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Selected Verse: Habakkuk 1:13 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Hab 1:13	Strong Concordance	Thou art of purer [02889] eyes [05869] than to behold [07200] evil [07451], and canst [03201] not look [05027] on iniquity [05999]: wherefore lookest [05027] thou upon them that deal treacherously [0898], and holdest thy tongue [02790] when the wicked [07563] devoureth [01104] the man that is more righteous [06662] than he?
	King James	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?

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
purer . . . than to behold evil--without being displeased at it. canst not look on iniquity--unjust injuries done to Thy people. The prophet checks himself from being carried too far in his expostulatory complaint, by putting before himself honorable sentiments of God. them that deal treacherously--the Chaldeans, once allies of the Jews, but now their violent oppressors. Compare "treacherous dealers," (Isa 21:2; Isa 24:16). Instead of speaking evil against God, he goes to God Himself for the remedy for his perplexity (Psa 73:11-17). devoureth the man that is more righteous--The Chaldean oppresses the Jew, who with all his faults, is better than his oppressor (compare Eze 16:51-52).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

purer . . . than to behold evil--without being displeased at it.

canst not look on iniquity--unjust injuries done to Thy people. The prophet checks himself from being carried too far in his expostulatory complaint, by putting before himself honorable sentiments of God.

them that deal treacherously--the Chaldeans, once allies of the Jews, but now their violent oppressors. Compare "treacherous dealers," (Isa 21:2; Isa 24:16). Instead of speaking evil against God, he goes to God Himself for the remedy for his perplexity (Psa 73:11-17).

devoureth the man that is more righteous--The Chaldean oppresses the Jew, who with all his faults, is better than his oppressor (compare Eze 16:51-52).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil - The prophet repeats his complaint (as troubling thoughts are accustomed to come back, after they have been repelled,), in order to answer it more strongly. All sin is hateful in God's sight, and in His Holy Wisdom He cannot endure to "look toward iniquity." As man turns away from sickening sights, so God's abhorrence of wrong is pictured by His not being able to "look toward it." If He looked toward them, they must perish Psa 104:32. Light cannot co-exist with darkness, fire with water, heat with cold, deformity with beauty, foulness with sweetness, nor is sin compatible with the Presence of God, except as its Judge and punisher. Thou canst not look. There is an entire contradiction between God and unholiness. And yet, Wherefore lookest thou upon - viewest, as in Thy full sight make the contrast stronger. God cannot endure "to look toward" (אל) iniquity, and yet He does not only this, but beholdeth it, contemplateth it, and still is silent), yea, as it would seem, with favor , bestowing upon them the goods of this life, honor, glory, children, riches, as the Psalmist saith Psa 73:12; "Behold these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world, they increase in riches?" Why lookest thou upon "them that deal treacherously, holdest Thy tongue," puttest restraint , as it were, upon Thyself and Thine own attribute of Justice, "when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" Psa 143:2 "in God's sight no man living can be justified;" and, in one sense, Sodom and Gomorrah were less unrighteous than Jerusalem, and Mat 10:15; Mat 11:24; Mar 6:11; Luk 10:12 "it shall be more tolerable for them in the day of Judgment," because they sinned against less light; yet the actual sins of the Chaldee were greater than those of Jerusalem, and Satan's evil is greater than that of these who are his prey. To say that Judah was more righteous than the Chaldaean does not imply any righteousness of the Chaldaean, as the saying that (Jer 31:11, Del.) "God ransomed Jacob from the hand of one stronger than he," does not imply any strength remaining to Israel. Then, also, in all the general judgments of God, the righteous too suffer in this world, whence Abraham intercedes for Sodom, if there were but ten righteous in it; lest Gen 18:23 "the righteous be destroyed with the wicked." Hence, God also spared Nineveh in part as having Jon 4:11 "more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand," i. e., good from evil. No times were more full of sin than those before the destruction of Jerusalem, yet the fury of the Assassins fell upon the innocent. And so the words, like the voice of the souls under the Altar Rev 6:10, become the cry of the Church at all times against the oppressing world, and of the blood of the martyrs from Abel to the end, "Lord, how long?" And in that the word "righteous" signifies both "one righteous man," and the whole class or generation of the righteous, it speaks both of Christ the Head and of all His members in whom (as by Saul) He was persecuted. The wicked also includes all persecutors, both those who executed the Lord Christ, and those who brought His servants before judgment-seats, and who blasphemed His Name Jam 2:6-7, and caused many to blaspheme, and killed those whom they could not compel. And God, all the while, seemeth to look away and not to regard.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The believing confidence expressed in this verse does not appear to be borne out by what is actually done by God. The prophet proceeds to lay this enigma before God in Hab 1:13-17, and to pray for his people to be spared during the period of the Chaldaean affliction. Hab 1:13. "Art Thou too pure of eye to behold evil, and canst Thou not look upon distress? Wherefore lookest Thou upon the treacherous? and art silent when the wicked devours one more righteous than he? Hab 1:14. And Thou hast made men like fishes of the sea, like reptiles that have no ruler. Hab 1:15. All of them hath he lifted up with the hook; he draws them into his net, and gathers them in his fishing net; he rejoices thereat, and is glad. Hab 1:16. Therefore he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his landing net; for through them is his portion rich, and his food fat. Hab 1:17. Shall he therefore empty his net, and always strangle nations without sparing?" In Hab 1:13, טהור עינים, with the two clauses dependent upon it, stands as a vocative, and טהור followed by מן as a comparative: purer of eyes than to be able to see. This epithet is applied to God as the pure One, whose eyes cannot bear what is morally unclean, i.e., cannot look upon evil. The purity of God is not measured here by His seeing evil, but is described as exalted above it, and not coming at all into comparison with it. On the relation in which these words stand to Num 23:21, see the remarks on Hab 1:3. In the second clause the infinitive construction passes over into the finite verb, as is frequently the case; so that אשׁר must be supplied in thought: who canst not look upon, i.e., canst not tolerate, the distress which the wicked man prepares for others. Wherefore then lookest Thou upon treacherous ones, namely, the Chaldaeans? They are called בּוגדים, from their faithlessly deceptive and unscrupulously rapacious conduct, as in Isa 21:2; Isa 24:16. That the seeing is a quiet observance, without interposing to punish, is evident from the parallel תּחרישׁ: Thou art silent at the swallowing of the צדיק ממּנּוּ. The more righteous than he (the ungodly one) is not the nation of Israel as such, which, if not perfectly righteous, was relatively more righteous than the Chaldaeans. This rabbinical view is proved to be erroneous, by the fact that in Hab 1:2 and Hab 1:3 the prophet describes the moral depravity of Israel in the same words as those which he here applies to the conduct of the Chaldaeans. The persons intended are rather the godly portion of Israel, who have to share in the expiation of the sins of the ungodly, and suffer when they are punished (Delitzsch). This fact, that the righteous is swallowed along with the unrighteous, appears irreconcilable with the holiness of God, and suggests the inquiry, how God can possibly let this be done. This strange fact is depicted still further in Hab 1:14-16 in figures taken from the life of a fisherman. The men are like fishes, whom the Chaldaean collects together in his net, and then pays divine honour to his net, by which he has been so enriched. ותּעשׂה is not dependent upon למּה, but continues the address in a simple picture, in which the imperfect with Vav convers. represents the act as the natural consequence of the silence of God: "and so Thou makest the men like fishes," etc. The point of comparison lies in the relative clause לא־משׁל בּו, "which has no ruler," which is indeed formally attached to כּרמשׂ alone, but in actual fact belongs to דּגי היּם also. "No ruler," to take the defenceless under his protection, and shelter and defend them against enemies. Then will Judah be taken prisoner and swallowed up by the Chaldaeans. God has given it helplessly up to the power of its foes, and has obviously ceased to be its king. Compare the similar lamentation in Isa 63:19 : "are even like those over whom Thou hast never ruled." רמשׂ, the creeping thing, the smaller animals which exist in great multitudes, and move with great swiftness, refers here to the smaller water animals, to which the word remes is also applied in Psa 104:25, and the verb râmas in Gen 1:21 and Lev 11:46. כּלּה, pointing back to the collective 'âdâm, is the object, and is written first for the sake of emphasis. The form העלה, instead of העלה, is analogous to the hophal העלה in Nah 2:8 and Jdg 6:28, and also to העברתּ in Jos 7:7 : to take up out of the water (see Ges. 63, Anm. 4). יגרהוּ from גרר, to pull, to draw together. Chakkâh is the hook, cherem the net generally, mikhmereth the large fishing-net (σαγήνη), the lower part of which, when sunk, touches the bottom, whilst the upper part floats on the top of the water. These figures are not to be interpreted with such specialty as that the net and fishing net answer to the sword and bow; but the hook, the net, and the fishing net, as the things used for catching fish, refer to all the means which the Chaldaeans employ in order to subdue and destroy the nations. Luther interprets it correctly. "These hooks, nets, and fishing nets," he says, "are nothing more than his great and powerful armies, by which he gained dominion over all lands and people, and brought home to Babylon the goods, jewels, silver, and gold, interest and rent of all the world." He rejoices over the success of his enterprises, over this capture of men, and sacrifices and burns incense to his net, i.e., he attributes to the means which he has employed the honour due to God. There is no allusion in these words to the custom of the Scythians and Sauromatians, who are said by Herodotus (iv. 59, 60) to have offered sacrifices every year to a sabre, which was set up as a symbol of Mars. What the Chaldaean made into his god, is expressed in Hab 1:11, namely, his own power. "He who boasts of a thing, and is glad and joyous on account of it, but does not thank the true God, makes himself into an idol, gives himself the glory, and does not rejoice in God, but in his own strength and work" (Luther). The Chaldaean sacrifices to his net, for thereby (בּהמּה, by net and yarn) his portion (chelqō) is fat, i.e., the portion of this booty which falls to him, and fat is his food ( בּראה is a neuter substantive). The meaning is, that he thereby attains to wealth and prosperity. In Hab 1:17 there is appended to this the question embracing the thought: Shall he therefore, because he rejoices over his rich booty, or offers sacrifice to his net, empty his net, sc. to throw it in afresh, and proceed continually to destroy nations in so unsparing a manner? In the last clause the figure passes over into a literal address. The place of the imperfect is now taken by a periphrastic construction with the infinitive: Shall he constantly be about to slay? On this construction, see Ges. 132, 3, Anm. 1, and Ewald, 237, c. לא יחמול is a subordinate clause appended in an adverbial sense: unsparingly, without sparing.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The believing confidence expressed in this verse does not appear to be borne out by what is actually done by God. The prophet proceeds to lay this enigma before God in Hab 1:13-17, and to pray for his people to be spared during the period of the Chaldaean affliction. Hab 1:13. "Art Thou too pure of eye to behold evil, and canst Thou not look upon distress? Wherefore lookest Thou upon the treacherous? and art silent when the wicked devours one more righteous than he? Hab 1:14. And Thou hast made men like fishes of the sea, like reptiles that have no ruler. Hab 1:15. All of them hath he lifted up with the hook; he draws them into his net, and gathers them in his fishing net; he rejoices thereat, and is glad. Hab 1:16. Therefore he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his landing net; for through them is his portion rich, and his food fat. Hab 1:17. Shall he therefore empty his net, and always strangle nations without sparing?" In Hab 1:13, טהור עינים, with the two clauses dependent upon it, stands as a vocative, and טהור followed by מן as a comparative: purer of eyes than to be able to see. This epithet is applied to God as the pure One, whose eyes cannot bear what is morally unclean, i.e., cannot look upon evil. The purity of God is not measured here by His seeing evil, but is described as exalted above it, and not coming at all into comparison with it. On the relation in which these words stand to Num 23:21, see the remarks on Hab 1:3. In the second clause the infinitive construction passes over into the finite verb, as is frequently the case; so that אשׁר must be supplied in thought: who canst not look upon, i.e., canst not tolerate, the distress which the wicked man prepares for others. Wherefore then lookest Thou upon treacherous ones, namely, the Chaldaeans? They are called בּוגדים, from their faithlessly deceptive and unscrupulously rapacious conduct, as in Isa 21:2; Isa 24:16. That the seeing is a quiet observance, without interposing to punish, is evident from the parallel תּחרישׁ: Thou art silent at the swallowing of the צדיק ממּנּוּ. The more righteous than he (the ungodly one) is not the nation of Israel as such, which, if not perfectly righteous, was relatively more righteous than the Chaldaeans. This rabbinical view is proved to be erroneous, by the fact that in Hab 1:2 and Hab 1:3 the prophet describes the moral depravity of Israel in the same words as those which he here applies to the conduct of the Chaldaeans. The persons intended are rather the godly portion of Israel, who have to share in the expiation of the sins of the ungodly, and suffer when they are punished (Delitzsch). This fact, that the righteous is swallowed along with the unrighteous, appears irreconcilable with the holiness of God, and suggests the inquiry, how God can possibly let this be done.

This strange fact is depicted still further in Hab 1:14-16 in figures taken from the life of a fisherman. The men are like fishes, whom the Chaldaean collects together in his net, and then pays divine honour to his net, by which he has been so enriched. ותּעשׂה is not dependent upon למּה, but continues the address in a simple picture, in which the imperfect with Vav convers. represents the act as the natural consequence of the silence of God: "and so Thou makest the men like fishes," etc. The point of comparison lies in the relative clause לא־משׁל בּו, "which has no ruler," which is indeed formally attached to כּרמשׂ alone, but in actual fact belongs to דּגי היּם also. "No ruler," to take the defenceless under his protection, and shelter and defend them against enemies. Then will Judah be taken prisoner and swallowed up by the Chaldaeans. God has given it helplessly up to the power of its foes, and has obviously ceased to be its king. Compare the similar lamentation in Isa 63:19 : "are even like those over whom Thou hast never ruled." רמשׂ, the creeping thing, the smaller animals which exist in great multitudes, and move with great swiftness, refers here to the smaller water animals, to which the word remes is also applied in Psa 104:25, and the verb râmas in Gen 1:21 and Lev 11:46. כּלּה, pointing back to the collective 'âdâm, is the object, and is written first for the sake of emphasis. The form העלה, instead of העלה, is analogous to the hophal העלה in Nah 2:8 and Jdg 6:28, and also to העברתּ in Jos 7:7 : to take up out of the water (see Ges. 63, Anm. 4). יגרהוּ from גרר, to pull, to draw together. Chakkâh is the hook, cherem the net generally, mikhmereth the large fishing-net (σαγήνη), the lower part of which, when sunk, touches the bottom, whilst the upper part floats on the top of the water. These figures are not to be interpreted with such specialty as that the net and fishing net answer to the sword and bow; but the hook, the net, and the fishing net, as the things used for catching fish, refer to all the means which the Chaldaeans employ in order to subdue and destroy the nations. Luther interprets it correctly. "These hooks, nets, and fishing nets," he says, "are nothing more than his great and powerful armies, by which he gained dominion over all lands and people, and brought home to Babylon the goods, jewels, silver, and gold, interest and rent of all the world." He rejoices over the success of his enterprises, over this capture of men, and sacrifices and burns incense to his net, i.e., he attributes to the means which he has employed the honour due to God. There is no allusion in these words to the custom of the Scythians and Sauromatians, who are said by Herodotus (iv. 59, 60) to have offered sacrifices every year to a sabre, which was set up as a symbol of Mars. What the Chaldaean made into his god, is expressed in Hab 1:11, namely, his own power. "He who boasts of a thing, and is glad and joyous on account of it, but does not thank the true God, makes himself into an idol, gives himself the glory, and does not rejoice in God, but in his own strength and work" (Luther). The Chaldaean sacrifices to his net, for thereby (בּהמּה, by net and yarn) his portion (chelqō) is fat, i.e., the portion of this booty which falls to him, and fat is his food ( בּראה is a neuter substantive). The meaning is, that he thereby attains to wealth and prosperity. In Hab 1:17 there is appended to this the question embracing the thought: Shall he therefore, because he rejoices over his rich booty, or offers sacrifice to his net, empty his net, sc. to throw it in afresh, and proceed continually to destroy nations in so unsparing a manner? In the last clause the figure passes over into a literal address. The place of the imperfect is now taken by a periphrastic construction with the infinitive: Shall he constantly be about to slay? On this construction, see Ges. 132, 3, Anm. 1, and Ewald, 237, c. לא יחמול is a subordinate clause appended in an adverbial sense: unsparingly, without sparing.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Thou art of purer eyes - Seeing thou art so pure, and canst not look on iniquity - it is so abominable - how canst thou bear with them who "deal treacherously, and hold thy tongue when the wicked devour the righteous?" All such questions are easily solved by a consideration of God's ineffable mercy, which leads him to suffer long and be kind. He has no pleasure in the death of a sinner.

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⁵¹ Neither hath Samaria [08111] committed [02398] half [02677] of thy sins [02403]; but thou hast multiplied [07235] thine abominations [08441] more than they [02007], and hast justified [06663] thy sisters [0269] in all thine abominations [08441] which thou hast done [06213].
⁵² Thou also, which hast judged [06419] thy sisters [0269], bear [05375] thine own shame [03639] for thy sins [02403] that thou hast committed more abominable [08581] than they [02004]: they are more righteous [06663] than thou: yea, be thou confounded [0954] also, and bear [05375] thy shame [03639], in that thou hast justified [06663] thy sisters [0269].

¹¹ And they say [0559], How doth God [0410] know [03045]? and is there [03426] knowledge [01844] in the most High [05945]?
¹² Behold, these are the ungodly [07563], who prosper [07961] in the world [05769]; they increase [07685] in riches [02428].
¹³ Verily I have cleansed [02135] my heart [03824] in vain [07385], and washed [07364] my hands [03709] in innocency [05356].
¹⁴ For all the day [03117] long have I been plagued [05060], and chastened [08433] every morning [01242].
¹⁵ If I say [0559], I will speak [05608] thus [03644]; behold, I should offend [0898] against the generation [01755] of thy children [01121].
¹⁶ When I thought [02803] to know [03045] this, it was too painful [05999] for me [05869];
¹⁷ Until I went [0935] into the sanctuary [04720] of God [0410]; then understood [0995] I their end [0319].

¹⁶ From the uttermost part [03671] of the earth [0776] have we heard [08085] songs [02158], even glory [06643] to the righteous [06662]. But I said [0559], My leanness [07334], my leanness [07334], woe [0188] unto me! the treacherous dealers [0898] have dealt treacherously [0898]; yea, the treacherous dealers [0898] have dealt very [0899] treacherously [0898].

² A grievous [07186] vision [02380] is declared [05046] unto me; the treacherous dealer [0898] dealeth treacherously [0898], and the spoiler [07703] spoileth [07703]. Go up [05927], O Elam [05867]: besiege [06696], O Media [04074]; all the sighing [0585] thereof have I made to cease [07673].

⁶ But [1161] ye [5210] have despised [818] the poor [4434]. Do [2616] not [3756] rich men [4145] oppress [2616] you [5216], and [2532] draw [846] [1670] you [5209] before [1519] the judgment seats [2922]?
⁷ Do [987] not [3756] they [846] blaspheme [987] that worthy [2570] name [3686] by [1909] the which ye [5209] are called [1941]?

¹⁰ And [2532] they cried [2896] with a loud [3173] voice [5456], saying [3004], How [2193] long [4219], O Lord [1203], holy [40] and [2532] true [228], dost thou [2919] not [3756] judge [2919] and [2532] avenge [1556] our [2257] blood [129] on [575] them that dwell [2730] on [1909] the earth [1093]?

¹¹ And should not I spare [02347] Nineveh [05210], that great [01419] city [05892], wherein are [03426] more [07235] than sixscore [08147] [06240] thousand [07239] persons [0120] that cannot discern [03045] between their right hand [03225] and their left hand [08040]; and also much [07227] cattle [0929]?

²³ And Abraham [085] drew near [05066], and said [0559], Wilt thou also destroy [05595] the righteous [06662] with [05973] the wicked [07563]?

¹¹ For the LORD [03068] hath redeemed [06299] Jacob [03290], and ransomed [01350] him from the hand [03027] of him that was stronger [02389] than he.

¹² But [1161] I say [3004] unto you [5213], that [3754] it shall be [2071] more tolerable [414] in [1722] that [1565] day [2250] for Sodom [4670], than [2228] for that [1565] city [4172].

¹¹ And [2532] whosoever [3745] [302] shall [1209] not [3361] receive [1209] you [5209], nor [3366] hear [191] you [5216], when ye depart [1607] thence [1564], shake off [1621] the dust [5522] under [5270] your [5216] feet [4228] for [1519] a testimony [3142] against them [846]. Verily [281] I say [3004] unto you [5213], It shall be [2071] more tolerable [414] for Sodom [4670] and [2228] Gomorrha [1116] in [1722] the day [2250] of judgment [2920], than [2228] for that [1565] city [4172].

²⁴ But [4133] I say [3004] unto you [5213], That [3754] it shall be [2071] more tolerable [414] for the land [1093] of Sodom [4670] in [1722] the day [2250] of judgment [2920], than [2228] for thee [4671].

¹⁵ Verily [281] I say [3004] unto you [5213], It shall be [2071] more tolerable [414] for the land [1093] of Sodom [4670] and [2532] Gomorrha [1116] in [1722] the day [2250] of judgment [2920], than [2228] for that [1565] city [4172].

² And enter [0935] not into judgment [04941] with thy servant [05650]: for in thy sight [06440] shall no man living [02416] be justified [06663].

¹² Behold, these are the ungodly [07563], who prosper [07961] in the world [05769]; they increase [07685] in riches [02428].

³² He looketh [05027] on the earth [0776], and it trembleth [07460]: he toucheth [05060] the hills [02022], and they smoke [06225].

¹⁷ Shall they therefore empty [07324] their net [02764], and not spare [02550] continually [08548] to slay [02026] the nations [01471]?

¹¹ Then shall his mind [07307] change [02498], and he shall pass over [05674], and offend [0816], imputing this [02098] his power [03581] unto his god [0433].

⁷ And Joshua [03091] said [0559], Alas, O [0162] Lord [0136] GOD [03069], wherefore hast thou at all [05674] brought [05674] this people [05971] over [05674] Jordan [03383], to deliver [05414] us into the hand [03027] of the Amorites [0567], to destroy [06] us? would to God [03863] we had been content [02974], and dwelt [03427] on the other side [05676] Jordan [03383]!

²⁸ And when the men [0582] of the city [05892] arose early [07925] in the morning [01242], behold, the altar [04196] of Baal [01168] was cast down [05422], and the grove [0842] was cut down [03772] that was by it, and the second [08145] bullock [06499] was offered [05927] upon the altar [04196] that was built [01129].

⁸ But Nineveh [05210] is of old [03117] like a pool [01295] of water [04325]: yet they shall flee away [05127]. Stand [05975], stand [05975], shall they cry; but none shall look back [06437].

⁴⁶ This is the law [08451] of the beasts [0929], and of the fowl [05775], and of every living [02416] creature [05315] that moveth [07430] in the waters [04325], and of every creature [05315] that creepeth [08317] upon the earth [0776]:

²¹ And God [0430] created [01254] great [01419] whales [08577], and every living [02416] creature [05315] that moveth [07430], which the waters [04325] brought forth abundantly [08317], after their kind [04327], and every winged [03671] fowl [05775] after his kind [04327]: and God [0430] saw [07200] that it was good [02896].

²⁵ So is this great [01419] and wide [07342] [03027] sea [03220], wherein are things creeping [07431] innumerable [04557], both small [06996] and great [01419] beasts [02416].

¹⁹ We are thine: thou never [05769] barest rule [04910] over them; they were not called [07121] by thy name [08034].

¹⁴ And makest [06213] men [0120] as the fishes [01709] of the sea [03220], as the creeping things [07431], that have no ruler [04910] over them?
¹⁵ They take up [05927] all of them with the angle [02443], they catch [01641] them in their net [02764], and gather [0622] them in their drag [04365]: therefore they rejoice [08055] and are glad [01523].
¹⁶ Therefore they sacrifice [02076] unto their net [02764], and burn incense [06999] unto their drag [04365]; because by them [01992] their portion [02506] is fat [08082], and their meat [03978] plenteous [01277].

³ Why dost thou shew [07200] me iniquity [0205], and cause me to behold [05027] grievance [05999]? for spoiling [07701] and violence [02555] are before me: and there are that raise up [05375] strife [07379] and contention [04066].

² O LORD [03068], how long shall I cry [07768], and thou wilt not hear [08085] ! even cry out [02199] unto thee of violence [02555], and thou wilt not save [03467] !

²¹ He hath not beheld [05027] iniquity [0205] in Jacob [03290], neither hath he seen [07200] perverseness [05999] in Israel [03478]: the LORD [03068] his God [0430] is with him, and the shout [08643] of a king [04428] is among them.

¹⁷ Shall they therefore empty [07324] their net [02764], and not spare [02550] continually [08548] to slay [02026] the nations [01471]?

¹⁶ Therefore they sacrifice [02076] unto their net [02764], and burn incense [06999] unto their drag [04365]; because by them [01992] their portion [02506] is fat [08082], and their meat [03978] plenteous [01277].

¹⁵ They take up [05927] all of them with the angle [02443], they catch [01641] them in their net [02764], and gather [0622] them in their drag [04365]: therefore they rejoice [08055] and are glad [01523].

¹⁴ And makest [06213] men [0120] as the fishes [01709] of the sea [03220], as the creeping things [07431], that have no ruler [04910] over them?

¹³ Thou art of purer [02889] eyes [05869] than to behold [07200] evil [07451], and canst [03201] not look [05027] on iniquity [05999]: wherefore lookest [05027] thou upon them that deal treacherously [0898], and holdest thy tongue [02790] when the wicked [07563] devoureth [01104] the man that is more righteous [06662] than he?
¹⁴ And makest [06213] men [0120] as the fishes [01709] of the sea [03220], as the creeping things [07431], that have no ruler [04910] over them?
¹⁵ They take up [05927] all of them with the angle [02443], they catch [01641] them in their net [02764], and gather [0622] them in their drag [04365]: therefore they rejoice [08055] and are glad [01523].
¹⁶ Therefore they sacrifice [02076] unto their net [02764], and burn incense [06999] unto their drag [04365]; because by them [01992] their portion [02506] is fat [08082], and their meat [03978] plenteous [01277].
¹⁷ Shall they therefore empty [07324] their net [02764], and not spare [02550] continually [08548] to slay [02026] the nations [01471]?