The Meaning of Habakkuk 3:17 Explained

Habakkuk 3:17

KJV: Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

YLT: Though the fig-tree doth not flourish, And there is no produce among vines, Failed hath the work of the olive, And fields have not yielded food, Cut off from the fold hath been the flock, And there is no herd in the stalls.

Darby: For though the fig-tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labour of the olive-tree shall fail, And the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls:

ASV: For though the fig-tree shall not flourish, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labor of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Although the fig tree  shall not blossom,  neither [shall] fruit  [be] in the vines;  the labour  of the olive  shall fail,  and the fields  shall yield  no meat;  the flock  shall be cut off  from the fold,  and [there shall be] no herd  in the stalls: 

What does Habakkuk 3:17 Mean?

Study Notes

Although
i.e. despite the afflictions of Israel in dispersion, the prophet will rejoice because of the Lord, as yet to return to His temple.

Context Summary

Habakkuk 3:1-19 - The Faith That Is Invincible
This psalm was intended to be sung by the captives during the Exile, which was near. In Habakkuk 3:3-15 there is a recital of the great events in the past. First Sinai, then the victories and deliverances of the book of Judges, the passage of the Red Sea and Jordan, the divine vengeance on the oppressors. But the prophet could not contemplate the future of the Chosen People without dismay. He longed to be at rest before those terrible Chaldean hosts burst upon the land. At the close he breaks into a sublime refrain which has been the solace and song of myriads of believers. If all God's gifts failed he would still possess the Giver. He could still triumph in God. Indeed, the divine Savior and Friend is often more apparent when the fields and the farmsteads are bare [source]

Chapter Summary: Habakkuk 3

1  Habakkuk, in his prayer, trembles at God's majesty
17  The confidence of his faith

What do the individual words in Habakkuk 3:17 mean?

Though the fig tree not may blossom and no fruit be on the vines Though may fail the labor of the olive and the fields no yield food Though may be cut off from the fold the flock and there be no herd in the stalls
כִּֽי־ תְאֵנָ֣ה לֹֽא־ תִפְרָ֗ח וְאֵ֤ין יְבוּל֙ בַּגְּפָנִ֔ים כִּחֵשׁ֙ מַעֲשֵׂה־ זַ֔יִת וּשְׁדֵמ֖וֹת לֹא־ עָ֣שָׂה אֹ֑כֶל גָּזַ֤ר מִמִּכְלָה֙ צֹ֔אן וְאֵ֥ין בָּקָ֖ר בָּרְפָתִֽים

כִּֽי־  Though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
תְאֵנָ֣ה  the  fig  tree 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּאֵנָה  
Sense: fig, fig tree.
תִפְרָ֗ח  may  blossom 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּרַח 
Sense: to bud, sprout, shoot, bloom.
וְאֵ֤ין  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
יְבוּל֙  fruit  be 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְבוּל  
Sense: produce, fruit, produce (of the soil).
בַּגְּפָנִ֔ים  on  the  vines 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common plural
Root: גֶּפֶן  
Sense: vine, vine tree.
כִּחֵשׁ֙  Though  may  fail 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּחַשׁ  
Sense: to deceive, lie, fail, grow lean, be disappointing, be untrue, be insufficient, be found liars, belie, deny, dissemble, deal falsely.
מַעֲשֵׂה־  the  labor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
זַ֔יִת  of  the  olive 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זַיִת  
Sense: olive, olive tree.
וּשְׁדֵמ֖וֹת  and  the  fields 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: שְׁדֵמָה  
Sense: field.
לֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָ֣שָׂה  yield 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֹ֑כֶל  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹכֶל  
Sense: food.
גָּזַ֤ר  Though  may  be  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּזַר 
Sense: to cut, divide, cut down, cut off, cut in two, snatch, decree.
מִמִּכְלָה֙  from  the  fold 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִכְלָא  
Sense: fold, enclosure.
צֹ֔אן  the  flock 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וְאֵ֥ין  and  there  be  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
בָּקָ֖ר  herd 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
בָּרְפָתִֽים  in  the  stalls 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: רֶפֶת  
Sense: stable, stall.