חבקוק, פרק ב׳, פסוק י״ב

A severe warning of wrath targets a cruel empire that constructs its power and wealth on a foundation of violence, murder, and theft. The primary approach among commentators is that this message continues previous prophecies, aiming directly at Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire. However, another perspective suggests that God shifts the focus here to present a second vision concerning the distant future. In this view, the prophecy foretells the downfall of Edom, identified as the Roman empire, which destroyed Jerusalem and forced Israel into exile [אברבנאל].

A cry of woe is called out against those who construct a city through the literal spilling of human blood [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This is a deep condemnation of leaders who murder people to seize their wealth, using those stolen riches to build a massive metropolis, and who prepare and found a town rooted entirely in injustice and crime [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון].

There are different ways to understand the flow of this condemnation. Some suggest that the second half of the warning simply repeats the first half using different words, serving purely to emphasize the severity of the crimes [מצודת דוד]. Others, however, see a clear conceptual progression from start to finish. According to this approach, the initial act of building refers to the very beginning of the city's construction. The subsequent act of establishing the town marks the final stage of completion. In fact, the specific term used for the town is understood to relate to the physical act of placing a roof, symbolizing the ultimate completion of a structure built from the ground up on a legacy of violence [מלבי״ם].