The taunt ends with a statement about the true God, which sharply contrasts with the description of useless man-made idols in the previous two verses. The contrast is indicated by the opening word But, and many translators will wish to show this contrast in a similar way. Good News Translation, however, does not use this word but shows the contrast by setting this verse out as a separate paragraph. One may also express the contrast by saying “As for the LORD, he is….”

The LORD is in his holy temple: this refers primarily to the LORD’s “temple” in heaven rather than to the Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem (compare Psa 11.4; Micah 1.2). So his holy temple in this context means “the temple in heaven which belongs to the LORD.”

The appropriate response from man to the holy God is silence: let all the earth keep silence before him. Good News Translation makes it explicit that all the earth means “everyone on earth,” and that before him means “in his presence.” In certain languages it will be necessary to translate in an idiomatic way; for example, “before his face.” (For similar expressions of reverence, see Zeph 1.7; Zech 2.13.)

This verse forms a fitting link between the taunts of chapter 2 and the prayer of chapter 3.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .