Habakkuk 3:5

3:5 Plague goes before him;

pestilence ¹  marches right behind him. ² 

Habakkuk 1:4

1:4 For this reason the law lacks power, ³ 

and justice is never carried out. ⁴ 

Indeed, ⁵  the wicked intimidate ⁶  the innocent. ⁷ 

For this reason justice is perverted. ⁸ 

Habakkuk 1:7

1:7 They are frightening and terrifying;

they decide for themselves what is right. ⁹ 

Habakkuk 3:13

3:13 You march out to deliver your people,

to deliver your special servant. ¹⁰ 

You strike the leader of the wicked nation, ¹¹ 

laying him open from the lower body to the neck. ¹²  Selah.

[3:5]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “goes out at his feet.”

[1:4]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “never goes out.”

[1:4]  ⁵ tn Or “for.”

[1:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “surround” (so NASB, NRSV).

[1:4]  ⁷ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[1:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “comes out crooked.”

[1:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “from him his justice, even his lifting up, goes out.” In this context שְׂאֵת (sÿ’et) probably has the nuance “authority.” See R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 150.

[3:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “anointed one.” In light of the parallelism with “your people” in the preceding line this could refer to Israel, but elsewhere the Lord’s anointed one is always an individual. The Davidic king is the more likely referent here.

[3:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “you strike the head from the house of wickedness.”

[3:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “laying bare [from] foundation to neck.”