Matthew Henry Commentary Habakkuk 2:15-20

"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, [to thee] that addest thy venom, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! 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. For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of the beasts, which made them afraid; because of men`s blood, and for the violence done to the land, to the city and to all that dwell therein. What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him." — Habakkuk 2:15-20 (ASV)

A severe woe is pronounced against drunkenness; it is a very dreadful pronouncement against all who are guilty of drunkenness at any time and in any place, from the stately palace to the paltry ale-house. To give a drink to someone who is in need, who is thirsty and poor, or a weary traveler, or ready to perish, is charity. However, to give a neighbor a drink so that they may expose themselves, disclose secret concerns, be drawn into a bad bargain, or for any such purpose, this is wickedness.

To be guilty of this sin, and to take pleasure in it, is to do all we can to murder both soul and body. There is woe to the one who does this, and a punishment corresponding to the sin. The folly of worshipping idols is exposed.

The Lord is in his holy temple in heaven, where we have access to him in the way he has appointed. May we welcome his salvation and worship him in his earthly temples, through Christ Jesus, and by the influence of the Holy Spirit.