Habakkuk 2:9 (DRB)

Passage

Woe to him that gathereth together an evil covetousness to his house, that his nest may be on high, and thinketh he may be delivered out of the hand of evil.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee: and they be stirred up that shall tear thee, and thou shalt be a spoil to them?

Habakkuk 2:8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all that shall be left of the people shall spoil thee: because of men's blood, and for the iniquity of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

Habakkuk 2:9 Woe to him that gathereth together an evil covetousness to his house, that his nest may be on high, and thinketh he may be delivered out of the hand of evil.

Habakkuk 2:10 Thou hast devised confusion to thy house, thou hast cut off many people, and thy soul hath sinned.

Habakkuk 2:11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall: and the timber that is between the joints of the building, shall answer.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gathereth", "together", "evil", "covetousness", "house", "nest", "high", and "thinketh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gathereth" and "together", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Because thou hast spoiled many nations all..." into verse 10's "Thou hast devised confusion to thy house...", so "gathereth" and "together" 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 "gathereth" and "together" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.