Habakkuk 2:4-14

4 Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him: but the just shall live by his faith.

5 And moreover, the wine is treacherous: he is a proud man, and keepeth not at rest, he enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is like death and cannot be satisfied; and he assembleth unto him all nations, and gathereth unto him all peoples.

6 Shall not all these take up a proverb about him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? -- and to him that loadeth himself with pledges!

7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and they awake up that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

8 Because thou hast plundered many nations, all the rest of the peoples shall plunder thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence [done] to the land, to the city, and all that dwell therein.

9 Woe to him that getteth iniquitous gain to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the grasp of evil!

10 Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thine own soul.

11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by unrighteousness!

13 Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?

14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:4-14 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Geber. Job 3.3.
• [b]. Or 'appetite;' lit. 'soul:' see Isa. 5.14.
• [c]. There is a play on the word, which may also mean 'thick clay.' So in ver. 7 'bite' may mean 'exact usury of:' cf. Jer. 8.17; Ezek. 22.12.
• [d]. Or 'endangered.'
• [e]. Leummim, Ps. 2.1.
• [f]. Or 'to no purpose:' see Jer. 51.58; Isa. 30.7.