Reading exercise – Read through the chapter for familiar verses or phrases.
(א) עַל־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י אֶֽעֱמֹ֔דָה וְאֶֽתְיַצְּבָ֖ה עַל־מָצ֑וֹר וַאֲצַפֶּ֗ה לִרְאוֹת֙ מַה־יְדַבֶּר־בִּ֔י וּמָ֥ה אָשִׁ֖יב עַל־תּוֹכַחְתִּֽי׃
Take up my station at the post,
And wait to see what He will say to me,
What He will reply to my complaint.
(2) The LORD answered me and said:
Write the prophecy down,
Inscribe it clearly on tablets,
So that it can be read easily. (3) For there is yet a prophecy-c for a set term,
A truthful witness for a time that will come.
Even if it tarries, wait for it still;
For it will surely come, without delay: (4) Lo, his spirit within him is puffed up, not upright,
But-d the righteous man is rewarded with life
For his fidelity. (5) How much less then shall the defiant go unpunished,
The treacherous, arrogant man
Who has made his maw as wide as Sheol,
Who is as insatiable as Death,
Who has harvested all the nations
And gathered in all the peoples! (6) Surely all these shall pronounce a satire against him,
A pointed epigram concerning him.
They shall say:
Ah, you who pile up what is not yours—
How much longer?—
And make ever heavier your load of indebtedness! (7) Right suddenly will your creditors arise,
And those who remind you will awake,
And you will be despoiled by them. (8) Because you plundered many nations,
All surviving peoples shall plunder you—
For crimes against men and wrongs against lands,
Against cities and all their inhabitants.
(9) Ah, you who have acquired gains
To the detriment of your own house,
Who have destroyed many peoples-h
In order to set your nest on high
To escape disaster! (10) You have plotted shame for your own house,
And guilt for yourself; (11) For a stone shall cry out from the wall,
And a rafter shall answer it from the woodwork.
(12) Ah, you who have built a town with crime,
And established a city with infamy, (13) So that peoples have had to toil for the fire,
And nations to weary themselves for naught!
Behold, it is from the LORD of Hosts: (14) For the earth shall be filled
With awe for the glory of the LORD
As water covers the sea.-k
(15) Ah, you who make others drink to intoxication
As you pour out-l your wrath,
In order to gaze upon their nakedness! (16) You shall be sated with shame
Rather than glory:
Drink in your turn and stagger!
The cup in the right hand of the LORD
Shall come around to you,
And disgrace to-o your glory. (17) For the lawlessness against Lebanon shall cover you,
The destruction of beasts shall overwhelm you-p—
For crimes against men and wrongs against lands,
Against cities and all their inhabitants. (18) What has the carved image availed,
That he who fashioned it has carved it
For an image and a false oracle—
That he who fashioned his product has trusted in it,
Making dumb idols? (19) Ah, you who say, “Wake up” to wood,
“Awaken,” to inert stone!
Can that give an oracle?
Why, it is encased in gold and silver,
But there is no breath inside it. (20) But the LORD in His holy Abode—
Be silent before Him all the earth!
Verse 1 – Compare these interpretations of the meaning of תוכחתי:
The use of the term “my reproof” (tokahti) shows that the prophet characterized his second lament as a reproof or rebuke of [Hashem]. He was unwilling to accept G-d’s first response as appropriate, and certainly not as the final response to the problem he had originally raised, so Habakkuk talked back to G-d just as other men of faith in the Old Testament had done or were to do. One thinks especially of Abraham, Moses, Amos, Jeremiah, and Job, to mention only the most prominent.
J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah: A Commentary (Louisville, Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991) p. 108
Rashi on Habakkuk 2:1
על תוכחתי. שהם מוכיחים אותי בפני שיש להרהר על מדת הדין.
Translation:
To my reproof – That they reprove me because they say there is [one should] question the attribute of [divine] justice.
How do Professor Roberts and Rashi differ in their understanding of the word “tochachti”? Compare also the commentary of Radak.
Translation:
I will stand on my watch. The prophet said, in this confusion that I am in, I watch and expect for what G-d who is blessed will answer me about the success of the wicked. What will he say to me. In the spirit of prophecy, as in “the spirit of G-d spoke to me.” (2 Samuel 23:2)
And what the text says and what I will answer. He wants to say, what will I respond to those who ask me, for I am not the only one who is confused about this issue. And when it says, and set me on the tower it means to say tower (matzor) like a person who is being attacked (shetzarim alav) and he has no refuge. So too, I, I have no refuge from this confusion about why the wicked succeed ….And our sages explained regarding the tower, that Habakkuk drew a circle and stood in it and said, “I am not moving from here until you tell me why you lengthen the days of the evildoers.”
(ו) הֲלוֹא־אֵ֣לֶּה כֻלָּ֗ם עָלָיו֙ מָשָׁ֣ל יִשָּׂ֔אוּ וּמְלִיצָ֖ה חִיד֣וֹת ל֑וֹ וְיֹאמַ֗ר ה֚וֹי הַמַּרְבֶּ֣ה לֹּא־ל֔וֹ עַד־מָתַ֕י וּמַכְבִּ֥יד עָלָ֖יו עַבְטִֽיט׃ (ז) הֲל֣וֹא פֶ֗תַע יָק֙וּמוּ֙ נֹֽשְׁכֶ֔יךָ וְיִקְצ֖וּ מְזַעְזְעֶ֑יךָ וְהָיִ֥יתָ לִמְשִׁסּ֖וֹת לָֽמוֹ׃ (ח) כִּֽי־אַתָּ֤ה שַׁלּ֙וֹתָ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים יְשָׁלּ֖וּךָ כׇּל־יֶ֣תֶר עַמִּ֑ים מִדְּמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ וַֽחֲמַס־אֶ֔רֶץ קִרְיָ֖ה וְכׇל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ {פ}
(ט) ה֗וֹי בֹּצֵ֛עַ בֶּ֥צַע רָ֖ע לְבֵית֑וֹ לָשׂ֤וּם בַּמָּרוֹם֙ קִנּ֔וֹ לְהִנָּצֵ֖ל מִכַּף־רָֽע׃ (י) יָעַ֥צְתָּ בֹּ֖שֶׁת לְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ קְצוֹת־עַמִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים וְחוֹטֵ֥א נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (יא) כִּי־אֶ֖בֶן מִקִּ֣יר תִּזְעָ֑ק וְכָפִ֖יס מֵעֵ֥ץ יַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃ {פ}
(יב) ה֛וֹי בֹּנֶ֥ה עִ֖יר בְּדָמִ֑ים וְכוֹנֵ֥ן קִרְיָ֖ה בְּעַוְלָֽה׃ (יג) הֲל֣וֹא הִנֵּ֔ה מֵאֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וְיִֽיגְע֤וּ עַמִּים֙ בְּדֵי־אֵ֔שׁ וּלְאֻמִּ֖ים בְּדֵי־רִ֥יק יִעָֽפוּ׃ (יד) כִּ֚י תִּמָּלֵ֣א הָאָ֔רֶץ לָדַ֖עַת אֶת־כְּב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּמַּ֖יִם יְכַסּ֥וּ עַל־יָֽם׃ {פ}
(טו) ה֚וֹי מַשְׁקֵ֣ה רֵעֵ֔הוּ מְסַפֵּ֥חַ חֲמָתְךָ֖ וְאַ֣ף שַׁכֵּ֑ר לְמַ֥עַן הַבִּ֖יט עַל־מְעוֹרֵיהֶֽם׃ (טז) שָׂבַ֤עְתָּ קָלוֹן֙ מִכָּב֔וֹד שְׁתֵ֥ה גַם־אַ֖תָּה וְהֵעָרֵ֑ל תִּסּ֣וֹב עָלֶ֗יךָ כּ֚וֹס יְמִ֣ין יְהֹוָ֔ה וְקִיקָל֖וֹן עַל־כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ (יז) כִּ֣י חֲמַ֤ס לְבָנוֹן֙ יְכַסֶּ֔ךָּ וְשֹׁ֥ד בְּהֵמ֖וֹת יְחִיתַ֑ן מִדְּמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ וַחֲמַס־אֶ֔רֶץ קִרְיָ֖ה וְכׇל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ (יח) מָה־הוֹעִ֣יל פֶּ֗סֶל כִּ֤י פְסָלוֹ֙ יֹֽצְר֔וֹ מַסֵּכָ֖ה וּמ֣וֹרֶה שָּׁ֑קֶר כִּ֣י בָטַ֞ח יֹצֵ֤ר יִצְרוֹ֙ עָלָ֔יו לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת אֱלִילִ֥ים אִלְּמִֽים׃ {ס} (יט) ה֣וֹי אֹמֵ֤ר לָעֵץ֙ הָקִ֔יצָה ע֖וּרִי לְאֶ֣בֶן דּוּמָ֑ם ה֣וּא יוֹרֶ֔ה הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא תָּפוּשׂ֙ זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֔סֶף וְכׇל־ר֖וּחַ אֵ֥ין בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ (כ) וַיהֹוָ֖ה בְּהֵיכַ֣ל קׇדְשׁ֑וֹ הַ֥ס מִפָּנָ֖יו כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {ס}
Take up my station at the post,
And wait to see what He will say to me,
What He will reply to my complaint.
(2) The LORD answered me and said:
Write the prophecy down,
Inscribe it clearly on tablets,
So that it can be read easily. (3) For there is yet a prophecy-c for a set term,
A truthful witness for a time that will come.
Even if it tarries, wait for it still;
For it will surely come, without delay: (4) Lo, his spirit within him is puffed up, not upright,
But-d the righteous man is rewarded with life
For his fidelity. (5) How much less then shall the defiant go unpunished,
The treacherous, arrogant man
Who has made his maw as wide as Sheol,
Who is as insatiable as Death,
Who has harvested all the nations
And gathered in all the peoples! (6) Surely all these shall pronounce a satire against him,
A pointed epigram concerning him.
They shall say:
Ah, you who pile up what is not yours—
How much longer?—
And make ever heavier your load of indebtedness! (7) Right suddenly will your creditors arise,
And those who remind you will awake,
And you will be despoiled by them. (8) Because you plundered many nations,
All surviving peoples shall plunder you—
For crimes against men and wrongs against lands,
Against cities and all their inhabitants.
(9) Ah, you who have acquired gains
To the detriment of your own house,
Who have destroyed many peoples-h
In order to set your nest on high
To escape disaster! (10) You have plotted shame for your own house,
And guilt for yourself; (11) For a stone shall cry out from the wall,
And a rafter shall answer it from the woodwork.
(12) Ah, you who have built a town with crime,
And established a city with infamy, (13) So that peoples have had to toil for the fire,
And nations to weary themselves for naught!
Behold, it is from the LORD of Hosts: (14) For the earth shall be filled
With awe for the glory of the LORD
As water covers the sea.-k
(15) Ah, you who make others drink to intoxication
As you pour out-l your wrath,
In order to gaze upon their nakedness! (16) You shall be sated with shame
Rather than glory:
Drink in your turn and stagger!
The cup in the right hand of the LORD
Shall come around to you,
And disgrace to-o your glory. (17) For the lawlessness against Lebanon shall cover you,
The destruction of beasts shall overwhelm you-p—
For crimes against men and wrongs against lands,
Against cities and all their inhabitants. (18) What has the carved image availed,
That he who fashioned it has carved it
For an image and a false oracle—
That he who fashioned his product has trusted in it,
Making dumb idols? (19) Ah, you who say, “Wake up” to wood,
“Awaken,” to inert stone!
Can that give an oracle?
Why, it is encased in gold and silver,
But there is no breath inside it. (20) But the LORD in His holy Abode—
Be silent before Him all the earth!
- Structure of the chapter – Review how breaks are set in the text in verses 6, 9, 12, 15 & 19. We can see that this part of the chapter forms a poem with verses. The beginning of verse 6 describes what this poem is. How do you understand the meaning of משל and מליצה חידות? If you have time, compare Isaiah 14:4-23. For the meaning of “becoming a proverb (mashal)”, see Jeremiah 24:9, Ezekiel 14:8.
- In these stanzas, what values of Babylon are being attacked? What would you say is the religious message of the poem?
- Is verse 14 out of place? Compare it to Isaiah 11:9
- Is verse 20 related to verse 14? How do you understand verse 20? Compare and contrast Rashi and Radak’s comments below on verse 20. How do they differ?
Translation:
Hashem is in his Holy Sanctuary – Ready to exact punishment
Be silent before Him all the earth – Hass – language of silence and the stillness of destruction.
Translation:
Be silent before Him all the earth – Be in fear before him all the inhabitants of the earth for he watches over you and sees all your deeds as it is said, “from heaven Hashem looks down and sees all people.” (Psalm 33:13)