Habakkuk 2:1–3
Habakkuk keeps watch and is told the vision has its time: if it delays, wait
Study it word by word1At my guard post I will stand, and station myself on the fortification, and I will watch to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my reproof.
2And YHWH answered me and said: “Write the vision, and engrave it clearly on the tablets, so that the one who reads it may run.
3For the vision is yet for the appointed time; and it hastens toward the end, and it will not lie. If it delays, wait for it, for it will surely come; it will not be late.
In its context
…
4Look, the one who is puffed up, his soul is not upright in him; but the righteous by his faithfulness will live.
5And moreover, wine betrays; the arrogant man does not remain, who widens his throat like Sheol, and he is like death and is not satisfied, and he gathers to himself all the nations and assembles to himself all the peoples.
Its words in the original
- מִשְׁמַרְתִּmishmarti· charge, duty
Charge, duty: what someone is entrusted to guard or carry out; also guard, watch, keeping.
- אֶעֱמֹדָהeemoda· stand
Stand; stay, remain, endure. "Stand before" someone is to serve him or be in his presence. In another form of the verb, set up, place, appoint.
- אֶתְיַצְּבָהetyatsva· take one's stand
Take one's stand, stand firm in a place, present oneself.
- מָצוֹרmatsor· siege, distress
Siege: the ring set around a city and the works raised for it; also distress, or a stronghold.
- אֲצַפֶּהatsape· watch
Watch, keep watch, observe closely.
- רְאוֹתreot· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- יְדַבֶּרyedaber· speak
Speak, talk, say; also promise or command.
- אָשִׁיבashiv· return, turn back
Turn back, return. Also turn away; in the causative form, bring back, give back, answer. Figuratively, turn back to God (change course). Often adverbial: "again".
- תּוֹכַחְתִּtochachti· rebuke, reproof, argument
Rebuke, correction: words that show someone his fault (Proverbs 1:23; 3:11); also an argument in one's defense. "A day of rebuke" is a day of punishment (2 Kings 19:3; Hosea 5:9).
- יַּעֲנֵyaane· answer
Answer, reply; also speak up, testify, or sing in response.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- כְּתוֹבketov· write
Write; also write down, record.
- חָזוֹןchazon· vision
Vision: what God makes a prophet see or understand; by extension, his message.
- בָאֵרvaer· make plain, explain
Make plain, set out clearly; in its first sense, engrave or dig.
- לֻּחוֹתluchot· tablet
Tablet, a flat piece of stone, wood or metal to write on; also a board or plank.
- יָרוּץyaruts· run
Run; as a noun, "runner", a guard or courier.
- קוֹרֵאkore· call, proclaim
Call: speak out to someone, summon, invite, give a name, proclaim; also read aloud. "Call on the name of YHWH" is to pray to him and worship him.
- מּוֹעֵדmoed· appointed time, meeting
Time fixed in advance: an appointed date, a season of the year, a feast. Also the meeting held at that time and the place for it; hence "tent of meeting".
- יָפֵחַyafeach· blow, breathe
To blow, to puff: to breathe out; hence to speak with contempt or to scoff at someone.
- קֵּץkets· end
End; "at the end of a time", "after".
- יְכַזֵּבyechazev· lie, deceive
Lie, deceive: fail to keep one's word.
- יִתְמַהְמָהּyitmahmah· linger
Linger, delay, hesitate.
- חַכֵּהchake· wait, wait for
To wait, to wait for something to happen or for someone to act (2 Kings 7:9). In the Psalms and in Isaiah it is also used for waiting on God with trust (Isaiah 30:18).
- בֹאvo· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- יְאַחֵרyeacher· delay
Delay, hold back; stay late.