Habakkuk 2:5 (ASV)

Passage

Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man, that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.

Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:5 Yea, moreover, wine is treacherous, a haughty man, that keepeth not at home; who enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all peoples.

Habakkuk 2:6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and that ladeth himself with pledges!

Habakkuk 2:7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booty unto them?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "moreover", "wine", "treacherous", "haughty", "keepeth", "home", "enlargeth", and "desire". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "moreover" and "wine", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Behold his soul is puffed up it..." into verse 6's "Shall not all these take up a...", so "moreover" and "wine" 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 "moreover" and "wine" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.