The Meaning of Habakkuk 2:16 Explained

Habakkuk 2:16

KJV: Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.

YLT: 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 is on thine honour.

Darby: Thou art filled with shame instead of glory; drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of Jehovah's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and a shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.

ASV: Thou art filled with shame, and not glory: drink thou also, and be as one uncircumcised; the cup of Jehovah's right hand shall come round unto thee, and foul shame shall be upon thy glory.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou art filled  with shame  for glory:  drink  thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered:  the cup  of the LORD'S  right hand  shall be turned  unto thee, and shameful spewing  [shall be] on thy glory. 

What does Habakkuk 2:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

As they had made their neighbors drunk, so the Lord would give them a cup of judgment that would make them drunk. Yahweh"s right hand is a figure for His strong personal retribution, giving back in kind what the person being judged had given (cf. Isaiah 51:17-23; Jeremiah 25:15-17; Lamentations 4:21; Matthew 20:22; Matthew 26:42; 1 Corinthians 11:29). Having swallowed the cup"s contents the Babylonians would disgrace themselves rather than honoring and glorifying themselves as they did presently. Their future disgrace contrasts with Yahweh"s future glory ( Habakkuk 2:14). They would expose their own nakedness as they had exposed the nakedness of others ( Habakkuk 2:15). The Hebrew is more graphic and literally reads, "Drink, yes you, and expose your foreskin," namely, show yourself to be uncircumcised. Nakedness involves vulnerability as well as shame (cf. Genesis 9:21-25). The Lord pictured Babylon as a contemptible, naked drunk who had lost his self-control and the respect of everyone including himself.

Context Summary

Habakkuk 2:1-20 - "the Just Shall Live By Faith"
Having prayed, the prophet expected an answer and looked out for it. When it came, there would be no mistaking it. But until we see eye to eye, we must live by simple faith in God. Note that wonderful clause in Habakkuk 2:4, which is referred to so often afterward. See Romans 1:17; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:11. Life in this age, as in that, may be obtained and maintained by faith in the ever-living God. Through long waiting-times the only source of continued life is the faith which draws all from God. From Habakkuk 2:5 onwards, the prophet enumerates Babylon's sins: her pride, love of strong drink, rapacity, and violence. It could not be God's will that the mighty city should flourish on the anguish of the world.
From scenes of anarchy and riot which foretell Chaldea's doom, we pass into Jehovah's temple, where peaceful silence reigns! Let us live in that secret place! "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Habakkuk 2

1  Unto Habakkuk, waiting for an answer, is shown that he must wait by faith
5  The judgment upon the Chaldean for unsatiableness,
9  for covetousness,
12  for cruelty,
15  for drunkenness,
18  and for idolatry

What do the individual words in Habakkuk 2:16 mean?

You are filled with shame instead of glory Drink also You and be exposed as uncircumcised [will be] turned against you the cup of the right hand of Yahweh and utter shame will be on your glory
שָׂבַ֤עְתָּ קָלוֹן֙ מִכָּב֔וֹד שְׁתֵ֥ה גַם־ אַ֖תָּה וְהֵֽעָרֵ֑ל תִּסּ֣וֹב עָלֶ֗יךָ כּ֚וֹס יְמִ֣ין יְהוָ֔ה וְקִיקָל֖וֹן עַל־ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ

שָׂבַ֤עְתָּ  You  are  filled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׂבַע  
Sense: to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited.
קָלוֹן֙  with  shame 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָלֹון  
Sense: shame, disgrace, dishonour, ignominy.
מִכָּב֔וֹד  instead  of  glory 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כָּבֹוד  
Sense: glory, honour, glorious, abundance.
שְׁתֵ֥ה  Drink 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
גַם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
וְהֵֽעָרֵ֑ל  and  be  exposed  as  uncircumcised 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: עָרַל  
Sense: to remain uncircumcised, count uncircumcised, count as foreskin.
תִּסּ֣וֹב  [will  be]  turned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
עָלֶ֗יךָ  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כּ֚וֹס  the  cup 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כֹּוס 
Sense: cup.
יְמִ֣ין  of  the  right  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: right, right hand, right side.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְקִיקָל֖וֹן  and  utter  shame  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קִיקָלֹון  
Sense: disgrace, shame.
כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ  your  glory 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּבֹוד  
Sense: glory, honour, glorious, abundance.