Habakuk 2:9

2:9 The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. ¹ 

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

and escape the clutches of disaster. ² 

Habakuk 1:16

1:16 Because of his success ³  he offers sacrifices to his throw net

and burns incense to his dragnet; ⁴ 

for because of them he has plenty of food, ⁵ 

and more than enough to eat. ⁶ 

Habakuk 2:10

2:10 Your schemes will bring shame to your house.

Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. ⁷ 

Habakuk 2:13

2:13 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. ⁸ 

Habakuk 2:5

2:5 Indeed, wine will betray the proud, restless man! ⁹ 

His appetite ¹⁰  is as big as Sheol’s; ¹¹ 

like death, he is never satisfied.

He gathers ¹²  all the nations;

he seizes ¹³  all peoples.

Habakuk 3:6

3:6 He takes his battle position ¹⁴  and shakes ¹⁵  the earth;

with a mere look he frightens ¹⁶  the nations.

The ancient mountains disintegrate; ¹⁷ 

the primeval hills are flattened.

He travels on the ancient roads. ¹⁸ 

Habakuk 1:10

1:10 They mock kings

and laugh at rulers.

They laugh at every fortified city;

they build siege ramps ¹⁹  and capture them.

Habakuk 2:12

2:12 The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead ²⁰  –

he who starts ²¹  a town by unjust deeds.

Habakuk 2:15

2:15 “You who force your neighbor to drink wine ²²  are as good as dead ²³  –

you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger, ²⁴ 

so you can look at their genitals. ²⁵ 

Habakuk 2:7

2:7 Your creditors will suddenly attack; ²⁶ 

those who terrify you will spring into action, ²⁷ 

and they will rob you. ²⁸ 

Habakuk 2:19

2:19 The one who says to wood, ‘Wake up!’ is as good as dead ²⁹  –

he who says ³⁰  to speechless stone, ‘Awake!’

Can it give reliable guidance? ³¹ 

It is overlaid with gold and silver;

it has no life’s breath inside it.

Habakuk 3:3

3:3 God comes ³²  from Teman, ³³ 

the sovereign ³⁴  one from Mount Paran. ³⁵  Selah. ³⁶ 

His splendor covers the skies, ³⁷ 

his glory ³⁸  fills the earth.

Habakuk 1:11

1:11 They sweep by like the wind and pass on. ³⁹ 

But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty.” ⁴⁰ 

Habakuk 2:6

The Proud Babylonians are as Good as Dead

2:6 “But all these nations will someday taunt him ⁴¹ 

and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: ⁴² 

‘The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead ⁴³ 

(How long will this go on?) ⁴⁴  –

he who gets rich by extortion!’ ⁴⁵ 

Habakuk 1:12

Habakkuk Voices Some Concerns

1:12 Lord, you have been active from ancient times; ⁴⁶ 

my sovereign God, ⁴⁷  you are immortal. ⁴⁸ 

Lord, you have made them ⁴⁹  your instrument of judgment. ⁵⁰ 

Protector, ⁵¹  you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. ⁵² 

Habakuk 2:16

2:16 But you will become drunk ⁵³  with shame, not majesty. ⁵⁴ 

Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin! ⁵⁵ 

The cup of wine in the Lord’s right hand ⁵⁶  is coming to you,

and disgrace will replace your majestic glory!

Habakuk 3:13

3:13 You march out to deliver your people,

to deliver your special servant. ⁵⁷ 

You strike the leader of the wicked nation, ⁵⁸ 

laying him open from the lower body to the neck. ⁵⁹  Selah.

Habakuk 2:3

2:3 For the message is a witness to what is decreed; ⁶⁰ 

it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out. ⁶¹ 

Even if the message ⁶²  is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently; ⁶³ 

for it will certainly come to pass – it will not arrive late.

[2:9]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[1:16]  ³ tn Heb “therefore.”

[1:16]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “for by them his portion is full [or, “fat”].”

[1:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “and his food is plentiful [or, “fat”].”

[2:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “you planned shame for your house, cutting off many nations, and sinning [against] your life.”

[2:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “Is it not, look, from the Lord of hosts that the nations work hard for fire, and the peoples are exhausted for nothing?”

[2:5]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “he gathers for himself.”

[2:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “he collects for himself.”

[3:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “he stands.”

[3:6]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “makes [the nations] jump [in fear].”

[3:6]  ¹⁷ tn Or “crumbled,” broke into pieces.”

[3:6]  ¹⁸ 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.

[1:10]  ¹⁹ 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.

[2:12]  ²⁰ tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:12]  ²¹ tn Or “establishes”; or “founds.”

[2:15]  ²² 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]  ²³ tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:15]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ 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.

[2:7]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn Heb “[Will not] the ones who make you tremble awake?”

[2:7]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and you will become their plunder.”

[2:19]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ tn The words “he who says” in the translation are supplied from the previous parallel line.

[2:19]  ³¹ 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).

[3:3]  ³² 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]  ³³ sn Teman was a city or region in southern Edom.

[3:3]  ³⁴ tn Or traditionally, “holy one.” The term קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, “holy [one]”) here refers to God’s sovereignty. See v. 3b.

[3:3]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ 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]  ³⁷ tn Or “heavens.”

[3:3]  ³⁸ 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).

[1:11]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ 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.

[2:6]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² tn Heb “and a mocking song, riddles, against him? And one will say.”

[2:6]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ tn This question is interjected parenthetically, perhaps to express rhetorically the pain and despair felt by the Babylonians’ victims.

[2:6]  ⁴⁵ 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.

[1:12]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “for judgment.”

[1:12]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² tn Heb “to correct, reprove.”

[2:16]  ⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “glory.”

[2:16]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ 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.

[3:13]  ⁵⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “you strike the head from the house of wickedness.”

[3:13]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “laying bare [from] foundation to neck.”

[2:3]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ 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]  ⁶² tn Heb “it”; the referent (the message) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:3]  ⁶³ 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.”