the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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New Living Translation
Habakkuk 2:19
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Look at them! They speak to a wooden statue and tell it, "Get up! Rescue me." They talk to a stone that cannot speak and say, "Wake up!" Don't you know those things cannot help you? That statue may be covered with gold and silver, but there is no life in it.
"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.
How terrible it will be for the one who says to a wooden statue, ‘Come to life!' How terrible it will be for the one who says to a silent stone, ‘Get up!' It cannot tell you what to do. It is only a statue covered with gold and silver; there is no life in it.
Woe to him that says to the wood, "Awake; Arise!" [And] to the mute stone, "It shall teach." Look, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
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.
"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.
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.
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 in the midst of it.
Wo to hym that seith to a tre, Wake thou; Rise thou, to a stoon beynge stille; whether he schal mow teche? Lo! this is kyuerid with gold and siluer, and no spirit is in his entrails.
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.
Woe to him who says to wood, 'Awaken!' or to silent stone, 'Come alive!' Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.
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!"
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.
A curse on him who says to the wood, Awake! to the unbreathing stone, Up! let it be a teacher! See, it is plated with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it.
Woe to him who tells a piece of wood, "Wake up!" or a speechless stone, "Rouse yourself!" Can this thing teach? Why, it's covered with gold and silver, without the slightest breath in it!
Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake! to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall it teach? Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
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.
Woe vnto him that saith to the wood, Awake: to the dumbe stone, Arise, it shall teach: behold, it is layed ouer with gold and siluer, and there is no breath at all in the middest of it.
It is bad for him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Wake up!' or to a stone that cannot speak, ‘Get up!' Can this teach you? See, it is covered with gold and silver. There is no breath in it.
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.
Wo vnto him that sayth to the wood, Awake, and to the dumme stone, Rise vp, it shall teach thee: beholde, it is layde ouer with golde and siluer, and there is no breath in it.
Woe to him who says to the wood, Awake! to the dumb stone, Arise! They are vain; even though they are overlaid with gold, there is no breath at all in them.
Alas! for him who saith to wood, Awake, bestir thee! to a silent stone, he, shall teach! Though he is overlaid with gold and silver, yet, no spirit whatsoever, is in him!
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.
Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a dumb stone, Arise! Can this give revelation? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it.
Wo vnto hym that sayth to the wood, Awake: and to the dumbe stone, Rise vp, it shall teache [thee:] beholde it is layde ouer with gold and siluer, & there is no breath in it.
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.
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.
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.
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 in the midst of it.
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.
Woe to him who says to the wood, ‘Wake up!' And to a lifeless stone, ‘Arise!' Can he teach? Look, it is covered with gold and silver, and there is no breath within it.
Woe to him who says to the wood, Awake! To a mute stone, Rise up, it shall teach! Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, but no breath is in its midst.
Wo [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.
Wo vnto him, that saieth to a pece of wod: arise, and to a domme stone: stonde vp. For what instruccio maye soch one geue? Beholde, it is layed ouer with golde and syluer, & there is no breth in it.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
that: 1 Kings 18:26-29, Psalms 97:7, Isaiah 44:17, Jeremiah 51:47, Daniel 3:7, Daniel 3:18, Daniel 3:29, Daniel 5:23, Jonah 1:5
it is: Isaiah 40:19, Isaiah 46:6, Jeremiah 10:4, Jeremiah 10:9, Daniel 3:1, Acts 17:29, Revelation 17:4
and there: Psalms 135:17
Reciprocal: Judges 17:3 - a graven image Judges 18:24 - what have Psalms 3:7 - Arise Psalms 115:8 - General Psalms 135:15 - idols Isaiah 10:1 - Woe Isaiah 36:18 - Hath Isaiah 44:14 - heweth Isaiah 51:9 - Awake Isaiah 57:6 - the smooth Jeremiah 2:27 - to a stock Jeremiah 3:9 - committed Jeremiah 10:3 - one Jeremiah 10:5 - speak Jeremiah 10:14 - and Jeremiah 13:25 - trusted Jeremiah 16:19 - Surely Jeremiah 50:38 - the land Jeremiah 51:17 - brutish by his knowledge Ezekiel 24:12 - wearied Daniel 5:4 - of gold Hosea 4:12 - ask Hosea 13:2 - have made 1 Corinthians 8:4 - we know 1 Corinthians 12:2 - dumb Revelation 13:15 - life
Cross-References
Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground."
This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made.
He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.
"At last!" the man exclaimed. "This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,' because she was taken from ‘man.'"
Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive.
All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Woe to him that saith to the wood, Awake,.... That saith to a wooden image, let him go by what name he will; saint such an one, or such an one; awake, arise, exert thyself on our behalf; deliver us from present danger; save us from our enemies; or pray and intercede for us, that we may be delivered and saved, as the Papists do; addressing a block of wood as they would God himself, or as his people do, Psalms 44:23. This must be very displeasing and detestable to God, and therefore a woe is threatened to such idol worshippers: who also say
to the dumb stone, Arise; to the idol of stone, as the Targum; the stone statue, an image made of stone, such as the Papists have even of wood, and of stone, as well as of gold, and silver, and brass, Revelation 9:20 and so stupid as to say to such stocks and stones, arise, stand up, and help us:
it shall teach; the stone itself would teach them better, would they but consider what it is, look upon it, and handle it, when they would find it to be a mere stone, and no deity: or, "shall it teach?" so Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech; no, it cannot teach any true doctrine, or direct to right worship; it cannot teach men their duty, or where they may have help; it is a dumb idol; it cannot teach men the nature of God, and the knowledge of him; or instruct in his mind and will; or inform of things secret or future:
it [is] laid over with gold and silver; it is made of stone, and covered with gold and silver; how should it teach?
and [there is] no breath at all in the midst of it; or, "no spirit" o; so far from having the spirit of divinity in it, or the Spirit of God, that it has not the spirit of a man in it, nor even the spirit of a brute creature; it has not so much as animal breath, and so no life, motion, or activity in it; and therefore must be quite unprofitable to the worshipper of it; incapable of teaching those who apply to it; and they must be stupid that do it, and most righteously bring themselves under the displeasure and wrath of God, and expose themselves to the woe here denounced against such persons.
o רוח "spiritus", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Burkius.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
But then the greater is the “Woe” to him who deceiveth by them. The prophet passes away from the idols as “nothings” and pronounces “woe” on those who deceive by them. He . first expostulates with them on their folly, and would awaken them. “What hath it profited?” (As in Psalms 115:5; 1 Corinthians 12:2) Then on the obstinate he denounces “woe.” “Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise.” Self-made blindness alone could, in the light of truth, so speak; but yet more lies in the emphatic word, “It.” The personal pronoun stands emphatically in Hebrew; He shall teach, lo, He (this same of whom he speaks) this is It which shall teach: It, and not the living God. And yet this same It (the word is again emphatic) he points, as with the finger, to it, “behold, It is laid over with, held fast by , gold and silver,” so that no voice could escape, if it had any. “And there is no breath at all in the midst of it” (Compare Jeremiah 10:14 repeated Jeremiah 51:17), literally “All breath, all which is breath, there is none within it;” he first suggests the thought, breath of every sort, and then energetically denies it all ; no life of any sort, of man, or bird, or beast, or creeping thing Isaiah 41:23; Jeremiah 10:5; none, good or bad; from God or from Satan; none whereby it can do good or do evil; for which it should be loved or feared. Evil spirits may have made use of idols: they could not give them life, nor dwell in them.
The words addressed to it are the language of the soul in the seeming absence or silence of God (Psalms 7:7; Psalms 35:23; Psalms 44:24; Psalms 59:6; Isaiah 51:9; Delitszch), but mockery as spoken to the senseless stone, as Ehijah had mocked the Baal-priests, “peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked” 1 Kings 18:26-27.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Habakkuk 2:19. Wo unto him — How foolish and contemptible to worship a thing formed by the hand of man out of wood, stone, gold, or silver! The meanest brute is superior to them all; it breathes and lives, but they have no breath in them. However, they are said above to be teachers of lies; that is, they appeared to give out oracles: but these were lies; and were not given by the statue, but by the priest.
