# Habakkuk 2.3-4

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-08-18 | updated: 2026-08-18 -->

**Book:** [Habakkuk](/codex/habakkuk/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 1. I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will speak with me, and what I shall answer concerning my complaint. 2. And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it.
>
> **3. For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay. 4. Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith.**
>
> 5. Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man, that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples. 6. Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and that ladeth himself with pledges! (Habakkuk 2:1-6, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 1. I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. 2. Yahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.
>
> **3. For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come. It won’t delay. 4. Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith.**
>
> 5. Yes, moreover, wine is treacherous. A haughty man who doesn’t stay at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol, and he is like death, and can’t be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations, and heaps to himself all peoples. 6. Won’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?’ (Habakkuk 2:1-6, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 1. I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. <sup>tower: Heb. fenced place</sup> <sup>unto me: or, in me</sup> <sup>when: or, when I am argued with: Heb. upon my reproof, or, arguing</sup> 2. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
>
> **3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 4. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.**
>
> 5. Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: <sup>Yea: or, How much more</sup> 6. Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! <sup>Woe: or, Ho, he</sup> (Habakkuk 2:1-6, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 1. On my charge I stand, and I station myself on a bulwark, and I watch to see what He doth speak against me, and what I do reply to my reproof. 2. And Jehovah answereth me and saith: 'Write a vision, and explain on the tables, That he may run who is reading it.
>
> **3. For yet the vision [is] for a season, And it breatheth for the end, and doth not lie, If it tarry, wait for it, For surely it cometh, it is not late. 4. Lo, a presumptuous one! Not upright is his soul within him, And the righteous by his stedfastness liveth.**
>
> 5. And also, because the wine [is] treacherous, A man is haughty, and remaineth not at home, Who hath enlarged as sheol his soul, And is as death that is not satisfied, And doth gather unto itself all the nations, And doth assemble unto itself all the peoples, 6. Do not these, all of them, against him a simile taken up, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Woe [to] him who is multiplying [what is] not his? Till when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges? (Habakkuk 2:1-6, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- [H0530 - emunah](/codex/h0530-emunah/), *emunah*, Strong's H0530
- [H5315 - nephesh](/codex/h5315-nephesh/), *nephesh*, Strong's H5315

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Cursed Messiah Objection Defeater](/codex/cursed-messiah-objection-defeater/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)
- [Faith is Belief Without Evidence Objection Defeater](/codex/faith-is-belief-without-evidence-objection-defeater/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)

**Concepts:**

- [Justification by Faith](/codex/justification-by-faith/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G1342 - dikaios](/codex/g1342-dikaios/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)
- [G4102 - pistis](/codex/g4102-pistis/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)
- [H0530 - emunah](/codex/h0530-emunah/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)
- [H0539 - aman](/codex/h0539-aman/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)
- [H4191 - mut](/codex/h4191-mut/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)
- [H6664 - tzedeq](/codex/h6664-tzedeq/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)
- [H6666 - tzedakah](/codex/h6666-tzedakah/), via [Habakkuk 2.4](/codex/habakkuk-2-4/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.