Habakkuk 2:9
Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Babylon built massive fortifications—the famous walls, the Ishtar Gate, elevated palaces—attempting to create an impregnable city. Herodotus described walls so wide chariots could turn on top. Nebuchadnezzar's palace was raised on artificial platforms. This architecture expressed the theology: we have made ourselves secure through our own power. Yet these defenses failed. Cyrus's army entered by diverting the river. No human security system can protect against divine judgment. The same pattern appears in modern history: the Maginot Line, the Berlin Wall, gated communities, offshore accounts—all attempts to create security through human means that ultimately fail. True security comes only through righteousness, not wealth or power (Proverbs 11:4, 18:11).
Questions for Reflection
- How does pursuing security through unjust gain actually create insecurity rather than safety?
- What are modern equivalents of 'setting one's nest on high'—attempting to make oneself secure through wealth, status, or power?
- Where is true security found, and how does this differ from the false security offered by wealth and human achievement?
Analysis & Commentary
Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil! The second woe addresses security through exploitation. Coveteth an evil covetousness (בֹּצֵעַ בֶּצַע רָע/botze'a betza ra)—literally 'gains gain of evil,' using repetition for emphasis. בֶּצַע (betza) means unjust gain, profit obtained through violence or fraud. To his house (לְבֵיתוֹ/leveito)—for his dynasty, family, or institution.
That he may set his nest on high (לָשׂוּם בַּמָּרוֹם קִנּוֹ/lasum bammarom qinno)—to place his nest in an elevated, supposedly secure position. The image comes from eagles building nests in high cliffs (Jeremiah 49:16, Obadiah 4), thinking themselves unreachable. That he may be delivered from the power of evil (לְהִנָּצֵל מִכַּף־רָע/lehinnatzel mikkaf-ra)—to escape misfortune's grasp. The irony is devastating: pursuing security through evil guarantees insecurity. Building wealth or power through oppression creates the conditions for eventual destruction. The very 'evil' one tries to escape through wicked gain becomes the means of judgment.