complete verse (Habakkuk 2:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Habakkuk 2:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “How bad it will be for you (sing.) who are saying to that thing, ‘Get up!’ or you who are speaking to something that was made/shaped from stone and that thing is not hearing a word. Can that thing really give you advice? It is just a thing that has been covered with silver and gold and does not breathe through the noses.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Woe to him who says to wood, ‘come to life!’
    Or to lifeless stone, ‘wake up!’
    Can these idols give you guidance?
    It is nicely covered with gold and silver,
    yet there is no breath in it."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) are-to-be-pitied who say to the wood or stone images, ‘You (sing.) wake-up and help us (excl.).’ They/It can- not even -teach you (plur.). And even though they/it were covered with gold and silver, but they don’t have life.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Habakkuk 2:19

The opening words Woe to him … are parallel with the opening words of the other taunts (verses 6, 9, 12, 15). In this case the whole taunt is in the third person in Hebrew and Revised Standard Version, but Good News Translation treats verse 19 as second person to keep it the same as the earlier taunts. Translators may treat it as second person or third, according to how they handled the other taunts.

The first part of the verse mocks idol worshipers in two parallel clauses: Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a dumb stone, Arise! Good News Translation retains the parallel structure: “You say to a piece of wood, ‘Wake up!’ or to a block of stone, ‘Get up!’ ” In some languages it may be necessary to combine the two clauses into one and say “You say to a dumb idol made of wood or stone ‘Wake up! Get up!’ ” In many languages it will be necessary to use polite forms of speech in addressing a supposed god, so that one will say “… ‘Please wake up! Please get up!’ ” The words Awake and Arise are a cry for help to the LORD, the living God, in Psalm 35.23; 44.23; 59.4. Such use elsewhere emphasizes the stupidity of speaking in the same terms to man-made idols which can give no help.

In some languages the direct quotation of the words of the worshiper may need to be changed to indirect speech. One can say “You tell dumb idols of wood or stone to wake up and stand up.”

In the second half of the verse, there is a rhetorical question, Can this give revelation? followed by a statement which gives an implied answer to the question. Good News Translation treats the verse in the same way but makes it explicit that this refers to “an idol.” In some languages it may not be sufficient to leave the answer to the question implicit. In such cases it will be better to say “Can an idol reveal anything to you? Of course not!” In other languages which do not use rhetorical questions, one may say, for example, “An idol cannot reveal anything to you.”

In the last sentence the two parts give a sharp contrast between the appearance of an idol and its power. The word Behold helps to point out the contrast. Good News Translation expresses the contrast in a different way by saying “It may be … but….” Another possibility is to say “Even though … nevertheless….”

Gold and silver were used as a kind of skin laid over the surface of idols, especially wooden ones. They gave a fine outward appearance but nothing else. The idol could give no help to the worshiper because there is no breath at all in it. Here breath may stand for “life”; Good News Translation says “but there is no life in it” (compare Psa 135.17; Jer 10.14; 51.17). It is also possible that breath is related to speech and implies an answer to the question Can this give revelation? Those who understand it this way translate “but it can’t say a thing.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• God will destroy you! You say to a piece of wood or a block of stone, “Wake up! Get up!” Can an idol tell you anything? Even though people have covered it with silver and gold, yet it cannot say anything.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Habakkuk 2:19

2:19a Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’

You (sing.) will suffer, you who say to a piece of wood, “Wake up!”
-or-

⌊Yahweh⌋ will punish you (plur.) who say to a wooden thing, “Awake!”
-or-
I will punish/destroy ⌊those people⌋ who think they can wake up a block of wood by speaking to it.

2:19b or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’

You (sing.) ⌊will suffer⌋ , you who say to a silent/speechless block of stone “Arise!”
-or-

⌊He will also punish you (plur.) who say⌋ to a stone idol that cannot speak, “Get up!”
-or-

⌊And I will also punish/destroy those people who talk⌋ to a stone image/idol ⌊as if it were a god. They do it even though⌋ it is not able to speak.

2:19a-b (reordered)

You (sing.) say to wooden and stone statues/idols, “Wake up!”, as if they could hear you. For this, ⌊God⌋ will punish/destroy you.

2:19c Can it give guidance?

Can these things teach/instruct you (sing.) ? ⌊Of course not!⌋
-or-
These idols can never reveal anything to you (plur.) !
-or-
But surely the idols will not give them any advice.

2:19d Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

⌊People⌋ may decorate them with gold and silver, but there is no spirit in them.
-or-
Even though ⌊people⌋ cover them with gold and silver, there is no life in them.
-or-

⌊Yes, they look nice/beautiful because⌋ they are covered with precious metal, but they are not alive.

2:18-19 (reordered)

You (sing.) who say to a speechless wooden or stone idol, “Wake up!” will suffer! It cannot teach you anything, because it is a false god that cannot even talk. This idol that a master makes is worthless. Though people decorate it with gold and silver, there is no life in it. It teaches/predicts nothing but lies because the man trusts in what he himself made.

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Commentaire sur la traduction de Habaquq 2.19

La condamnation de ceux qui se fient aux idoles continue. C’est le dernier MALHEUR de la série. Voir Habaquq 2.6, Habaquq 2.9, Habaquq 2.12, Habaquq 2.15. Mais au lieu de figurer au début de la section, ce dernier MALHEUR paraît après des affirmations qui condamnent les Babyloniens (Habaquq 2.18). Le prophète continue à exprimer une ironie très forte.

MALHEUR ! Il dit à un morceau de bois… : en hébreu, le texte dit « malheur (à) celui disant au bois… » La Bible en français courant continue à harmoniser le texte en recourant à la deuxième personne du pluriel : « Vous dites… » Les traducteurs veilleront à présenter un texte harmonieux et facile à comprendre.

à un morceau de bois « Lève-toi ! » ou « Réveille-toi ! » à une pierre silencieuse : il s’agit d’un chiasme, une structure qui souligne l’importance de ces remarques ironiques et marque ainsi le dernier MALHEUR :
Malheur à celui disant
CH1 au bois
CH2 lève-toi
CH2 réveille-toi
CH1 à une pierre de silence.

bois… pierre : les idoles sont faites en bois, en pierre, et en métal. Le mot générique « arbre » ou « bois » est utilisé ici. une pierre silencieuse se réfère à une idole muette.

Lève-toi … Réveille-toi : ces mots rendent deux verbes qui veulent dire à peu près la même chose. Si la langue cible n’a pas deux verbes qui conviennent, les traducteurs peuvent utiliser la même expression dans les deux cas : « Vous dites à une statue en bois ou en pierre qui ne parle pas : “Réveille-toi !” ». Dans certaines langues, il faudra utiliser des formes plus ou moins polies pour s’adresser à un dieu (supposé) : « S’il te plaît, réveille-toi ! ». Ces deux verbes paraissent souvent dans les Psaumes pour crier au Seigneur et pour demander son secours (Ps 35.23 ; 44.24 ; 59.5, etc.) L’emploi de ces termes souligne le ton de moquerie dans ces propos. Habaquq sait qu’il est ridicule de demander aux idoles fabriquées par les êtres humains de se réveiller.

et annonce : « Elle va enseigner ! » est la traduction de la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible et reflète l’une des interprétations possibles. Beaucoup pensent qu’il s’agit d’un cri d’indignation : « Elle va enseigner ! », soit comme affirmation forte (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible de Jérusalem), soit comme question rhétorique : « Cela peut-il enseigner ? » (Osty-Trinquet) ; « Enseigne-t-elle ? » (Segond Révisée), « Va-t-elle enseigner ? », ou « Peuvent-ils enseigner ? » (La Bible du Semeur). Dans certaines langues, il faut donner la réponse immédiatement avant de continuer : « Peuvent-elles enseigner ? Certainement pas ! »

enseigner rend le même verbe qu’au verset précédent. Voir Habaquq 2.18.

La voici plaquée d’or et d’argent, mais aucun souffle ne l’anime : en hébreu la phrase est introduite par le mot הִנֵּה hinnéh, qui attire l’attention du lecteur sur ce qui suit. La Bible de Jérusalem propose « certes » placé à la fin de la première proposition. Voir aussi « Même s’ils… » (Bible en français courant). Quelques versions ne rendent pas explicitement le mot הִנֵּה hinnéh, mais il est préférable de le traduire si possible. L’ironie du prophète continue ici, car il met en opposition l’apparence impressionnante de l’idole, plaquée d’or et d’argent, et son impuissance totale, sans souffle. Malgré son habillement en métaux précieux, l’idole est incapable de secourir celui qui l’adore.

plaquée d’or et d’argent : plaquée rend un verbe passif qui ailleurs a le sens de « saisi ». Les traducteurs devraient trouver l’expression qui convient pour décrire comment les idoles sont couvertes de métaux précieux. La Bible en français courant et la Parole de Vie disent que les idoles sont « recouvertes d’or et d’argent ».

mais aucun souffle ne l’anime est littéralement « mais il n’y a aucun souffle en elle ». mais rend la conjonction וְ we, qui introduit le contraste.

souffle se réfère à la vie, d’où la Bible en français courant : « il n’y a aucune vie en eux ! » La Parole de Vie parle de « souffle de vie ». Comparez Ps 135.17 ; 51.17. Certains pensent qu’Habaquq veut dire que les idoles ne peuvent pas respirer (Contemporary English Version), d’autres, qu’elles ne peuvent pas parler : « elles ne peuvent rien dire ». Mais l’accent semble être sur le fait que les idoles ne sont pas vivantes.

Source: Ellington, John; Margot, Jean-Claude & Zogbo, Lynell. Habaquq – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2013.