Habakuk 2:2

The Lord Assures Habakkuk

2:2 The Lord responded: ¹ 

“Write down this message! ²  Record it legibly on tablets,

so the one who announces ³  it may read it easily. ⁴ 

Habakuk 3:6

3:6 He takes his battle position ⁵  and shakes ⁶  the earth;

with a mere look he frightens ⁷  the nations.

The ancient mountains disintegrate; ⁸ 

the primeval hills are flattened.

He travels on the ancient roads. ⁹ 

Habakuk 3:13

3:13 You march out to deliver your people,

to deliver your special servant. ¹⁰ 

You strike the leader of the wicked nation, ¹¹ 

laying him open from the lower body to the neck. ¹²  Selah.

[2:2]  ¹ tn Heb “the Lord answered and said.” The redundant expression “answered and said” has been simplified in the translation as “responded.”

[2:2]  ² tn Heb “[the] vision.”

[2:2]  ³ tn Or “reads from.”

[2:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “might run,” which here probably means “run [through it quickly with one’s eyes],” that is, read it easily.

[3:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “he stands.”

[3:6]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “makes [the nations] jump [in fear].”

[3:6]  ⁸ tn Or “crumbled,” broke into pieces.”

[3:6]  ⁹ 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 Lord taking the same route as in the days of Moses and Deborah (see Deut 33:2; Judg 5:4). See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 154.

[3:13]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ tn Heb “you strike the head from the house of wickedness.”

[3:13]  ¹² tn Heb “laying bare [from] foundation to neck.”