Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Then he sweeps by like the wind, and goes on. He is indeed guilty, whose strength is his god.”
- KJV Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
- NKJV Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.”
- NASB “Then they fly along like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god.”
- NLT They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Babylon sweeps on like the wind but is declared guilty because it makes its own strength its god. This is the moral turning point: the instrument of judgment is itself condemned for idolatrous self-reliance.
Overview
After cataloging Babylon's might, God pronounces it guilty, pinpointing the root sin of trusting its own power as if it were divine. Strength worshiped in place of God becomes idolatry deserving judgment. This verse signals that God's use of Babylon does not excuse Babylon, preparing for chapter 2 where the proud are condemned and the righteous live by faith, the contrast fulfilled in Christ who alone is worthy of trust.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Dan 5:20But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.
- Jer 4:11–12At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A searing wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward the daughter of My people, but not to winnow or to sift;
- Dan 4:30–34the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
- Dan 5:3–4Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
'The righteous shall live by his faith' (2:4) becomes a cornerstone of the gospel in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews — the faith that lays hold of Christ.
How Habakkuk 1:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.