Habakkuk 2:9 (GNV)

Passage

Ho, he that coueteth an euil couetousnesse to his house, that he may set his nest on hie, to escape from the power of euil.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:7 Shall they not rise vp suddenly, that shall bite thee? and awake, that shall stirre thee? and thou shalt be their praye?

Habakkuk 2:8 Because thou hast spoyled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoyle thee, because of mens blood, and for the wrong done in the land, in the citie, and vnto all that dwell therein.

Habakkuk 2:9 Ho, he that coueteth an euil couetousnesse to his house, that he may set his nest on hie, to escape from the power of euil.

Habakkuk 2:10 Thou hast consulted shame to thine owne house, by destroying many people, and hast sinned against thine owne soule.

Habakkuk 2:11 For the stone shall crie out of the wall, and the beame out of the timber shall answere it.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "coueteth", "euil", "couetousnesse", "house", "nest", "escape", and "power". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "coueteth" and "euil", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Because thou hast spoyled many nations all..." into verse 10's "Thou hast consulted shame to thine owne...", so "coueteth" and "euil" 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 "coueteth" and "euil" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.