Habakkuk 2:11 (YLT)

Passage

For a stone from the wall doth cry out, And a holdfast from the wood answereth it.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:9 Woe <FI>to<Fi> him who is gaining evil gain for his house, To set on high his nest, To be delivered from the hand of evil,

Habakkuk 2:10 Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful <FI>is<Fi> thy soul.

Habakkuk 2:11 For a stone from the wall doth cry out, And a holdfast from the wood answereth it.

Habakkuk 2:12 Woe <FI>to<Fi> him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity.

Habakkuk 2:13 Lo, is it not from Jehovah of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "stone", "wall", "doth", "holdfast", "wood", and "answereth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "stone" and "wall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to..." into verse 12's "Woe FI to Fi him who is...", so "stone" and "wall" 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 "stone" and "wall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.