Habakkuk 2:8 kjv
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.
Habakkuk 2:8 nkjv
Because 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.
Habakkuk 2:8 niv
Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
Habakkuk 2:8 esv
Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them.
Habakkuk 2:8 nlt
Because you have plundered many nations,
now all the survivors will plunder you.
You committed murder throughout the countryside
and filled the towns with violence.
Habakkuk 2 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 14:2 | And peoples will take them and bring them to their place... they shall lead them captive whose captives they were... | Divine reversal of captors becoming captives. |
| Jer 50:15 | Raise the war cry against her all around... her foundations are torn down; for it is the vengeance of the Lᴏʀᴅ. Take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done. | God's vengeance on Babylon for its actions. |
| Jer 50:29 | Call together archers against Babylon... Repay her according to her deeds; do to her according to all that she has done... | Babylon reaps what it sowed. |
| Jer 51:35 | May the violence done to me and to my flesh be on Babylon, says the inhabitant of Zion. | Specific prayer for justice against Babylon's violence. |
| Eze 39:10 | They shall not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they shall make fires of the weapons. | Taking spoil from defeated oppressors. |
| Zeph 2:7 | The coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; they will graze their flocks... | Remnant receiving spoil/inheritance from oppressors. |
| Prov 22:8 | Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. | Principle of reaping injustice. |
| Prov 26:27 | Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. | Retribution for malicious acts. |
| Psa 7:16 | His mischief returns upon his own head, and his violence comes down on his own scalp. | Violence returning to the perpetrator. |
| Obad 1:15 | For the day of the Lᴏʀᴅ is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you... | Nations judged by their own actions. |
| Matt 7:2 | For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. | Universal principle of reciprocal justice. |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Sowing and reaping; divine accountability. |
| Rev 13:10 | If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. | Judgment mirroring the offense (Revelation's beast). |
| Rev 18:6 | Pay her back as she herself has paid, and render to her double for her deeds; in the cup that she mixed, mix double for her. | Judgment on 'Babylon' in Revelation. |
| Isa 33:1 | Ah, destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed, treacherous one, who yourself have not been dealt treacherously with!... when you have ceased to destroy, you yourself will be destroyed. | Destroyer destroyed. |
| Jer 25:12-14 | When seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon... and I will repay them according to their deeds... | Divine judgment timeline for Babylon. |
| Joel 3:4-7 | What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon... I will return your payment on your own head... I will return your payment on your own head. | God's justice upon nations who wronged His people. |
| Lam 4:21-22 | Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass... He will punish your iniquity... | The 'cup' of judgment passes to guilty nations. |
| Nah 1:2 | The Lᴏʀᴅ is a jealous God and avenging; the Lᴏʀᴅ is avenging and wrathful... | God's vengeful justice against adversaries. |
| Zec 2:8 | For thus declares the Lᴏʀᴅ of hosts... whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye. | God defends His people, ensuring oppressors pay. |
Habakkuk 2 verses
Habakkuk 2 8 Meaning
This verse declares a divine reversal of fortune for the oppressive nation, Babylon. Because they ruthlessly plundered and exploited many nations, the remnant of those same peoples will, in turn, plunder them. This judgment is specifically linked to the extensive bloodshed and violence they inflicted upon human beings, the land, and its cities, encompassing all inhabitants. It serves as an emphatic pronouncement of God's just retribution against their widespread iniquity and destructive actions.
Habakkuk 2 8 Context
Habakkuk 2:8 is part of God's oracle (often called "the burden" or "pronouncement") in response to the prophet Habakkuk's lament (Hab 1). Habakkuk questioned God about the continued injustice among Judah and, more acutely, the rise of the brutal Chaldeans (Babylonians) whom God was using to punish His own people (Hab 1:5-11). Habakkuk found this morally incomprehensible, given God's holy character (Hab 1:12-17). Chapters 2-3 contain God's answer, starting with the instruction to write down the vision (Hab 2:2) and then detailing five "woes" against the Chaldeans, enumerating their specific sins and the judgment that will befall them. Verse 8 forms the basis of the second "woe" (Hab 2:9-11), which is against ill-gotten gain, setting the stage by describing the Chaldeans' global plundering and violence that merits divine recompense. The historical context is the period of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (late 7th to early 6th century BCE), a dominant power renowned for its military prowess and the ruthless destruction and enslavement of conquered peoples. This verse assures Habakkuk that Babylon will not escape judgment despite its apparent strength, affirming God's justice.
Habakkuk 2 8 Word analysis
- Because (כִּי - ki): Introduces the reason or justification for the coming judgment. It's a direct causal link between Babylon's actions and its fate.
- you have plundered (שַׁסֹּתָ - shassōthā): From the root שׁסס (shasash), meaning "to plunder," "to spoil," "to ravage." The perfect tense indicates a completed action with ongoing results, emphasizing the extensive nature of Babylon's historical plundering campaigns across multiple nations.
- many nations (גּוֹיִם רַבִּים - gōyim rabbīm): Gōyim (nations, peoples) emphasizes non-Israelite groups. Rabbīm (many, numerous) highlights the vast geographical scope and quantity of Babylon's conquests and victims.
- all the remnant (שְׁאָר - sh'ar): Sh'ar (remnant) refers to that which remains after a destruction or dispersion. In this context, it speaks to the survivors or the few remaining individuals/groups from those many nations that Babylon conquered. This specific detail highlights the depth of their suffering but also that those very victims, however reduced, will be the instruments of divine retribution.
- of the peoples ('ammim): Refers generally to various peoples, underlining the diverse nature of Babylon's victims.
- shall plunder you (יְשַׁסּוּךְ - y'shassuk / יְשַׁסְּכוּךָ - y'shaskhu'kh [some textual variations]): Future tense. The verb shasas is repeated, creating a strong poetic and theological parallelism. The precise term signifies that the Babylonians will suffer the very same fate they inflicted on others, not just any general defeat, but specific plundering. The "you" refers directly to Babylon.
- because of (מִדְּמֵי - mid'mei): "From the blood of..." This preposition emphasizes the source or cause, tying the judgment directly to the blood shed by Babylon.
- human bloodshed (דְּמֵי־אָדָם - d'mei-'adam): D'mei (blood of) combined with 'adam (man/mankind). This refers to murder, indiscriminate slaughter, and violence against people. The specific mention of "human blood" underscores the gravity of taking innocent life and defiling God's creation.
- and violence (חָמָס - ḥāmās): A key term in Habakkuk. Ḥāmās signifies wanton, unjust, cruel, and oppressive violence. It's not merely bloodshed but a comprehensive term for wrongdoing that violates peace and justice, often involving active oppression and moral decay.
- to the land (לָאָרֶץ - la'aretz): Not just a generic land, but any territory. Babylon's violence extended beyond human life to ecological destruction and defilement of the physical landscape through war and devastation.
- to the city (לְעִיר - l'ir): Emphasizes the urban centers, hubs of life and civilization that were razed and laid waste by Babylon's conquests.
- and all who dwell in it (וּלְכָל־יֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ - u'l'khol-yoshvei vah): An all-encompassing phrase ensuring no one and no aspect of their victims' lives or places is left out of the equation. This signifies the total devastation and violation of life caused by Babylon.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you": This phrase highlights the principle of lex talionis (law of retaliation) and divine reciprocity. What the Chaldeans dished out on a global scale, they would receive back, in full measure, from the very types of people they abused. It reveals God's meticulous justice in aligning the punishment to the crime. It's not random misfortune but divinely orchestrated consequence.
- "because of human bloodshed and violence to the land, to the city and all who dwell in it": This defines the precise crimes that warrant such severe retribution. It's a holistic description of the pervasive destructiveness of Babylon's empire, affecting humanity, environment, and social structures. The linking of d'mei-'adam (human bloodshed) and ḥāmās (violence) emphasizes both the act and the oppressive spirit behind it. The repeated phrase "to the land, to the city and all who dwell in it" paints a picture of comprehensive desolation and complete disregard for life and order.
Habakkuk 2 8 Bonus section
This verse is a profound statement of the absolute sovereignty of God over human empires. It demonstrates that the prosperity of wicked nations is temporary and always within God's decreed limits. It emphasizes that divine judgment is not arbitrary but proportionate and often directly reflects the nature of the transgression. The "remnant of the peoples" serving as the instruments of Babylon's undoing highlights God's ability to use the weak or unexpected means to fulfill His purposes, defying human expectations of power. This concept, often found in prophetic literature, affirms that God champions the cause of the oppressed and will bring vindication, even when it seems impossible. The focus on ḥāmās (violence) underlines its severity in God's eyes, being a sin that deeply wounds creation and human dignity, evoking divine wrath and necessitating intervention.
Habakkuk 2 8 Commentary
Habakkuk 2:8 encapsulates God's unwavering commitment to justice in the face of human oppression. It's a divine reversal where the predator becomes the prey, not by chance, but as a direct consequence of its heinous actions. The Babylonians, celebrated for their brutal efficiency in subjugating numerous peoples and ravaging their lands and cities, will experience the identical humiliation and suffering they inflicted. The judgment is not merely punishment but a mirror image of their sin, illustrating that God sees, remembers, and responds to every act of bloodshed and pervasive violence (ḥāmās). This truth served as an assurance to Habakkuk that even the most formidable and seemingly invincible earthly power is ultimately accountable to the righteous Sovereign of the universe. It reminds us that all exploitation and systemic cruelty will inevitably face divine retribution. This serves as a warning against earthly kingdoms founded on force and injustice, demonstrating their transient nature under God's ultimate authority.