Habakkuk
Introduction
11The message (prophetic word, burden) that the prophet Habakkuk (Hebr. Chavaqoq) saw in a vision.Habakkuk's first Lamentation
How long?
2How long, Lord (Yahweh), shall I cry [for help]
without you hearing (listening)?
I cry out to you – "Violence (terror, lawlessness – Hebr. chamas)!"
Yet you will not save (rescue)!
3Why do you show me wrongdoing
and let me see harm?
Why is waste and violence (terror) before me,
so that strife and conflict arise?
4Therefore [as a consequence] teaching (Hebr. Torah) is paralyzed [powerless and ineffective – like a numb hand, see ]
and justice does not prevail,
because the wicked defeat the righteous,
therefore justice is corrupted (perverted, crooked). [The same word "paralyzed" is used to describe Jacob's reaction when he hears that Joseph is still alive, see . The result of abandoning God's order is a society in chaos.]The Lord's first response
I will send an army from Babylon
5Look (around) among the nations (countries) and see
and be greatly amazed [literally "be shocked"],
for behold, a work will be done in your days
that you will not believe,
even though it is recounted to you. 6I will raise up the Chaldeans [Babylonians],
the bitter and impulsive people
who march across [the whole] breadth of the earth
to occupy dwellings that are not theirs. [Now the arrogance of the Babylonians is described:]
7They are terrible and dreadful,
their decrees (legal decisions) and their majesty (rule) come from themselves. [They are their own law and set their own rules.]
8Their horses are more agile than leopards
and more violent than the wolves of the desert.
Their riders spread out,
yes, their riders come from distant places,
they fly like the eagle (the vulture – Hebr. nesher), which rushes [dives] to eat [take its prey]. 9All come with evil intent,
their faces eager as the east wind,
they gather prisoners like sand (as countless as grains of sand).
10They scoff at kings
and make princes a laughingstock.
They mock every fortress,
they throw up earth (make a ramp) and take it. 11When they sweep by
like a wind [alternative translation: "the spirit swept by and I was amazed"]
with transgressions, they are guilty,
even those who make their strength their god [Hebr. eloha – refers to the storm god Marduk (Bel)].Habakkuk's second Lamentatino
How can you use a wicked people?
12Are you not from ancient times (from the east), Lord (Yahweh), my God (Elohim), my Holy One?
We shall not die.
Lord (Yahweh), you have appointed them for judgment
and you, Rock (Hebr. tsor) [a circumlocution for God], have made them a punishment. 13You whose eyes are too pure to look on evil
and cannot look on wrongdoing,
why do you look on when they act treacherously
and remain silent when the wicked devour those who are more righteous than themselves?
14Why do you make man like the fish of the sea,
like creeping things that have no ruler over them?
15They take them up with their fishing rods,
catch them in their nets,
and gather them in their fishing trawls,
and therefore they rejoice and exult. 16Therefore they sacrifice to their nets and sacrifice to their fishing trawls,
because their food is rich through these tools and their food abundant. 17Shall they empty their nets
and not cease to continually slay the nations?The unrighteous will be punished
[This passage is the focal point and central message of the book.] 21I will stand at my watchpost,
and place myself at the top of the ramparts.
I will keep watch to see what he says to me
and what I [as his spokesman] should answer when I am rebuked.
2The Lord (Yahweh) answered me and said:
Write down the vision and make it clear on tablets
so that it can be easily read. [Clay tablets were common at this time.]
3For the vision must yet wait for its appointed time.
It proclaims the end, and it does not lie (fail).
If (in case; even if) it delays,
wait for it,
for it will come
and it shall not be delayed (postponed, postponed, absent; not delay long). 4Behold, his soul within him [Babylon—the wicked nation—personified] is puffed up [with pride],
it is not upright (straight; pleasing),
but the righteous (a righteous person) shall live by his faith [in his (God's) faithfulness/stability – Hebr. ]. [; ; ] 5Moreover, wine is a treacherous (unfaithful) acquaintance,
the proud man will not endure. []
He who has great desires is like Sheol (the underworld, the place of the dead),
yes, like death, he is never satisfied
but gathers countries
and accumulates people on high.
[The proverbial expression about wine is a little unexpected here, yet very fitting, and is often linked to arrogance, lust, and social injustice throughout the Bible, see ; ; , ; . The Babylonians themselves were also overthrown during a wild party where alcohol flowed freely, see . This type of drunkenness has been confirmed as characteristic of the Babylonians.]The Lord's second answer
[Throughout history, people have wondered about the evil in the world. Habakkuk has asked God questions. At first, it was about the evil in Judah, see . Later, he wonders how God can allow Babylon to invade a nation that is, in comparison, at least more righteous, see . Habakkuk realizes that God is almighty and has control over what happens, see .
The following passage is like a song sung by the nations that have suffered from Babylon's violence. The five woes all begin with a taunt (verses 6, 9, 12, 15, 19a), continue with a threat (verses 7, 11, 13, 16, 20), followed by criticism (verses 8, 10, 14, 17-19b).] 6Shall not all these take up a proverb against him
and mock him scornfully, saying, Woe to him who blackmails Woe to him who increases what is not his! Woe to him who multiplies what is not his! How long?
And who burdens himself with heavy debts [alternative translation: many promises]!
7Will not those who take interest from you suddenly rise up,
and wake up, those who shake you, and you will become their prey?
8Because you have ruined many countries,
the remnant of the people will ruin you,
because of the blood guilt
and the violence you have brought upon the country
and upon the city and upon all who dwell therein.Woe to the greedy and arrogant
9Woe to him who gains the spoils of evil for his house (family),
so that he may place his nest high
in the hope of being freed from the power of evil. 10You have planned shame [instead of wealth] for your house [the house of David]
by destroying (cutting down) many people and sinning against your own life (your own soul). [May refer to the 18th ruler of the Southern Kingdom, Jehoiakim, see .]
11The stone will cry out from the wall
and the beams in the woodwork will answer it. [Even the stones and woodwork in the palaces and houses of Babylon testify to how they were brought there unjustly.]Woe to those who have blood on their hands
12Woe to those who build a city (fortified city with walls – Hebr. ir) with blood [bloodshed].
Yes, those who establish a community (village, small town; a meeting place – Hebr. qirjah) with the help of injustice (wrongdoing).
13Is this not from the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot):
The nations tire themselves out for what is burned up in fire [],
yes, for nothing [that which is perishable] do the peoples toil. 14Yes, the earth shall be filled with the knowledge (insight, understanding) of the glory (abundant splendor; presence) of the Lord (Yahweh) [Hab. 3:3-4],
as the waters cover [fill] the sea [Isa 11:9].[Here Habakkuk quotes the prophet Isaiah, who writes about the coming kingdom of peace where the Messiah will reign from Jerusalem over the whole earth. All people will see the Lord and have a deep personal experience of his glory.]Woe to drunkards and violent men
15Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink
and mixes in poison and makes him drunk
so that he may look on his nakedness. 16You are full of shame instead of glory.
Drink too, and be stripped naked.
The cup in the Lord's (Yahweh's) right hand shall be turned to you
and filth shall cover your glory. 17The violence done to Lebanon [when you destroyed the cedars, see ; ] shall cover you
and the destruction of the wild beasts that made him afraid,
because of the blood of men
and for the violence done to the land,
to the city
and to all who dwell therein. 18What profit is there in carved idols, that the maker of them has carved them,
yes, even cast idols and teachers of lies,
that the maker of them
puts his trust in mute idols?
Woe to those who worship idols
19Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, "Awake!"
To a mute stone, "Arise!"
Can this teach?
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
and there is no breath (spirit, life) in its midst. 20But the Lord (Yahweh) is in his holy temple,
let the whole earth be silent (quiet) before his face (before him).The Lord's final answer
I will take care of Babylon
31A prayer (sung – Hebr. tefilah) by the prophet Habakkuk, to "shigjonot" [a melody – perhaps with several abrupt changes].
[The Hebrew word shigjonot (plural of shiggaion) is used only here and in . It may be a musical or literary term describing the content or how the song should be performed. The root of the word is shagah, which means "to stagger and sway like a drunkard" or "to wander astray," see ; . It may mean that the song has sudden changes. This is true both for Habakkuk's prayer and David's psalm. In that case, the music should reflect this in its irregularity and sudden changes.] 2Lord (Yahweh),
I have heard of you,
I revere (stand in awe of, fear) [you] – Lord (Yahweh),
your work
in the midst of the years – revive (give life),
in the midst of the years – make it known (intimate knowledge),
in anger
remember mercy. [Of the entire chapter, only this first verse is a prayer to God to do something; the remaining verses describe God's greatness and how he has worked. However, the prayer is not a nostalgic desire to return to what has been – the best is yet to come! The repetition of the phrase "in the midst of years" (Hebr. beqerev shanim) is a Hebrew way of emphasizing. It may be an expression that the Lord should not wait until a specific time, but rather perform His work earlier or suddenly, see .
There is also an interpretation within Judaism that the Messiah will come in the midst of the years. The earth is expected to exist in its present state for 7,000 years, since the week of creation is 7 days, and one day is like a thousand years, see . The middle of the years could be the year 3,500 or divided into 4 + 3 (the fundamental numbers of creation and God), which is 4,000 years. It is interesting that this is actually around the time when Jesus (the promised Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament) came to earth. The modern Hebrew calendar, created in the 13th century by Rabbi Maimonides, is based on the assumption that creation took place on October 7, 3761 BC. (However, there are several assumptions in Maimonides' calculations where we cannot know exactly when creation took place.) In the Gregorian calendar, for example, the years 2025-2026 correspond to the year 5786 in the Hebrew calendar.] 3God (Eloha) [singular of Elohim – the one God] comes from Teman [east of Israel – where the sun rises; i.e., a new day/time]
and the Holy One from Mount Paran [on the Sinai Peninsula; the language reflects the revelation on Mount Sinai, see ].
Selah. [Probably an interruption for an instrumental interlude, a pause to reflect on what has just been sung.]
His glory covers the heavens
and the earth is full of his praise.
4A radiance (glory) – like light, became visible [when God appeared],
rays went out from his hand,
there was his power hidden.
5Before him goes the plague,
fever (a burning flame – Hebr. reshef) goes before his feet (follows in his footsteps).[Reshef is also the name of the Canaanite god of fever and plague. He is well known from Ugaritic, Phoenician (identified with Apollo), and Aramaic inscriptions. He is also associated with the Babylonian god Nergal, who was associated with the plague. In ancient Near Eastern mythology, gods going into battle are often accompanied by two companions.] 6He stands and the earth shakes,
one glance and the pagan peoples tremble
and the eternal mountains are smashed to pieces,
the ancient heights bow down.
His ways are eternal. [The first and only time the prophet speaks in the first person in verses 3-15.]
7I see the tents of Koshan under affliction,
the curtains (tent cloths) in the land of Midian tremble (shiver). [This is the only time Koshan is mentioned. The use of "tents" suggests that it probably refers to a nomadic tribe. Since it appears in parallel with Midian, it can be assumed that their territory was also in the south.]
8Lord (Yahweh), is your wrath (turned) against the rivers?
Is your anger kindled against the rivers
or your wrath against the sea?
Since you ride on your horses,
your chariots of salvation (rescue)?
9Your bow is completely naked,
your oaths are the rod of your words.
Selah. [Probably an interruption for an instrumental interlude, a pause to reflect on what has just been sung.]
You split the earth with rivers. 10The mountains have seen you and they tremble,
storms of water flood (overflow so that the water covers everything),
the depths give their voice (speak) and lift their hands high (in a gesture of surrender).
11The sun and moon stand still in their dwellings,
by the light of your arrows as they fly,
like the radiance of your shining spears.
12You march through the world in anger,
you thresh the pagan peoples in wrath. 13You have come to deliver your people,
to deliver your anointed ones.
You crush the leaders (literally, the heads) of the wicked,
you uncover from the ground up to the neck (you expose the whole house of the wicked).
Selah. [Probably an interruption for an instrumental interlude, a pause to reflect on what has just been sung.] 14You have pierced the head of his chief (village, rural people – Hebr. perez) [unusual word], with his own staff (tribe – Hebr. mateh),
he who has come like a whirlwind to scatter me,
whose joy is to devour the poor in secret. 15You have trampled the sea with your horses,
the foam (the bubbling, swirling) of mighty waters. 16I hear [God speaking, see ], and my body shakes (I feel nauseous),
my lips tremble at the sound,
my legs rot (the word also means rheumatism)
and I shake where I stand.
I will still rest (be at peace – Hebr. ; similarto Noah's name, see also ) on the day of disaster
when he [the Babylonians] comes upon the people [the Israelites] he is invading. [Now follow six verses describing disasters of increasing severity, from lost fig harvests to empty stables. Figs, like grapes, were a delicacy, but not an indispensable one. Olive oil was used in cooking and oil lamps. Barley and wheat were staple foods, and sheep and cattle were a major economic asset, providing milk, wool, and meat. Losing any of these resources would be difficult enough, but losing all sources of income would have meant total disaster. However, Habakkuk knew that man should not live by bread alone, see ; .] 17For even if the fig tree does not blossom (bud)
and the vine does not yield fruit,
if the olive crop fails (lies)
and the fields yield no food,
if the small livestock (sheep and goats) are missing from the pen
and there are no animals (cows, oxen, donkeys, horses) in the stable [],
18I will still rejoice (triumph; jump for joy) in the Lord (Yahweh),
I will rejoice (be glad) in my God of salvation (Elohim)! [] [The Hebrew word for rejoice means "to circle around," i.e., to dance in joy and gladness.]
19The Lord (Yahweh), the Lord (Adonai – my ruler), is my strength []
and he makes my feet [swift and agile] like those of a deer [which climbs easily along steep mountain slopes],
and lets me walk on my high places. [Ps 18:34] To the (for) leader with stringed instruments. [The leader (Hebr. natsach) describes someone who stands out—who is brilliant and prominent in their field. Refers partly to the director of temple music but also to the Messiah, the shining morning star, see and the introduction to the Psalter. The conclusion is similar to many of the introductions to the psalms, see e.g. ; ; . The fact that it comes after the psalm (unlike the Psalter) is probably due to the chiastic pattern, and that it is related to the opening phrase of the book, see .]
