Habakkuk 2:15-20

15 1"Woe to him 2who makes his neighbors drink-- you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze 3at their nakedness!
16 You will have your fill 4of shame instead of glory. 5Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! 6The cup in the LORD's right hand will come around to you, and 7utter shame will come upon your glory!
17 8The violence 9done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them, 10for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them.
18 11"What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, 12a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes 13speechless idols!
19 14Woe to him 15who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and 16there is no breath at all in it.
20 But 17the LORD is in his holy temple; 18let all the earth keep silence before him."

Habakkuk 2:15-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HABAKKUK 2

This chapter contains an answer from the Lord to the expostulations, pleadings, and reasonings of the prophet, in the name of the people. The preparation of the prophet to receive this answer is described, Hab 2:1 then follows the answer itself, in which he is bid to write and make plain the vision he had, that it might be easily read, Hab 2:2 and a promise is made, that vision should still be continued to the appointed time, at which time the Messiah would come; and this the righteous man, in opposition to the vain and proud man, is encouraged to live in the faith of, Hab 2:3,4 and then the destruction of the enemies of the people of God is threatened for their pride, ambition, covetousness, oppression, and murder, Hab 2:5-12 which would be unavoidable, Hab 2:13 and issue in the spread of the knowledge of the glory of God in the world, Hab 2:14 and also the ruin of other enemies is threatened, for drawing men into apostasy, and for their violence and idolatry, Hab 2:15-19 upon which would follow an universal silence in the earth, Hab 2:20.

Cross References 18

  • 1. [See ver. 6 above]
  • 2. [ver. 5; Jeremiah 51:7]
  • 3. Lamentations 4:21; [Genesis 9:22]
  • 4. Nahum 3:5
  • 5. Jeremiah 25:15, 26
  • 6. Jeremiah 25:15, 26
  • 7. [Nahum 3:6]
  • 8. ver. 8
  • 9. [Isaiah 14:8; Jeremiah 22:23]
  • 10. ver. 8
  • 11. Isaiah 44:10
  • 12. Jeremiah 10:8, 14; Zechariah 10:2
  • 13. Psalms 115:5; 1 Corinthians 12:2
  • 14. ver. 6, 9, 12, 15
  • 15. See 1 Kings 18:26, 27
  • 16. Psalms 135:17; Jeremiah 10:14
  • 17. Psalms 11:4; Micah 1:2
  • 18. [Zephaniah 1:7; Zechariah 2:13]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.