“Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse reveals that this "arrogant man" is not just someone who is boastful, but someone who is "treacherous" and never at rest, implying his greed and ambition are fueled by deceit and a restless pursuit of more, mirroring the insatiable nature of death itself. This isn't merely personal pride, but a systemic, consuming force that seeks to devour everything in its path.
“Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Habakkuk is wrestling with God's justice, questioning why He allows such wickedness to persist. After God declares He's raising up the Babylonians to punish Judah, Habakkuk continues to express his unease, specifically focusing on the insatiable greed and arrogance of these oppressors. This verse is part of Habakkuk's response, describing the Babylonian empire's insatiable lust for power and conquest, which God will ultimately judge.
Habakkuk uses a vivid metaphor to describe the oppressor. What's the connection between 'wine,' pride, and a restless ambition?
The verse opens with a striking comparison: 'wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest.' This isn't just about literal drunkenness. The 'wine' here symbolizes something that intoxicates and deceives.
The Intoxication of Power
The commentaries highlight that this 'wine' represents a deceptive influence that leads to arrogance and a loss of self-control. Just as wine can make a person overconfident and reckless, the 'wine' of power and success can intoxicate the oppressor. This leads them to believe they are invincible and beyond accountability.
Restless Ambition
This intoxication fuels a constant state of unrest. The arrogant man 'is never at rest.' His ambition drives him to constantly seek more, whether it's territory, power, or wealth. There's no contentment, only a perpetual chase, making him a 'traitor' to any sense of peace or stability.
The oppressor's ambition is compared to the grave and death itself. What does this tell us about the nature of unchecked greed?
Habakkuk intensifies the description of the oppressor's insatiable nature by comparing his desire to 'Sheol' (the grave) and 'death.' These are powerful images of ultimate emptiness and unending consumption.
The Gravity of Greed
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Sheol and death are places that are always consuming, always demanding more. They represent a bottomless pit. The oppressor's greed functions in the same way. His 'desire is as wide as Sheol' – it has no limits. He gathers nations and peoples, but it's never enough. Like death, he 'has never enough.' This highlights the self-destructive and consuming nature of avarice.
A Universal Pattern
The prophet states that 'he gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.' This isn't just a description of a specific historical tyrant, but a pattern of oppressive powers throughout history. Their relentless pursuit of dominion reveals a fundamental flaw: their ambition is ultimately hollow and destined for judgment, because it defies the boundaries set by God.
Understand the original words
she'ol · Hebrew Noun
The place of the dead or the underworld in Old Testament thought, symbolizing the insatiable nature of death and the grave.
This verse's powerful imagery of a restless, insatiable, and world-conquering oppressor directly reflects the historical reality of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, particularly under Nebuchadnezzar II, whose relentless ambition and expansionist policies terrorized the ancient Near East. Habakkuk uses this potent symbol of tyranny to highlight the dangers of unchecked greed and pride, even as he questions God's timing and methods in bringing about justice.
c. 627-605 BC
Assyrian decline and Neo-Babylonian rise
The Neo-Assyrian Empire began to collapse, leading to the rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar II. This shift in power created instability in the region.
605 BC
Battle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar II decisively defeated the Egyptian forces, securing Babylonian dominance over the Levant and solidifying his empire's power. This victory marked the beginning of Babylonian imperial ambitions.
c. 605-597 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's early conquests
Following Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar engaged in campaigns against various nations, expanding Babylonian influence and control. His ambition and military prowess were characteristic of the burgeoning empire.
589-582 BC
Siege and fall of Jerusalem
The Neo-Babylonian Empire besieged Jerusalem, eventually destroying the city and its Temple, and exiling many of its people. This event profoundly impacted Jewish history and theology.
550 BC
Rise of the Medes and Persians
Cyrus the Great rose to power, establishing the Achaemenid Persian Empire and conquering the Median Empire. This new power would eventually challenge and overthrow the Babylonians.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This event was seen by some Israelites as divine intervention, fulfilling prophecies.
c. 605-589 BC— this verse
Habakkuk's prophetic ministry
Habakkuk served as a prophet during the tumultuous period of the late Judean monarchy, grappling with the rise of the Babylonian empire and questioning God's justice.
This passage from Proverbs also warns about the deceptive nature of wine, paralleling Habakkuk's description of it as treacherous and leading to arrogance and uncontrolled behavior.
Isaiah 14:12-15The imagery of a proud entity desiring to ascend and exalt itself above others, ultimately facing a downfall, strongly resonates with Habakkuk's description of the arrogant man gathering nations and peoples.
Ezekiel 28:1-10This passage describes the pride and arrogance of the king of Tyre, who, like the figure in Habakkuk, enlarges himself and believes he is a god, leading to his eventual downfall.
Daniel 4:30The account of Nebuchadnezzar boasting about his kingdom and his own power, only to be humbled by God, mirrors the theme of excessive pride and ambition leading to judgment found in Habakkuk 2:5.
Matthew 6:24Jesus' teaching that one cannot serve both God and money highlights the insatiable nature of greed and the divisive loyalties it creates, a concept echoed in the insatiable desire of the figure described in Habakkuk.
barnesHabakkuk 2:5: "Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:"
This general rule the prophet goes on to apply in words which belong in part to all oppressors and in the first instance to the Chaldaean, in part yet more fully to the end and to antichrist. "Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine" (or better, "…
bensonHabakkuk 2:5: "Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:"
Habakkuk 2:5 . Yea also, because he — Namely, the king of Babylon; transgresseth by wine — Hereby Belshazzar, his city and kingdom, fell a prey to Darius and Cyrus. He is a proud man — Insolent in his behaviour toward all, whether subjects, strangers…
The verse reveals that this "arrogant man" is not just someone who is boastful, but someone who is "treacherous" and never at rest, implying his greed and ambition are fueled by deceit and a restless pursuit of more, mirroring the insatiable nature of death itself. This isn't merely personal pride, but a systemic, consuming force that seeks to devour everything in its path.
Habakkuk is wrestling with God's justice, questioning why He allows such wickedness to persist. After God declares He's raising up the Babylonians to punish Judah, Habakkuk continues to express his unease, specifically focusing on the insatiable greed and arrogance of these oppressors. This verse is part of Habakkuk's response, describing the Babylonian empire's insatiable lust for power and conquest, which God will ultimately judge.
Habakkuk is wrestling with God's justice, questioning why He allows such wickedness to persist. After God declares He's raising up the Babylonians to punish Judah, Habakkuk continues to express his unease, specifically focusing on the insatiable greed and arrogance of these oppressors. This verse is part of Habakkuk's response, describing the Babylonian empire's insatiable lust for power and conquest, which God will ultimately judge.
"“Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.”" — The verse reveals that this "arrogant man" is not just someone who is boastful, but someone who is "treacherous" and never at rest, implying his greed and ambition are fueled by deceit and a restless…
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Last reviewed October 2026