New King James Version
Habakkuk 2:17
17For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid, Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it.
Habakkuk 2:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them.
- New Living Translation (NLT)You cut down the forests of Lebanon. Now you will be cut down. You destroyed the wild animals, so now their terror will be yours. You committed murder throughout the countryside and filled the towns with violence.
Context of Habakkuk 2:17
15“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, Pressing him to your bottle, Even to make him drunk, That you may look on his nakedness! 16You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also—drink! And be exposed as uncircumcised! The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you, And utter shame will be on your glory. For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid, Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. 18“What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, The molded image, a teacher of lies, That the maker of its mold should trust in it, To make mute idols? 19Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all.
Read all of Habakkuk 2Habakkuk 2:17 word by word
כִּ֣י חֲמַ֤ס לְבָנוֹן֙ יְכַסֶּ֔ךָּ וְשֹׁ֥ד בְּהֵמ֖וֹת יְחִיתַ֑ן מִדְּמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ וַחֲמַס־אֶ֔רֶץ קִרְיָ֖ה וְכָל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For the violenceחָמָסchâmâs · violenceH2555
- of Lebanonלְבָנוֹןlebânôn · LebanonH3844
- shall coverכָּסָהkâsâh · to coverH3680
- thee, and the spoilשֹׁדshôd shôd · violenceH7701
- of beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- made them afraidחָתַתchâthath · to to be dismayedH2865
- because of men’sאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of the cityקִרְיָהqiryâh · townH7151
- and of all that dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
Cross-references for Habakkuk 2:17
- Zechariah 11:1Open your doors, O Lebanon, That fire may devour your cedars.
- Habakkuk 2:8Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you, Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it.
- Psalms 55:23But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction; Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in You.
- Psalms 137:8O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!
- Proverbs 28:17A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit; Let no one help him.
- Revelation 18:20“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”
- Jeremiah 50:28The voice of those who flee and escape from the land of Babylon Declares in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, The vengeance of His temple.
- Jeremiah 51:24“And I will repay Babylon And all the inhabitants of Chaldea For all the evil they have done In Zion in your sight,” says the Lord.
Commentaries on Habakkuk 2:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17For the violence of Lebanon - Or, the violence done to Lebanon; to men, to cattle, to Judea, and to Jerusalem. See the note on the parallel place, Habakkuk 2:8; (note). This may be a threatening against Egypt, as the former was against Chaldea.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17For the violence of Lebanon - i. e., done to Lebanon, whether the land of Israel of which it was the entrance and the beauty (See Isaiah 37:24, and, as a symbol, Jeremiah 22:6, Jeremiah 22:23; Ezekiel 17:3; but it is used as a symbol of Sennacherib‘s army, Isaiah 10:34, and the king of Asshur is not indeed spoken of under the name as a symbol (in Ezekiel 21:3,) but is compared to it), or the temple (See the note at Zechariah 12:1), both of which…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-20Verses 15-20 A severe woe is pronounced against drunkenness; it is very fearful against all who are guilty of drunkenness at any time, and in any place, from the stately palace to the paltry ale-house. To give one drink who is in want, who is thirsty and poor, or a weary traveller, or ready to perish, is charity; but to give a neighbour drink, that he may expose himself, may disclose secret concerns, or be drawn into a bad bargain, or for any such…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17In the fourth taunt song, the Babylonians face condemnation for their shameful acts against people, animals, and the environment. They are like a man who pretends to be friendly but, after getting his neighbors drunk, takes everything from them. However, the Babylonians will face disgrace after drinking from the cup of the Lord’s judgment (see Jeremiah 25:15–17; compare John 18:11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. the violence of Lebanon--thy "violence" against "Lebanon," that is, Jerusalem (Is 37:24; Jr 22:23; Eze 17:3, 12; for Lebanon's cedars were used in building the temple and houses of Jerusalem; and its beauty made it a fit type of the metropolis), shall fall on thine own head. cover--that is, completely overwhelm. the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid--Maurer explains, "the spoiling inflicted on the beasts of Lebanon (that is, on the people of…Read the comment
Topics related to Habakkuk 2:17
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries