Habakkuk 2:9-19

9 Woe to him that gathereth evil covetousness to his house, that his nest be on high, and guesseth him for to be delivered (out) of the hand of evil. (Woe to you who gathereth evil gain, or filthy lucre, unto your house, so that your nest would be on high, and thinketh yourself to be delivered, or saved, from the hand of evil.)
10 Thou thoughtest confusion to thine house; thou hast slain many peoples, and thy soul sinned. (Thou hast brought shame to thy house; thou hast killed many people, yea, thy soul hath sinned.)
11 For the stone of the wall shall cry, and a tree that is betwixt jointures of buildings shall answer. (And so the stones in the walls shall cry out, and a beam of the timbers that is between the joinings of the building shall answer them.)
12 Woe to him that buildeth a city in bloods, and maketh ready a city in wickedness. (Woe to you who buildeth a city with bloodshed, or with murder, and who maketh ready a city with wickedness.)
13 Whether not these things be of the Lord of hosts? For peoples shall travail in much fire, and folks in vain, and they shall fail. (Be not all these things from the Lord of hosts? For peoples and nations shall labour, or shall struggle, amid much fire, or much adversity, and all for nothing, for they all shall fail.)
14 For the earth shall be filled, that it know the glory of the Lord, as waters covering the sea. (For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, like the waters covering, or filling, the sea.)
15 Woe to him that giveth drink to his friend, and sendeth his gall, and maketh drunken, that he behold his nakedness. (Woe to you who sendeth your gall, or your anger, onto your friend, as if giving him drink, and maketh him drunk, so that you can behold his shame, or his nakedness.)
16 He is filled with evil fame for glory; and thou drink, and be aslept; the cup of the right half of the Lord shall compass thee, and casting up, either spewing, of evil fame (shall be) [up]on thy glory. (Thou shalt be filled with shame and not with glory; yea, thou shalt drink, and then be asleep; the cup of the right hand of the Lord shall be given to thee, and then thy shame shall exceed thy glory.)
17 For the wickedness of Lebanon shall cover thee, and [the] destruction of beasts shall make them afeared, of bloods of man, and of wickedness of [the] land, and of the city, and of all men dwelling therein. (For the wickedness done to Lebanon shall now be done to thee, and the destruction of its beasts shall now make thee afraid, because of the bloodshed, or the murder, of the people, and the wickedness done in the land, to the city, and to all the people who live there.)
18 What profiteth the graven image, for his maker graved it, a welled thing together, and [a] false image? for the maker thereof hoped in [the] making, that he made dumb simulacra. (What is the profit, or the benefit, of an engraved figure? for its maker engraved it, a thing welded together, yet it is but a false, or a empty, and useless, image; even though its maker hoped in the making of it, he hath made only dumb idols.)
19 Woe to him that saith to a tree, Wake thou; (and,) Rise thou, to a stone being still; whether he shall be able to teach? Lo! this (thing) is covered with gold and silver, and no spirit is in his entrails. (Woe to you who saith to a piece of wood, Wake up thou! and, Rise thou! to a stone being still; shall it be able to teach you anything? Lo! this thing is covered with gold and silver, but there is no breath in its innards.)

Habakkuk 2:9-19 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.