חבקוק, פרק ב׳, פסוק י״א

Inanimate building materials suddenly awaken to serve as witnesses in a public trial. They testify against their builder, exposing the violence, robbery, and destruction of other cities that made the construction of Babylon possible. The primary approach among commentators is that this imagery is a vivid metaphor. The injustice is so glaringly obvious that the structure itself cannot remain silent. Every stone within the wall cries out, declaring that it was stolen. In response, the wooden materials answer the stones, joining the protest to confirm that they, too, were taken by force. Together, the stone and wood unite in an outcry against the builder [רש"י, מצודת דוד, רד"ק, שטיינזלץ].

The specific wooden elements are generally understood to be beams or pieces of timber used to build the ceiling and roof [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת ציון, מלבי"ם], though another perspective suggests they are the hard knots found inside the wooden beams [אבן עזרא].

Beyond this poetic picture, the dialogue between the materials represents a chronological timeline of the construction. The stone symbolizes the very beginning of the building process and the laying of the foundations. This early stage is defined by active wars and open bloodshed. Later, the wood used for the roof represents the final stages of construction. By the time the roof is placed, the obvious violence and killing may have ended, but the entire system and structure are already firmly rooted in robbery, exploitation, and injustice [מלבי"ם].