Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:3–4

³Why do You make me see iniquity?

Why do You tolerate wrongdoing?

Destruction and violence are before me.

Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.

⁴Therefore the law is paralyzed,

and justice never goes forth.

For the wicked hem in the righteous,

so that justice is perverted.

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Why	לָ֣מָּה	lām·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
do You make me see	תַרְאֵ֤נִי	ṯar·’ê·nî	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H7200 see
iniquity	אָ֙וֶן֙	’ā·wen	Noun - masculine singular	H205 trouble, sorrow, wickedness
Why do You tolerate	תַּבִּ֔יט	tab·bîṭ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5027 look
wrongdoing	וְעָמָ֣ל	wə·‘ā·māl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H5999 trouble, labour, toil
Destruction	וְשֹׁ֥ד	wə·šōḏ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H7701 violence, havoc, devastation, ruin
and violence	וְחָמָ֖ס	wə·ḥā·mās	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H2555 violence, wrong
before me	לְנֶגְדִּ֑י	lə·neḡ·dî	Preposition-l; first person common singular	H5048 what is conspicuous or in front
Strife	רִ֦יב	rîḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H7379 strife, dispute
is ongoing	וַיְהִ֧י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
and conflict	וּמָד֖וֹן	ū·mā·ḏō·wn	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H4066 strife, contention
abounds	יִשָּֽׂא׃	yiś·śā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5375 lift, take, carry

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Therefore	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the law	תּוֹרָ֔ה	tō·w·rāh	Noun - feminine singular	H8451 direction, instruction, law
is paralyzed	תָּפ֣וּג	tā·p̄ūḡ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H6313 grow numb
and justice	מִשְׁפָּ֑ט	miš·pāṭ	Noun - masculine singular	H4941 judgment
never	וְלֹֽא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
goes forth	יֵצֵ֥א	yê·ṣê	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
For	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the wicked	רָשָׁע֙	rā·šā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7563 wicked, criminal
hem in	מַכְתִּ֣יר	maḵ·tîr	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H3803 surround
the righteous	הַצַּדִּ֔יק	haṣ·ṣad·dîq	Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H6662 just, righteous
so that	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
justice	מִשְׁפָּ֖ט	miš·pāṭ	Noun - masculine singular	H4941 judgment
is	יֵצֵ֥א	yê·ṣê	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
perverted	מְעֻקָּֽל׃	mə·‘uq·qāl	Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular	H6127 bend, twist

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Habakkuk 1:3 Psalm 55:9–11 · Jeremiah 20:8 · Micah 7:1–4 · Jeremiah 9:2–6 · Ecclesiastes 5:8 · Psalm 120:5–6 · 2 Peter 2:8 · Ecclesiastes 4:1 · Psalm 12:1–2 · Ezekiel 2:6 · Matthew 10:16 · Psalm 73:3–9

Habakkuk 1:4 Psalm 94:20–21 · Job 21:7 · Isaiah 1:21–23 · Psalm 119:126 · Jeremiah 12:1 · Ezekiel 9:9 · Isaiah 59:13–15 · Isaiah 5:20 · Psalm 58:1–2 · Exodus 23:6 · Ezekiel 22:25–30 · Amos 5:12

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.