הַמַּשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר חָזָה חֲבַקּוּק הַנָּבִיא

The prophecy [massa] that Habakkuk the prophet envisioned. Literally, massa means a burden. It is used here to mean a prophecy, as the prophets often experienced prophecy as a burden. No information is given here about Habakkuk himself. Even the meaning of his name, which appears nowhere else in the Bible, is obscure.

עַד־אָנָה ה' שִׁוַּעְתִּי וְלֹא תִשְׁמָע! אֶזְעַק אֵלֶיךָ חָמָס וְלֹא תוֹשִׁיעַ!

Unlike other books of prophecy, which begin with prophecies that relate a message from God to the people, Habakkuk begins with the prophet addressing God: Until when, Lord, will I cry and You not heed? Because I receive no response, it feels as though You do not hear me. Until when will I shout of villainy to You, and You not save?

לָמָּה תַרְאֵנִי אָוֶן וְעָמָל תַּבִּיט וְשֹׁד וְחָמָס לְנֶגְדִּי ! וַיְהִי רִיב וּמָדוֹן יִשָּׂא

Why will You show me iniquity and injustice and look at suffering, yet do nothing about it? Looting and villainy are before me; there is quarrel in the world, and contention increases. The world is corrupt and full of evil, with wars and conflicts everywhere.

עַל־כֵּן תָּפוּג תּוֹרָה ולֹא־יֵצֵא לָנֶצַח מִשְׁפָּט כִּי רָשָׁע מַכְתִּיר אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק עַל־כֵּן יֵצֵא מִשְׁפָּט מְעֻקָּל

Therefore, due to the violence, evil, and conflicts, the Torah will languish; it is weak and fading, and in such a culture, justice will never emerge. For the wicked surround the righteous, overwhelming them and blocking their path everywhere; therefore, justice will emerge distorted. Even when a righteous person intends to do good, he is outnumbered by evil people, more powerful than he, who prevent him from realizing his praiseworthy intentions.

רְאוּ בַגּוֹיִם וְהַבִּיטוּ וְהִתַּמְּהוּ תְּמָהוּ כִּי־פֹעַל פֹּעֵל בִּימֵיכֶם לֹא תַאֲמִינוּ כִּי יְסֻפָּר

The prophet addresses his listeners, describing the state of distress revealed to him: See what occurs among the nations, in the geopolitical sphere, and look and be astounded, for He is performing a deed in your days; you will not believe when it is related. When you are informed of future events, you will be incredulous.

כִּי־הִנְנִי מֵקִים אֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּים הַגּוֹי הַמַּר וְהַנִּמְהָר הַהוֹלֵךְ לְמֶרְחֲבֵי־אֶרֶץ לָרֶשֶׁת מִשְׁכָּנוֹת לֹא־לוֹ

God declares: For behold, I am raising up, or awakening, the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, the bitter and impetuous, or quick, nation, which travels across the open spaces of the earth to take possession of dwelling places not its own.

אָיֹם וְנוֹרָא הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ מִשְׁפָּטוֹ וּשְׂאֵתוֹ יֵצֵא

It, this nation, is terrifying and awesome; from it will emerge its justice and its prominence. The Babylonians assume a superior status and follow their own systems of law and justice while disregarding those of other nations.

וְקַלּוּ מִנְּמֵרִים סוּסָיו וְחַדּוּ מִזְּאֵבֵי עֶרֶב וּפָשׁוּ פָּרָשָׁיו וּפָרָשָׁיו מֵרָחוֹק יָבֹאוּ יָעֻפוּ כְּנֶשֶׁר חָשׁ לֶאֱכוֹל

Its horses are swifter than leopards, which are known for their speed, and fiercer than wolves of the evening, and its horsemen will spread. Its horsemen come from afar, they fly like a vulture hastening to eat. A flock of vultures can rush without warning at a corpse lying several kilometers away.

כֻּלֹּה לְחָמָס יָבוֹא מְגַמַּת פְּנֵיהֶם קָדִימָה וַיֶּאֱסֹף כַּחוֹל שֶׁבִי

It comes in its entirety for villainy. Their faces’ direction is forward. It gathers captives like the sand before continuing onward. This small kingdom is already developing a voracious appetite.

וְהוּא בַּמְּלָכִים יִתְקַלָּס וְרֹזְנִים מִשְׂחָק לוֹ הוּא לְכָל־מִבְצָר יִשְׂחָק וַיִּצְבֹּר עָפָר וַיִּלְכְּדָהּ

It, the Babylonian Empire, scoffs at kings, and noblemen are a mockery to it. It mocks every stronghold, heaps earth to besiege a city, and captures it. The Babylonians were experts at laying siege. They conquered city after city using various siege techniques.

אָז חָלַף רוּחַ וַיַּעֲבֹר וְאָשֵׁם זוּ כֹחוֹ לֵאלֹהוֹ

Then it passes, a wind, it comes like a storm; and it transgresses and is guilty, ascribing its power to its god. The Babylonians are a destructive and evil force and are compared to a storm because of their speed, relentlessness, and conquering power. They are described here as guilty because they attribute their might to their god.

הֲלוֹא אַתָּה מִקֶּדֶם ה' אֱלֹהַי קְדֹשִׁי לֹא נָמוּת ה' לְמִשְׁפָּט שַׂמְתּוֹ וצוּר לְהוֹכִיחַ יְסַדְתּוֹ

Habakkuk again speaks to God: Aren’t You the ruler of the world from ancient times, from time immemorial, Lord my God, my Holy One? Let us not die. Lord, You set them, the Babylonians, for the sake of judgment, to be Your rod of punishment for the wicked, and You, Rock, established them for rebuke, to smite and exact vengeance upon the wicked.

טְהוֹר עֵינַיִם מֵרְאוֹת רָע והַבִּיט אֶל־עָמָל לֹא תוּכָל לָמָּה תַבִּיט בּוֹגְדִים תַּחֲרִישׁ בְּבַלַּע רָשָׁע צַדִּיק מִמֶּנּוּ!

You of eyes too pure to see evil and, therefore, You who are unable to look on at wrongdoing with approval, why do You look on at traitors, remain silent when the wicked one swallows one more righteous than he? How can You stand by as the wicked dominate the righteous?

וַתַּעֲשֶׂה אָדָם כִּדְגֵי הַיָּם כְּרֶמֶשׂ לֹא מֹשֵׁל בּוֹ

You made man like the fish of the sea, like crawling creatures, with no ruler over him. You appear to treat humans like fish; powerless, defenseless creatures that can be caught and eaten by anyone who wishes.

כֻּלֹּה בְּחַכָּה הֵעֲלָה יְגֹרֵהוּ בְחֶרְמוֹ וְיַאַסְפֵהוּ בְּמִכְמַרְתּוֹ עַל־כֵּן יִשְׂמַח וְיָגִיל

He, a fisherman, meaning the Babylonians, raises all of them with the rod, amasses them in his net, and gathers them in his trawl. The prophet refers to different types of fishing tools; some kinds of fishing nets hold the fish, while others are used to trap them. Therefore, he, the fisherman, rejoices and exults, indifferent to the fate of the fish, and glorifying the tools he uses for fishing.

עַל־כֵּן יְזַבֵּחַ לְחֶרְמוֹ וִיקַטֵּר לְמִכְמַרְתּוֹ כִּי בָהֵמָּה שָׁמֵן חֶלְקוֹ וּמַאֲכָלוֹ בְּרִאָה

Therefore, he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his trawl, treating them as gods; because through them his portion is fat, and his food is a fattened animal. The Babylonians attribute their military might, through which they are rich with plunder, to their idols, and therefore, they sacrifice offerings to them.

הַעַל כֵּן יָרִיק חֶרְמוֹ וְתָמִיד לַהֲרֹג גּוֹיִם לֹא יַחְמוֹל!

Will he, therefore, empty his net, filling nets over and over again with plunder, and continually slay nations without compassion?