Habakkuk 2:10 kjv
Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.
Habakkuk 2:10 nkjv
You give shameful counsel to your house, Cutting off many peoples, And sin against your soul.
Habakkuk 2:10 niv
You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.
Habakkuk 2:10 esv
You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life.
Habakkuk 2:10 nlt
But by the murders you committed,
you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives.
Habakkuk 2 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 1:18-19 | these men lie in wait for their own blood...Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors. | Greed harms the one who possesses it. |
| Prov 10:2 | Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. | Unjust wealth has no true benefit. |
| Prov 11:4 | Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. | Wealth from evil fails in judgment. |
| Prov 15:6 | In the house of the righteous is much treasure, but trouble awaits the income of the wicked. | Righteous wealth contrasts wicked gain. |
| Prov 16:8 | Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. | Righteousness is superior to unjust gain. |
| Jer 17:11 | Like the partridge that gathers a brood which she has not hatched, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool. | Unjust wealth vanishes, makes one foolish. |
| Amos 5:11 | Therefore because you exact taxes from the poor...you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them. | Houses built on oppression are forfeited. |
| Zep 1:13 | Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them. | Ill-gotten gains are denied to the possessor. |
| Job 20:20-29 | "He knows no rest in his cravings; with his precious things he will not escape." | The wicked's possessions bring no true rest. |
| Ps 52:7 | "See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches..." | Relying on wealth leads to destruction. |
| Ps 73:18-20 | "Surely you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin...like a dream when one awakes, so, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you will despise their idols." | Prosperity of wicked is fleeting and ends in ruin. |
| Isa 5:8 | Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room... | Woe for greedy accumulation of land. |
| Isa 59:6-7 | Their works are works of iniquity...Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood... | Iniquity and bloodshed result in self-destruction. |
| Ezek 28:18-19 | "By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade...I laid you in ashes on the earth..." | Iniquity from trade leads to ultimate ruin. |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Actions have self-reaping consequences. |
| Luke 12:20-21 | But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' | Material gain cannot save one's life. |
| Jas 5:1-5 | Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you...you have laid up treasure for the last days. | Rich oppressors face coming miseries. |
| 1 Tim 6:9-10 | But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare...for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. | Desire for wealth leads to self-harm. |
| Rev 18:6-8 | Pay her back as she herself has paid, and render to her double...so much torment and mourning give her... | Divine retribution for oppressive systems. |
| Matt 7:26-27 | Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. | Building without foundation leads to collapse. |
| Mic 2:1-4 | Woe to those who devise mischief and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it...Because of this I will make your families wander. | Wicked designs bring personal and familial disaster. |
| Prov 22:16 | Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. | Oppression of the poor leads to poverty. |
Habakkuk 2 verses
Habakkuk 2 10 Meaning
Habakkuk 2:10 declares that the oppressor's endeavors to secure wealth and establish their house through unjust and violent means will ironically bring them indelible shame and lead to the destruction of their own legacy. Their actions of plundering nations ultimately result in self-inflicted spiritual harm and moral degradation.
Habakkuk 2 10 Context
Habakkuk chapter 2 unfolds God's reply to the prophet's complaints regarding injustice. After assuring Habakkuk that the vision of judgment would surely come to pass (2:2-3), God begins to pronounce five "woes" against the Chaldeans (Babylonians) who embody pride and injustice. This particular verse (2:10) is part of the second woe, which spans 2:9-11. The focus of this woe is on those who accumulate wealth through dishonest and violent means, building their kingdom or house upon ill-gotten gains and the ruin of others. Verse 9 establishes the accumulation of dishonest gain for one's house, and verse 10 explains the consequence: what was intended for security and honor actually becomes the source of shame and self-destruction, emphasizing the self-defeating nature of sin.
Habakkuk 2 10 Word analysis
You have devised/counselled (יָעַצְתָּ - yā‘aṣtā): The verb yā‘aṣ means to plan, advise, purpose, or counsel. It implies deliberate and calculated action, not accidental wrongdoing. The oppressor consciously plotted and intended to build their security and prominence through their violent conquest and plunder. This underscores the intentionality of their sin, which makes their subsequent shame all the more just.
Shame/disgrace (בֹּשֶׁת - bōšeṯ): This noun refers to shame, disgrace, or confusion. It's not merely a feeling but an actual state or outcome of dishonor that publicly marks the perpetrator. It highlights the divine reversal: what the oppressor intended for glory (a great house, powerful dynasty) becomes a source of their public humiliation and ruin. This is a common biblical theme where pride is followed by a fall and the wicked are exposed (Prov 11:2; Dan 12:2).
For your house (לְבֵיתֶךָ - ləbêṯeḵā): The term bayit (house) here can signify not only a physical dwelling but also a household, family, lineage, or dynasty. The oppressor’s efforts were directed at securing and enhancing their personal legacy and the future of their offspring. However, the divine judgment means this legacy is stained and ultimately destroyed. It implies a lasting curse on their name and lineage rather than the blessing they sought (e.g., Jer 17:11).
Cut off (הִכְרַתָּ - hikraṯtā): This verb (kārat) is used to mean to cut off, destroy, exterminate, or separate. In this context, it refers to the violent destruction, subjugation, or depopulation of "many peoples" (ʿammîm rabbîm). It underscores the extreme violence and scale of the Chaldeans' imperial conquests, directly linking their actions of cutting off others to the shame that rebounds upon them.
Many peoples (עַמִּים רַבִּים - ʿammîm rabbîm): This emphasizes the widespread impact of the oppressor's actions. Their conquest was not small-scale; they brought devastation to numerous nations, and it is from this very magnitude of injustice that their immense shame arises.
And sinned against yourself/your life (וַתֶּחֱטָא נַפְשֶׁךָ - vaṭṭēḥeṭāʾ nap̄šeḵā): The verb ḥāṭāʾ means to miss the mark, err, or sin. The reflexive phrase "sinned against yourself" (or literally "your soul/life") powerfully conveys the idea of self-inflicted harm. The oppressor's wicked deeds, while seemingly benefitting them short-term, fundamentally damage their own being, integrity, and destiny. It's a profound statement that sin carries intrinsic, destructive consequences for the sinner themselves, not just for the victims. This aligns with the biblical principle of sowing and reaping (Gal 6:7) where the one who sows wickedness will reap ruin.
Words-group Analysis:
- "You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples...": This phrase connects the intentional planning of unjust actions ("devised shame") directly to the destruction wrought on others ("cutting off many peoples"). The shame is not external imposition but a direct, inevitable outcome of their chosen method of advancement. It's an ironic boomerang effect, where the violence aimed outward returns to defile their own domain.
- "...and have sinned against yourself.": This closing phrase brings the consequence full circle. The oppressor's external violence is intrinsically an act of self-violence. Their moral fabric, their very "soul" or "life," is defiled and corrupted by their unrighteous actions. This isn't just about punishment from God, but an inherent consequence woven into the fabric of creation that evil consumes the doer from within.
Habakkuk 2 10 Bonus section
The concept of a "house" (bayit) in the ancient Near East often carried significant weight, representing not just a physical structure but the reputation, honor, lineage, and lasting heritage of a family or king. Therefore, for an oppressor's "house" to accrue "shame" signifies the ultimate failure of their ambitions – their entire legacy is tarnished, a curse replaces blessing, and their efforts for eternal renown culminate in eternal dishonor. This prophetic declaration serves as a direct polemic against the worldview that might-makes-right and that conquest guarantees lasting glory. Instead, it asserts a moral universe where divine justice ensures that all ill-gotten gain ultimately becomes the instrument of one's own undoing.
Habakkuk 2 10 Commentary
Habakkuk 2:10 delivers a profound lesson on the self-destructive nature of sin, particularly the sin of exploitation and injustice. The oppressor, like the Babylonians, meticulously plans to secure their dynasty and reputation through the violent subjugation and plunder of others. They aim for security, glory, and lasting heritage, symbolized by "your house." However, the verse reveals the stark spiritual irony: these very actions, designed to elevate, ultimately boomerang back as "shame" and disgrace. What they meticulously built becomes tainted, inherently unstable, and destined for ruin because it was founded on injustice. Their efforts to "cut off many peoples" did not ultimately separate them from consequence; instead, it means they "sinned against yourself," implying that their very essence and future are defiled. This divine principle signifies that while one might temporarily gain through wickedness, the long-term harvest is always shame and self-ruin. The "wages of sin" are not merely an external punishment but an internal rot that destroys the very soul and legacy of the perpetrator.