Habakkuk 1:11 (KJV)

Passage

Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 1:9 They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.

Habakkuk 1:10 And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.

Habakkuk 1:11 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.

Habakkuk 1:12 Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

Habakkuk 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "mind", "change", "pass", "over", "offend", and "imputing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "mind", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "And they shall scoff at the kings..." into verse 12's "Art thou not from everlasting O LORD...", so "shall" and "mind" 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 "shall" and "mind" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.