Habakuk 2:12

2:12 The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead ¹  –

he who starts ²  a town by unjust deeds.

Habakuk 2:15

2:15 “You who force your neighbor to drink wine ³  are as good as dead ⁴  –

you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger, ⁵ 

so you can look at their genitals. ⁶ 

Habakuk 2:9

2:9 The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. ⁷ 

He does this so he can build his nest way up high

and escape the clutches of disaster. ⁸ 

Habakuk 3:13

3:13 You march out to deliver your people,

to deliver your special servant. ⁹ 

You strike the leader of the wicked nation, ¹⁰ 

laying him open from the lower body to the neck. ¹¹  Selah.

Habakuk 1:6

1:6 Look, I am about to empower ¹²  the Babylonians,

that ruthless ¹³  and greedy ¹⁴  nation.

They sweep across the surface ¹⁵  of the earth,

seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.

Habakuk 2:5

2:5 Indeed, wine will betray the proud, restless man! ¹⁶ 

His appetite ¹⁷  is as big as Sheol’s; ¹⁸ 

like death, he is never satisfied.

He gathers ¹⁹  all the nations;

he seizes ²⁰  all peoples.

Habakuk 2:19

2:19 The one who says to wood, ‘Wake up!’ is as good as dead ²¹  –

he who says ²²  to speechless stone, ‘Awake!’

Can it give reliable guidance? ²³ 

It is overlaid with gold and silver;

it has no life’s breath inside it.

Habakuk 2:6-7

The Proud Babylonians are as Good as Dead

2:6 “But all these nations will someday taunt him ²⁴ 

and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: ²⁵ 

‘The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead ²⁶ 

(How long will this go on?) ²⁷  –

he who gets rich by extortion!’ ²⁸ 

2:7 Your creditors will suddenly attack; ²⁹ 

those who terrify you will spring into action, ³⁰ 

and they will rob you. ³¹ 

Habakuk 3:16

Habakkuk Declares His Confidence

3:16 I listened and my stomach churned; ³² 

the sound made my lips quiver.

My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying, ³³ 

and I shook as I tried to walk. ³⁴ 

I long ³⁵  for the day of distress

to come upon ³⁶  the people who attack us.

Habakuk 2:4

2:4 Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, ³⁷ 

but the person of integrity ³⁸  will live ³⁹  because of his faithfulness. ⁴⁰ 

Habakuk 1:4

1:4 For this reason the law lacks power, ⁴¹ 

and justice is never carried out. ⁴² 

Indeed, ⁴³  the wicked intimidate ⁴⁴  the innocent. ⁴⁵ 

For this reason justice is perverted. ⁴⁶ 

Habakuk 1:13

1:13 You are too just ⁴⁷  to tolerate ⁴⁸  evil;

you are unable to condone ⁴⁹  wrongdoing.

So why do you put up with such treacherous people? ⁵⁰ 

Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour ⁵¹  those more righteous than they are? ⁵² 

Habakuk 3:7

3:7 I see the tents of Cushan overwhelmed by trouble; ⁵³ 

the tent curtains of the land of Midian are shaking. ⁵⁴ 

Habakuk 3:14

3:14 You pierce the heads of his warriors ⁵⁵  with a spear. ⁵⁶ 

They storm forward to scatter us; ⁵⁷ 

they shout with joy as if they were plundering the poor with no opposition. ⁵⁸ 

Habakuk 2:2

The Lord Assures Habakkuk

2:2 The Lord responded: ⁵⁹ 

“Write down this message! ⁶⁰  Record it legibly on tablets,

so the one who announces ⁶¹  it may read it easily. ⁶² 

Habakuk 1:9

1:9 All of them intend ⁶³  to do violence;

every face is determined. ⁶⁴ 

They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. ⁶⁵ 

Habakuk 1:15

1:15 The Babylonian tyrant ⁶⁶  pulls them all up with a fishhook;

he hauls them in with his throw net. ⁶⁷ 

When he catches ⁶⁸  them in his dragnet,

he is very happy. ⁶⁹ 

Habakuk 1:5

The Lord Reveals Some Startling News

1:5 “Look at the nations and pay attention! ⁷⁰ 

You will be shocked and amazed! ⁷¹ 

For I will do something in your lifetime ⁷² 

that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. ⁷³ 

Habakuk 2:8

2:8 Because you robbed many countries, ⁷⁴ 

all who are left among the nations ⁷⁵  will rob you.

You have shed human blood

and committed violent acts against lands, cities, ⁷⁶  and those who live in them.

Habakuk 1:7

1:7 They are frightening and terrifying;

they decide for themselves what is right. ⁷⁷ 

Habakuk 1:11

1:11 They sweep by like the wind and pass on. ⁷⁸ 

But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty.” ⁷⁹ 

Habakuk 3:12

3:12 You furiously stomp on the earth,

you angrily trample down the nations.

Habakuk 1:8

1:8 Their horses are faster than leopards

and more alert ⁸⁰  than wolves in the desert. ⁸¹ 

Their horses ⁸²  gallop, ⁸³ 

their horses come a great distance;

like a vulture ⁸⁴  they swoop down quickly to devour their prey. ⁸⁵ 

Habakuk 2:20

2:20 But the Lord is in his majestic palace. ⁸⁶ 

The whole earth is speechless in his presence!” ⁸⁷ 

Habakuk 1:3

1:3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? ⁸⁸ 

Why do you put up with wrongdoing? ⁸⁹ 

Destruction and violence confront ⁹⁰  me;

conflict is present and one must endure strife. ⁹¹ 

Habakuk 1:12

Habakkuk Voices Some Concerns

1:12 Lord, you have been active from ancient times; ⁹² 

my sovereign God, ⁹³  you are immortal. ⁹⁴ 

Lord, you have made them ⁹⁵  your instrument of judgment. ⁹⁶ 

Protector, ⁹⁷  you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. ⁹⁸ 

Habakuk 2:16-18

2:16 But you will become drunk ⁹⁹  with shame, not majesty. ¹⁰⁰ 

Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin! ¹⁰¹ 

The cup of wine in the Lord’s right hand ¹⁰²  is coming to you,

and disgrace will replace your majestic glory!

2:17 For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; ¹⁰³ 

terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. ¹⁰⁴ 

You have shed human blood

and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them.

2:18 What good ¹⁰⁵  is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? ¹⁰⁶ 

What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? ¹⁰⁷ 

Why would its creator place his trust in it ¹⁰⁸ 

and make ¹⁰⁹  such mute, worthless things?

[2:12]  ¹ tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:12]  ² tn Or “establishes”; or “founds.”

[2:15]  ³ tn No direct object is present after “drink” in the Hebrew text. “Wine” is implied, however, and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:15]  ⁴ tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:15]  ⁵ tc Heb “pouring out your anger and also making drunk”; or “pouring out your anger and [by] rage making drunk.” The present translation assumes that the final khet (ח) on מְסַפֵּחַ (misapeakh, “pouring”) is dittographic and that the form should actually be read מִסַּף (missaf, “from a bowl”).

[2:15]  sn Forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger. The Babylonian’s harsh treatment of others is compared to intoxicating wine which the Babylonians force the nations to drink so they can humiliate them. Cf. the imagery in Rev 14:10.

[2:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “their nakedness,” a euphemism.

[2:15]  sn Metaphor and reality are probably blended here. This may refer to the practice of publicly humiliating prisoners of war by stripping them naked. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 124.

[2:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who profits unjustly by evil unjust gain for his house.” On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “to place his nest in the heights in order to escape from the hand of disaster.”

[2:9]  sn Here the Babylonians are compared to a bird, perhaps an eagle, that builds its nest in an inaccessible high place where predators cannot reach it.

[3:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “anointed one.” In light of the parallelism with “your people” in the preceding line this could refer to Israel, but elsewhere the Lord’s anointed one is always an individual. The Davidic king is the more likely referent here.

[3:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “you strike the head from the house of wickedness.”

[3:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “laying bare [from] foundation to neck.”

[1:6]  ¹² tn Heb “raise up” (so KJV, ASV).

[1:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “bitter.” Other translation options for this word in this context include “fierce” (NASB, NRSV); “savage” (NEB); or “grim.”

[1:6]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the open spaces.”

[2:5]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “he gathers for himself.”

[2:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “he collects for himself.”

[2:19]  ²¹ 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]  ²² tn The words “he who says” in the translation are supplied from the previous parallel line.

[2:19]  ²³ 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).

[2:6]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and a mocking song, riddles, against him? And one will say.”

[2:6]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn This question is interjected parenthetically, perhaps to express rhetorically the pain and despair felt by the Babylonians’ victims.

[2:6]  ²⁸ 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.

[2:7]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Will not your creditors suddenly rise up?” 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.

[2:7]  sn Your creditors will suddenly attack. The Babylonians are addressed directly here. They have robbed and terrorized others, but now the situation will be reversed as their creditors suddenly attack them.

[2:7]  ³⁰ tn Heb “[Will not] the ones who make you tremble awake?”

[2:7]  ³¹ tn Heb “and you will become their plunder.”

[3:16]  ³² tn Heb “my insides trembled.”

[3:16]  ³³ tn Heb “decay entered my bones.”

[3:16]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ tn Heb “to come up toward.”

[2:4]  ³⁷ 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]  ³⁸ tn Or “righteous.” The oppressed individuals mentioned in 1:4 are probably in view here.

[2:4]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ 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 Lord is assuring Habakkuk that those who are truly innocent will be preserved through the coming oppression and judgment by their godly lifestyle, for God ultimately rewards this type of conduct. In contrast to these innocent people, those with impure desires (epitomized by the greedy Babylonians; see v. 5) will not be able to withstand God’s judgment (v. 4a).

[1:4]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² tn Heb “never goes out.”

[1:4]  ⁴³ tn Or “for.”

[1:4]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “surround” (so NASB, NRSV).

[1:4]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[1:4]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “comes out crooked.”

[1:13]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “to see.” Here “see” is figurative for “tolerate,” “put up with.”

[1:13]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “to look at.” Cf. NEB “who canst not countenance wrongdoing”; NASB “You can not look on wickedness with favor.”

[1:13]  ⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵¹ tn Or “swallow up.”

[1:13]  ⁵² tn Heb “more innocent than themselves.”

[3:7]  ⁵³ tn Heb “under trouble I saw the tents of Cushan.”

[3:7]  sn Cushan was located in southern Transjordan.

[3:7]  ⁵⁴ 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.”

[3:14]  ⁵⁵ tn Some take “warriors” with the following line, in which case one should translate, “you pierce [his] head with a spear; his warriors storm forward to scatter us” (cf. NIV). The meaning of the Hebrew term פְּרָזוֹ (pÿrazo), translated here “his warriors,” is uncertain.

[3:14]  ⁵⁶ tc Heb “his shafts.” Some emend to “your shafts.” The translation above assumes an emendation to מַטֶּה (matteh, “shaft, spear”), the vav-yod (ו-י) sequence being a corruption of an original he (ה).

[3:14]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “me,” but the author speaks as a representative of God’s people.

[3:14]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “their rejoicing is like devouring the poor in secret.”

[2:2]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “the Lord answered and said.” The redundant expression “answered and said” has been simplified in the translation as “responded.”

[2:2]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “[the] vision.”

[2:2]  ⁶¹ tn Or “reads from.”

[2:2]  ⁶² tn Heb “might run,” which here probably means “run [through it quickly with one’s eyes],” that is, read it easily.

[1:9]  ⁶³ tn Heb “come.”

[1:9]  ⁶⁴ 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]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “and he gathers like sand, prisoners.”

[1:15]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “and he gathers.”

[1:15]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “Therefore he is happy and rejoices.” Here two synonyms are joined for emphasis.

[1:5]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ 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]  ⁷² 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]  ⁷³ 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.”

[2:8]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “nations.”

[2:8]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “peoples.”

[2:8]  ⁷⁶ 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.

[1:7]  ⁷⁷ 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.

[1:11]  ⁷⁸ 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]  ⁷⁹ 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.

[1:8]  ⁸⁰ 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]  ⁸¹ 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]  ⁸² tn Or “horsemen,” “cavalry.”

[1:8]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ 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.

[2:20]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “holy temple.” The Lord’s heavenly palace, rather than the earthly temple, is probably in view here (see Ps 11:4; Mic 1:2-3). The Hebrew word ֹקדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holy”) here refers to the sovereign transcendence associated with his palace.

[2:20]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “Be quiet before him, all the earth!”

[1:3]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “Why do you make me see injustice?”

[1:3]  ⁸⁹ 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]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “are before.”

[1:3]  ⁹¹ 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”).

[1:12]  ⁹² tn Heb “Are you not from antiquity, O Lord?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, of course.” The present translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question, rendering it as an affirmation. When used in a temporal sense the phrase מִקֶדֶם (miqedem) means “from antiquity, ancient times,” often referring to earlier periods in Israel’s history. See its use in Neh 12:46; Pss 74:12; 77:11; Isa 45:21; 46:10; Mic 5:2.

[1:12]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ 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]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “for judgment.”

[1:12]  ⁹⁷ 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]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “to correct, reprove.”

[2:16]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “are filled.” The translation assumes the verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of Babylon’s coming judgment, which will reduce the majestic empire to shame and humiliation.

[2:16]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Or “glory.”

[2:16]  ¹⁰¹ tc Heb “drink, even you, and show the foreskin.” Instead of הֵעָרֵל (he’arel, “show the foreskin”) one of the Dead Sea scrolls has הֵרָעֵל (hera’el, “stumble”). This reading also has support from several ancient versions and is followed by the NEB (“you too shall drink until you stagger”) and NRSV (“Drink, you yourself, and stagger”). For a defense of the Hebrew text, see P. D. Miller, Jr., Sin and Judgment in the Prophets, 63-64.

[2:16]  ¹⁰² sn The Lord’s right hand represents his military power. He will force the Babylonians to experience the same humiliating defeat they inflicted on others.

[2:17]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “for the violence against Lebanon will cover you.”

[2:17]  ¹⁰⁴ 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.

[2:18]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “of what value.”

[2:18]  ¹⁰⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “so that the one who forms his image trusts in it?” As earlier in the verse, כִּי (ki) is resultative.

[2:18]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “to make.”