Habakuk 1:10

1:10 They mock kings

and laugh at rulers.

They laugh at every fortified city;

they build siege ramps ¹  and capture them.

Habakuk 1:16

1:16 Because of his success ²  he offers sacrifices to his throw net

and burns incense to his dragnet; ³ 

for because of them he has plenty of food, ⁴ 

and more than enough to eat. ⁵ 

Habakuk 3:10

3:10 When the mountains see you, they shake.

The torrential downpour sweeps through. ⁶ 

The great deep ⁷  shouts out;

it lifts its hands high. ⁸ 

[1:10]  ¹ tn Heb “they heap up dirt.” This is a reference to the piling up of earthen ramps in the process of laying siege to a fortified city.

[1:16]  ² tn Heb “therefore.”

[1:16]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “for by them his portion is full [or, “fat”].”

[1:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “and his food is plentiful [or, “fat”].”

[3:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “a heavy rain of waters passes by.” Perhaps the flash floods produced by the downpour are in view here.

[3:10]  ⁷ sn The great deep, which is to be equated with the sea (vv. 8, 15), is a symbol of chaos and represents the Lord’s enemies.

[3:10]  ⁸ sn Lifting the hands here suggests panic and is accompanied by a cry for mercy (see Ps 28:2; Lam 2:19). The forces of chaos cannot withstand the Lord’s power revealed in the storm.