English Standard Version
Habakkuk 2:5
5"Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples."
Habakkuk 2:5 in other versions
- King James Version (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:
- New International Version (NIV)indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man, And he does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire as hell, And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied, He gathers to himself all nations And heaps up for himself all peoples.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples.
Context of Habakkuk 2:5
3For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. 4"Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. "Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples." 6Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, "Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own— for how long?— and loads himself with pledges!" 7Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them.
Read all of Habakkuk 2Habakkuk 2:5 word by word
וְאַף֙ כִּֽי־הַיַּ֣יִן בּוֹגֵ֔ד גֶּ֥בֶר יָהִ֖יר וְלֹ֣א יִנְוֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֩ הִרְחִ֨יב כִּשְׁא֜וֹל נַפְשׁ֗וֹ וְה֤וּא כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׂבָּ֔ע וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֵלָיו֙ כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וַיִּקְבֹּ֥ץ אֵלָ֖יו כָּל־הָעַמִּֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Yea also, because he transgressethבָּגַדbâgad · to act treacherouslyH898
- by wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
- a proudיָהִירyâhîyr · proudH3093
- manגָּבֶרgeber · great manH1397
- neither keepeth at homeנָוָהnâvâh · to dwellH5115
- who enlargethרָחַבrâchab · to enlargeH7337
- his desireנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: appetiteH5315
- as hellשְׁאוֹלshe'ôl she'ôl · hell: SheolH7585
- as deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
- and cannot be satisfiedשָׂבֵעַώâba‛ ώâbêa‛ · to satisfyH7646
- but gatherethאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
- unto him all nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- and heapethקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
- unto him all peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
Cross-references for Habakkuk 2:5
- Proverbs 20:1Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
- Proverbs 23:29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
- Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,
- Isaiah 5:11Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!
- Isaiah 21:5They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink. Arise, O princes; oil the shield!
- Jeremiah 51:39While they are inflamed I will prepare them a feast and make them drunk, that they may become merry, then sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the Lord.
- Daniel 5:1King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
- Nahum 1:9What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.
- Habakkuk 2:4"Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
- Psalms 138:6For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.
- Proverbs 30:13There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!
- Isaiah 2:11The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
- Isaiah 16:6We have heard of the pride of Moab— how proud he is!— of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence; in his idle boasting he is not right.
- Jeremiah 50:29"Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her according to all that she has done. For she has proudly defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
- Daniel 5:20But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.
- James 4:6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Commentaries on Habakkuk 2:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Because 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5This 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, Proverbs 20:1, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever erreth thereby shall not be wise;” and Proverbs 23:32, “In the end it…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-14Verses 5-14 The prophet reads the doom of all proud and oppressive powers that bear hard upon God's people. The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, are the entangling snares of men; and we find him that led Israel captive, himself led captive by each of these. No more of what we have is to be reckoned ours, than what we come honestly by. Riches are but clay, thick clay; what are gold and silver but white and yellow earth? Those…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-5Habakkuk's mission was to tell people that God's justice may seem slow, but it will definitely come.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Yea also, because--additional reason why the Jews may look for God punishing their Chaldean foe, namely, because ... he is a proud man--rather, this clause continues the reason for the Jews expecting the punishment of the Chaldeans, "because he transgresseth by wine (a besetting sin of Babylon, compare Da 5:1-31, and Curtius [5.1]), being a proud man." Love of wine often begets a proud contempt of divine things, as in Belshazzar's case, which was the…Read the comment
Topics related to Habakkuk 2:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Habakkuk 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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