The Meaning of Habakkuk 2:19 Explained

Habakkuk 2:19

KJV: Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

YLT: Woe to him who is saying to wood, 'Awake,' 'Stir up,' to a dumb stone, It a teacher! lo, it is overlaid -- gold and silver, And there is no spirit in its midst.

Darby: Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake! to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall it teach? Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

ASV: Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Woe  unto him that saith  to the wood,  Awake;  to the dumb  stone,  Arise,  it shall teach!  Behold, it [is] laid  over with gold  and silver,  and [there is] no breath  at all in the midst  of it. 

What does Habakkuk 2:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord pronounced woe on those who ignorantly tried to coax their dumb idols, wood or stone perhaps overlaid with gold or silver, to speak (cf. 1 Kings 18:26-29). No matter what they looked like or out of what material they were made, they were still only lifeless objects of art. How foolish it was to look to one of these as one"s teacher or guide!

Context Summary

Habakkuk 2:1-20 - "the Just Shall Live By Faith"
Having prayed, the prophet expected an answer and looked out for it. When it came, there would be no mistaking it. But until we see eye to eye, we must live by simple faith in God. Note that wonderful clause in Habakkuk 2:4, which is referred to so often afterward. See Romans 1:17; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:11. Life in this age, as in that, may be obtained and maintained by faith in the ever-living God. Through long waiting-times the only source of continued life is the faith which draws all from God. From Habakkuk 2:5 onwards, the prophet enumerates Babylon's sins: her pride, love of strong drink, rapacity, and violence. It could not be God's will that the mighty city should flourish on the anguish of the world.
From scenes of anarchy and riot which foretell Chaldea's doom, we pass into Jehovah's temple, where peaceful silence reigns! Let us live in that secret place! "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Habakkuk 2

1  Unto Habakkuk, waiting for an answer, is shown that he must wait by faith
5  The judgment upon the Chaldean for unsatiableness,
9  for covetousness,
12  for cruelty,
15  for drunkenness,
18  and for idolatry

What do the individual words in Habakkuk 2:19 mean?

Woe to him who says to wood Awake Arise to stone silent it shall teach behold it [is] overlaid with gold and silver and yet at all breath there is no in it
ה֣וֹי אֹמֵ֤ר לָעֵץ֙ הָקִ֔יצָה ע֖וּרִי לְאֶ֣בֶן דּוּמָ֑ם ה֣וּא ! יוֹרֶ֔ה הִנֵּה־ ה֗וּא תָּפוּשׂ֙ זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֔סֶף וְכָל־ ר֖וּחַ אֵ֥ין בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ

ה֣וֹי  Woe 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֹוי  
Sense: ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe!.
אֹמֵ֤ר  to  him  who  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָעֵץ֙  to  wood 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
הָקִ֔יצָה  Awake 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קוּץ 
Sense: to awake, wake up.
ע֖וּרִי  Arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: עוּר 
Sense: to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite.
לְאֶ֣בֶן  to  stone 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
דּוּמָ֑ם  silent 
Parse: Adverb
Root: דּוּמָם  
Sense: silence adv.
! יוֹרֶ֔ה  shall  teach 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄורֶה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast, pour.
הִנֵּה־  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
ה֗וּא  it  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
תָּפוּשׂ֙  overlaid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
זָהָ֣ב  with  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
וָכֶ֔סֶף  and  silver 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
וְכָל־  and  yet  at  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
ר֖וּחַ  breath 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
אֵ֥ין  there  is  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.