Habakkuk 2:13 (DBY)

Passage

Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

Habakkuk 2:12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by unrighteousness!

Habakkuk 2:13 Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that pourest out thy flask, and makest [him] drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "jehovah", "hosts", "peoples", "labour", "fire", "nations", and "weary". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "jehovah", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Woe to him that buildeth a town..." into verse 14's "For the earth shall be filled with...", so "behold" and "jehovah" belong inside that flow. In Habakkuk context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "behold" and "jehovah" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.