John Trapp on Habakkuk 2:5

Verſe 5. Yea alſo becauſe he tranſgreſſeth by wine] Or, How. Much more becauſe he is a a wine-bibber, perfidious, proud, neither keepeth at home, &c. Theſe four faults the Prophet here layeth to the charge of the Babylonian, and there-hence inferreth for the comfort of the diſtreſſed captives, that his deſtruction cannot be farre off: and therefore the juſt ſhould mean-while, live by faith, and bear up under affliction. For if thoſe that beleeve not the promiſes, but ſhift and ſhark for help and comfort elſewhere, ſhall ſmart for their unbelief, as verſ. 4. where ſhall thoſe appear that are here deſcribed? ſhall theſe bipedum nequiſſimi, worſt of men eſcape by iniquity? Never think it. Firſt, their drunkenneſſe alone would undo them; as it did Amnon, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Ariſt. Ethic. l. 3. c. 3. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Aelian. lib. 2. cap. 41. Elah, Nabal, Belſhazzar, Bonoſus, &c. Ariſtotle ſaith, that double puniſhments are due to drunkards: firſt, for their drunkenneſſe, and then for other ſinnes committed in and by their drunkenneſſe. Nebuchadnezzar (or, as ſome will have it, Belſhazzar) is here called wine, or, (by an ordinary ellipſis) a man of wine: not onely Meribibulus, but a deep and deſperate drunkard, a very tundiſh (as Diotimus of Athens was called,) a hogſhead, as young Cicero. No wonder therefore though he were all the reſt that followeth. 1. Perfidious, to thoſe that committed themſelves to his truſt, or made leagues with him, which he kept no longer then ſtood with his profit. 2. Proud, or Arrogant, Prov. 21.24. See Dan. 4.30. how he ſpreads his peacocks tail, and prides himſelf in it: his great wealth tumoured him up with great ſwealth. 3. He keepeth not at home] Non habitabit, his own countrey will not contain him, but he encloſeth all nations in his draw-net, chap. 1.15.Sheol. 4. He enlargeth his deſire as hell] which hath its name in Hebrew, from its unſatiableneſſe, Prov. 30.15, 16. and in Latine it is called Infernus ab inferendo, ſay ſome, from the devils continuall carrying in ſouls thither, and yet it is not filled.

and is as death] which is the end of all men, Eccleſ. 7.2. the way of all fleſh, 1 King. 2.2. of all the earth, Joſh. 23.14. the houſe appointed for all living, the great Congregation-houſe, Job 30.23.

and cannot be ſatisfied] Luſt is unſatisfiable, and whatſoever it getteth, is but as fuell to the fire. Ambition groweth as the Crocodile doth, as long as he liveth. It rideth without reins, and there is no hoe with it.

but gathereth unto him all nations, &c.] All that he could come at; All Aſia, and a great part of Africa; and could never have enough, till his mouth was filled with a ſpade full of mould. Therefore, he ſhall not keep home, (ſo ſome read the words above in this verſe) Ideo non manebit in habitaculo His kingdome ſhall not long continue, but after a few years be over-turned by the Perſians: this golden head (as Daniel calleth the Babyloniſh Monarchy) held not up above 170 years, if we reckon from Merodach-Baladan the firſt founder, to Belſhazzar, ſlain by cyrus, who tranſlated the kingdome to the Perſians, Dan. 5.