Habakkuk 2:5
in Habakkuk 2and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself and collects all the peoples as his own.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man, that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples.
KJV
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:
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This verse in Habakkuk 2
Commentary
10 notes on this verse(Verse 5 and following) And just as wine deceives a drinker, so too will the proud man be, and he will not be adorned, who has expanded his soul like Sheol and is like death, and he will not be satisfied. And he will gather all nations to himself, and he will heap all peoples to himself. Will not all these take up a proverb against him and a taunting riddle about him, and say: Woe to him who multiplies what is not his own! How long will he heap up thick clay against himself?
This site's exposition
he transgresseth by wine
on Habakkuk 2:5-6
The tyrant's appetite is named plainly, transgresseth by wine... enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, gathering nations the way death gathers the dead. The nations he has swallowed answer back in a taunting proverb, woe to him that increaseth that which is not his and ladeth himself with thick clay, wealth built on plunder called out as a burden rather than a treasure. Gill and Pusey read the five woes that follow as the nations' own funeral song sung over Babylon in advance, poetic justice pronounced before the empire falls.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Since, therefore, the Lord thus threatens such shepherds through whom the sheep of the Lord are neglected and perish, what else ought we to do, dearly beloved brother, but to show full diligence in collecting and restoring the sheep of Christ and to apply the medicine of paternal piety to care for the wounds of the lapsed? The Lord also in the Gospel warns and says, "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but they who are sick." For although we shepherds are many, yet we feed one flock. All of the sheep whom Christ sought by his blood and passion we ought to embrace and to cherish, and not to allow our suppliant and grieving brothers to be cruelly despised and to be trodden under foot by the proud presumption of certain ones, since it is written, "The man, however, who is stiff-necked, boastful of himself, will accomplish nothing at all. His greed is as wide as Sheol."
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Drunkenness is itself a transgression, and is the cause of abundance of transgression. We read of those that err through wine, Isa. xxviii. Belshazzar (in whom particularly this prophecy had its accomplishment) was in the height of his transgression by wine when the hand-writing upon the wall signed the warrant for his immediate execution, pursuant to this sentence, Dan. v. 1 .
Wine - Hereby Belshazzar, his city and kingdom of Babylon fell a prey to Darius and Cyrus. At home - Is ever abroad warring upon some or other. Unto him - To his kingdom.
Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine,....
That not they only, but all other sinners like them, should perish under a divine woe. Those that are covetous, are greedy of wealth and honours,
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
This general rule the prophet goes on to apply in words which belong in part to all oppressors and in the first instance to the Chaldaean, in part yet more fully to the end and to antichrist. “Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine” (or better, “Yea, how much more, since wine is a deceiver , as Solomon says, Pro 20:1, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever erreth thereby shall not be wise;” and Pro 23:32, “In the end it biteth like a serpent and pierceth like an adder;” and Hosea Hos 4:11, “Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.” As wine at first gladdens, then deprives of all reason, and lays a man open to any deceit, so also pride.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
31:5). enlargeth his desire as hell--the grave, or the unseen world, which is "never full" (Pr 27:20; The Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar were filled with an insatiable desire of conquest.
Because he transgresseth by wine - From the present translation, it is not easy to see either reason or meaning in the first clause of this verse. Newcome translates, “Moreover, as a mighty man transgresseth through wine, he is proud, and remaineth not at rest.” Houbigant thus: “For he, though he be a despiser, and powerful, and proud, yet shall he not have rest.” Nebuchadnezzar is here represented in his usual character, proud, haughty, and ambitious; inebriated with his successes, and determined on more extensive conquests; and, like the grave, can never have enough: yet, after the subjugation of many peoples and nations, he shall be brought down, and become so despicable that he shall be a proverb of reproach, and be taunted and scorned by all those whom he had before enslaved. And cannot be satisfied - When he has obtained all that is within his reach, he wishes for more; and becomes miserable, because any limits are opposed to his insatiable ambition. It is said of Alexander: - Unus Pellaeo juveni non sufficit orbis; Aestuat infelix angusto limite mundi. Juv. Sat. 10:168. One world sufficed not Alexander’s mind; Coop’d up, he seem’d on earth and seas confined. And the poet justly ridicules him, because at last the sarcophagus was found too large for his body!
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַף֙ | veaf | and also | H637 → | |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הַיַּ֣יִן | haiyayin | <the> wine | H3196 → | |
| בּוֹגֵ֔ד | boged | [is] treacherous | H898 → | |
| גֶּ֥בֶר | gever | a man | H1397 → | |
| יָהִ֖יר | yahir | arrogant | H3093 → | |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and [who] not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִנְוֶ֑ה | yinveh | he stays at home | H5115 → | |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִרְחִ֨יב | hirchiv | he has made large | H7337 → | |
| כִּשְׁא֜וֹל | kishol | like Sheol | H7585 → | |
| נַפְשׁ֗וֹ | nafsho | throat his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| וְה֤וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ | khamavet | [is] like <the> death | H4194 → | |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִשְׂבָּ֔ע | yisba' | he is satisfied | H7646 → | |
| וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף | vaiyeesof | and he has gathered | H622 → | 200 times |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to himself | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֔ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| וַיִּקְבֹּ֥ץ | vaiyikbotz | and he has assembled | H6908 → | |
| אֵלָ֖יו | ʾelav | to himself | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעַמִּֽים׃ | haamim | the peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
וְאַף֙and also
veafH637 →
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הַיַּ֣יִן<the> wine
haiyayinH3196 →
בּוֹגֵ֔ד[is] treacherous
bogedH898 →
גֶּ֥בֶרa man
geverH1397 →
יָהִ֖ירarrogant
yahirH3093 →
וְלֹ֣אand [who] not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִנְוֶ֑הhe stays at home
yinvehH5115 →
אֲשֶׁר֩who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הִרְחִ֨יבhe has made large
hirchivH7337 →
כִּשְׁא֜וֹלlike Sheol
kisholH7585 →
נַפְשׁ֗וֹthroat his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
וְה֤וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
כַמָּ֙וֶת֙[is] like <the> death
khamavetH4194 →
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִשְׂבָּ֔עhe is satisfied
yisba'H7646 →
וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ףand he has gathered
vaiyeesofH622 →200 times
אֵלָיו֙to himself
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַגּוֹיִ֔םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
וַיִּקְבֹּ֥ץand he has assembled
vaiyikbotzH6908 →
אֵלָ֖יוto himself
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעַמִּֽים׃the peoples
haamimH5971 →1873 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 27:20Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 1:8
All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
- 1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
- Proverbs 30:15–16
The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
- Ecclesiastes 1:8
Through
Proverbs 20:1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
- Hosea 4:11
Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
- Isaiah 28:7
These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling…
- 1 Corinthians 6:10
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
- Proverbs 31:4
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,
- Ephesians 5:18
Where this verse is studied
About Habakkuk
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyprian, Epistle LXVI:4; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Habakkuk; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.