Habakkuk 2:14 (ASV)

Passage

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity!

Habakkuk 2:13 Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, [to thee] that addest thy venom, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

Habakkuk 2:16 Thou art filled with shame, and not glory: drink thou also, and be as one uncircumcised; the cup of Jehovah`s right hand shall come round unto thee, and foul shame shall be upon thy glory.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "earth", "shall", "filled", "knowledge", "glory", "jehovah", "waters", and "cover". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "earth" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Behold is it not of Jehovah of..." into verse 15's "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor...", so "earth" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In Habakkuk context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "earth" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.