Habakkuk 1:5

““Look among the nations, and observe, and be astonished, be astonished; for a work I am working in your days that you would not believe if it were told.”
Habakkuk 1:5 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

“Lookרְאוּamong the nations,בַגּוֹיִםand observe,וְהַבִּיטוּand be astonished,וְהִתַּמְּהוּbe astonished;תְּמָהוּforכִּיa workפֹעַלI am workingפֹּעֵלin your daysבִּימֵיכֶםthat you would notלֹאbelieveתַאֲמִינוּifכִּיit were told.יְסֻפָּר

Quotation · Acts 13:41

Go to Acts 13:41

Paul quotes Habakkuk 1:5. Where the Hebrew says “look among the nations,” Acts says “look, you scoffers.”

Formula: τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν τοῖς προφήταις “what was said in the Prophets” (Acts 13:40)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Ἴδετε οἱ καταφρονηταί καὶ θαυμάσατε καὶ ἀφανίσθητε ὅτι ἔργον ἐργάζομαι ἐγὼ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ὑμῶν ἔργον ὃ οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε ἐάν τις ἐκδιηγῆται ὑμῖν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): רְאוּ בַגּוֹיִם וְהַבִּיטוּ וְהִתַּמְּהוּ תְּמָהוּ כִּי פֹעַל פֹּעֵל בִּימֵיכֶם לֹא תַאֲמִינוּ כִּי יְסֻפָּר

Septuagint (Habakkuk 1:5 in the Septuagint numbering): ἴδετε, οἱ καταφρονηταί, καὶ ἐπιβλέψατε, καὶ θαυμάσατε θαυμάσια καὶ ἀφανίσθητε·διότιδιότι ἔργον ἐγὼ ἐργάζομαι ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ὑμῶν ὃ οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε ἐάν τις ἐκδιηγῆται.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 7 consecutive words: “ὃ οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε ἐάν τις ἐκδιηγῆται.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Habakkuk 1:5, word by word

“Lookרְאוּreu

see

To see with one's eyes.

Where else “reu” appears

among the nationsגּוֹיִםgoyim

Gentiles

The peoples other than Israel.

Where else “goyim” appears

and observeהַבִּיטוּhabitu

look

Look intently, gaze; regard, pay attention to.

Where else “habitu” appears

and be astonishedהִתַּמְּהוּhitamhu

be astonished

Be astonished, look at one another in amazement.

Where else “hitamhu” appears

a workפֹעַלfoal

deed

What someone does; what God accomplishes.

Where else “foal” appears

I am workingפֹּעֵלpoel

do, make

Do, make, carry out.

Where else “poel” appears

in your daysימֵיyme

time

Literally "the days": a period, an age, or the span of someone's life.

Where else “yme” appears

believeתַאֲמִינוּtaaminu

believe

To rely on someone and on what they say: Abram with YHWH.

Where else “taaminu” appears

it were toldיְסֻפָּרyesupar

recount

To relate, declare: the heavens proclaim the glory of El.

Where else “yesupar” appears

Translation note

Paul quotes this verse in Acts 13:41.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Acts 13:41

Paul quotes Habakkuk 1:5. Where the Hebrew says “look among the nations,” Acts says “look, you scoffers.”

See them side by side

Habakkuk 1:5

⁵“Look among the nations, and observe, and be astonished, be astonished; for a work I am working in your days that you would not believe if it were told.

Acts 13:41

⁴¹‘Look, you scoffers, and be amazed and perish; for I am working a work in your days, a work that you will never believe, even if someone describes it to you.’”

The context

4Therefore instruction grows numb, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surrounds the righteous; therefore justice goes forth twisted.

5 · This verse (above)

6For look, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which marches through the breadth of the earth to possess dwellings not its own.

Read all of Habakkuk 1

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