Habakkuk 1:13
in Habakkuk 1Your 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?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness, wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy peace when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he;
KJV
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
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This verse in Habakkuk 1
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Verse 13, 14.) Your eyes are the world's eyes, so that you may not see evil, and you cannot look upon injustice. Why do you not look upon those who commit wickedness and remain silent as the wicked devour the righteous? And you make men like the fish of the sea, and like the reptile that has no ruler? LXX: The world's eye, so that it may not see evil, and it cannot look upon grief. Why do you look upon those who despise, will you be silent when the wicked devours the righteous?
This site's exposition
Art thou not from everlasting
on Habakkuk 1:12-13
Habakkuk answers the vision with worship rather than collapse, invoking the Lord as from everlasting, mine Holy One, we shall not die, holding to the eternity and holiness of God even while naming the Chaldean as the Lord's own chosen rod for correction. The second half turns the complaint back on God himself, thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, asking how a holy God can watch a wicked nation devour one more righteous than itself. Calvin and Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown read the question as reverent argument, the same faith that calls God eternal now pressing him for consistency with his own character.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"For the Lord does not desire to look upon wrongs, for he, the almighty one, observes all those who perform lawless deeds, and he will save me; and do you plead before him, if you can praise him, as it is possible even now." Not only did the Lord not countenance wrongs, but he did not even wish to see them, as another prophet said: "You who are of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on wrong." You see, what providence, what protection, what comprehension! Even if he does not take vengeance, he nevertheless abhors actions.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. 4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity,....
There is in the nature of God an antipathy to those dispositions and practices that are contrary to his holy law; and, though an expedient is happily found out for his being reconciled to sinners, yet he never will, nor can, be reconciled to sin.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil - The prophet repeats his complaint (as troubling thoughts are accustomed to come back, after they have been repelled,), in order to answer it more strongly. All sin is hateful in God’s sight, and in His Holy Wisdom He cannot endure to “look toward iniquity.” As man turns away from sickening sights, so God’s abhorrence of wrong is pictured by His not being able to “look toward it.” If He looked toward them, they must perish Psa 104:
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Instead of speaking evil against God, he goes to God Himself for the remedy for his perplexity (Ps 73:11-17). devoureth the man that is more righteous--The Chaldean oppresses the Jew, who with all his faults, is better than his oppressor (compare Eze 16:51, 52).
Thou art of purer eyes - Seeing thou art so pure, and canst not look on iniquity - it is so abominable - how canst thou bear with them who “deal treacherously, and hold thy tongue when the wicked devour the righteous?” All such questions are easily solved by a consideration of God’s ineffable mercy, which leads him to suffer long and be kind. He has no pleasure in the death of a sinner.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And You have made man before this wicked man - free as the fish of the sea, which anyone who wishes may catch.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| טְה֤וֹר | tehor | [you are too] pure of | H2890 → | |
| עֵינַ֙יִם֙ | ʾeinayim | eyes | H5869 → | |
| מֵרְא֣וֹת | mereot | for seeing | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| רָ֔ע | ra' | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| וְהַבִּ֥יט | vehabit | and to look | H5027 → | 69 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עָמָ֖ל | ʾamal | mischief | H5999 → | |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תוּכָ֑ל | tukhal | you are able | H3201 → | |
| לָ֤מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| תַבִּיט֙ | tabit | do you look at | H5027 → | 69 times |
| בּֽוֹגְדִ֔ים | bogdim | treacherous [people] | H898 → | |
| תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁ | tacharish | are you silent? | H2790 → | |
| בְּבַלַּ֥ע | bevala' | when swallows up | H1104 → | |
| רָשָׁ֖ע | rasha' | a wicked [person] | H7563 → | 263 times |
| צַדִּ֥יק | tzadik | a [person] righteous | H6662 → | 206 times |
| מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ | mimenu | more than him | H4480 → |
טְה֤וֹר[you are too] pure of
tehorH2890 →
עֵינַ֙יִם֙eyes
ʾeinayimH5869 →
מֵרְא֣וֹתfor seeing
mereotH7200 →1300 times
רָ֔עevil
ra'H7451 →662 times
וְהַבִּ֥יטand to look
vehabitH5027 →69 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עָמָ֖לmischief
ʾamalH5999 →
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תוּכָ֑לyou are able
tukhalH3201 →
לָ֤מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
תַבִּיט֙do you look at
tabitH5027 →69 times
בּֽוֹגְדִ֔יםtreacherous [people]
bogdimH898 →
תַּחֲרִ֕ישׁare you silent?
tacharishH2790 →
בְּבַלַּ֥עwhen swallows up
bevala'H1104 →
רָשָׁ֖עa wicked [person]
rasha'H7563 →263 times
צַדִּ֥יקa [person] righteous
tzadikH6662 →206 times
מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃more than him
mimenuH4480 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Holiness35 verses
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Habakkuk
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Habakkuk; John Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets; John Chrysostom, COMMENTARY ON JOB 35; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.