New English Translation
Habakkuk 2:9
9The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. He does this so he can build his nest way up high and escape the clutches of disaster.
Habakkuk 2:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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!
- New International Version (NIV)“Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm!
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, That he may set his nest on high, That he may be delivered from the power of disaster!
Context of Habakkuk 2:9
7Your creditors will suddenly attack; those who terrify you will spring into action, and they will rob you. 8Because you robbed many countries, all who are left among the nations will rob you. You have shed human blood and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them. The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. He does this so he can build his nest way up high and escape the clutches of disaster. 10Your schemes will bring shame to your house. Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. 11For the stones in the walls will cry out, and the wooden rafters will answer back.
Read all of Habakkuk 2Habakkuk 2:9 word by word
ה֗וֹי בֹּצֵ֛עַ בֶּ֥צַע רָ֖ע לְבֵית֑וֹ לָשׂ֤וּם בַּמָּרוֹם֙ קִנּ֔וֹ לְהִנָּצֵ֖ל מִכַּף־רָֽע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Woeהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
- to him that covetethבָּצַעbâtsa‛ · to cut off: to gainH1214
- an evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- covetousnessבֶּ֫צַעbetsa‛ · unjust-gainH1215
- to his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- that he may setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- his nestקֵןqên · nestH7064
- on highמָרוֹםmârôm · heightH4791
- that he may be deliveredנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
- from the powerכַּףkaph · palmH3709
- of evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
Cross-references for Habakkuk 2:9
- Genesis 13:10Lot looked up and saw the whole region of the Jordan. He noticed that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, all the way to Zoar.
- Genesis 19:26But Lot’s wife looked back longingly and was turned into a pillar of salt.
- Deuteronomy 7:25You must burn the images of their gods, but do not covet the silver and gold that covers them so much that you take it for yourself and thus become ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent to the Lord your God.
- Joshua 7:21I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon, two hundred silver pieces, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent with the silver underneath.”
- 1 Kings 21:2Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will pay you silver for it.”
- 2 Kings 5:20Gehazi, the prophet Elisha’s servant, thought, “Look, my master did not accept what this Syrian Naaman offered him. As certainly as the Lord lives, I will run after him and accept something from him.”
- Job 20:19For he has oppressed the poor and abandoned them; he has seized a house which he did not build.
- Jeremiah 22:13“‘Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor.
- Zechariah 5:1Then I turned to look, and there was a flying scroll!
- Acts 1:17for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry.”
- Jude 1:11Woe to them! For they have traveled down Cain’s path, and because of greed have abandoned themselves to Balaam’s error; hence, they will certainly perish in Korah’s rebellion.
- Psalms 10:3Yes, the wicked man boasts because he gets what he wants; the one who robs others curses and rejects the Lord.
- Psalms 49:11Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves,
- Psalms 52:7“Look, here is the man who would not make God his protector! He trusted in his great wealth and was confident about his plans to destroy others.”
- Proverbs 18:11The wealth of a rich person is like a strong city, and it is like a high wall in his imagination.
- Isaiah 28:15For you say, “We have made a treaty with death, with Sheol we have made an agreement. When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by it will not reach us. For we have made a lie our refuge, we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.”
Commentaries on Habakkuk 2:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9An evil covetousness to his house - Nebuchadnezzar wished to aggrandize his family, and make his empire permanent: but both family and empire were soon cut off by the death of his son Belshazzar, and the consequent destruction of the Chaldean empire.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house - (or, with accents, “that coveteth covetousness or unjust gain, an evil to his house.”) What man coveteth seems gain, but is evil “to his house” after him, destroying both himself and his whole family or race with him. “That he may set his nest on high,” as an eagle, to which he had likened the Chaldee (Habakkuk 1:8. Compare Jeremiah 20:16). A pagan called “strongholds, the nests of tyrants.” The…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. 9-11In the second taunt song, the Babylonians face condemnation for their dishonest actions. They used deceit to gain resources for building large houses, which cost them their lives.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. coveteth an evil covetousness--that is, a covetousness so surpassingly evil as to be fatal to himself. to his house--greedily seizing enormous wealth, not merely for himself, but for his family, to which it is destined to be fatal. The very same "evil covetousness" that was the cause of Jehoiakim's being given up to the Chaldean oppressor (Jr 22:13) shall be the cause of the Chaldean's own destruction. set his nest on high--(Nu 24:21; Jr 49:16; Ob 4)…Read the comment
Topics related to Habakkuk 2:9
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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