“Woe to him who builds a town with blood
Habakkuk 2:12-14
and founds a city on iniquity!
Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts
that peoples labor merely for fire,
and nations weary themselves for nothing?
For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
We have arrived at the third woe. Habakkuk condemns those who build a town unjustly. While you might be building a town or physical structures, you’re probably building something.
We are All Builders
The Hebrew word for “build” is בנה (banah). There are plenty of examples of people building throughout the Bible, from cities (Genesis 11:4), houses (Deuteronomy 22:8), altars (Genesis 8:20), and city walls (Nehemiah 2:17).
The Hebrew word house (bayit) can refer to either a physical house or a family. Sarah tried to build her family through her servant Hagar, telling Abraham, “Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children (literally “build”, banah) by her” (Genesis 16:2).
God the Builder
God is also building. While he formed Adam, he built Eve from Adam’s side (Genesis 2:22).
David wanted to build a house for the Lord, but God responded that he would build a house (dynasty) for David instead (2 Samuel 7). God likewise promised to build a house for Jeroboam if he was obedient (1 Kings 11:38). Jeroboam, however, failed, and the offer was rescinded.
God builds/rebuilds Israel: “I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild (banah) them as they were at first” (Jeremiah 33:7).
We find imagery of building in the New Testament, too. Jesus told a parable of a foolish man building on sand and a wise man building on rock (Matthew 7:24-26). Jesus said he would build his church (Matthew 16:18). God is building a spiritual house with each of us, his followers, as living stones (1 Peter 2:5). We should build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Built with Blood
Why does God condemn these builders in Habakkuk? The problem, obviously, isn’t building a city. The problem is how it is built. What does it mean to build a town with blood? The Hebrew word for “blood” (dam) can also mean bloodshed. A parallel idea appears in the next line, where they found the city on iniquity (avlah). Hebrew doesn’t use the phrase “flesh and blood” like in English. Instead, it’s “flesh and bone”, like how Adam describes Eve: “This at last is bone of my bones / and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2:23). Since blood is usually linked with it being spilled, it doesn’t work well to describe family relationships. Blood is connected with life (Leviticus 17:11) because if you drain the blood from an animal or person, they die. Pouring out the blood of an animal during sacrifice depicts submitting its life to God.
Micah espouses a similar idea as Habakkuk, condemning the rulers of Jerusalem, “who build (banah) Zion with blood (dam) / and Jerusalem with iniquity (avlah)” (Micah 3:10). “Woe (hoi) to him who builds (banah) his house by unrighteousness” (Jeremiah 22:13).
To Ponder…
What are you building? Are you doing it by your own strength or are you working with the Lord? Why are you building – for yourself or for God?
What do you see God building around you that you can join?