Habakuk 1:1-17
Konteks1:1 The following is the message 1 which God revealed to Habakkuk the prophet: 2
1:2 How long, Lord, must I cry for help?
But you do not listen!
I call out to you, “Violence!”
But you do not intervene! 3
1:3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? 4
Why do you put up with wrongdoing? 5
Destruction and violence confront 6 me;
conflict is present and one must endure strife. 7
1:4 For this reason the law lacks power, 8
and justice is never carried out. 9
Indeed, 10 the wicked intimidate 11 the innocent. 12
For this reason justice is perverted. 13
1:5 “Look at the nations and pay attention! 14
You will be shocked and amazed! 15
For I will do something in your lifetime 16
that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. 17
1:6 Look, I am about to empower 18 the Babylonians,
that ruthless 19 and greedy 20 nation.
They sweep across the surface 21 of the earth,
seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.
1:7 They are frightening and terrifying;
they decide for themselves what is right. 22
1:8 Their horses are faster than leopards
and more alert 23 than wolves in the desert. 24
their horses come a great distance;
like a vulture 27 they swoop down quickly to devour their prey. 28
1:9 All of them intend 29 to do violence;
every face is determined. 30
They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. 31
1:10 They mock kings
and laugh at rulers.
They laugh at every fortified city;
they build siege ramps 32 and capture them.
1:11 They sweep by like the wind and pass on. 33
But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty.” 34
1:12 Lord, you have been active from ancient times; 35
my sovereign God, 36 you are immortal. 37
Lord, you have made them 38 your instrument of judgment. 39
Protector, 40 you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. 41
1:13 You are too just 42 to tolerate 43 evil;
you are unable to condone 44 wrongdoing.
So why do you put up with such treacherous people? 45
Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour 46 those more righteous than they are? 47
1:14 You made people like fish in the sea,
like animals in the sea 48 that have no ruler.
1:15 The Babylonian tyrant 49 pulls them all up with a fishhook;
he hauls them in with his throw net. 50
When he catches 51 them in his dragnet,
he is very happy. 52
1:16 Because of his success 53 he offers sacrifices to his throw net
and burns incense to his dragnet; 54
for because of them he has plenty of food, 55
and more than enough to eat. 56
1:17 Will he then 57 continue to fill and empty his throw net? 58
Will he always 59 destroy 60 nations and spare none? 61
Yakobus 3:1-18
Konteks3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, 62 because you know that we will be judged more strictly. 63 3:2 For we all stumble 64 in many ways. If someone does not stumble 65 in what he says, 66 he is a perfect individual, 67 able to control the entire body as well. 3:3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. 68 3:4 Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. 3:5 So too the tongue is a small part of the body, 69 yet it has great pretensions. 70 Think 71 how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. 3:6 And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents 72 the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It 73 pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence – and is set on fire by hell. 74
3:7 For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature 75 is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. 76 3:8 But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless 77 evil, full of deadly poison. 3:9 With it we bless the Lord 78 and Father, and with it we curse people 79 made in God’s image. 3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. 80 3:11 A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? 3:12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, 81 or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.
3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. 82 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 3:15 Such 83 wisdom does not come 84 from above but is earthly, natural, 85 demonic. 3:16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, 86 full of mercy and good fruit, 87 impartial, and not hypocritical. 88 3:18 And the fruit that consists of righteousness 89 is planted 90 in peace among 91 those who make peace.
Wahyu 15:1-8
Konteks15:1 Then 92 I saw another great and astounding sign in heaven: seven angels who have seven final plagues 93 (they are final because in them God’s anger is completed).
15:2 Then 94 I saw something like a sea of glass 95 mixed with fire, and those who had conquered 96 the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing 97 by 98 the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God. 99 15:3 They 100 sang the song of Moses the servant 101 of God and the song of the Lamb: 102
“Great and astounding are your deeds,
Lord God, the All-Powerful! 103
Just 104 and true are your ways,
King over the nations! 105
15:4 Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and glorify 106 your name, because you alone are holy? 107
All nations 108 will come and worship before you
for your righteous acts 109 have been revealed.”
15:5 After 110 these things I looked, and the temple (the tent 111 of the testimony) 112 was opened in heaven, 15:6 and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, dressed in clean bright linen, wearing wide golden belts 113 around their chests. 15:7 Then 114 one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath 115 of God who lives forever and ever, 15:8 and the temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and from his power. Thus 116 no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues from the seven angels were completed.
[1:1] 1 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] 2 tn Heb “The message [traditionally, “burden”] which Habakkuk the prophet saw.”
[1:3] 4 tn Heb “Why do you make me see injustice?”
[1:3] 5 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] 7 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”).
[1:4] 8 tn Heb “the law is numb,” i.e., like a hand that has “fallen asleep” (see Ps 77:2). Cf. NAB “is benumbed”; NIV “is paralyzed.”
[1:4] 9 tn Heb “never goes out.”
[1:4] 11 tn Heb “surround” (so NASB, NRSV).
[1:4] 12 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[1:4] 13 tn Heb “comes out crooked.”
[1:5] 14 tn Or “look among the nations and observe.” The imperatival forms in v. 5 are plural, indicating that the Lord’s message is for the whole nation, not just the prophet.
[1:5] 15 tn The Hebrew text combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of the verb תָּמַה (tamah, “be amazed”). A literal translation might read, “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sounds draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110.c and IBHS 572-73 §34.4c.
[1:5] 16 tc Heb “for a work working in your days.” Following the LXX reading, some supply a first person singular pronoun with the participle פֹּעֵל (po’el). Ellipsis of a first singular pronoun before participles is relatively rare (see GKC 360 §116.s); perhaps an original אֲנֹכִי (’anoki; or אֲנִי, ’aniy) followed the initial כִּי (ki) and was omitted by homoioteleuton.
[1:5] 17 tn Heb “you will not believe when it is told.” In this context the force of כִּי (ki) may be “when,” “if,” or “even though.”
[1:6] 18 tn Heb “raise up” (so KJV, ASV).
[1:6] 19 tn Heb “bitter.” Other translation options for this word in this context include “fierce” (NASB, NRSV); “savage” (NEB); or “grim.”
[1:6] 20 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] 21 tn Heb “the open spaces.”
[1:7] 22 tn Heb “from him his justice, even his lifting up, goes out.” In this context שְׂאֵת (sÿ’et) probably has the nuance “authority.” See R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 150.
[1:8] 23 tn Heb “sharper,” in the sense of “keener” or “more alert.” Some translate “quicker” on the basis of the parallelism with the first line (see HALOT 291 s.v. חדד).
[1:8] 24 tn Heb “wolves of the evening,” that is, wolves that prowl at night. The present translation assumes an emendation to עֲרָבָה (’aravah, “desert”). On this phrase see also Zeph 3:3.
[1:8] 25 tn Or “horsemen,” “cavalry.”
[1:8] 26 tn The precise nuance of the rare verb פָּוַשׁ (parash) is unclear here. Elsewhere it is used of animals jumping or leaping (see Jer 50:11; Mal 4:2).
[1:8] 27 tn Or “eagle” (so NASB, NRSV). The term can refer to either eagles or vultures, but in this context of gruesome destruction and death “vulture” is preferred.
[1:8] 28 tn Heb “they fly like a vulture/an eagle quickly to devour.” The direct object “their prey” is not included in the Hebrew text but is implied, and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[1:9] 30 tn Heb “The totality of their faces is to the east” (or “is forward”). The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מְגַמַּת (megammat) is unclear. For a discussion of options see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 93. NEB has “a sea of faces rolls on”; NIV “their hordes advance like a desert wind”; NRSV “with faces pressing forward.”
[1:9] 31 tn Heb “and he gathers like sand, prisoners.”
[1:10] 32 tn Heb “they heap up dirt.” This is a reference to the piling up of earthen ramps in the process of laying siege to a fortified city.
[1:11] 33 tn The precise meaning of v. 11a is uncertain. The present translation assumes the first line further describes the Babylonian hordes, comparing them to a destructive wind. Another option is to understand רוּחַ (ruakh) as “spirit,” rather than “wind,” and take the form וְאָשֵׁם (vÿ’ashem) with what precedes (as suggested by the scribal punctuation). Repointing this form as a geminate verb from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be astonished”), one could then translate the line, “The spirit passed on and departed, and I was astonished.” In this case the line would describe the cessation of the divine revelation which began in v. 5. For a detailed defense of this view, see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 97-100.
[1:11] 34 tn Heb “and guilty is the one whose strength is his god.” This assumes that אָשֵׁם (’ashem) is a predicate adjective meaning “guilty” and that it relates to what follows.
[1:12] 35 tn Heb “Are you not from antiquity, O
[1:12] 36 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] 37 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] 38 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] 39 tn Heb “for judgment.”
[1:12] 40 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] 41 tn Heb “to correct, reprove.”
[1:13] 42 tn Heb “[you] are too pure of eyes.” God’s “eyes” here signify what he looks at with approval. His “eyes” are “pure” in that he refuses to tolerate any wrongdoing in his presence.
[1:13] 43 tn Heb “to see.” Here “see” is figurative for “tolerate,” “put up with.”
[1:13] 44 tn Heb “to look at.” Cf. NEB “who canst not countenance wrongdoing”; NASB “You can not look on wickedness with favor.”
[1:13] 45 tn Heb “Why do you look at treacherous ones?” The verb בָּגַד (bagad, “be treacherous”) is often used of those who are disloyal or who violate agreements. See S. Erlandsson, TDOT 1:470-73.
[1:13] 47 tn Heb “more innocent than themselves.”
[1:14] 48 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.
[1:15] 49 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Babylonian tyrant) has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. NASB “The Chaldeans”; NIV “The wicked foe”; NRSV “The enemy”). Babylonian imperialism is here compared to a professional fisherman who repeatedly brings in his catch and has plenty to eat.
[1:15] 50 tn Apparently two different types of fishing nets are referred to here. The חֵרֶם (kherem, “throw net”) was used by fishermen standing on the shore (see Ezek 47:10), while the מִכְמֶרֶת (mikhmeret, “dragnet”) was used by men in a boat. See R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 165.
[1:15] 51 tn Heb “and he gathers.”
[1:15] 52 tn Heb “Therefore he is happy and rejoices.” Here two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
[1:16] 54 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] 55 tn Heb “for by them his portion is full [or, “fat”].”
[1:16] 56 tn Heb “and his food is plentiful [or, “fat”].”
[1:17] 58 tn Heb “Will he then empty his throw net?” The words “continue to fill and” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[1:17] 59 tn Or “continually.”
[1:17] 61 tn Or “without showing compassion.”
[3:1] 62 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
[3:1] 63 tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”
[3:2] 67 tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But it sometimes is used generically to mean “anyone,” “a person,” as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 2).
[3:3] 68 tn Grk “their entire body.”
[3:5] 69 tn Grk “a small member.”
[3:5] 70 tn Grk “boasts of great things.”
[3:6] 72 tn Grk “makes itself,” “is made.”
[3:6] 73 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[3:6] 74 sn The word translated hell is “Gehenna” (γέεννα, geenna), a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words ge hinnom (“Valley of Hinnom”). This was the valley along the south side of Jerusalem. In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; 19:5-6; 32:35), and it came to be used as a place where human excrement and rubbish were disposed of and burned. In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2, 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36).
[3:7] 75 tn Grk (plurals), “every kind of animals and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures.”
[3:7] 76 tn Grk “the human species.”
[3:8] 77 tc Most
[3:9] 78 tc Most later
[3:9] 79 tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpous) has generic force, referring to both men and women.
[3:10] 80 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
[3:12] 81 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
[3:13] 82 tn Grk “works in the gentleness of wisdom.”
[3:15] 84 tn Grk “come down”; “descend.”
[3:15] 85 tn Grk “soulish,” which describes life apart from God, characteristic of earthly human life as opposed to what is spiritual. Cf. 1 Cor 2:14; 15:44-46; Jude 19.
[3:17] 86 tn Or “willing to yield,” “open to persuasion.”
[3:17] 87 tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit.”
[3:18] 89 tn Grk “the fruit of righteousness,” meaning righteous living as a fruit, as the thing produced.
[3:18] 91 tn Or “for,” or possibly “by.”
[15:1] 92 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[15:1] 93 tn Grk “seven plagues – the last ones.”
[15:2] 94 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[15:2] 95 sn See Rev 4:6 where the sea of glass was mentioned previously.
[15:2] 96 tn Or “had been victorious over”; traditionally, “had overcome.”
[15:2] 97 tn Grk “of his name, standing.” A new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were.”
[15:2] 98 tn Or “on.” The preposition ἐπί (epi) with the accusative case could mean “on, at, by, near”; given the nature of this scene appearing in a vision, it is difficult to know precisely which the author of Revelation intended. See BDAG 363 s.v. ἐπί 1.c.γ, “At, by, near someone or someth.”
[15:2] 99 tn Grk “harps of God.” The phrase τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) has been translated as a genitive of agency.
[15:3] 100 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[15:3] 101 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
[15:3] 102 tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[15:3] 103 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
[15:3] 104 tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.
[15:3] 105 tc Certain
[15:4] 106 tn Or “and praise.”
[15:4] sn Jeremiah 10:7 probably stands behind the idea of fearing God, and Psalm 86:9-10 stands behind the ideas of glorifying God, his uniqueness, and the nations coming to worship him. Many other OT passages also speak about the nations “coming to his temple” to worship (Isa 2:2-3, 49:22-23, 66:23-24; Micah 4:2; Zech 8:20-22). See G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 796-97.
[15:4] 107 sn Because you alone are holy. In the Greek text the sentence literally reads “because alone holy.” Three points can be made in connection with John’s language here: (1) Omitting the second person, singular verb “you are” lays stress on the attribute of God’s holiness. (2) The juxtaposition of alone with holy stresses the unique nature of God’s holiness and complete “otherness” in relationship to his creation. It is not just moral purity which is involved in the use of the term holy, though it certainly includes that. It is also the pervasive OT idea that although God is deeply involved in the governing of his creation, he is to be regarded as separate and distinct from it. (3) John’s use of the term holy is also intriguing since it is the term ὅσιος (Josios) and not the more common NT term ἅγιος (Jagios). The former term evokes images of Christ’s messianic status in early Christian preaching. Both Peter in Acts 2:27 and Paul in Acts 13:35 apply Psalm 16:10 (LXX) to Jesus, referring to him as the “holy one” (ὅσιος). It is also the key term in Acts 13:34 (Isa 55:3 [LXX]) where it refers to the “holy blessings” (i.e., forgiveness and justification) brought about through Jesus in fulfillment of Davidic promise. Thus, in Rev 15:3-4, when John refers to God as “holy,” using the term ὅσιος in a context where the emphasis is on both God and Christ, there might be an implicit connection between divinity and the Messiah. This is bolstered by the fact that the Lamb is referred to in other contexts as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (cf. 1:5; 17:14; 19:16 and perhaps 11:15; G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 796-97).
[15:4] 108 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[15:4] 109 tn Or perhaps, “your sentences of condemnation.” On δικαίωμα (dikaiwma) in this context BDAG 249 s.v. 2. states, “righteous deed…δι᾿ ἑνὸς δικαιώματος (opp. παράπτωμα) Ro 5:18. – B 1:2 (cp. Wengst, Barnabas-brief 196, n.4); Rv 15:4 (here perh.= ‘sentence of condemnation’ [cp. Pla., Leg. 9, 864e; ins fr. Asia Minor: LBW 41, 2 [κατὰ] τὸ δι[καί]ωμα τὸ κυρω[θέν]= ‘acc. to the sentence which has become valid’]; difft. Wengst, s. above); 19:8.”
[15:5] 110 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[15:5] 111 tn On this term BDAG 928 s.v. σκηνή 1.b.α states, “ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου the Tabernacle or Tent of Testimony (Ex 27:21; 29:4; Lev 1:1; Num 1:1 and oft.…) Ac 7:44; 1 Cl 43:2, 5,” and then continues in section 2 to state, “Rv 15:5 speaks of a ναὸς τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. God’s σκ.= dwelling is in heaven 13:6, and will some time be among humans 21:3.”
[15:5] 112 tn Grk “the temple of the tent of the testimony” (ὁ ναός τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου, Jo naos ths skhnhs tou marturiou). The genitive “of the tent” is probably an appositional genitive and should be rendered as “the temple, which is the tent.” The entire expression, then, would be “the temple which is the tent of testimony,” that is, “the heavenly equivalent of the tent or tabernacle that was with Israel in the wilderness” (G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 801-2).
[15:5] sn In the OT the expression “tent of the testimony” occurs frequently (130 times in Exodus through Deuteronomy). The “testimony” refers to the ten commandments, i.e., the revelation of the righteous will of God (Exod 16:34; 25:21; 31:18; 32:15; 40:24). It is little wonder that the wrath of God upon an unrighteous, lawbreaking humanity follows in John’s description.
[15:6] 113 tn Or “wide golden sashes,” but these would not be diagonal, as some modern sashes are, but horizontal. The Greek term can refer to a wide band of cloth or leather worn on the outside of one’s clothing (L&N 6.178).
[15:7] 114 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[15:8] 116 tn Grk “power, and no one.” A new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “thus” to indicate the implied result of the temple being filled with smoke.
