Habakkuk 2:10-20

10 You have planned disgrace for your household by cutting off many people and forfeiting your own life.

11 A stone in the wall will cry out. A beam in the roof will answer it.

12 "'How horrible it will be for the one who builds a city by slaughter and founds a town by crime.'

13 Isn't it from the LORD of Armies that people grow tired only to feed the flames and nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

14 But the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD's glory like the water covers the sea.

15 "'How horrible it will be for the one who makes his neighbor drink from the bowl of God's rage, making him drunk in order to stare at his nakedness.'

16 You are filled with disgrace rather than glory. Drink! Yes you! And expose yourself as godless. The cup in the LORD's right hand will come around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.

17 The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction done to the animals will terrify you because of the slaughter and violence done to lands, cities, and all their inhabitants.

18 "What benefit is there in a carved idol when its maker has carved it? What benefit is there in a molded statue, a teacher of lies, when its maker has molded it? The one who formed it trusts himself to make worthless idols that cannot speak.

19 'How horrible it will be for the one who says to a piece of wood, "Wake up!" and to a stone that cannot talk, "Get up!"' Can that thing teach [anyone]? Just look at it! It's covered with gold and silver, but there's absolutely no life in it."

20 The LORD is in his holy temple. All the earth should be silent in his presence.

Habakkuk 2:10-20 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.