(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
Habakkuk 2:18 What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it--or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
Habakkuk 2:18
New International Version
“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

New Living Translation
“What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk!

English Standard Version
“What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols!

Berean Standard Bible
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

King James Bible
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?

New King James Version
“What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, The molded image, a teacher of lies, That the maker of its mold should trust in it, To make mute idols?

New American Standard Bible
“What benefit is a carved image when its maker has carved it, Or a cast metal image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols.

NASB 1995
“What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, Or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols.

NASB 1977
“What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, Or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols.

Legacy Standard Bible
“What profit is the graven image when its maker has engraved it, Or a molten image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own making When he fashions speechless idols.

Amplified Bible
“What profit is the carved image when its maker has formed it? It is only a cast image, and a teacher of lies. For its maker trusts in his own creation [as his god] When he makes speechless idols.

Christian Standard Bible
What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes worthless idols that cannot speak.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes idols that cannot speak.

American Standard Version
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?

Contemporary English Version
What is an idol worth? It's merely a false god. Why trust a speechless image made from wood or metal by human hands?

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"What benefit is there in a carved idol when its maker has carved it? What benefit is there in a molded statue, a teacher of lies, when its maker has molded it? The one who formed it trusts himself to make worthless idols that cannot speak.

Good News Translation
What's the use of an idol? It is only something that a human being has made, and it tells you nothing but lies. What good does it do for its maker to trust it--a god that can't even talk!

International Standard Version
"Where is the benefit in owning a carved image, that motivates its maker to carve it? It is only a cast image— a teacher that lies— because the engraver entrusts himself to his carving, crafting speechless idols.

Majority Standard Bible
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

NET Bible
What good is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? Why would its creator place his trust in it and make such mute, worthless things?

New Heart 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?

Webster's Bible Translation
What profiteth the graven image that its maker hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, 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?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
What profit has a carved image given "" That its former has hewn it? A molten image and teacher of falsehood, "" That the former has trusted on his own formation—to make mute 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?

Smith's Literal Translation
What profited the carved image that he forming it carved it? the molten image and he teaching falsehood, that the former of his forming trusted upon it to make nothings being dumb?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Of what benefit is the graven image? For its maker has formed it, a molten and imaginary deception. For its maker has hoped in a figment of his own creation, so as to make a dumb likeness.

New American Bible
Of what use is the carved image, that its maker should carve it? Or the molten image, the lying oracle, that its very maker should trust in it, and make mute idols?

New Revised Standard Version
What use is an idol once its maker has shaped it— a cast image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in what has been made, though the product is only an idol that cannot speak!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
What profit is a graven image that its maker has fashioned? The molten image is a false doctrine, for the heart of its maker trusts in it, to fashion a dumb idol

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
What is the profit of the carved image of its carver, its maker or the smelter, and false doctrine, because the heart of its maker trusts upon him to make a dumb idol
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 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 Septuagint Translation
What profit 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.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woe to the Chaldeans
17For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of animals will terrify you, because of your bloodshed against men and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers. 18What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it— or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. 19Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”…

Cross References
Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Isaiah 46:6-7
They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship. / They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.

Jeremiah 51:17-18
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them. / They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

Isaiah 40:18-20
To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him? / To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains? / One lacking such an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

Isaiah 41:6-7
Each one helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!” / The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who wields the hammer cheers him who strikes the anvil, saying of the welding, “It is good.” He nails it down so it will not be toppled.

Romans 1:22-23
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Deuteronomy 4:28
And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.

1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

Isaiah 42:17
But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

Exodus 32:1-4
Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!” / So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” / Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. ...


Treasury of Scripture

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

profiteth.

Isaiah 37:38
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

Isaiah 42:17
They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

Isaiah 44:9,10
They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed…

a teacher.

Jeremiah 10:8,14,15
But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities…

Jonah 2:8
They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Zechariah 10:2
For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

that the.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands…

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands…

Isaiah 1:31
And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

maker of his work.

1 Corinthians 12:2
Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

Jump to Previous
Carved Creation Dumb Engraved Faith False. Falsehood Fashioneth Fashions Form Gods Graven Handiwork Idol Idols Image Lies Maker Makes Making Metal Molten Mute Profit Profiteth Shaped Speak Speechless Teacher Teaches Therein Thereof Trusteth Trusts Value Work Workman
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Carved Creation Dumb Engraved Faith False. Falsehood Fashioneth Fashions Form Gods Graven Handiwork Idol Idols Image Lies Maker Makes Making Metal Molten Mute Profit Profiteth Shaped Speak Speechless Teacher Teaches Therein Thereof Trusteth Trusts Value Work Workman
Habakkuk 2
1. Unto Habakkuk, waiting for an answer, is shown that he must wait by faith.
5. The judgment upon the Chaldean for unsatiableness,
9. for covetousness,
12. for cruelty,
15. for drunkenness,
18. and for idolatry.














What use is an idol
The Hebrew word for "idol" here is "פֶּסֶל" (pesel), which refers to a carved or graven image. In the ancient Near Eastern context, idols were often crafted from wood, stone, or metal and were believed to house the spirit of a deity. The rhetorical question posed by Habakkuk challenges the very purpose and efficacy of such idols. From a conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the futility of worshiping anything other than the one true God, as idols are powerless and cannot fulfill the spiritual needs of humanity.

that a craftsman should carve it
The term "craftsman" is derived from the Hebrew "חָרָשׁ" (charash), indicating a skilled artisan or engraver. This highlights the human effort and skill involved in creating idols, which ironically contrasts with the divine creation of the universe by God. The act of carving suggests intentionality and dedication, yet it is ultimately misplaced when directed towards objects that cannot reciprocate or respond. This serves as a reminder of the misplaced priorities when human creativity is used to fashion objects of false worship.

an image, a teacher of lies
The "image" or "תֶּמֶס" (temes) in Hebrew, refers to a physical representation meant to embody a deity. The phrase "teacher of lies" is particularly striking, as it personifies the idol as something that instructs or conveys falsehoods. In the biblical context, this is a powerful indictment of idolatry, suggesting that idols not only fail to communicate truth but actively propagate deception. This aligns with the conservative Christian view that truth is found in God alone, and anything that diverts from His truth is inherently deceitful.

For its maker trusts in his own creation
Here, the focus shifts to the "maker," or "יֹצֵר" (yotser), emphasizing the folly of placing trust in something one has fashioned with their own hands. This reflects a profound irony and a reversal of the natural order, where the created object becomes the object of trust rather than the Creator. From a theological standpoint, this highlights the danger of self-reliance and the elevation of human achievement above divine sovereignty.

he makes idols that cannot speak
The inability of idols to "speak" underscores their impotence and lack of divine presence. In the Hebrew tradition, speech is often associated with life and power, as seen in the creation narrative where God speaks the world into existence. The silent idols stand in stark contrast to the living God who communicates with His people. This serves as a poignant reminder of the living relationship believers are called to have with God, who is active and communicative, unlike the mute and lifeless idols.

(18-20) Woe on him who neglects Jehovah to worship dumb idols of his own making.

(18) A teacher of lies.--Not the false prophet, but the idol itself, as pointing out false ways in opposition to God, the teacher of truth.

That the maker . . .--Better, that he who frames his image trusts in it, so as to make dumb idols. Dumb nothings is, perhaps, the literal translation of e'lilim ill'mim, and the words are chosen for their similarity of sound.

Verses 18-20. - 12. The fifth woe: for their idolatry. Verse 18. - The final woe is introduced by an ironical question. The Chaldeans trusted in their gods, and attributed all their success to the divine protection; the prophet asks - What good is this trust? What profiteth the graven image? (comp. Isaiah 44:9, 10; Jeremiah 2:11). What is the good of all the skill and care that the artist has lavished on the idol? (For "graven" or "molten," see note on Nahum 1:14.) And a (even the) teacher of lies. The idol is so termed because it calls itself God and encourages its worshippers in lying delusions, in entire contrast to Jehovah who is Truth. From some variation in reading the LXX. gives, φαντασίαあるふぁνにゅー ψぷさいεいぷしろんυうぷしろんδでるた, and Jerome, "imaginem falsam" (comp. Jeremiah 10:14). Trusteth therein. The prophet derides the folly which supposes that the idol has powers denied to the man who made it (Isaiah 29:16). Dumb idols; literally, dumb nothings. So 1 Corinthians 12:2, εいぷしろんἴδωλα τたうὰ ἄφふぁいωおめがνにゅーαあるふぁ (comp. 1 Corinthians 10:19; Psalm 115:5, etc.). There is a paronomasia in the Hebrew, elilim illemim.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
What
מָֽה־ (māh-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

use
הוֹעִ֣יל (hō·w·‘îl)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3276: To confer or gain profit or benefit

is an idol,
פֶּ֗סֶל (pe·sel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6459: An idol, image

that
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

a craftsman
יֹֽצְר֔וֹ (yō·ṣə·rōw)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3336: A form, framing, purpose

should carve it—
פְסָלוֹ֙ (p̄ə·sā·lōw)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6458: To hew, hew into shape

[or] an image,
מַסֵּכָ֖ה (mas·sê·ḵāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4541: A pouring over, fusion of metal, a libation, league, a coverlet

a teacher
וּמ֣וֹרֶה (ū·mō·w·reh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3384: To flow as water, to lay, throw, to point out, to teach

of lies?
שָּׁ֑קֶר (šā·qer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8267: Deception, disappointment, falsehood

For
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

its maker
יֹצֵ֤ר (yō·ṣêr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3335: To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine

trusts
בָטַ֞ח (ḇā·ṭaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 982: To trust, be confident, sure

in his own creation;
יִצְרוֹ֙ (yiṣ·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3335: To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine

he makes
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

idols
אֱלִילִ֥ים (’ĕ·lî·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 457: Good for, nothing, by anal, vain, vanity, an idol

that cannot speak.
אִלְּמִֽים׃ (’il·lə·mîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 483: Mute (unable to speak)


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OT Prophets: Habakkuk 2:18 What value does the engraved image have (Hab Hb)
Habakkuk 2:17
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