King James Version

Habakkuk 2:18

What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

מָֽהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.הוֹעִ֣ילhoilprofitיַעַלverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “profit”, a completed actionH3276properly, to ascend; figuratively, to be valuable (objectively; useful, subjectively; benefited)[idiom] at all, set forward, can do good, (be, have) profit, (able).פֶּ֗סֶלpeselcarved imageפֶּסֶלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “carved image”, the ordinary formH6459an idolcarved (graven) image.כִּ֤יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…פְסָלוֹ֙fesalvograveפָּסַלverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “grave”, a completed actionH6458to carve, whether wood or stonegrave, hew.יֹֽצְר֔וֹyotservoframeיֵצֶרverb, qal, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “frame”, a verb used as a describing wordH3336a form; figuratively, conception (i.e. purpose)frame, thing framed, imagination, mind, work.מַסֵּכָ֖הmasekhahcoveringמַסֵּכָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “covering”, the ordinary formH4541properly, a pouring over, i.e. fusion of metal (especially a cast image); by implication, a libation, i.e. league; concretely a coverlet (as if poured out)covering, molten (image), vail.וּמ֣וֹרֶהumorehand shootיָרָהconjunction, verb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “and shoot”, a verb used as a describing wordH3384properly, to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach([phrase]) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach(-er,-ing), through.שָּׁ֑קֶרshaqerwithout a causeשֶׁקֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “without a cause”, the ordinary formH8267an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial)without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, [phrase] lie, lying, vain (thing), wrongfully.כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…בָטַ֞חvatachbe boldבָּטַחverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be bold”, a completed actionH982figuratively, to trust, be confident or surebe bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.יֹצֵ֤רyotserformיָצַרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “form”, a verb used as a describing wordH3335to mould into a form; especially as apotter; figuratively, to determine (i.e. form a resolution)[idiom] earthen, fashion, form, frame, make(-r), potter, purpose.יִצְרוֹ֙yitsrvoframeיֵצֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “frame”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3336a form; figuratively, conception (i.e. purpose)frame, thing framed, imagination, mind, work.עָלָ֔יוalayvaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…לַעֲשׂ֖וֹתlaasotto doעָשָׂהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to do”, the to-form of the verbH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…אֱלִילִ֥יםelilimidolאֱלִילnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “idol”, the ordinary formH457good for nothing, by anal. vain or vanity; specifically an idolidol, no value, thing of nought.אִלְּמִֽיםilmimdumbאִלֵּםadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “dumb”, the ordinary formH483speechlessdumb (man).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it, even the molten image, and the teacher of lies; that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

Young’s Literal Translation

What profit hath a graven image given That its former hath graven it? A molten image and teacher of falsehood, That trusted hath the former on his own formation — to make dumb idols?

World English Bible

“What value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute idols?

Darby Translation

What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it? the molten image, and the teacher of falsehood, that the maker of his work dependeth thereon, to make dumb idols?

Douay-Rheims

What doth the graven thing avail, because the maker thereof hath graven it, a molten, and a false image? because the forger thereof hath trusted in a thing of his own forging, to make dumb idols.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it, even the molten image, and the teacher of lies; that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

What profits it the graven image, that they have graven it? one has made it a molten work, a false image; for the maker has trusted in his work, to make dumb idols.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τί ὠφελεῖ γλυπτὸν, ὅτι ἔγλυψαν αὐτό; ἔπλασεν αὐτὸ χώνευμα, φαντασίαν ψευδῆ, ὅτι πέποιθεν ὁ πλάσας ἐπὶ τὸ πλάσμα αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι εἴδωλα κωφά.