Habakkuk 1:3 · Darby Translation

Why dost thou cause me to see iniquity, and lookest thou upon grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.
Habakkuk 1:3 in the Darby Translation reads: “Why dost thou cause me to see iniquity, and lookest thou upon grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.”. Read it in the full context of Habakkuk 1, or compare how other translations render it below.

Habakkuk 1:3 in Other Translations

KJV 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 strife and contention.
WEB Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up.
ASV Why dost thou show me iniquity, and look upon perverseness? for destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.
YLT Why dost Thou shew me iniquity, And perversity dost cause to behold? And spoiling and violence are before me, And there is strife, and contention doth lift itself up,
WBT Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause [me] to behold grievance? for devastation and violence [are] before me: and there are [that] raise strife and contention.
DBY Why dost thou cause me to see iniquity, and lookest thou upon grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.

Commentary on Habakkuk 1:3

Expositions from classic Bible commentators.

Adam Clarke · Habakkuk 1:3

And cause me to behold grievance - עמל amal, labor, toil, distress, misery, etc., the common fruits of sin.

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John Gill · Habakkuk 1:3

Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?.... That is, wicked men, and such as give a great deal of trouble vexation, and grief to others, by their rapine and oppression; suggesting that he could not turn his eyes any where, but such persons presented themselves to his view; and that their wicked actions were performed by them openly and publicly, in the sight of all, without any shame or fear. So the Targum,

"why do I see oppressors, and behold those that do the labour of falsehood?''

For spoiling and violence are before me; in my sight and presence, though a prophet, and notwithstanding all my remonstrances, exhortations, and reproofs; such were the hardness, obstinacy, and impudence of this people; to such a height and pitch of iniquity were they arrived, as to regard not the prophets of the Lord. The Targum is,

"spoilers and robbers are before me:''

or, "against me" (q), as in the text; these sins were committed against him, he was injuriously used himself; or they were done to others, contrary to his advice and persuasion:

and there are that raise up strife and contention; in the kingdom, in cities, in families; in one man, brother, friend, and neighbour, against another; which occasion lawsuits, and in them justice is not done, as follows. It may be rendered, and "there shall be and is a man of strife"; so Japhet: "and he shall raise up contention"; one man given to strife will and does use great contention in communities, civil and religious.

(q) "contra me", Pagninus, Montanus; "e regione mei", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Tarnovius.

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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Habakkuk 1:3

cause me to behold grievance--MAURER denies that the Hebrew verb is ever active; he translates, "(Wherefore) dost Thou behold (without doing aught to check) grievance?" The context favors English Version.

there are that raise up strife and contention--so CALVIN. But MAURER, not so well, translates, "There is strife, and contention raises itself."

Read Jamieson, Fausset & Brown's full commentary on Habakkuk 1 →

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Cross References for Habakkuk 1:3

Related passages, ranked by how often readers connect them. Cross-reference data from openbible.info (CC-BY).

Questions about Habakkuk 1:3

What does Habakkuk 1:3 say?

Habakkuk 1:3 in the Darby Translation reads: “Why dost thou cause me to see iniquity, and lookest thou upon grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention riseth up.” Read it in the full context of Habakkuk 1, alongside the classic commentary on this page.

Where is Habakkuk 1:3 found in the Bible?

Habakkuk 1:3 is in the book of Habakkuk, chapter 1, verse 3, in the Old Testament.

What Bible translation is Habakkuk 1:3 shown in?

This is the Darby Translation (DBY), a public-domain translation. You can compare how other translations render Habakkuk 1:3 in the table on this page.

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