Habakkuk 2:18 - Exposition

The final woe is introduced by an ironical question. The Chaldeans trusted in their gods, and attributed all their success to the divine protection; the prophet asks—What good is this trust? What profiteth the graven image? (comp. Isaiah 44:9 , Isaiah 44:10 ; Jeremiah 2:11 ). What is the good of all the skill and care that the artist has lavished on the idol? (For "graven" or "molten," see note on Nahum 1:14 .) And a ( even the ) teacher of lies. The idol is so termed because it calls itself God and encourages its worshippers in lying delusions, in entire contrast to Jehovah who is Truth. From some variation in reading the LXX . gives, φαντασίαν ψευδῆ , and Jerome, "imaginem falsam" (comp. Jeremiah 10:14 ). Trusteth therein. The prophet derides the folly which supposes that the idol has powers denied to the man who made it ( Isaiah 29:16 ). Dumb idols; literally, dumb nothings. So 1 Corinthians 12:2 , εἴδωλα τὰ ἄφωνα . There is a paronomasia in the Hebrew, elilim illemim.