Habakkuk 2:9

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

ה֗וֹי בֹּצֵ֛עַ בֶּ֥צַע רָ֖ע לְבֵית֑וֹ לָשׂ֤וּם בַּמָּרוֹם֙ קִנּ֔וֹ לְהִנָּצֵ֖ל מִכַּף־רָֽע׃

Transliteration

Hôy bōṣēaʿ beṣaʿ rāʿ for his house, to lāśûm bammārôm qinnô, to lĕhinnāṣēl from kap-rāʿ.

Grammar Details

• *hôy*: interjection - woe/alas
• *bōṣēaʿ*: verb, qal participle, masculine singular - cutting off/gaining
• *beṣaʿ*: noun, masculine, singular - unjust gain/profit
• *rāʿ*: adjective, masculine, singular - evil/calamity
• *lāśûm*: preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct - to put/place
• *bammārôm*: preposition + noun, masculine, singular with definite article - in the height
• *qinnô*: noun, masculine, singular construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his nest
• *lĕhinnāṣēl*: preposition + verb, niphal infinitive construct - to be delivered
• *kap*: noun, feminine, singular construct - palm/power

Word Meanings

• *bōṣēaʿ*: cutting off/gaining/acquiring unjustly
• *beṣaʿ*: unjust gain/profit/dishonest profit
• *bammārôm*: in the height/on high/in a lofty place
• *lĕhinnāṣēl*: to be delivered/rescued/saved
• *kap-rāʿ*: power of evil/hand of calamity

Referenced Verses

• Jer 49:16 : 16 The terror you inspire in others and the arrogance of your heart have deceived you. You may make your home in the clefts of the rocks; you may occupy the highest places in the hills. But even if you made your home where the eagles nest, I would bring you down from there,” says the LORD.
• Obad 1:4 : 4 Even if you were to soar high like an eagle, even if you were to make your nest among the stars, I can bring you down even from there!” says the LORD.
• Zech 5:1-4 : 1 Vision Six: The Flying Scroll Then I turned to look, and there was a flying scroll! 2 Someone asked me,“What do you see?” I replied,“I see a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.” 3 The speaker went on to say,“This is a curse traveling across the whole earth. For example, according to the curse whoever steals will be removed from the community; or on the other hand(according to the curse) whoever swears falsely will suffer the same fate.” 4 “I will send it out,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,“and it will enter the house of the thief and of the person who swears falsely in my name. It will land in the middle of his house and destroy both timber and stones.”
• Acts 1:17-25 : 17 for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man Judas acquired a field with the reward of his unjust deed, and falling headfirst he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. 19 This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so that in their own language they called that field Hakeldama, that is,“Field of Blood.”) 20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,‘Let his house become deserted, and let there be no one to live in it,’ and‘Let another take his position of responsibility.’ 21 Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, 22 beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us– one of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us.” 23 So they proposed two candidates: Joseph called Barsabbas(also called Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed,“Lord, you know the hearts of all. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25 to assume the task of this service and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
• Jude 1:11 : 11 Woe 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.
• Gen 13:10-13 : 10 Lot 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. 11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled toward the east. So the relatives separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13 (Now the people of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the LORD.)
• Gen 19:26-38 : 26 But Lot’s wife looked back longingly and was turned into a pillar of salt. 27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 He looked out toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the region, God honored Abraham’s request. He removed Lot from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed the cities Lot had lived in. 30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31 Later the older daughter said to the younger,“Our father is old, and there is no man in the country to sleep with us, the way everyone does. 32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine so we can go to bed with him and preserve our family line through our father.” 33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, and the older daughter came in and went to bed with her father. But he was not aware of when she lay down with him or when she got up. 34 So in the morning the older daughter said to the younger,“Since I went to bed with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. Then you go in and go to bed with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So they made their father drunk that night as well, and the younger one came and went to bed with him. But he was not aware of when she lay down with him or when she got up. 36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben Ammi. He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.
• Deut 7:25-26 : 25 You 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. 26 You must not bring any abhorrent thing into your house and thereby become an object of divine wrath along with it. You must absolutely detest and abhor it, for it is an object of divine wrath.
• Josh 7:21-26 : 21 I 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.” 22 Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed it before the LORD. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, ox, donkey, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster. 25 Joshua said,“Why have you brought disaster on us? The LORD will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death.(They also stoned and burned the others.) 26 Then they erected over him a large pile of stones(it remains to this very day) and the LORD’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day.
• 1 Kgs 21:2-4 : 2 Ahab 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.” 3 But Naboth replied to Ahab,“The LORD forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.” 4 So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said,“I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, pouted, and would not eat.
• 1 Kgs 21:19-24 : 19 Say to him,‘This is what the LORD has said:“Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’ Then say to him,‘This is what the LORD has said:“In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood– yes, yours!”’” 20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him,“So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied,“I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the LORD. 21 The LORD says,‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster on you. I will destroy you and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. 22 I will make your dynasty like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’ 23 The LORD says this about Jezebel,‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall of Jezreel.’ 24 As for Ahab’s family, dogs will eat the ones who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”
• 2 Kgs 5:20-27 : 20 Gehazi, 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.” 21 So Gehazi ran after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him and asked,“Is everything all right?” 22 He answered,“Everything is fine. My master sent me with this message,‘Look, two servants of the prophets just arrived from the Ephraimite hill country. Please give them a talent of silver and two suits of clothes.’” 23 Naaman said,“Please accept two talents of silver.” He insisted, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, along with two suits of clothes. He gave them to two of his servants and they carried them for Gehazi. 24 When he arrived at the hill, he took them from the servants and put them in the house. Then he sent the men on their way. 25 When he came and stood before his master, Elisha asked him,“Where have you been, Gehazi?” He answered,“Your servant hasn’t been anywhere.” 26 Elisha replied,“I was there in spirit when a man turned and got down from his chariot to meet you. This is not the proper time to accept silver or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, cattle, and male and female servants. 27 Therefore Naaman’s skin disease will afflict you and your descendants forever!” When Gehazi went out from his presence, his skin was as white as snow.
• Job 20:19-28 : 19 For he has oppressed the poor and abandoned them; he has seized a house which he did not build. 20 For he knows no satisfaction in his appetite; he does not let anything he desires escape. 21 “Nothing is left for him to devour; that is why his prosperity does not last. 22 In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress overtakes him. The full force of misery will come upon him. 23 “While he is filling his belly, God sends his burning anger against him, and rains down his blows upon him. 24 If he flees from an iron weapon, then an arrow from a bronze bow pierces him. 25 When he pulls it out and it comes out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver, terrors come over him. 26 Total darkness waits to receive his treasures; a fire which has not been kindled will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. 27 The heavens reveal his iniquity; the earth rises up against him. 28 A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God’s wrath.
• Ps 10:3-6 : 3 Yes, the wicked man boasts because he gets what he wants; the one who robs others curses and rejects the LORD. 4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.” 5 He is secure at all times. He has no regard for your commands; he disdains all his enemies. 6 He says to himself,“I will never be shaken, because I experience no calamity.”
• Ps 49:11 : 11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves,
• Ps 52:7 : 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.”
• Prov 18:11-12 : 11 The wealth of a rich person is like a strong city, and it is like a high wall in his imagination. 12 Before destruction the heart of a person is proud, but humility comes before honor.
• Isa 28:15 : 15 For 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.”
• Isa 47:7-9 : 7 You said,‘I will rule forever as permanent queen!’ You did not think about these things; you did not consider how it would turn out. 8 So now, listen to this, O one who lives so lavishly, who lives securely, who says to herself,‘I am unique! No one can compare to me! I will never have to live as a widow; I will never lose my children.’ 9 Both of these will come upon you suddenly, in one day! You will lose your children and be widowed. You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, despite your many incantations and your numerous amulets.
• Jer 22:13-19 : 13 Judgment on Jehoiakim“‘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. 14 He says,“I will build myself a large palace with spacious upper rooms.” He cuts windows in its walls, panels it with cedar, and paints its rooms red. 15 Does it make you any more of a king that you outstrip everyone else in building with cedar? Just think about your father. He was content that he had food and drink. He did what was just and right. So things went well with him. 16 He upheld the cause of the poor and needy. So things went well for Judah.’ The LORD says,‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.’ 17 But you are always thinking and looking for ways to increase your wealth by dishonest means. Your eyes and your heart are set on killing some innocent person and committing fraud and oppression. 18 So the LORD has this to say about Josiah’s son, King Jehoiakim of Judah: People will not mourn for him, saying,“This makes me sad, my brother! This makes me sad, my sister!” They will not mourn for him, saying,“Poor, poor lord! Poor, poor majesty!” 19 He will be left unburied just like a dead donkey. His body will be dragged off and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.’”