Habakkuk 2:5
New International Version
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 Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
“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.”

Berean Standard Bible
and 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.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
“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 American Standard Bible
“Furthermore, wine betrays an arrogant man, So that he does not achieve his objective. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all the nations And collects to himself all the peoples.

NASB 1995
“Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples.

NASB 1977
“Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples.

Legacy Standard Bible
And indeed, wine betrays the haughty man So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations And assembles to himself all peoples.

Amplified Bible
“Moreover, wine is treacherous and betrays the arrogant man, So that he does not stay at home. His appetite is large like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples [as if he owned them].

Christian Standard Bible
Moreover, wine betrays; an arrogant man is never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself; he collects all the peoples for himself.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Moreover, wine betrays; an arrogant man is never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself; he collects all the peoples for himself.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
Wine is treacherous, and arrogant people are never satisfied. They are no less greedy than death itself--they open their mouths as wide as the world of the dead and swallow everyone.

English Revised Version
Yea, moreover, wine is a treacherous dealer, a haughty man, and that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as hell, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Also because wine is treacherous he is arrogant and never rests. He has a large appetite like the grave. He is like death-never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself. He collects all the people to himself.

Good News Translation
Wealth is deceitful. Greedy people are proud and restless--like death itself they are never satisfied. That is why they conquer nation after nation for themselves.

International Standard Version
Moreover, just as wine leads astray the proud and powerful man, he remains restless; he has expanded his appetite— like the afterlife or death itself, he is never satisfied. He gathers to himself all of the nations, taking captive all of the people for himself."

Majority Standard Bible
and 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.

NET Bible
Indeed, wine will betray the proud, restless man! His appetite is as big as Sheol's; like death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations; he seizes all peoples.

New Heart English Bible
And moreover, wealth is treacherous; a proud man will not endure. He enlarges his desire as Sheol, and he is like death, and can't be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations, and heaps to himself all peoples.

Webster's Bible Translation
Yes 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 to him all nations, and collecteth to him all people:

World English Bible
Yes, moreover, wine is treacherous: an arrogant man who doesn’t stay at home, who enlarges his desire as Sheol; he is like death and can’t be satisfied, but gathers to himself all nations and heaps to himself all peoples.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And also, because the wine [is] treacherous, "" A man is haughty, and does not remain at home, "" Who has enlarged his soul as Sheol, "" And is as death that is not satisfied, "" And gathers to itself all the nations, "" And assembles to itself all the peoples,

Young's Literal Translation
And also, because the wine is treacherous, A man is haughty, and remaineth not at home, Who hath enlarged as sheol his soul, And is as death that is not satisfied, And doth gather unto itself all the nations, And doth assemble unto itself all the peoples,

Smith's Literal Translation
And also if a proud man transgressing by wine, and he will not rest; who enlarged his soul as hades, and he as death, and he will not be satisfied, and he will gather to him all nations, and he will collect to him all peoples.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And as wine deceiveth him that drinketh it: so shall the proud man be, and he shall not be honoured: who hath enlarged his desire like hell: and is himself like death, and he is never satisfied: but will gather together unto him all nations, and heap together unto him all people.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And in the manner that wine deceives the heavy drinker, so will the arrogant man be deceived, and he will not be honored. He has enlarged his life like hellfire, and himself like death, and he is never fulfilled. And he will gather to himself all nations, and he will amass for himself all peoples.

New American Bible
Indeed wealth is treacherous; a proud man does not succeed. He who opens wide his throat like Sheol, and is insatiable as death, Who gathers to himself all the nations, and collects for himself all the peoples—

New Revised Standard Version
Moreover, wealth is treacherous; the arrogant do not endure. They open their throats wide as Sheol; like Death they never have enough. They gather all nations for themselves, and collect all peoples as their own.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The arrogant and greedy man is never satisfied, because he has enlarged his appetite like Sheol; and like death, he has never enough, but gathers to him all peoples, and draws near to him all the nations.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the insolent and greedy man is not satisfied because he has enlarged himself as Sheol, and like death he is not filled; he gathers to himself all the nations and he brings to himself all peoples
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Yea, moreover, wine is a treacherous dealer; The haughty man abideth not; He who enlargeth his desire as the nether-world, And is as death, and cannot be satisfied, But gathereth unto him all nations, And heapeth unto him all peoples.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But the arrogant man and the scorner, the boastful man, shall not finish anything; who has enlarged his desire as the grave, and like death he is never satisfied, and he will gather to himself all the nations, and will receive to himself all the peoples.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD Answers Again
4Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith— 5and 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.

Cross References
Proverbs 21:17
He who loves pleasure will become poor; the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich.

Isaiah 5:11-12
Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine. / At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.

Jeremiah 51:39
While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast, and I will make them drunk so that they may revel; then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up, declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 23:42
accompanied by the sound of a carefree crowd. Drunkards were brought in from the desert along with men from the rabble, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your head.

Nahum 3:4
because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.

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 in their judgments.

Proverbs 23:29-35
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes? / Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks. / Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. ...

Isaiah 56:12
“Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!”

Jeremiah 50:38
A drought is upon her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of graven images, and the people go mad over idols.

Daniel 5:1-4
Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. / Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. / Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. ...

Luke 21:34
But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.

1 Thessalonians 5:7
For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

1 Peter 4:3
For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.

Romans 13:13
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.


Treasury of Scripture

Yes also, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man, neither keeps at home, who enlarges his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathers to him all nations, and heaps to him all people:

Yea also.

Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Proverbs 23:29-33
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? …

Proverbs 31:4,5
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: …

a proud man.

Habakkuk 2:4
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Psalm 138:6
Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

Proverbs 30:13,14
There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up…

keepeth.

2 Kings 14:10
Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

1 Thessalonians 4:11
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

who.

Isaiah 5:8
Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

Isaiah 10:7-13
Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few…

as hell.

Proverbs 27:20
Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Proverbs 30:15,16
The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: …

Ecclesiastes 5:10
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

gathereth.

Habakkuk 2:8-10
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…

Jump to Previous
Abideth Dealer Death Desire Enlarges Enlargeth Furthermore Gathereth Gathers Haughty Heapeth Heaps Hell Home Keepeth Moreover Nations Nether-World Peoples Proud Satisfied Sheol Transgresseth Treacherous Wine
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Abideth Dealer Death Desire Enlarges Enlargeth Furthermore Gathereth Gathers Haughty Heapeth Heaps Hell Home Keepeth Moreover Nations Nether-World Peoples Proud Satisfied Sheol Transgresseth Treacherous Wine
Habakkuk 2
1. Unto Habakkuk, waiting for an answer, is shown that he must wait by faith.
5. The judgment upon the Chaldean for unsatiableness,
9. for covetousness,
12. for cruelty,
15. for drunkenness,
18. and for idolatry.














Indeed, wealth betrays him
The Hebrew word for "wealth" here is "yayin," which can also mean "wine." This dual meaning suggests a metaphorical intoxication with riches, leading to betrayal. In the ancient Near Eastern context, wealth was often seen as a sign of divine favor, yet here it is portrayed as deceptive. The idea of betrayal implies that what one trusts in for security and status can ultimately lead to downfall. This serves as a warning against placing trust in material possessions rather than in God.

he is an arrogant man never at rest
The term "arrogant" is translated from the Hebrew "yahir," which conveys a sense of pride and self-exaltation. This arrogance leads to a restless spirit, as prideful individuals are often driven by an insatiable desire for more. Historically, this reflects the nature of empires and leaders who, in their hubris, sought to expand their power endlessly. The phrase "never at rest" underscores the futility and dissatisfaction inherent in a life driven by pride and ambition.

He enlarges his appetite like Sheol
"Sheol" in Hebrew culture was the realm of the dead, a place of insatiable consumption. The imagery of enlarging one's appetite like Sheol suggests an unending greed and desire for more, akin to a bottomless pit. This metaphor highlights the destructive nature of unchecked ambition and greed, which can consume a person entirely. It serves as a caution against allowing desires to grow beyond control, leading to spiritual and moral decay.

and like Death he is never satisfied
Death, personified here, is depicted as never satisfied, continually claiming more lives. This comparison emphasizes the insatiable nature of the arrogant man's desires. Just as death is relentless and inevitable, so too is the greed of those who seek to accumulate power and wealth without regard for others. This serves as a stark reminder of the ultimate futility of such pursuits, as they can never truly fulfill or bring peace.

He gathers all the nations to himself
The act of gathering nations reflects the historical context of imperial conquest, where empires sought to expand their territories and influence. This phrase can be seen as a critique of imperialism and the desire for domination. It also serves as a prophetic warning of the consequences of such actions, as history shows that empires built on conquest often face eventual decline and judgment.

and collects all the peoples as his own
The word "collects" suggests a possessive and controlling nature, treating people as commodities or possessions. This reflects the dehumanizing aspect of imperial ambition, where individuals and cultures are subsumed under the rule of a dominant power. From a scriptural perspective, this stands in contrast to God's desire for nations to live in harmony and respect for one another's sovereignty. It serves as a call to recognize the inherent value and dignity of all people, created in the image of God.

(5) Yea, also. . . .--Better, Add, too, that wine is treacherous (and that) he is a braggart and cannot be quiet, whose appetite is large as (that of) Hades. The rest of the verse illustrates this last-named characteristic--restless, rapacious ambition. Two more charges are thus added to the gravamen of Habakkuk 2:4. Not only are the Chaldaeans arrogant, but drunkards, and insatiably covetous. The former charge is expressed in a kind of proverb, "(It is a known fact that) wine is treacherous." Perhaps the aphorisms of Proverbs 20:1 are in Habakkuk's mind: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is noisy." The other charge, that of rapacity, also recalls the Book of Proverbs, where the insatiable appetite of death and Hades is twice described. (See Proverbs 27:20; Proverbs 30:16.) The charge of drunkenness is illustrated in Rawlinson, Ancient Monarchies, vol. 2, 504-507.

Verse 5. - § 7. The character of the Chaldeans in some particulars is intimated. The general proposition in the former hemistich of ver. 4 is here applied to the Chaldeans, in striking contrast to the lot of the just in the latter clause. Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine. This should be, And moreover, wine is treacherous. A kind of proverbial saying (Proverbs 20:1). Vulgate, Quomodo vinum potantem decipit. There is no word expressive of comparison in the original, though it may be supplied to complete the sense. The intemperate habits of the Babylonians are well attested (see Daniel 5:3, 4; Quint. Curt., 5:1, "Babylonii maxime in vinum et quae ebrietatem sequuntur effusi sunt;" comp. Her., 1:191; Xen., 'Cyrop.,' 7:5. 15). They used beth the fermented sap of the palm tree as well as the juice of the grape, the latter chiefly imported from abroad. "The wealthy Babylonians were fond of drinking to excess; their banquets were magnificent, but generally ended in drunkenness" (Rawlinson, 'Anc. Men.,' 3:450, edit. 1865). Neither the Septuagint, nor the Syriac, nor the Coptic Version has any mention of wine in this passage. The Septuagint gives, ὁ δὲ κατοιόμενος καὶ καταφρονητής, "the arrogant and the scorner." He is a proud man, neither keepeth he at home; a haughty man, he resteth not. His pride is always impelling him to new raids and conquests. This is quite the character of the later Chaldeans, and is consistent with the latter part of the verse. The comparison, then, is this: As wine raises the spirits and excites men to great efforts which in the end deceive them, so pride rouses these men to go on their insatiate course of conquest, which shall one day prove their ruin. The verb translated "keepeth at home" has the secondary sense of "being decorous;" hence the Vulgate gives, Sic erit vir superbus, et non decorabitur; i.e. as wine first exhilarates and then makes a man contemptible, so pride, which begins by exalting a man, ends by bringing him to ignominy. Others take the verb in the sense of "continueth not," explaining that the destruction of Babylon is here intimated. But what follows makes against this interpretation. The LXX. gives, 'Ανὴρ ἀλαζὼν οὐθὲν μὴ τεράνη, which Jerome, combining with it his own version, paraphrases, "Sic vir superbus non decorabitur, nec voluntatem suam perducet ad finem; et juxta Symmachum, οὐκ εὐπορήσει, hoc est, in rerum omnium erit penuria." Who enlargeth his desire as hell; Hebrew, Sheol. Hell is called insatiable (Proverbs 27:20; Proverbs 30:16; Isaiah 5:14). Is as death, which seizes all creatures and spares none. People; peoples.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
furthermore,
וְאַף֙ (wə·’ap̄)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 637: Meaning accession, yea, adversatively though

wine
הַיַּ֣יִן (hay·ya·yin)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication

betrays;
בּוֹגֵ֔ד (bō·w·ḡêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 898: To cover, to act covertly, to pillage

an arrogant
יָהִ֖יר (yā·hîr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3093: Elated, arrogant

man
גֶּ֥בֶר (ge·ḇer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1397: A valiant man, warrior, a person simply

is never
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

at rest.
יִנְוֶ֑ה (yin·weh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5115: To rest, to celebrate

He
אֲשֶׁר֩ (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

enlarges
הִרְחִ֨יב (hir·ḥîḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7337: To be or grow wide or large

his appetite
נַפְשׁ֗וֹ (nap̄·šōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

like Sheol,
כִּשְׁא֜וֹל (kiš·’ō·wl)
Preposition-k | Noun - common singular
Strong's 7585: Underworld (place to which people descend at death)

and like Death,
כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ (ḵam·mā·weṯ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin

he
וְה֤וּא (wə·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is never
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

satisfied.
יִשְׂבָּ֔ע (yiś·bā‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7646: To be sated, satisfied or surfeited

He gathers
וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף (way·ye·’ĕ·sōp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 622: To gather for, any purpose, to receive, take away, remove

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

nations
הַגּוֹיִ֔ם (hag·gō·w·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

to himself
אֵלָיו֙ (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

and collects
וַיִּקְבֹּ֥ץ (way·yiq·bōṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6908: To gather, collect

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the peoples
הָעַמִּֽים׃ (hā·‘am·mîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

as his own.
אֵלָ֖יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to


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OT Prophets: Habakkuk 2:5 Yes moreover wine is treacherous (Hab Hb)
Habakkuk 2:4
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