Habakkuk 1:16

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

and burns incense to his dragnet; ² 

for because of them he has plenty of food, ³ 

and more than enough to eat. ⁴ 

Habakkuk 3:5

3:5 Plague goes before him;

pestilence ⁵  marches right behind him. ⁶ 

Habakkuk 3:8

3:8 Is the Lord mad at the rivers?

Are you angry with the rivers?

Are you enraged at the sea? ⁷ 

Is this why ⁸  you climb into your horse-drawn chariots, ⁹ 

your victorious chariots? ¹⁰ 

[1:16]  ¹ tn Heb “therefore.”

[1:16]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “for by them his portion is full [or, “fat”].”

[1:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “and his food is plentiful [or, “fat”].”

[3:5]  ⁵ tn Because of parallelism with the previous line, the meaning “pestilence” is favored for רֶשֶׁף (reshef) here, but usage elsewhere suggests a destructive bolt of fire may be in view. See BDB 958 s.v.

[3:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “goes out at his feet.”

[3:8]  ⁹ sn The following context suggests these questions should be answered, “Yes.” The rivers and the sea, symbolizing here the hostile nations (v. 12), are objects of the Lord’s anger (vv. 10, 15).

[3:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “so that.” Here כִּי (ki) is resultative. See the note on the phrase “make it” in 2:18.

[3:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “you mount your horses.” As the next line makes clear, the Lord is pictured here as a charioteer, not a cavalryman. Note NRSV here, “when you drove your horses, // your chariots to victory.”

[3:8]  ¹² tn Or “chariots of deliverance.”