Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

HABAKKUK 1:5KJV
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Habakkuk 1:5 (KJV)

What does Habakkuk 1:5 mean?

Habakkuk 1:5 says that God is about to do something so unexpected and astonishing among the nations that people will not believe it, even if someone explains it to them. The verse calls the listeners to pay close attention and be amazed at what God is about to accomplish in their own time.

In this verse, God is speaking to the people of Judah through the prophet Habakkuk. The situation is one of confusion and distress, as Habakkuk has just questioned God about the violence and injustice he sees around him. God responds by saying He will act in a way that will surprise everyone, hinting at the coming rise of the Babylonians as a tool of judgment—something the people would never have expected.

The Hebrew behind Habakkuk 1:5

  • "Behold" (רָאָה, ra'ah) means to look or see, and here it is a strong call to pay attention, as if God is saying, "Open your eyes to what I am about to do."
  • "Heathen" (גּוֹי, goy) refers to the nations or peoples outside Israel. This word emphasizes that God's actions will be visible not just to Israel but to all the surrounding peoples.
  • "Wonder marvellously" (תָּמַהּ, tamah) is repeated for emphasis, meaning to be utterly astonished or amazed. The double use in Hebrew heightens the sense of shock and surprise at what God will do.
  • "Work" (פָּעַל, pa'al and מַעֲשֶׂה, ma'aseh) are both used here, one as a verb ("I will work") and one as a noun ("a work"). This repetition underlines that what God is about to do is both an action and a significant event, not just a routine occurrence.

Why Habakkuk 1:5 matters

  • Habakkuk 1:5 warns that God’s plans can be far beyond human expectation or understanding, even when explained directly.
  • The verse sets the stage for the rest of the book, showing that God’s response to injustice may come in surprising and even unsettling ways.
  • Understanding the original words helps clarify that the astonishment is not just surprise, but a deep, almost unbelievable shock at the scale and nature of God’s coming action.

Where else these words appear

“wonder” Hebrew H8539 · used in 8 verses

  • Genesis 43:33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.
  • Psalms 48:5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.
  • Isaiah 13:8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

“work” Hebrew H6467 · used in 38 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
  • Psalms 28:4 Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.
  • Proverbs 21:8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

“work” Hebrew H6466 · used in 55 verses

  • Exodus 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
  • Psalms 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
  • Psalms 119:3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

“regard” Hebrew H5027 · used in 67 verses

  • Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
  • Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
  • Isaiah 22:11 Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.