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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