Habakkuk 1:12
New International Version
LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, LORD, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.

New Living Translation
O LORD my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal— surely you do not plan to wipe us out? O LORD, our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins.

English Standard Version
Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.

Berean Standard Bible
Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them for correction.

King James Bible
Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

New King James Version
Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction.

New American Standard Bible
Are You not from time everlasting, LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, LORD, have appointed them to deliver judgment; And You, O Rock, have destined them to punish.

NASB 1995
Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.

NASB 1977
Art Thou not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. Thou, O LORD, hast appointed them to judge; And Thou, O Rock, hast established them to correct.

Legacy Standard Bible
Are You not from everlasting, O Yahweh, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O Yahweh, have placed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to reprove.

Amplified Bible
Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, My Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed the Chaldeans [who rule in Babylon] to execute [Your] judgment, And You, O Rock, have established them to correct and chastise.

Christian Standard Bible
Are you not from eternity, LORD my God? My Holy One, you will not die. LORD, you appointed them to execute judgment; my Rock, you destined them to punish us.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Are You not from eternity, Yahweh my God? My Holy One, You will not die. LORD, You appointed them to execute judgment; my Rock, You destined them to punish us.

American Standard Version
Art not thou from everlasting, O Jehovah my God, my Holy One? we shall not die. O Jehovah, thou hast ordained him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast established him for correction.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because you are from the beginning, LORD JEHOVAH my God, The Holy One! You are without law, LORD JEHOVAH! You have given it for judgment and you formed me for its tribute

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Art not thou from the beginning, O Lord God, my Holy One? and surely we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast established it for judgment, and he has formed me to chasten with his correction.

Contemporary English Version
Holy LORD God, mighty rock, you are eternal, and we are safe from death. You are using those Babylonians to judge and punish others.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Wast thou not from the beginning, O Lord my God, my holy one, and we shall not die? Lord, thou hast appointed him for judgment: and made him strong for correction.

English Revised Version
Art not thou from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast established him for correction.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Didn't you exist before time began, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die! O LORD, you have appointed the Babylonians to bring judgment. O Rock, you have destined them to correct us.

Good News Translation
LORD, from the very beginning you are God. You are my God, holy and eternal. LORD, my God and protector, you have chosen the Babylonians and made them strong so that they can punish us.

International Standard Version
"Haven't you existed forever, LORD my God, my Holy One? We won't die! LORD, you've prepared them for judgment; Rock, you've sentenced them to correction.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Art not Thou from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, Thou hast ordained them for judgment, And Thou, O Rock, hast established them for correction.

Literal Standard Version
Are You not of old, O YHWH, my God, my Holy One? We do not die, O YHWH, | You have appointed him for judgment, | And, O Rock, You have founded him for reproof.

Majority Standard Bible
Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them for correction.

New American Bible
Are you not from of old, O LORD, my holy God, immortal? LORD, you have appointed them for judgment, O Rock, you have set them in place to punish!

NET Bible
LORD, you have been active from ancient times; my sovereign God, you are immortal. LORD, you have made them your instrument of judgment. Protector, you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment.

New Revised Standard Version
Are you not from of old, O LORD my God, my Holy One? You shall not die. O LORD, you have marked them for judgment; and you, O Rock, have established them for punishment.

New Heart English Bible
Aren't you from everlasting, LORD my God, my Holy One? We will not die. LORD, you have appointed him for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish.

Webster's Bible Translation
Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

World English Bible
Aren’t you from everlasting, Yahweh my God, my Holy One? We will not die. Yahweh, you have appointed them for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish.

Young's Literal Translation
Art not Thou of old, O Jehovah, my God, my Holy One? We do not die, O Jehovah, For judgment Thou hast appointed it, And, O Rock, for reproof Thou hast founded it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Habakkuk's Second Complaint
12Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them for correction. 13Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?…

Cross References
Genesis 21:33
And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.

Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.

Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, 'Destroy him!'

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

Psalm 102:24
I say: "O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days! Your years go on through all generations.

Psalm 118:17
I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.

Isaiah 10:5
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath.


Treasury of Scripture

Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, you have established them for correction.

thou not.

Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Psalm 93:2
Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

mine.

Isaiah 43:15
I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

Isaiah 49:7
Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

Acts 3:14
But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

we.

Habakkuk 3:2
O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.

Psalm 118:17
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.

Isaiah 27:6-9
He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit…

thou hast ordained.

2 Kings 19:25
Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps.

Psalm 17:13
Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

Isaiah 10:5-7
O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation…

mighty God.

Deuteronomy 32:4,30,31
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he…

1 Samuel 2:2
There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

Psalm 18:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

Jump to Previous
Appointed Chastisement Correction Death Die Established Eternal Everlasting Execute Founded Holy Judge Judgment Marked Mighty Ordained Ordered Punish Punishment Reproof Right Rock
Jump to Next
Appointed Chastisement Correction Death Die Established Eternal Everlasting Execute Founded Holy Judge Judgment Marked Mighty Ordained Ordered Punish Punishment Reproof Right Rock
Habakkuk 1
1. Unto Habakkuk, complaining of the iniquity of the land,
5. is shown the fearful vengeance by the Chaldeans.
12. He complains that vengeance should be executed by them who are far worse.














(12-17) Though sore perplexed, Habakkuk feels sure that the God whom this swaggering conqueror has insulted will at last vindicate Himself.

(12) We shall not die--i.e., God's people may suffer, but shall not be obliterated, shall not be "given over unto death." The rest of the verse runs literally, Jehovah, for judgment hast Thou appointed him, and O Rock, for chastisement hast Thou founded him. "Him," means, of course, the Chaldaean invader, whom Habakkuk regards as raised up only to be God's instrument of correction. The term "Rock" has been paraphrased in the Authorised Version. Used absolutely, it occurs as a Divine title in Deuteronomy 32:4. Generally it is qualified in some way, as "my rock," "our rock," "rock of salvation" &c.

Verses 12-17. - § 4. The prophet, in reply, beseeches the Lord not to suffer his people to perish, seeing that he has deigned to be in covenant with them, but to remember mercy even during the affliction at the hand of their rapacious enemies. Verse 12. - Habakkuk calls to mind God's immutability and his covenant with Israel. Art thou not from everlasting, etc.? An affirmative answer is expected. This is one ground of confidence in the corrective nature of the chastisement. God is Jehovah, the covenant God, who has been in personal relation to Israel from time immemorial, and is himself eternal. Mine Holy One. He speaks in the person of the righteous people, and he refers to God's holiness as a second ground of hope, because, although God must punish sin, he will not let the sacred nation, the chosen guardian of the faith, perish utterly. And then he expresses this confidence: We shall not die. We shall be chastened, but not killed. The Masorites assert that the present reading is a correction of the scribes for "thou wilt not die," which the prophet wrote originally, and which was altered for reverence' sake. But this is a mere assumption, incapable of proof. Its adoption would be an omission of the very consolation to which the prophet's confidence leads. Thou hast ordained them (him) for judgment. Thou hast appointed the Chaldean to execute thy corrective punishment on Israel (comp. Jeremiah 46:28). Others take the meaning to be - Thou hast predestined the Chaldean to be judged and punished This is not so suitable in this place. O mighty God; Hebrew, O Rock - an appellation applied to God, as the sure and stable Resting place and Support of his people (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 37; Psalm 18:2, 31:3; Isaiah 17:10). Thou hast established them (him) for correction. Thou appointedst the Chaldean, or madest him strong, in order to correct thy people. He is, like the Assyrian, the rod of God's anger (Isaiah 10:5). Septuagint, Απλασέ με τοῦ ἐλέγχειν παιδείαν αὐτοῦ, "He formed me to prove his instruction." This, says St. Jerome, is spoken in the person of the prophet announcing his call and office.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Are You
אַתָּ֣ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

not
הֲל֧וֹא (hă·lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

from everlasting,
מִקֶּ֗דֶם (miq·qe·ḏem)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6924: The front, of place, time

O LORD,
יְהוָ֧ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

my God,
אֱלֹהַ֛י (’ĕ·lō·hay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

my Holy One?
קְדֹשִׁ֖י (qə·ḏō·šî)
Adjective - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary

We will not die.
נָמ֑וּת (nā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

O LORD,
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

You have appointed them
שַׂמְתּ֔וֹ (śam·tōw)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

to execute judgment;
לְמִשְׁפָּ֣ט (lə·miš·pāṭ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

O Rock,
וְצ֖וּר (wə·ṣūr)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6697: A cliff, a rock, boulder, a refuge, an edge

You have established them
יְסַדְתּֽוֹ׃ (yə·saḏ·tōw)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3245: To set, to found, to sit down together, settle, consult

for correction.
לְהוֹכִ֥יחַ (lə·hō·w·ḵî·aḥ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3198: To be right, reciprocal, to argue, to decide, justify, convict


Links
Habakkuk 1:12 NIV
Habakkuk 1:12 NLT
Habakkuk 1:12 ESV
Habakkuk 1:12 NASB
Habakkuk 1:12 KJV

Habakkuk 1:12 BibleApps.com
Habakkuk 1:12 Biblia Paralela
Habakkuk 1:12 Chinese Bible
Habakkuk 1:12 French Bible
Habakkuk 1:12 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Habakkuk 1:12 Aren't you from everlasting Yahweh my God (Hab Hb)
Habakkuk 1:11
Top of Page
Top of Page