Habakuk 2:2-3
Konteks“Write down this message! 2 Record it legibly on tablets,
so the one who announces 3 it may read it easily. 4
2:3 For the message is a witness to what is decreed; 5
it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out. 6
Even if the message 7 is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently; 8
for it will certainly come to pass – it will not arrive late.
Habakuk 3:1
Konteks3:1 This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet: 9
Habakuk 2:13
Konteks2:13 Be sure of this! The Lord who commands armies has decreed:
The nations’ efforts will go up in smoke;
their exhausting work will be for nothing. 10
Habakuk 1:1
Konteks1:1 The following is the message 11 which God revealed to Habakkuk the prophet: 12
Habakuk 1:14
Konteks1:14 You made people like fish in the sea,
like animals in the sea 13 that have no ruler.
Habakuk 2:8
Konteks2:8 Because you robbed many countries, 14
all who are left among the nations 15 will rob you.
You have shed human blood
and committed violent acts against lands, cities, 16 and those who live in them.
Habakuk 2:14
Konteks2:14 For recognition of the Lord’s sovereign majesty will fill the earth
just as the waters fill up the sea. 17
Habakuk 1:16
Konteks1:16 Because of his success 18 he offers sacrifices to his throw net
and burns incense to his dragnet; 19
for because of them he has plenty of food, 20
and more than enough to eat. 21
Habakuk 2:4
Konteks2:4 Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, 22
but the person of integrity 23 will live 24 because of his faithfulness. 25
Habakuk 3:9
Konteks3:9 Your bow is ready for action; 26
you commission your arrows. 27 Selah.
You cause flash floods on the earth’s surface. 28
Habakuk 2:17
Konteks2:17 For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; 29
terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. 30
You have shed human blood
and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them.
Habakuk 1:3
Konteks1:3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? 31
Why do you put up with wrongdoing? 32
Destruction and violence confront 33 me;
conflict is present and one must endure strife. 34
Habakuk 1:6
Konteks1:6 Look, I am about to empower 35 the Babylonians,
that ruthless 36 and greedy 37 nation.
They sweep across the surface 38 of the earth,
seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.
Habakuk 1:12
Konteks1:12 Lord, you have been active from ancient times; 39
my sovereign God, 40 you are immortal. 41
Lord, you have made them 42 your instrument of judgment. 43
Protector, 44 you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. 45
Habakuk 3:19
Konteks3:19 The sovereign Lord is my source of strength. 46
He gives me the agility of a deer; 47
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 48
(This prayer is for the song leader. It is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.) 49
Habakuk 2:6
Konteks2:6 “But all these nations will someday taunt him 50
and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: 51
‘The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead 52
(How long will this go on?) 53 –
he who gets rich by extortion!’ 54
Habakuk 3:2
Konteks3:2 Lord, I have heard the report of what you did; 55
I am awed, 56 Lord, by what you accomplished. 57
In our time 58 repeat those deeds; 59
in our time reveal them again. 60
But when you cause turmoil, remember to show us mercy! 61
Habakuk 3:16
Konteks3:16 I listened and my stomach churned; 62
the sound made my lips quiver.
My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying, 63
and I shook as I tried to walk. 64
I long 65 for the day of distress
to come upon 66 the people who attack us.
[2:2] 1 tn Heb “the
[2:2] 2 tn Heb “[the] vision.”
[2:2] 4 tn Heb “might run,” which here probably means “run [through it quickly with one’s eyes],” that is, read it easily.
[2:3] 5 tn Heb “For the vision is still for the appointed time.” The Hebrew word עוֹד (’od, “still”) is better emended to עֵד (’ed, “witness”) in light of the parallelism (see the note on the word “turn out” in the following line). The “appointed time” refers to the time when the divine judgment anticipated in vv. 6-20 will be realized.
[2:3] 6 tn Heb “and a witness to the end and it does not lie.” The Hebrew term יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) has been traditionally understood as a verb form from the root פּוּחַ (puakh, “puff, blow”; cf. NEB “it will come in breathless haste”; NASB “it hastens toward the goal”) but recent scholarship has demonstrated that it is actually a noun meaning “witness” (cf. NIV “it speaks of the end / and will not prove false”; NRSV “it speaks of the end, and does not lie”). See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 106. “The end” corresponds to “the appointed time” of the preceding line and refers to the time when the prophecy to follow will be fulfilled.
[2:3] 7 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the message) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:3] 8 tn Heb “If it should delay, wait for it.” The Hebrew word חָזוֹן (khazon, “vision, message”) is the subject of the third person verbs in v. 3 and the antecedent of the pronominal suffix in the phrase “for it.”
[3:1] 9 tn The Hebrew text adds עַל שִׁגְיֹנוֹת (’al shigyonot, “upon [or, “according to”] shigyonot”). The meaning of this word is uncertain. It may refer to the literary genre of the prayer or to the musical style to be employed when it is sung. The NEB leaves the term untranslated; several other modern English versions transliterate the term into English, sometimes with explanatory notes (NASB, NRSV “according to Shigionoth”; NIV “On shigyonoth”).
[2:13] 10 tn Heb “Is it not, look, from the
[1:1] 11 tn Heb “The burden” (so KJV, ASV). The Hebrew term מַשָּׂא (masa’), usually translated “oracle” (NAB, NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “utterance” (BDB 672 s.v. III מַשָּׂא), in prophetic literature is a technical term introducing a message from the
[1:1] 12 tn Heb “The message [traditionally, “burden”] which Habakkuk the prophet saw.”
[1:14] 13 tn The Hebrew word רֶמֶשׂ (remesh) usually refers to animals that creep, but here the referent seems to be marine animals that glide through the water (note the parallelism in the previous line). See also Ps 104:25.
[2:8] 16 tn Heb “because of the shed blood of humankind and violence against land, city.” The singular forms אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”) and קִרְיָה (qiryah, “city”) are collective, referring to all the lands and cities terrorized by the Babylonians.
[2:14] 17 tn Heb “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
[1:16] 19 sn The fishing implements (throw net and dragnet) represent Babylonian military might. The prophet depicts the Babylonians as arrogantly worshiping their own power (sacrifices…burns incense, see also v. 11b).
[1:16] 20 tn Heb “for by them his portion is full [or, “fat”].”
[1:16] 21 tn Heb “and his food is plentiful [or, “fat”].”
[2:4] 22 tn The meaning of this line is unclear, primarily because of the uncertainty surrounding the second word, עֲפְּלָה (’apÿlah). Some read this as an otherwise unattested verb עָפַל (’afal, “swell”) from which are derived nouns meaning “mound” and “hemorrhoid.” This “swelling” is then understood in an abstract sense, “swell with pride.” This would yield a translation, “As for the proud, his desires are not right within him” (cf. NASB “as for the proud one”; NIV “he is puffed up”; NRSV “Look at the proud!”). A multitude of other interpretations of this line, many of which involve emendations of the problematic form, may be found in the commentaries and periodical literature. The present translation assumes an emendation to a Pual form of the verb עָלַף (’alaf, “be faint, exhausted”). (See its use in the Pual in Isa 51:20, and in the Hitpael in Amos 8:13 and Jonah 4:8.) In the antithetical parallelism of the verse, it corresponds to חָיָה (khayah, “live”). The phrase לֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ (lo’ yoshrah nafsho bo), literally, “not upright his desire within him,” is taken as a substantival clause that contrasts with צַדִּיק (tsadiq, “the righteous one”) and serves as the subject of the preceding verb. Here נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is understood in the sense of “desire” (see BDB 660-61 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ for a list of passages where the word carries this sense).
[2:4] 23 tn Or “righteous.” The oppressed individuals mentioned in 1:4 are probably in view here.
[2:4] 24 tn Or “will be preserved.” In the immediate context this probably refers to physical preservation through both the present oppression and the coming judgment (see Hab 3:16-19).
[2:4] 25 tn Or “loyalty”; or “integrity.” The Hebrew word אֱמוּנָה (’emunah) has traditionally been translated “faith,” but the term nowhere else refers to “belief” as such. When used of human character and conduct it carries the notion of “honesty, integrity, reliability, faithfulness.” The antecedent of the suffix has been understood in different ways. It could refer to God’s faithfulness, but in this case one would expect a first person suffix (the original form of the LXX has “my faithfulness” here). Others understand the “vision” to be the antecedent. In this case the reliability of the prophecy is in view. For a statement of this view, see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 111-12. The present translation assumes that the preceding word “[the person of] integrity” is the antecedent. In this case the
[3:9] 26 tn Heb “[into] nakedness your bow is laid bare.”
[3:9] 27 tn Heb “sworn in are the arrow-shafts with a word.” The passive participle of שָׁבַע (shava’), “swear an oath,” also occurs in Ezek 21:23 ET (21:28 HT) referencing those who have sworn allegiance. Here the
[3:9] 28 tn Heb “[with] rivers you split open the earth.” A literal rendering like “You split the earth with rivers” (so NIV, NRSV) suggests geological activity to the modern reader, but in the present context of a violent thunderstorm, the idea of streams swollen to torrents by downpours better fits the imagery.
[3:9] sn As the
[2:17] 29 tn Heb “for the violence against Lebanon will cover you.”
[2:17] 30 tc The Hebrew appears to read literally, “and the violence against the animals [which] he terrified.” The verb form יְחִיתַן (yÿkhitan) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect third masculine singular with third feminine plural suffix (the antecedent being the animals) from חָתַת (khatat, “be terrified”). The translation above follows the LXX and assumes a reading יְחִתֶּךָ (yÿkhittekha, “[the violence against the animals] will terrify you”; cf. NRSV “the destruction of the animals will terrify you”; NIV “and your destruction of animals will terrify you”). In this case the verb is a Hiphil imperfect third masculine singular with second masculine singular suffix (the antecedent being Babylon). This provides better symmetry with the preceding line, where Babylon’s violence is the subject of the verb “cover.”
[2:17] sn The language may anticipate Nebuchadnezzar’s utilization of trees from the Lebanon forest in building projects. Lebanon and its animals probably represent the western Palestinian states conquered by the Babylonians.
[1:3] 31 tn Heb “Why do you make me see injustice?”
[1:3] 32 tn Heb “Why do you look at wrongdoing?”
[1:3] sn Habakkuk complains that God tolerates social injustice and fails to intervene on behalf of the oppressed (put up with wrongdoing).
[1:3] 34 tn Heb “and there is conflict and strife he lifts up.” The present translation takes the verb יִשָּׂא (yisa’) in the sense of “carry, bear,” and understands the subject to be indefinite (“one”).
[1:6] 35 tn Heb “raise up” (so KJV, ASV).
[1:6] 36 tn Heb “bitter.” Other translation options for this word in this context include “fierce” (NASB, NRSV); “savage” (NEB); or “grim.”
[1:6] 37 tn Heb “hasty, quick.” Some translate here “impetuous” (so NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “rash,” but in this context greed may very well be the idea. The Babylonians move quickly and recklessly ahead in their greedy quest to expand their empire.
[1:6] 38 tn Heb “the open spaces.”
[1:12] 39 tn Heb “Are you not from antiquity, O
[1:12] 40 tn Heb “My God, my holy one.” God’s “holiness” in this context is his sovereign transcendence as the righteous judge of the world (see vv. 12b-13a), thus the translation “My sovereign God.”
[1:12] 41 tc The MT reads, “we will not die,” but an ancient scribal tradition has “you [i.e., God] will not die.” This is preferred as a more difficult reading that can explain the rise of the other variant. Later scribes who copied the manuscripts did not want to associate the idea of death with God in any way, so they softened the statement to refer to humanity.
[1:12] 42 tn Heb “him,” a collective singular referring to the Babylonians. The plural pronoun “them” has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.
[1:12] 43 tn Heb “for judgment.”
[1:12] 44 tn Heb “Rock” or “Cliff.” This divine epithet views God as a place where one can go to be safe from danger. The translation “Protector” conveys the force of the metaphor (cf. KJV, NEB “O mighty God”).
[1:12] 45 tn Heb “to correct, reprove.”
[3:19] 46 tn Or perhaps, “is my wall,” that is, “my protector.”
[3:19] 47 tn Heb “he makes my feet like those of deer.”
[3:19] 48 tn Heb “he makes me walk on my high places.”
[3:19] sn Difficult times are coming, but Habakkuk is confident the
[3:19] 49 tn Heb “For the leader, on my stringed instruments.”
[2:6] 50 tn Heb “Will not these, all of them, take up a taunt against him…?” The rhetorical question assumes the response, “Yes, they will.” The present translation brings out the rhetorical force of the question by rendering it as an affirmation.
[2:6] 51 tn Heb “and a mocking song, riddles, against him? And one will say.”
[2:6] 52 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who increases [what is] not his.” The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe,” “ah”) was used in funeral laments and carries the connotation of death.
[2:6] 53 tn This question is interjected parenthetically, perhaps to express rhetorically the pain and despair felt by the Babylonians’ victims.
[2:6] 54 tn Heb “and the one who makes himself heavy [i.e., wealthy] [by] debts.” Though only appearing in the first line, the term הוֹי (hoy) is to be understood as elliptical in the second line.
[3:2] 55 tn Heb “your report,” that is, “the report concerning you.”
[3:2] 56 tn Heb “I fear.” Some prefer to read, “I saw,
[3:2] 58 tn Heb “in the midst of years.” The meaning of the phrase, which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain (cf. NIV “in our day”; NEB, NASB “in the midst of the years”).
[3:2] 59 tn Heb “revive it” (i.e., “your work”).
[3:2] 60 tn Heb “make known.” The implied object is “your deeds”; the pronoun “them,” referring to “deeds” in the previous line, was employed in the translation to avoid redundancy. The suffix on the form חַיֵּיהוּ (khayyehu, “revive it”) does double duty in the parallelism.
[3:2] 61 tn Heb “in turmoil remember [to show] compassion.”
[3:16] 62 tn Heb “my insides trembled.”
[3:16] 63 tn Heb “decay entered my bones.”
[3:16] 64 tc Heb “beneath me I shook, which….” The Hebrew term אֲשֶׁר (’asher) appears to be a relative pronoun, but a relative pronoun does not fit here. The translation assumes a reading אֲשֻׁרָי (’ashuray, “my steps”) as well as an emendation of the preceding verb to a third plural form.
[3:16] 65 tn The translation assumes that אָנוּחַ (’anuakh) is from the otherwise unattested verb נָוָח (navakh, “sigh”; see HALOT 680 s.v. II נוח; so also NEB). Most take this verb as נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”) and translate, “I wait patiently” (cf. NIV).
