Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk Waits for God's Response

1 I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what He will say to me and what I should^[a] reply about my complaint.

God's Second Answer

2 The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it.^[b]

3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.

4 Look, his ego is inflated;^[c] he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.^[d][e]

5 Moreover, wine^[f] betrays; an arrogant man is never at rest.^[g] He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death he is never satisfied.^[h] He gathers all the nations to himself; he collects all the peoples for himself.

The 5 Woe Oracles

6 Won't all of these take up a taunt against him, with mockery and riddles about him? They will say: Woe to him who amasses what is not his- how much longer?- and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.^[i]

7 Won't your creditors suddenly arise, and those who disturb you wake up? Then you will become spoil for them.^[j]

8 Since you have plundered many nations, all the peoples who remain will plunder you- because of human bloodshed and violence against lands, cities, and all who live in them.

9 Woe to him who unjustly gains wealth for his house^[k] to place his nest on high, to escape from the reach of disaster!

10 You have planned shame for your house by wiping out many peoples and sinning against your own self.

11 For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will answer them from the woodwork.

12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice!^[l]

13 Is it not from the Lord of Hosts, that the peoples labor [only] to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?^[m]

14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord's glory, as the waters cover the sea.^[n]

15 Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath^[o] and even making them drunk, in order to look at their nakedness!

16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory. You also-drink, and expose your uncircumcision!^[p] The cup in the Lord's right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory.^[q]

17 For [your] violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you; the destruction of animals will terrify you,^[r] because of [your] human bloodshed and violence against lands, cities, and all who live in them.

18 What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? It is [only] a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes idols that cannot speak.

19 Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to mute stone: Come alive! Can it teach? Look! It may be plated with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.

20 But the Lord is in His holy temple; let everyone on earth be silent in His presence.^[s]

Habakkuk 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

Habakkuk must wait in faith. (1-4) Judgments upon the Chaldeans. (5-14) Also upon drunkenness and idolatry. (15-20)

Verses 1-4 When tossed and perplexed with doubts about the methods of Providence, we must watch against temptations to be impatient. When we have poured out complaints and requests before God, we must observe the answers God gives by his word, his Spirit, and providences; what the Lord will say to our case. God will not disappoint the believing expectations of those who wait to hear what he will say unto them. All are concerned in the truths of God's word. Though the promised favour be deferred long, it will come at last, and abundantly recompense us for waiting. The humble, broken-hearted, repenting sinner, alone seeks to obtain an interest in this salvation. He will rest his soul on the promise, and on Christ, in and through whom it is given. Thus he walks and works, as well as lives by faith, perseveres to the end, and is exalted to glory; while those who distrust or despise God's all-sufficiency will not walk uprightly with him. The just shall live by faith in these precious promises, while the performance of them is deferred. Only those made just by faith, shall live, shall be happy here and for ever.

Verses 5-14 The prophet reads the doom of all proud and oppressive powers that bear hard upon God's people. The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, are the entangling snares of men; and we find him that led Israel captive, himself led captive by each of these. No more of what we have is to be reckoned ours, than what we come honestly by. Riches are but clay, thick clay; what are gold and silver but white and yellow earth? Those who travel through thick clay, are hindered and dirtied in their journey; so are those who go through the world in the midst of abundance of wealth. And what fools are those that burden themselves with continual care about it; with a great deal of guilt in getting, saving, and spending it, and with a heavy account which they must give another day! They overload themselves with this thick clay, and so sink themselves down into destruction and perdition. See what will be the end hereof; what is gotten by violence from others, others shall take away by violence. Covetousness brings disquiet and uneasiness into a family; he that is greedy of gain troubles his own house; what is worse, it brings the curse of God upon all the affairs of it. There is a lawful gain, which, by the blessing of God, may be a comfort to a house; but what is got by fraud and injustice, will bring poverty and ruin upon a family. Yet that is not the worst; Thou hast sinned against thine own soul, hast endangered it. Those who wrong their neighbours, do much greater wrong to their own souls. If the sinner thinks he has managed his frauds and violence with art and contrivance, the riches and possessions he heaped together will witness against him. There are not greater drudges in the world than those who are slaves to mere wordly pursuits. And what comes of it? They find themselves disappointed of it, and disappointed in it; they will own it is worse than vanity, it is vexation of spirit. By staining and sinking earthly glory, God manifests and magnifies his own glory, and fills the earth with the knowledge of it, as plentifully as waters cover the sea, which are deep, and spread far and wide.

Verses 15-20 A severe woe is pronounced against drunkenness; it is very fearful against all who are guilty of drunkenness at any time, and in any place, from the stately palace to the paltry ale-house. To give one drink who is in want, who is thirsty and poor, or a weary traveller, or ready to perish, is charity; but to give a neighbour drink, that he may expose himself, may disclose secret concerns, or be drawn into a bad bargain, or for any such purpose, this is wickedness. To be guilty of this sin, to take pleasure in it, is to do what we can towards the murder both of soul and body. There is woe to him, and punishment answering to the sin. The folly of worshipping idols is exposed. The Lord is in his holy temple in heaven, where we have access to him in the way he has appointed. May we welcome his salvation, and worship him in his earthly temples, through Christ Jesus, and by the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes

• [a]. Syr reads what He will
• [b]. Lit one who reads in it may run
• [c]. Hb obscure
• [d]. Or faithfulness
• [e]. Rm 1:17; Gl 3:11; Heb 10:37-38
• [f]. DSS read wealth
• [g]. Or man does not endure; Hb obscure
• [h]. Pr 27:20; 30:15-16; Isa 5:14
• [i]. Dt 24:10-13
• [j]. 2 Kg 21:14; Isa 42:22,24
• [k]. Or dynasty
• [l]. Ezk 22:2-3; Mc 3:10
• [m]. Jr 51:58
• [n]. Ps 72:19; Isa 6:3; 11:9
• [o]. Or venom
• [p]. DSS, LXX, Aq, Syr, Vg read and stagger
• [q]. Rv 14:8-10
• [r]. DSS, LXX, Aq, Syr, Tg, Vg; MT reads them
• [s]. Zph 1:7; Zch 2:13

Chapter Summary

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.