Habakkuk 2:18
BSB · Public Domain (CC0)“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.”
A short, plain-language explanation of Habakkuk 2:18 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.
“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.”
Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)“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?”
King James Version · Public Domain“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?”
American Standard Version · Public Domain“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?”
Young's Literal Translation · Public DomainOther passages that echo Habakkuk 2:18 — 24 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Judges 17:4So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
- Psalms 135:15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
- Isaiah 1:31The strong man will become tinder and his work will be a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the flames.
- Isaiah 37:38One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.
- Isaiah 42:17But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
- Isaiah 44:9All 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.
- Isaiah 44:10Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?
- Isaiah 44:14He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow.
- Isaiah 45:16They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.
- Isaiah 45:20Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.
- Isaiah 46:1Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.
- Isaiah 46:6They 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.
- Jeremiah 2:8The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.
- Jeremiah 2:27say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me and not their faces, yet in the time of trouble they beg, ‘Rise up and save us!’
- Jeremiah 10:3For 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.
- Jeremiah 10:8But they are altogether senseless and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!
- Jeremiah 10:14Every 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.
- Jeremiah 50:2“Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.’
- Jonah 2:8Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.
- Zechariah 10:2For idols speak deceitand diviners see illusions;they tell false dreamsand offer empty comfort.Therefore the people wander like sheep,oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
- Romans 1:23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
- Romans 6:21What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.
- 1 Corinthians 12:2You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).