Habakkuk 2 King James Version (KJV)
2 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:
6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!
7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?
8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy 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 stablisheth a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the Lord‘s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.
17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
Commentary
2:6-20 BABYLON’S SINS
The prophet now announces judgment on evildoers, listing five sins that God must punish. He introduces each condemnation with the words, ‘Woe to him who . . .’ (GNB: ‘You are doomed!’). The evildoer here is probably Babylon, but the condemnation has an application also to the Judeans. In fact, it applies to people of any age and race.
The lust for power and wealth (2:6-11)
To illustrate Babylon’s lust for power, the prophet refers to the practice of money-lending, which was the cause of much injustice and hardship in society. Babylon is like a merciless money-lender who, by charging high interest that the debtor cannot repay, gets as many people into his power as possible. But these enslaved people will suddenly arise and overthrow their wicked master. They will do to him what he previously did to them (6-8).
Babylon has made itself wealthy and secure by treating other nations shamefully. It is like a bird that builds its nest high in a tree away from trouble, where it can live in ease and comfort. But Babylon’s luxury will be a witness against it in the day of judgment, and so ensure for it a fitting punishment (9-11).
Destruction, cruelty and idolatry (2:12-20)
In its ruthless conquests Babylon destroyed cities and nations, often with the sole aim of enriching itself. It seized the wealth and manpower of these nations and used them to make its own national capital magnificent. It does not realize that God alone is ruler of the world, and the great city that Babylon has built will one day be burnt to the ground (12-14).
God used Babylon to punish other nations, a judgment that the prophet likens to a cup of strong drink that is given to a person to make him drunk. But the Babylonians went beyond the limits that God set.
They cruelly butchered people and took delight in mocking their victims. God will therefore punish the Babylonians and they will be the ones to drink God’s cup of punishment. They will be drunk and others will mock them. They will become the victims of violence, and their land, flocks, cities and people will be destroyed (15-17).
Finally, the idolatry of the Babylonians is condemned. They thought their idols gave them victory, but such lifeless creations are powerless. They can do nothing but deceive those who trust in them. The living God will show that he alone is the controller of the world (18-20).