Habakkuk 2:15 (YLT)

Passage

Woe <FI>to<Fi> him who is giving drink to his neighbour, Pouring out thy bottle, and also making drunk, In order to look on their nakedness.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:13 Lo, is it not from Jehovah of Hosts And peoples are fatigued for fire, And nations for vanity are weary?

Habakkuk 2:14 For full is the earth of the knowledge of the honour of Jehovah, As waters cover <FI>the bottom of<Fi> a sea.

Habakkuk 2:15 Woe <FI>to<Fi> him who is giving drink to his neighbour, Pouring out thy bottle, and also making drunk, In order to look on their nakedness.

Habakkuk 2:16 Thou hast been filled--shame without honour, Drink thou also, and be uncircumcised, Turn round unto thee doth the cup of the right hand of Jehovah, And shameful spewing <FI>is<Fi> on thine honour.

Habakkuk 2:17 For violence <FI>to<Fi> Lebanon doth cover thee, And spoil of beasts doth affright them, Because of man's blood, and of violence <FI>to<Fi> the land, <FI>To<Fi> the city, and <FI>to<Fi> all dwelling in it.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "giving", "drink", "neighbour", "pouring", "bottle", "making", "drunk", and "order". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "giving" and "drink", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "For full is the earth of the..." into verse 16's "Thou hast been filled--shame without honour Drink...", so "giving" and "drink" 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 "giving" and "drink" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.