56:10 All their watchmen 1 are blind,
they are unaware. 2
All of them are like mute dogs,
unable to bark.
They pant, 3 lie down,
and love to snooze.
62:6 I 4 post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they should keep praying all day and all night. 5
You who pray to 6 the Lord, don’t be silent!
63:6 whenever 7 I remember you on my bed,
and think about you during the nighttime hours.
A song of ascents, 9 by Solomon.
127:1 If the Lord does not build a house, 10
then those who build it work in vain.
If the Lord does not guard a city, 11
then the watchman stands guard in vain.
2:1 I will stand at my watch post;
I will remain stationed on the city wall. 12
I will keep watching, so I can see what he says to me
and can know 13 how I should answer
when he counters my argument. 14
2:2 The Lord responded: 15
“Write down this message! 16 Record it legibly on tablets,
so the one who announces 17 it may read it easily. 18
1 sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.
2 tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”
3 tn The Hebrew text has הֹזִים (hozim), which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root הָזָה (hazah). On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB 223 s.v. הָזָה offers the definition “dream, rave” while HALOT 243 s.v. הזה lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חזים (“seers”) here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.
4 sn The speaker here is probably the prophet.
5 tn Heb “all day and all night continually they do not keep silent.” The following lines suggest that they pray for the Lord’s intervention and restoration of the city.
6 tn Or “invoke”; NIV “call on”; NASB, NRSV “remind.”
7 tn The Hebrew term אִם (’im) is used here in the sense of “when; whenever,” as in Ps 78:34.
8 sn Psalm 127. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist teaches that one does not find security by one’s own efforts, for God alone gives stability and security.
9 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
10 sn The expression build a house may have a double meaning here. It may refer on the surface level to a literal physical structure in which a family lives, but at a deeper, metaphorical level it refers to building, perpetuating, and maintaining a family line. See Deut 25:9; Ruth 4:11; 1 Sam 2:35; 2 Sam 7:27; 1 Kgs 11:38; 1 Chr 17:10, 25. Having a family line provided security in ancient Israel.
11 sn The city symbolizes community security, which is the necessary framework for family security.
12 sn Habakkuk compares himself to a watchman stationed on the city wall who keeps his eyes open for approaching messengers or danger.
13 tn The word “know” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
14 tn Heb “concerning my correction [or, “reproof”].”
15 tn Heb “the
16 tn Heb “[the] vision.”
17 tn Or “reads from.”
18 tn Heb “might run,” which here probably means “run [through it quickly with one’s eyes],” that is, read it easily.