Habakkuk 2:18 (YLT)

Passage

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?

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:16 Thou hast been filled--shame without honour, Drink thou also, and be uncircumcised, Turn round unto thee doth the cup of the right hand of Jehovah, And shameful spewing <FI>is<Fi> on thine honour.

Habakkuk 2:17 For violence <FI>to<Fi> Lebanon doth cover thee, And spoil of beasts doth affright them, Because of man's blood, and of violence <FI>to<Fi> the land, <FI>To<Fi> the city, and <FI>to<Fi> all dwelling in it.

Habakkuk 2:18 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?

Habakkuk 2:19 Woe <FI>to<Fi> him who is saying to wood, `Awake,' `Stir up,' to a dumb stone, It a teacher! lo, it is overlaid--gold and silver, And there is no spirit in its midst.

Habakkuk 2:20 And Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> in His holy temple, Be silent before Him, all the earth!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "profit", "hath", "graven", "image", "given", and "former". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "profit" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "For violence FI to Fi Lebanon doth..." into verse 19's "Woe FI to Fi him who is...", so "profit" and "hath" 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 "profit" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.