Habakkuk 1:4-6

1:4 For this reason the law lacks power, ¹ 

and justice is never carried out. ² 

Indeed, ³  the wicked intimidate ⁴  the innocent. ⁵ 

For this reason justice is perverted. ⁶ 

The Lord Reveals Some Startling News

1:5 “Look at the nations and pay attention! ⁷ 

You will be shocked and amazed! ⁸ 

For I will do something in your lifetime ⁹ 

that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. ¹⁰ 

1:6 Look, I am about to empower ¹¹  the Babylonians,

that ruthless ¹²  and greedy ¹³  nation.

They sweep across the surface ¹⁴  of the earth,

seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.

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 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. ²¹ 

[1:4]  ¹ tn Heb “the law is numb,” i.e., like a hand that has “fallen asleep” (see Ps 77:2). Cf. NAB “is benumbed”; NIV “is paralyzed.”

[1:4]  ² tn Heb “never goes out.”

[1:4]  ³ tn Or “for.”

[1:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “surround” (so NASB, NRSV).

[1:4]  ⁵ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[1:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “comes out crooked.”

[1:5]  ⁷ tn Or “look among the nations and observe.” The imperatival forms in v. 5 are plural, indicating that the Lord’s message is for the whole nation, not just the prophet.

[1:5]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew text combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of the verb תָּמַה (tamah, “be amazed”). A literal translation might read, “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sounds draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110.c and IBHS 572-73 §34.4c.

[1:5]  ⁹ tc Heb “for a work working in your days.” Following the LXX reading, some supply a first person singular pronoun with the participle פֹּעֵל (po’el). Ellipsis of a first singular pronoun before participles is relatively rare (see GKC 360 §116.s); perhaps an original אֲנֹכִי (’anoki; or אֲנִי, ’aniy) followed the initial כִּי (ki) and was omitted by homoioteleuton.

[1:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “you will not believe when it is told.” In this context the force of כִּי (ki) may be “when,” “if,” or “even though.”

[1:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “raise up” (so KJV, ASV).

[1:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “bitter.” Other translation options for this word in this context include “fierce” (NASB, NRSV); “savage” (NEB); or “grim.”

[1:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “hasty, quick.” Some translate here “impetuous” (so NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “rash,” but in this context greed may very well be the idea. The Babylonians move quickly and recklessly ahead in their greedy quest to expand their empire.

[1:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the open spaces.”

[1:13]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ tn Heb “to see.” Here “see” is figurative for “tolerate,” “put up with.”

[1:13]  ²¹ tn Heb “to look at.” Cf. NEB “who canst not countenance wrongdoing”; NASB “You can not look on wickedness with favor.”

[1:13]  ²² 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]  ²³ tn Or “swallow up.”

[1:13]  ²⁴ tn Heb “more innocent than themselves.”

[2:13]  ²⁵ 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?”