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Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

Habakkuk 1:14

And thou wilt make men as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things that have no ruler.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Wicked (People);   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fishes;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Habakkuk;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Net;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Creeping Things;   Dragnet;   Fish, Fishing;   Habakkuk;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fish;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Habakkuk;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You have made mankindlike the fish of the sea,like marine creatures that have no ruler.
Hebrew Names Version
and make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
King James Version (1611)
And makest men as the fishes of the Sea, as the creeping things, that haue no ruler ouer them.
King James Version
And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
English Standard Version
You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.
New American Standard Bible
Why have You made people like the fish of the sea, Like crawling things that have no ruler over them?
New Century Version
You treat people like fish in the sea, like sea animals without a leader.
Amplified Bible
Why do You make men like the fish of the sea, Like reptiles and creeping things that have no ruler [and are helpless against their enemies]?
Geneva Bible (1587)
And makest men as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things, that haue no ruler ouer them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them?
Legacy Standard Bible
And You have made men like the fish of the sea,Like creeping things without a ruler over them.
Berean Standard Bible
You have made men like the fish of the sea, like sea creatures with no ruler.
Contemporary English Version
The people you put on this earth are like fish or reptiles without a leader.
Complete Jewish Bible
You make people like fish in the sea, like reptiles that have no ruler.
Darby Translation
And thou makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them.
Easy-to-Read Version
You made people like fish in the sea. They are like little sea animals without a leader.
George Lamsa Translation
And thou didst make men as the fish of the sea, as the creeping things that have no ruler over them.
Good News Translation
How can you treat people like fish or like a swarm of insects that have no ruler to direct them?
Lexham English Bible
You make humankind like fish of the sea, like crawling creatures that have no ruler among them.
Literal Translation
For You make man like the fish of the sea, like creeping things with no ruler over him.
American Standard Version
and makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
Bible in Basic English
He has made men like the fishes of the sea, like the worms which have no ruler over them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And makest men as the fishe of the sea, and as the creeping thinges that haue no ruler ouer them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And wilt thou make men as the fishes of the sea, and as the reptiles which have no guide?
English Revised Version
and makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
World English Bible
and make men like the fish of the sea, like the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thou schalt make men as fischis of the see, and as a crepynge thing not hauynge prince.
Update Bible Version
and make man as the fish of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
Webster's Bible Translation
And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping animals [that have] no ruler over them?
New English Translation
You made people like fish in the sea, like animals in the sea that have no ruler.
New King James Version
Why do You make men like fish of the sea, Like creeping things that have no ruler over them?
New Living Translation
Are we only fish to be caught and killed? Are we only sea creatures that have no leader?
New Life Bible
Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, like things which move along the ground that have no ruler?
New Revised Standard
You have made people like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So wouldst thou have made Men, like the fishes of the sea, - like the creeping thing that hath no ruler over it:
Revised Standard Version
For thou makest men like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.
Young's Literal Translation
And Thou makest man as fishes of the sea, As a creeping thing -- none ruling over him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou makest men as the fish in the see, and like as the crepinge beestes, that haue no gyde.
THE MESSAGE
You're treating men and women as so many fish in the ocean, Swimming without direction, swimming but not getting anywhere. Then this evil Babylonian arrives and goes fishing. He pulls in a good catch. He catches his limit and fills his creel— a good day of fishing! He's happy! He praises his rod and reel, piles his fishing gear on an altar and worships it! It's made his day, and he's going to eat well tonight!

Contextual Overview

12 Wast thou not from the beginning, O Lord my God, my holy one, and we shall not die? Lord, thou hast appointed him for judgment: and made him strong for correction. 13 Thy eyes are too pure to behold evil, and thou canst not look on iniquity. Why lookest thou upon them that do unjust things, and holdest thy peace when the wicked devoureth the man that is more just than himself? 14 And thou wilt make men as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things that have no ruler. 15 He lifted up all them with his hook, he drew them in his drag, and gathered them into his net: for this he will be glad and rejoice. 16 Therefore will he offer victims to his drag, and he will sacrifice to his net: because through them his portion is made fat, and his meat dainty. 17 For this cause therefore he spreadeth his net, and will not spare continually to slay the nations.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

creeping: or, moving

no: Proverbs 6:7

Reciprocal: Job 9:24 - earth Ecclesiastes 9:12 - as the fishes Isaiah 59:15 - he that Jeremiah 5:26 - lay wait Jeremiah 16:16 - I will send Ezekiel 29:4 - the fish Ezekiel 32:3 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created heaven, and earth.
Genesis 1:2
And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters.
Genesis 1:3
And God said: Be light made. And light was made.
Genesis 1:4
And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:6
And God said: Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters.
Genesis 1:7
And god made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so.
Genesis 1:8
And God called the firmament, Heaven; and the evening and morning were the second day.
Genesis 1:9
God also said; Let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear. And it was so done.
Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth the green herb, and such as yieldeth seed according to its kind, and the tree that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:14
And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And makest men as the fishes of the sea,.... That is, sufferest them to be used as the fishes of the sea, which are easily taken in the net, and are common to everyone; whosoever will may take them up, and kill them, and use them for their food; and which also among themselves are often hardly used, the lesser being devoured by the greater; and in like manner the prophet suggests, that the people of the Jews, who were men made after the image of God, and made for society and usefulness, and moreover were God's covenant people; and it might have been expected, that a more special providence would have attended them, more than other men, and especially than what attended the fishes of the sea; yet it looked as if there were no more care taken of them than of these:

as the creeping things [that have] no ruler over them; not the creeping things of the earth, but of the water, the lesser sort of fishes that move in the water; or those that more properly creep, as crabs, prawns, and shrimps; see Psalms 104:25 who have none to protect and defend them, and restrain others from taking and hurting them: this may seem contrary to what Aristotle d and Pliny e say of some fishes, that they go in company, and have a leader or governor; but, as Bochart f observes, it is one thing to be a leader of the way, a guide and director, which way to steer their course in swimming; and another thing to be as the general of an army, to protect and defend, or under whose directions they might defend themselves; such an one the prophet denies they had: and so, the prophet complains, this was the case of the Jews; they were exposed to the cruelty of their enemies, as if there was no God that governed in the world, and no providence to direct and order things for the preservation of men, and to keep good men from being hurt by evil men; or those that were weak and feeble from being oppressed by the powerful and mighty; this he reasons with the Lord about, and was desirous of an answer to it.

d Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 13. e Nat. Hist. l. 9. c. 15. f Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 1. c. 6. col. 39.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And makest men as the fishes of the sea - mute, helpless, in a stormy, restless element, no cry heard, but themselves swept away in shoals, with no power to resist.

As the creeping things - whether of the land (as it is mostly used), or the sea Psalms 104:25. Either way, it is a contemptuous name for the lowest of either.

That have no ruler over them - none to guide, order, protect them, and so a picture of man deprived of the care and providence of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Habakkuk 1:14. Makest men as the fishes of the sea — Easily are we taken and destroyed. We have no leader to guide us, and no power to defend ourselves. Nebuchadnezzar is here represented as a fisherman, who is constantly casting his nets into the sea, and enclosing multitudes of fishes; and, being always successful, he sacrifices to his own net-attributes all his conquests to his own power and prudence; not considering that he is only like a net that after having been used for a while, shall at last be thrown by as useless, or burnt in the fire.


 
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