Habakkuk 1:17 (WEB)

Passage

Will he therefore continually empty his net, and kill the nations without mercy?

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 1:15 He takes up all of them with the hook. He catches them in his net, and gathers them in his dragnet. Therefore he rejoices and is glad.

Habakkuk 1:16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious, and his food is good.

Habakkuk 1:17 Will he therefore continually empty his net, and kill the nations without mercy?

Study Lenses

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

The prior verse says "Therefore he sacrifices to his net and...", giving immediate footing for "mercy" and "therefore". In Habakkuk context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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