Judgment upon the Babylonians
God was not going to let the Babylonians live and behave as they did. His judgment would come upon their lives and actions in five woes. They would be plundered by those whom they had fought against (Habakkuk 2:6–8). They would lose what they had gained by unjust means (Habakkuk 2:9–11). The effort they put into building their kingdom would come to ruin (Habakkuk 2:12–14). They would be filled with shame and disgrace for their violent destruction of their enemies (Habakkuk 2:15–17). They would be shown to be fools for trusting in idols (Habakkuk 2:18–20).
6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own for how long? and loads himself with pledges!”