Habakuk 1:16
Konteks1:16 Because of his success 1 he offers sacrifices to his throw net
and burns incense to his dragnet; 2
for because of them he has plenty of food, 3
and more than enough to eat. 4
Habakuk 1:11
Konteks1:11 They sweep by like the wind and pass on. 5
But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty.” 6
Habakuk 1:10
Konteks1:10 They mock kings
and laugh at rulers.
They laugh at every fortified city;
they build siege ramps 7 and capture them.
Habakuk 1:4
Konteks1:4 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
Habakuk 2:19
Konteks2:19 The one who says to wood, ‘Wake up!’ is as good as dead 14 –
he who says 15 to speechless stone, ‘Awake!’
Can it give reliable guidance? 16
It is overlaid with gold and silver;
it has no life’s breath inside it.
Habakuk 3:2
Konteks3:2 Lord, I have heard the report of what you did; 17
I am awed, 18 Lord, by what you accomplished. 19
In our time 20 repeat those deeds; 21
in our time reveal them again. 22
But when you cause turmoil, remember to show us mercy! 23
Habakuk 3:16
Konteks3:16 I listened and my stomach churned; 24
the sound made my lips quiver.
My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying, 25
and I shook as I tried to walk. 26
I long 27 for the day of distress
to come upon 28 the people who attack us.
Habakuk 2:10
Konteks2:10 Your schemes will bring shame to your house.
Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. 29
Habakuk 3:19
Konteks3:19 The sovereign Lord is my source of strength. 30
He gives me the agility of a deer; 31
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 32
(This prayer is for the song leader. It is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.) 33
Habakuk 1:13
Konteks1:13 You are too just 34 to tolerate 35 evil;
you are unable to condone 36 wrongdoing.
So why do you put up with such treacherous people? 37
Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour 38 those more righteous than they are? 39
Habakuk 1:5
Konteks1:5 “Look at the nations and pay attention! 40
You will be shocked and amazed! 41
For I will do something in your lifetime 42
that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. 43
Habakuk 2:3
Konteks2:3 For the message is a witness to what is decreed; 44
it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out. 45
Even if the message 46 is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently; 47
for it will certainly come to pass – it will not arrive late.
Habakuk 1:15
Konteks1:15 The Babylonian tyrant 48 pulls them all up with a fishhook;
he hauls them in with his throw net. 49
When he catches 50 them in his dragnet,
he is very happy. 51
Habakuk 2:18
Konteks2:18 What good 52 is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? 53
What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? 54
Why would its creator place his trust in it 55
and make 56 such mute, worthless things?
Habakuk 2:2
Konteks“Write down this message! 58 Record it legibly on tablets,
so the one who announces 59 it may read it easily. 60
Habakuk 2:8
Konteks2:8 Because you robbed many countries, 61
all who are left among the nations 62 will rob you.
You have shed human blood
and committed violent acts against lands, cities, 63 and those who live in them.
Habakuk 1:17
Konteks1:17 Will he then 64 continue to fill and empty his throw net? 65
Will he always 66 destroy 67 nations and spare none? 68
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. 69
Habakuk 3:7
Konteks3:7 I see the tents of Cushan overwhelmed by trouble; 70
the tent curtains of the land of Midian are shaking. 71
Habakuk 3:12
Konteks3:12 You furiously stomp on the earth,
you angrily trample down the nations.
Habakuk 2:17
Konteks2:17 For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; 72
terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. 73
You have shed human blood
and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them.
Habakuk 1:8
Konteks1:8 Their horses are faster than leopards
and more alert 74 than wolves in the desert. 75
their horses come a great distance;
like a vulture 78 they swoop down quickly to devour their prey. 79
Habakuk 2:5
Konteks2:5 Indeed, wine will betray the proud, restless man! 80
His appetite 81 is as big as Sheol’s; 82
like death, he is never satisfied.
He gathers 83 all the nations;
he seizes 84 all peoples.
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. 85
Habakuk 3:6
Konteks3:6 He takes his battle position 86 and shakes 87 the earth;
with a mere look he frightens 88 the nations.
The ancient mountains disintegrate; 89
the primeval hills are flattened.
He travels on the ancient roads. 90
Habakuk 1:9
Konteks1:9 All of them intend 91 to do violence;
every face is determined. 92
They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. 93
Habakuk 2:4
Konteks2:4 Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, 94
but the person of integrity 95 will live 96 because of his faithfulness. 97
Habakuk 3:4
Konteks3:4 He is as bright as lightning; 98
a two-pronged lightning bolt flashes from his hand. 99
This is the outward display of his power. 100
Habakuk 3:9
Konteks3:9 Your bow is ready for action; 101
you commission your arrows. 102 Selah.
You cause flash floods on the earth’s surface. 103
Habakuk 2:6
Konteks2:6 “But all these nations will someday taunt him 104
and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: 105
‘The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead 106
(How long will this go on?) 107 –
he who gets rich by extortion!’ 108
Habakuk 1:6
Konteks1:6 Look, I am about to empower 109 the Babylonians,
that ruthless 110 and greedy 111 nation.
They sweep across the surface 112 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; 113
my sovereign God, 114 you are immortal. 115
Lord, you have made them 116 your instrument of judgment. 117
Protector, 118 you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. 119
Habakuk 1:7
Konteks1:7 They are frightening and terrifying;
they decide for themselves what is right. 120
Habakuk 2:11
Konteks2:11 For the stones in the walls will cry out,
and the wooden rafters will answer back. 121
Habakuk 1:2
Konteks1:2 How long, Lord, must I cry for help?
But you do not listen!
I call out to you, “Violence!”
But you do not intervene! 122
Habakuk 1:14
Konteks1:14 You made people like fish in the sea,
like animals in the sea 123 that have no ruler.
Habakuk 3:10
Konteks3:10 When the mountains see you, they shake.
The torrential downpour sweeps through. 124
The great deep 125 shouts out;
it lifts its hands high. 126
Habakuk 3:3
Konteks3:3 God comes 127 from Teman, 128
the sovereign 129 one from Mount Paran. 130 Selah. 131
His splendor covers the skies, 132
his glory 133 fills the earth.
[1:16] 2 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] 3 tn Heb “for by them his portion is full [or, “fat”].”
[1:16] 4 tn Heb “and his food is plentiful [or, “fat”].”
[1:11] 5 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] 6 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.
[1:10] 7 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.
[1:4] 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.”
[2:19] 14 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who says.” On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.
[2:19] 15 tn The words “he who says” in the translation are supplied from the previous parallel line.
[2:19] 16 tn Though the Hebrew text has no formal interrogative marker here, the context indicates that the statement should be taken as a rhetorical question anticipating the answer, “Of course not!” (so also NIV, NRSV).
[3:2] 17 tn Heb “your report,” that is, “the report concerning you.”
[3:2] 18 tn Heb “I fear.” Some prefer to read, “I saw,
[3:2] 20 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] 21 tn Heb “revive it” (i.e., “your work”).
[3:2] 22 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] 23 tn Heb “in turmoil remember [to show] compassion.”
[3:16] 24 tn Heb “my insides trembled.”
[3:16] 25 tn Heb “decay entered my bones.”
[3:16] 26 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] 27 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).
[3:16] 28 tn Heb “to come up toward.”
[2:10] 29 tn Heb “you planned shame for your house, cutting off many nations, and sinning [against] your life.”
[3:19] 30 tn Or perhaps, “is my wall,” that is, “my protector.”
[3:19] 31 tn Heb “he makes my feet like those of deer.”
[3:19] 32 tn Heb “he makes me walk on my high places.”
[3:19] sn Difficult times are coming, but Habakkuk is confident the
[3:19] 33 tn Heb “For the leader, on my stringed instruments.”
[1:13] 34 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] 35 tn Heb “to see.” Here “see” is figurative for “tolerate,” “put up with.”
[1:13] 36 tn Heb “to look at.” Cf. NEB “who canst not countenance wrongdoing”; NASB “You can not look on wickedness with favor.”
[1:13] 37 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] 39 tn Heb “more innocent than themselves.”
[1:5] 40 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] 41 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] 42 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] 43 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.”
[2:3] 44 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] 45 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] 46 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the message) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:3] 47 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.”
[1:15] 48 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] 49 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] 50 tn Heb “and he gathers.”
[1:15] 51 tn Heb “Therefore he is happy and rejoices.” Here two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
[2:18] 52 tn Or “of what value.”
[2:18] 53 tn Heb “so that the one who forms it fashions it?” Here כִּי (ki) is taken as resultative after the rhetorical question. For other examples of this use, see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §450.
[2:18] 54 tn Heb “or a metal image, a teacher of lies.” The words “What good is” in the translation are supplied from the previous parallel line. “Teacher of lies” refers to the false oracles that the so-called god would deliver through a priest. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 126.
[2:18] 55 tn Heb “so that the one who forms his image trusts in it?” As earlier in the verse, כִּי (ki) is resultative.
[2:2] 57 tn Heb “the
[2:2] 58 tn Heb “[the] vision.”
[2:2] 60 tn Heb “might run,” which here probably means “run [through it quickly with one’s eyes],” that is, read it easily.
[2:8] 63 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.
[1:17] 65 tn Heb “Will he then empty his throw net?” The words “continue to fill and” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[1:17] 66 tn Or “continually.”
[1:17] 68 tn Or “without showing compassion.”
[2:14] 69 tn Heb “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
[3:7] 70 tn Heb “under trouble I saw the tents of Cushan.”
[3:7] sn Cushan was located in southern Transjordan.
[3:7] 71 tn R. D. Patterson takes תַּחַת אֲוֶן (takhat ’aven) in the first line as a place name, “Tahath-Aven.” (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah [WEC], 237.) In this case one may translate the verse as a tricolon: “I look at Tahath-Aven. The tents of Cushan are shaking, the tent curtains of the land of Midian.”
[2:17] 72 tn Heb “for the violence against Lebanon will cover you.”
[2:17] 73 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.
[1:8] 74 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] 75 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] 76 tn Or “horsemen,” “cavalry.”
[1:8] 77 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] 78 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] 79 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.
[2:5] 80 tn Heb “Indeed wine betrays a proud man and he does not dwell.” The meaning of the last verb, “dwell,” is uncertain. Many take it as a denominative of the noun נָוָה (navah, “dwelling place”). In this case it would carry the idea, “he does not settle down,” and would picture the drunkard as restless (cf. NIV “never at rest”; NASB “does not stay at home”). Some relate the verb to an Arabic cognate and translate the phrase as “he will not succeed, reach his goal.”
[2:5] sn The Babylonian tyrant is the proud, restless man described in this line as the last line of the verse, with its reference to the conquest of the nations, makes clear. Wine is probably a metaphor for imperialistic success. The more success the Babylonians experience, the more greedy they become just as a drunkard wants more and more wine to satisfy his thirst. But eventually this greed will lead to their downfall, for God will not tolerate such imperialism and will judge the Babylonians appropriately (vv. 6-20).
[2:5] 81 tn Heb “who opens wide like Sheol his throat.” Here נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is understood in a physical sense, meaning “throat,” which in turn is figurative for the appetite. See H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 11-12.
[2:5] 82 sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead. In ancient Canaanite thought Death was a powerful god whose appetite was never satisfied. In the OT Sheol/Death, though not deified, is personified as greedy and as having a voracious appetite. See Prov 30:15-16; Isa 5:14; also see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 168.
[2:5] 83 tn Heb “he gathers for himself.”
[2:5] 84 tn Heb “he collects for himself.”
[2:13] 85 tn Heb “Is it not, look, from the
[3:6] 87 tn This verb has been traditionally understood as “measure” (from מוּד, mud), but the immediately following context (vv. 6b-7) favors the meaning “shake” from מָוד (mavd; see HALOT 555 s.v.).
[3:6] 88 tn Heb “makes [the nations] jump [in fear].”
[3:6] 89 tn Or “crumbled,” broke into pieces.”
[3:6] 90 tn Heb “ancient ways [or, “doings”] are his.” The meaning of this line is unclear. Traditionally it has been translated, “his ways are eternal.” However, in this context (see vv. 3, 7) it is more likely that the line speaks of the
[1:9] 92 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] 93 tn Heb “and he gathers like sand, prisoners.”
[2:4] 94 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] 95 tn Or “righteous.” The oppressed individuals mentioned in 1:4 are probably in view here.
[2:4] 96 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] 97 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
[3:4] 98 tn Heb “[His] radiance is like light.” Some see a reference to sunlight, but the Hebrew word אוֹר (’or) here refers to lightning, as the context indicates (see vv. 4b, 9, 11). The word also refers to lightning in Job 36:32 and 37:3, 11, 15.
[3:4] 99 tn Heb “two horns from his hand to him.” Sharp, pointed lightning bolts have a “horn-like” appearance. The weapon of “double lightning” appears often in Mesopotamian representations of gods. See Elizabeth Van Buren, Symbols of the Gods in Mesopotamian Art (AnOr), 70-73.
[3:4] 100 tn Heb “and there [is] the covering of his strength”; or “and there is his strong covering.” The meaning of this line is unclear. The point may be that the lightning bolts are merely a covering, or outward display, of God’s raw power. In Job 36:32 one reads that God “covers his hands with light [or, “lightning”].”
[3:9] 101 tn Heb “[into] nakedness your bow is laid bare.”
[3:9] 102 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] 103 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
[2:6] 104 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] 105 tn Heb “and a mocking song, riddles, against him? And one will say.”
[2:6] 106 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] 107 tn This question is interjected parenthetically, perhaps to express rhetorically the pain and despair felt by the Babylonians’ victims.
[2:6] 108 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.
[1:6] 109 tn Heb “raise up” (so KJV, ASV).
[1:6] 110 tn Heb “bitter.” Other translation options for this word in this context include “fierce” (NASB, NRSV); “savage” (NEB); or “grim.”
[1:6] 111 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] 112 tn Heb “the open spaces.”
[1:12] 113 tn Heb “Are you not from antiquity, O
[1:12] 114 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] 115 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] 116 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] 117 tn Heb “for judgment.”
[1:12] 118 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] 119 tn Heb “to correct, reprove.”
[1:7] 120 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.
[2:11] 121 sn The house mentioned in vv. 9-10 represents the Babylonian empire, which became great through imperialism. Here the materials of this “house” (the stones in the walls, the wooden rafters) are personified as witnesses who testify that the occupants have built the house through wealth stolen from others.
[1:14] 123 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.
[3:10] 124 tn Heb “a heavy rain of waters passes by.” Perhaps the flash floods produced by the downpour are in view here.
[3:10] 125 sn The great deep, which is to be equated with the sea (vv. 8, 15), is a symbol of chaos and represents the Lord’s enemies.
[3:10] 126 sn Lifting the hands here suggests panic and is accompanied by a cry for mercy (see Ps 28:2; Lam 2:19). The forces of chaos cannot withstand the Lord’s power revealed in the storm.
[3:3] 127 tn In vv. 3-15 there is a mixture of eleven prefixed verbal forms (without vav [ו] consecutive or with vav conjunctive), sixteen suffixed forms, and three prefixed forms with vav consecutive. All of the forms are best taken as indicating completed action from the speaker’s standpoint (all of the prefixed forms being regarded as preterites). The forms could be translated with the past tense, but this would be misleading, for this is not a mere recital of God’s deeds in Israel’s past history. Habakkuk here describes, in terms reminiscent of past theophanies, his prophetic vision of a future theophany (see v. 7, “I saw”). From the prophet’s visionary standpoint the theophany is “as good as done.” This translation uses the English present tense throughout these verses to avoid misunderstanding. A similar strategy is followed by the NEB; in contrast note the NIV and NRSV, which consistently use past tenses throughout the section, and the NASB, which employs present tenses in vv. 3-5 and mostly past tenses in vv. 6-15.
[3:3] 128 sn Teman was a city or region in southern Edom.
[3:3] 129 tn Or traditionally, “holy one.” The term קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, “holy [one]”) here refers to God’s sovereignty. See v. 3b.
[3:3] 130 sn The precise location of Mount Paran is unknown, but like Teman it was located to the southeast of Israel. Habakkuk saw God marching from the direction of Sinai.
[3:3] 131 tn Selah. The meaning of this musical term (which also appears in vv. 9, 13, and in the Psalms as well) is unknown.
[3:3] 133 tn Heb “praise.” This could mean that the earth responds in praise as God’s splendor is observed in the skies. However, the Hebrew term תְּהִלָּה (tÿhillah, “praise”) can stand by metonymy for what prompts it (i.e., fame, glory, deeds).
