Habakkuk 2:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“The cup of the right hand of the Lord is passed over thee, and dishonour is gathered upon thy glory.” Just as you inflict upon others a “turbid corruption,” so shall you face divine wrath, becoming repugnant, contemptible, and completely stripped of your former glory.

By referring to the right hand of the Lord as a cup, the blessed prophet suggests an inevitable drinking; when God presents this cup, one cannot avoid drinking from it and must certainly endure His chastisement. For if it is closed to mankind, who can open it, as written (Isaiah 22:22)? And as stated by the prophet, “his high hand who shall turn away?” (Isaiah 14:27). The reasons for this fate are made clear: “Because the wickedness of Lebanon shall cover you, and the passion of beasts shall terrify you.” Lebanon, a famous mountain in Phoenicia, is known for its rich, aromatic trees producing frankincense. Sometimes the Holy Scripture likens Israel to Lebanon due to its distinction in holiness and wisdom with its many sacred heads. The revered David also refers to this in his words to God: “The cedars of Lebanon thou hast planted them: there the birds shall nest” (Psalms 103:16-17). Each saint, like a towering cedar, elevates himself beyond earthly concerns, serving as a sanctuary for others, drawing to himself those who seek knowledge and guidance.

Given the Chaldeans' destruction of Jerusalem, their vile actions and sacrilegious desecration of the divine temple, along with their theft of sacred vessels, the text suggests that such deeds “cover... his wickedness” against Lebanon. Here, Lebanon could represent either Judea or Jerusalem, possibly referring to the temple as fragrant and adorned with the priests, akin to cedars. The description of how Lebanon’s wickedness covers it continues with the phrase “the passion of beasts shall terrify you.” This could allude to the Persians and Medes who allied with Cyrus, characterized as beasts due to their brutality and cruelty. The certainty that God’s punishments correspond to one’s actions is underscored with the declaration: “for the blood of men, and the wickedness of the earth, and of the city, and of all that dwell therein.” Let every Pharisee, who played a role in Christ’s crucifixion, reflect on this: “And thou, heart, shakest and shakest: the cup of the Lord's right hand is laid upon thee, and the dishonour of the Lord's right hand is gathered together” to their shame. The punishment they faced was akin to “the cup of the Lord's right hand,” resulting in the total loss of honour and glory, due to their sins against Lebanon. Lebanon here may symbolize the church, a truly fragrant mountain renowned throughout the world. Following Christ’s crucifixion, the church was persecuted, and the Pharisees faced terror from their assailants, akin to wild beasts, having shed the blood of holy prophets and added to it the blood of those who believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, beginning with the blessed Stephen, a remarkable firstborn and true initiator.

Time and again, Nebuchadnezzar is reproached for forgetting his humanity, as he offers bitterness to others; this bitterness can refer to either the king of Judah or humanity at large, as he intoxicated them with evil to expose the nakedness of Zedekiah and the captives. Symmachus and the Fifth Edition, however, translate it as ‘to see their ingloriousness.’ This scenario is depicted metaphorically, portraying a man who is intoxicated and dishonored in his nakedness; Nebuchadnezzar made them drink from the cup of his wrath, ultimately leading to their humiliation as captives. Those who once held glory were reduced to the depths of bondage, a fate that is reflected in the statement, ‘He is filled with glory instead of glory.’ This suggests a friend or an ally to Nebuchadnezzar who drank from his cup. Hence, having intoxicated many, he too must imbibe from the cup of the Lord's wrath and be plunged into a deep sleep, surrounded by divine chastisements, discarding the remnants of his consumption, and falling from his exalted state into utter despair. ‘For the iniquity of Lebanon shall cover thee,’ refers to his pride, and the destruction of the temple will lead to his desolation. The prophet refers to the mountain Lebanon symbolically, indicating sacrifices and holy things, or the multitude of nations subdued in Jerusalem, likening them to beasts in the verse, ‘And the slaying of the animals shall oppress thee.’ Nebuchadnezzar shall endure these consequences as a result of ravaging Judah and desolating the promised land, the city of Jerusalem, and her people.

While in Lydda, I encountered a wise Hebrew, referred to as ‘an expert in the traditions,’ who recounted a curious tale: ‘Zedekiah, blinded by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, was humiliated in various ways and taken to Babylon. During certain feasts, Nebuchadnezzar ordered that Zedekiah be offered a drink, which would incapacitate him, and he was brought before the revelers. Overcome by his condition, Zedekiah was publicly shamed, which aligns with the Scriptures declaring: ‘Woe to him that giveth drink to his friend, adding his gall and intoxicating him, that he may see his nakedness, and dishonour instead of glory.’ This emphasizes the shame brought upon a once-mighty king. Thus, God warns that he shall drink from the same cup and suffer as Zedekiah did.’ Such absurdity is evident without further explanation. If it is understood that the subsequent words, ‘Thou shalt drink also, and be thrown into a heavy sleep,’ refer to calamities Nebuchadnezzar must face, then the drink offered to Zedekiah must be similarly interpreted; it refers to tribulations rather than a literal laxative. Conversely, if it is argued that such a drink was indeed prepared, then the cup for Nebuchadnezzar must also be seen as filled with what would cleanse bodily afflictions, as if God of Hosts were to prepare Nebuchadnezzar for a cleansing not of vengeance, but of self-defilement. This interpretation deviates from Hebrew tradition.

Now, let us delve into the spiritual implications of this passage. Woe unto thee, O adversary, or antichrist, or distorted teachings of heretics, as you intoxicate the deceived nations with your erroneous doctrines and polluted waters, leading them astray and giving them not drinks from Siloam, Jordan, or the springs of Israel, but from the murky waters of Kedron and the Nile, as Jeremiah asks, ‘What is it to thee and the ways of Egypt to drink of the water’ of Geon? In Hebrew, this is referred to as sior (שיהור), meaning ‘turbid’ or ‘muddy.’ Although we believe that Egypt's rivers flowed from Eden, they have become contaminated through the oppression of Pharaohs, losing their purity over time. Yet the righteous rejoice, declaring, ‘Our souls have passed over the turbulent stream.’ If we contrast this with the stream Korath, from which Elijah drank, and the other stream from which the Lord drank on His journey, we recognize a significant truth. Anyone like Moses, Aaron, Jeremiah, or Elijah, who has traversed Egypt or this worldly path, inevitably drinks from the cup of trials present in both environments; thus, Jesus, made flesh, anticipates these suffering waters and cries to the Father, ‘If it be possible let this cup pass me by,’ yet resolutely submits, ‘not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’ The adversary's aim is to intoxicate the rational beings around him through corrupt doctrines and deceptive teachings, urging them to retreat into their metaphorical caves.

Contrarily, the doctrines of the Church shine brightly in the daylight, while those who are inebriated do so under the cover of darkness; ‘But they that are drunken, they are drunken by night.’ Those who lead them do not guide them into the parishes of the Lord, which are not shrouded in shadows, but rather into darkness. They have turned my Father’s house—a house of prayer—into a den of robbers, promising hidden revelations and initiation into the esoteric mysteries exclusive to heretics, as Isaiah notes: ‘All the works of their hands they will hide, bringing down into caves and into the clefts of the rocks and into the ravines of the earth.’ Therefore, let us not enter into the darkness of heresies or conceal ourselves where Saul once lamented over his corrupt teachings. Instead, let us seek the high mountain of Sinai, where Elijah encountered the Lord and Moses glimpsed His glory; where Isaiah, yearning for the Lord, proclaims that He abides in the elevated sanctity of His presence.

However, if any teacher within the Church, devoid of heretical drinks but still seeking profit, exploits the gifts of the Holy Spirit for commercial gain, they may not make the house of prayer a den of robbers but transform it into a marketplace. The scripture continues: ‘Drink thou also of the satiety of dishonour, and be moved.’ This expresses a declaration to the devil, corrupt doctrine, or heretic who mistakenly sees himself as a golden cup intoxicating all tribes, declaring that instead of glory, he shall now be filled with dishonour, regarded as a vessel of clay made by the potter’s hand. He shall drink from the Lord’s cup, which is described in the Psalm, ‘The cup is in the hand of the Lord, filled with a mixture of pure wine, and He has tilted it yet its thick moisture has not been exhausted;’ therefore, let him abandon his mistaken beliefs, for he is encompassed by the cup of God’s right hand.

Moreover, having offered tumultuous drinks to others, dishonour shall collect upon him, and upon the perceived glory he once thought he possessed. He shall suffer for the iniquities of Lebanon shall envelop him, as expressed in the Psalm: ‘And his prayer shall be for sin,’ as Mount Lebanon symbolically references frankincense, representing divine worship. Thus, the corrupt prayers of heretics, unreflected by the Gospel's simplicity, will become sin for them, and they will bear the weight of their sacrilegious service.

As dreadful as it may sound, when those deceived by this doctrine are met with their afflictions, they will tremble in fear. And, to clarify my point regarding Lebanon and beasts, I affirm that it is indeed people who are described—not wild animals—alluding to the multitude harmed because of wickedness before God.

This passage, ‘Woe to him who gives with tumultuous indignation to drink to his neighbour,’ along with its companion verses addressing greed and bloodshed, possess a dual applicability: they can refer directly to Nebuchadnezzar or symbolize the operations of the devil, antichrist, and heretics alike.