurring theme in the prophets (e.g., Isa 1:23, Amos 5:7, Mic 3:9), underscoring God's consistent demand for true justice as a fundamental expression of true faith and obedience. The "paralysis" of the law suggests that merely possessing God's statutes is insufficient; they must be actively applied and embodied by the people and their leaders.

Habakkuk 1 4 Commentary

Habakkuk's complaint in 1:4 vividly describes a nation steeped in spiritual and social decay, where God's divine standard, the Torah, has lost its potency. It is "paralyzed" because the moral will and capacity of the people and their institutions to uphold it are completely undermined. This leads directly to a profound absence of true mishpaṭ – righteous justice. The prophet isn't simply observing random acts of injustice; he's diagnosing a complete breakdown of the societal mechanisms meant to deliver fairness. The problem is deeply rooted: "the wicked surround the righteous." This indicates not just individual evil, but a pervasive culture of corruption that overwhelms the capacity for goodness. The ultimate travesty is that when any form of judgment does occur, it is "perverted"—crooked, twisted to serve evil, confirming that the entire system is sick. This verse encapsulates Habakkuk's bewilderment and agony over God's apparent inactivity in the face of such profound moral failure within His own covenant people.