Habakkuk 1:17 (LSB)

Passage

Will they therefore empty their net And continually kill nations without sparing?

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 1:15 The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they are glad and rejoice.

Habakkuk 1:16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net Because through these things their portion is rich And their food is fat.

Habakkuk 1:17 Will they therefore empty their net And continually kill nations without sparing?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "empty", "continually", "kill", "nations", "without", and "sparing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "empty", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their...", giving immediate footing for "therefore" and "empty". In Habakkuk context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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