COMMENTARY ON HABAKKUK (1QpHab = Pesher on Habakkuk)
Translated by G. Vermes and revised by R.A.Kraft
["Behold the nations and see, marvel and be astonished; for
I accomplish a deed in your days, but you will not believe it when]
1. told" [[Hab 1.5]]. {blank}
[Interpreted, this concerns] those who were unfaithful together with
the 2/ Liar, in that they [did] not [listen to the word received by] the
teacher of Righteousness from the mouth of God. 3/ And it concerns
the unfaithful of the New [Covenant] in that they have not
4/ believed in the Covenant of God [and have profaned] his holy name.
And 5/ likewise, {blank}
this saying is to be interpreted [as concerning
those who] will be unfaithful at the end of 6/ days. They, the men of
violence and the breakers of the Covenant, will not believe when
7/ they hear all that [is to happen to] the final generation from the
8/ Priest [in whose heart] God set [understanding] that he might
interpret all the 9/ words of his servants the prophets, through whom
he foretold 10/ all that would happen to his people and [his land].
"For behold, I rouse the 11/ Chaldeans,
that [bitter and hasty] nation" [[Hab 1.6a]]. {blank}
12/ Interpreted, this concerns the Kittim [who are] quick and valiant
13/ in war, causing many to perish. [All the world shall fall] under the
dominion of the 14/ Kittim, and the [wicked . . .] they shall not
believe in the 15/ laws of [God . . .]
16/ and [...]
["who march through the breadth of the earth to take possession
of dwellings which are not their own"] [[Hab 1.6b]]. ...
1/ and they shall march across the plain, smiting and plundering the cities
of the earth.
2/ For it is as He said, "to take possession of dwellings which are not
their own. They are fearsome 3/ and terrible; their justice and grandeur
proceed from themselves" [[Hab 1.7]]. {blank}
4/ Interpreted, this concerns the Kittim who inspire all the nations
with fear [and dread]. 5/ All their evil plotting is done with intention
and 6/ they deal with all the nations in cunning and guile.
"Their horses are swifter than leopards and fleeter
7/ than evening wolves" [[Hab 1.8]] {blank}.
Their horses step forward proudly and spread their wings;
8/ They fly from afar like an eagle avid to devour.
"All of them come for violence; the look on
9/ their faces is like the east wind" [[Hab 1.8-9a]]. {blank}
[Interpreted, this] concerns the Kittim who 10/ trample the earth
with their horses and beasts. 11/ They come from afar, from the
islands of the sea, to devour all the peoples like an eagle which
12/ cannot be satisfied, and they address [all the peoples] with
13/ anger and [wrath and fury] and indignation.
For it is as 14/ he said, "the look on their faces is like the
east wind.[they heap up] captives [like sand]" [[Hab 1.9b]]. ...
1/ "They scoff [at kings], and princes are their laughing-stock
[[Hab 1.10a]]. {blank}
Interpreted, this means 2/ that they mock the great and despise
the venerable; they ridicule kings and 3/ princes and scoff at the
mighty host.
4/ "They laugh at every fortress; they pile up earth and take it
[[Hab 1.10b]].
5/ Interpreted, this concerns the commanders of the Kittim who
despise the 6/ fortresses of the peoples and laugh at them in derision.
7/ To capture them, they encircle them with a mighty host, and out of
fear and terror they deliver 8/ themselves into their hands.
They destroy them because of the sins of their inhabitants.
9/ "The wind then sweeps on and passes; and they make of their strength
10/ their god [[Hab 1.11]]. {blank}
Interpreted, [this concerns] the commanders of the Kittim who,
11/ on the counsel of [the] House of Guilt, pass one in
12/ front of the other; one after another [their] commanders come to
13/ lay waste the earth.
["And they make] of their strength their God" [[Hab 1.llb]]:
14/ Interpreted, this concerns [ . . . all] the peoples . . .
["Are you not from everlasting, YHWH, my God, my holy One? We shall
not die.] You have ordained them, [YHWH],
1/ for judgement; you have established them, O Rock, for chastisement.
their eyes are too pure 2/ to behold evil; and you can not look on
distress" [[Hab 1.12-13a]]. {blank}
3/ Interpreted, this saying means that God will not destroy his people
4/ by the hand of the nations; God will execute the judgement of the
nations by the hand of his elect. 5/ And through their chastisement
all the wicked of his people shall expiate their guilt who keep his
commandments 6/ in their distress.
For it is as he said, "too pure of eyes to behold 7/ evil" [[Hab 1.13a]]
{blank}:
Interpreted, this means that they have not lusted after their
eyes during the age of 8/ wickedness.
"O traitors, why do you stare and stay silent when the wicked swallows
9/ Up one more righteous than he?" [[Hab 1.13b]]. {blank}
Interpreted, this concerns the House of Absalom and 10/ the members
of its council who were silent at the time of the chastisement of
the Teacher of Righteousness 11/ and gave him no help against the Liar {blank}
who flouted the 12/ Law in the midst of their whole [congregation].
"Thou dealest with men like the fish of the sea,
13/ Like creeping things, to rule over them.
14/ They draw [them all up with a fish-hook],
and drag them out with their net,
and gather them in [their seine.
Therefore they sacrifice] to their net.
Therefore they rejoice [and exult
and burn incense to their seine;
for by them] their portion is fat
[and their sustenance rich"] [[Hab 1.14-16]]....
1/ the Kittim. And they shall gather in their riches, together with all
their booty, 2/ "like the fish of the sea."
And as for that which he said, "therefore they sacrifice to their net
and 3/ Burn incense to their seine":
Interpreted, this means that they 4/ sacrifice to their standards
and worship their weapons of war.
"For through them 5/ Their portion is fat and their sustenance rich":
6/ Interpreted, this means that they divide their yoke and their tribute
-- their sustenance -- 7/ over all the peoples year by year,
8/ ravaging many lands.
"Therefore their sword is ever drawn to 9/ massacre nations
mercilessly [[Hab 1.17]]. {blank}
10/ Interpreted, this concerns the Kittim who cause many to perish by
the sword -- 11/ youths, grown men, the aged, women and children --
and who even take no pity on the fruit of the 12/ womb.
"I will take my stand to watch 13/ and will station myself upon my
fortress. I will watch to see what he will say 14/ to me and how
[he will answer] my complaint. And YHWH answered [and said to me,
'write down the vision and make it plain] 15/ upon the tablets,
that [he who reads] may read it speedily'" [[Hab 2.1-2]]. ...
1/ and God told Habakkuk to write down that which would happen to the
2/ final generation, but He did not make known to him when time would
come to an end.
3/ {blank} And as for that which He said, "that he who reads may
read it speedily":
4/ Interpreted this concerns the Teacher of Righteousness, to whom
God made known all the 5/ mysteries of the words of His servants
the prophets.
"For there shall be yet another vision concerning the appointed time.
6/ It shall tell of the end and shall not lie [[Hab 2.3a]]. {blank}
7/ Interpreted, this means that the final age shall be prolonged,
and shall exceed 8/ all that the prophets have said;
for the mysteries of God are astounding.
9/ "If it tarries, wait for it, for it shall surely come and shall not
10/ be late" [[Hab 2.3b]]. {blank}
Interpreted, this concerns the men of truth 11/ who keep the Law, whose
hands shall not slacken in the service of 12/ truth when the final age
is prolonged. 13/ For all the ages of God reach their appointed end
as he determines for them 14/ in the mysteries of His wisdom.
"Behold, [his soul] is puffed up and is not upright" [[Hab 2.4a]]. {blank}
15/ Interpreted, this means that [the wicked] shall double their guilt
upon themselves [and it shall not be forgiven] when they are judged. {blank}
["But the righteous shall live by his faith"] [[Hab 2.4b]].
1/ Interpreted, this concerns all those who observe the Law in the
House of Judah, whom God will 2/ deliver from the House of Judgement
because of their suffering and because of their faith 3/ in the
Teacher of Righteousness.
"Moreover, the arrogant man seizes wealth without 4/ halting.
He widens his gullet like hell and like death he has never enough.
5/ All the nations are gathered to him and all the peoples
6/ are assembled to him. Will they not all of them taunt him and jeer at
7/ him saying, 'Woe to him who amasses that which is not his! How
long will he load himself up 8/ with pledges?'" [[Hab 2.5-6]]. {blank}
Interpreted, this concerns the Wicked Priest who 9/ was called by the
name of truth when he first arose. But when he ruled 10/ over Israel
his heart became proud, and he forsook God and betrayed the precepts
for the sake 11/ of riches. He robbed and amassed the riches of the
men of violence who rebelled against God, and he took 12/ the wealth
of the peoples, heaping sinful iniquity upon himself. And he lived
in the ways 13/ of abominations amidst every unclean defilement.
"Shall not your oppressors suddenly arise 14/ and your torturers awaken;
and shall you not become their prey? 15/ Because you have plundered
many nations, all the remnant of the peoples 16/ shall plunder you"
[[Hab 2.7-8a]]. {blank}
[Interpreted, this concerns] 17/ the Priest who rebelled [and
violated] precepts [of God . . . to command] ...
1/ his chastisement by means of the judgements of wickedness. And
they inflicted horrors of evil 2/ diseases and took vengeance upon
his body of flesh.
And as for that which 3/ He said, "because you have plundered many
nations, all the 4/ remnant of the peoples shall plunder you": {blank}
Interpreted this concerns the last Priests of Jerusalem, 5/ who shall
amass money and wealth by plundering the peoples. But in the 6/ last
days, their riches and booty shall be delivered into the hands of the
7/ army of the Kittim, {blank}
For it is they who shall be "the remnant of the peoples."
8/ "Because of the blood of men and the violence done to the land,
to the city, and to all its inhabitants" [[Hab 2.8b]]. {blank}
9/ Interpreted, this concerns the Wicked Priest whom God delivered
into the hands of his enemies because of the iniquity committed against
the Teacher 10/ of Righteousness and the men of his Council, that he
might be humbled by means of 11/ a destroying scourge, in bitterness
of soul, because he had done wickedly 12/ to His elect.
"Woe to him who gets evil profit for his house; who perches his nest
13/ high to be safe from the hand of evil! You have devised shame
14/ to your house: by cutting off many peoples you have forfeited
your own soul. For the [stone] 15/ cries out [from] the wall [and]
the beam from the woodwork replies [[Hab 2.9-11]].
16/ [Interpreted, this] concerns the {Priest] who . ...
1/ that its stones might be laid in oppression and the beam of its
woodwork in robbery.
And as for that which 2/ he said, "by cutting off many peoples
you have forfeited your own soul": {blank}
3/ Interpreted this concerns the condemned House whose 4/ judgement
God will pronounce in the midst of many peoples. He will bring him
thence for judgement and will 5/ declare him guilty in the midst
of them, and will chastise him with fire of brimstone.
"Woe to him who 6/ builds a city with blood and founds a town upon
falsehood! Behold, is it not 7/ from YHWH of hosts that the
peoples shall labour for fire 8/ and the nations shall strive
for naught? [[Hab 2.12-13]]. {blank}
9/ Interpreted, this concerns the Spouter of Lies who led many astray
that he 10/ might build his city of vanity with blood and raise a
congregation on deceit, 11/ causing many thereby to perform a service
of vanity for the sake of its glory, and to be pregnant 12/ with [works]
of deceit, that their labour might be for nothing and that they might be
13/ punished with fire who vilified and outraged the elect of God.
14/ "For as the waters cover the sea, so shall the earth be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of YHWH" [[Hab 2.14]]. {blank}
15/ Interpreted, [this means that] when they return . ...
1/ the lies. And afterwards, knowledge shall be revealed to them
abundantly, like the waters of 2/ the sea.
"Woe to him who causes his neighbours to drink;
who pours out his venom 3/ to make them drunk
that he may gaze on their feasts!" [[Hab 2.15]].
4/ {blank} Interpreted, this concerns the Wicked Priest who 5/ pursued
the Teacher of Righteousness to the house of his exile that he might
confuse him with his venomous fury. And at the time appointed 6/ for rest,
for the Day of Atonement, he appeared before them to confuse them,
and to cause them 7/ to stumble on the Day of Fasting, their
Sabbath of repose.
"You have filled yourself with 8/ ignominy more than with glory.
Drink also, and 9/ stagger! The cup of YHWH's right hand shall come
round to you and shame shall come 10/ on your glory [[Hab 2.16]]. {blank}
11/ Interpreted, this concerns the Priest whose ignominy was greater
than his glory. 12/ For he did not circumcise the foreskin of his heart,
and he walked in the ways 13/ of drunkenness that he might quench his
thirst. But the cup of the wrath 14/ of God shall confuse him,
multiplying his . . . and the pain of . . .
...
["For the violence done to Lebanon shall overwhelm you,
and the destruction of the beasts]
1/ Shall terrify you, because of the blood of men and the violence done
to the land, the city, and all its inhabitants [[Hab 2.17]].
2/ Interpreted, this saying concerns the Wicked Priest, inasmuch as he
shall be paid the 3/ reward which he himself tendered to the poor.
For Lebanon is the 4/ Council of the Community; and the beasts are
the simple of Judah 5/ who keep the Law. God will condemn him to
destruction {blank} 6/ just as he himself plotted the destruction
of the poor,
And as for that which he said, "because of the blood
7/ of the city and the violence done to the land":
Interpreted, the city is Jerusalem where the 8/ Wicked Priest committed
abominable deeds and defiled the 9/ Temple of God. The violence done
to the land: these are the cities of Judah 10/ where he robbed the
poor of their possessions.
"Of what use is an idol that its maker should shape it, a molten
11/ image, a fatling of lies? For the craftsman puts his trust in his
own creation when he 12/ makes dumb idols" [[Hab 2.18]].
Interpreted, this saying concerns all the 13/ idols of the nations
which they make so that they may serve and worship them. But
14/ they shall not deliver them on the Day of Judgement.
15/ "Woe [to him who says] to wood, 'awake', and to dumb stone, 'arise'!
[Can such a thing give guidance? Behold, it is covered with gold and
silver but there is no spirit within it. But YHWH is in his holy temple]:
1/ Let all the earth be silent before him!" [[Hab 2.19-20 (end of chapter)]].
Interpreted, this concerns all the nations 2/ which serve stone and wood.
But on the Day of 3/ Judgement, God will destroy from the earth
4/ all idolatrous and wicked men. {blank} 5-end {Blank} . . .