Habakkuk 2:8 (YLT)

Passage

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, Spoil thee do all the remnant of the peoples, 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.

Nearby Context

Habakkuk 2:6 Do not these--all of them--against him a simile taken up, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Woe <FI>to<Fi> him who is multiplying <FI>what is<Fi> not his? Till when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges?

Habakkuk 2:7 Do not thy usurers instantly rise up, And those shaking thee awake up, And thou hast been for a spoil to them?

Habakkuk 2:8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, Spoil thee do all the remnant of the peoples, 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.

Habakkuk 2:9 Woe <FI>to<Fi> him who is gaining evil gain for his house, To set on high his nest, To be delivered from the hand of evil,

Habakkuk 2:10 Thou hast counselled a shameful thing to thy house, To cut off many peoples, and sinful <FI>is<Fi> thy soul.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "hast", "spoiled", "nations", "thee", "remnant", and "peoples". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "hast", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Do not thy usurers instantly rise up..." into verse 9's "Woe FI to Fi him who is...", so "thou" and "hast" 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 "thou" and "hast" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.