Habakkuk 1:11

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

But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty.” ² 

Habakkuk 1:17

1:17 Will he then ³  continue to fill and empty his throw net? ⁴ 

Will he always ⁵  destroy ⁶  nations and spare none? ⁷ 

Habakkuk 2:7

2:7 Your creditors will suddenly attack; ⁸ 

those who terrify you will spring into action, ⁹ 

and they will rob you. ¹⁰ 

Habakkuk 2:2

The Lord Assures Habakkuk

2:2 The Lord responded: ¹¹ 

“Write down this message! ¹²  Record it legibly on tablets,

so the one who announces ¹³  it may read it easily. ¹⁴ 

Habakkuk 1:13

1:13 You are too just ¹⁵  to tolerate ¹⁶  evil;

you are unable to condone ¹⁷  wrongdoing.

So why do you put up with such treacherous people? ¹⁸ 

Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour ¹⁹  those more righteous than they are? ²⁰ 

Habakkuk 1:16

1:16 Because of his success ²¹  he offers sacrifices to his throw net

and burns incense to his dragnet; ²² 

for because of them he has plenty of food, ²³ 

and more than enough to eat. ²⁴ 

Habakkuk 3:6

3:6 He takes his battle position ²⁵  and shakes ²⁶  the earth;

with a mere look he frightens ²⁷  the nations.

The ancient mountains disintegrate; ²⁸ 

the primeval hills are flattened.

He travels on the ancient roads. ²⁹ 

[1:11]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[1:17]  ³ tn Or “therefore.”

[1:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “Will he then empty his throw net?” The words “continue to fill and” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[1:17]  ⁵ tn Or “continually.”

[1:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “kill.”

[1:17]  ⁷ tn Or “without showing compassion.”

[2:7]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “[Will not] the ones who make you tremble awake?”

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

[2:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “the Lord answered and said.” The redundant expression “answered and said” has been simplified in the translation as “responded.”

[2:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “[the] vision.”

[2:2]  ⁹ tn Or “reads from.”

[2:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “might run,” which here probably means “run [through it quickly with one’s eyes],” that is, read it easily.

[1:13]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “to see.” Here “see” is figurative for “tolerate,” “put up with.”

[1:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “to look at.” Cf. NEB “who canst not countenance wrongdoing”; NASB “You can not look on wickedness with favor.”

[1:13]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Or “swallow up.”

[1:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “more innocent than themselves.”

[1:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “therefore.”

[1:16]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Heb “for by them his portion is full [or, “fat”].”

[1:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and his food is plentiful [or, “fat”].”

[3:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “he stands.”

[3:6]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “makes [the nations] jump [in fear].”

[3:6]  ¹⁶ tn Or “crumbled,” broke into pieces.”

[3:6]  ¹⁷ 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.