Bible Dictionary
GRIEVANCE
Grievance is an old translation for perverseness, misery, or wrong suffered. In Habakkuk it describes the evil and distress that the prophet was forced to see.
Definition
Grievance is an older translation associated with perverseness, misery, sorrow, or wrong suffered. The underlying idea includes toil and labor with misery as the consequence.
Biblical Usage
In Habakkuk 1:3, grievance describes the evil and distress the prophet is made to behold. The same Hebrew term is elsewhere translated perverseness, iniquity, grievousness, or travail.
Historical Background
The Revised Version generally uses perverseness where the King James Version has grievance or grievousness.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>grev'-ans (`amal): Occurs only in the King James Version as a translation of Hab 1:3, "Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?" (the Revised Version (British and American) "look upon perverseness"); `amal is also translated "perverseness" by the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) in Nu 23:21, "perverseness in Israel"; Isa 10:1, the King James Version "grievousness," the Revised Version (British and American) "perverseness." In Hab 1:13, the King James Version translates the same word "iniquity" (margin "grievance"), "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity" (margin "grievance"), the Revised Version (British and American) "perverseness." The word means originally "toil," "labor" with sorrow, misery, etc., as the consequence, and is often so translated. It is the word in Isa 53:11, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied."</p><p>W. L. Walker</p>