1:15 The Babylonian tyrant 1 pulls them all up with a fishhook;
he hauls them in with his throw net. 2
When he catches 3 them in his dragnet,
he is very happy. 4
1:16 Because of his success 5 he offers sacrifices to his throw net
and burns incense to his dragnet; 6
for because of them he has plenty of food, 7
and more than enough to eat. 8
2:2 The Lord responded: 9
“Write down this message! 10 Record it legibly on tablets,
so the one who announces 11 it may read it easily. 12
2:14 For recognition of the Lord’s sovereign majesty will fill the earth
just as the waters fill up the sea. 13
2:15 “You who force your neighbor to drink wine 14 are as good as dead 15 –
you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger, 16
so you can look at their genitals. 17
1 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.
2 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.
3 tn Heb “and he gathers.”
4 tn Heb “Therefore he is happy and rejoices.” Here two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
5 tn Heb “therefore.”
6 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).
7 tn Heb “for by them his portion is full [or, “fat”].”
8 tn Heb “and his food is plentiful [or, “fat”].”
9 tn Heb “the
10 tn Heb “[the] vision.”
11 tn Or “reads from.”
12 tn Heb “might run,” which here probably means “run [through it quickly with one’s eyes],” that is, read it easily.
13 tn Heb “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
17 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.
18 tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.
19 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”).
20 tn Heb “their nakedness,” a euphemism.