Habakkuk 1:16

16 Therefore he shall offer to his great net, and shall make sacrifice to his net; for in them his part is made fat, and his meat is chosen. (And they even make offerings to their great nets, and make sacrifices to their nets; for by them their portions be made fat, and their meats be chosen and tasty.)

Habakkuk 1:16 Meaning and Commentary

Habakkuk 1:16

Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense
unto their drag
Either to their idols, to fortune and the stars, as Aben Ezra; imagining they gave them success, and prospered them in the arts and methods they used: or to their arms, as the Targum; nor was it unusual with the Heathens to worship their spears, sacrifice to them, and swear by them F7. So Justin says F8, originally the ancients worshipped spears for gods, in memory of whose religion spears are still added to the images of the gods. Lucian F9 asserts that the Scythians sacrificed to a scimitar; and Arnobius F11 says the same; and Ammianus Marcellinus F12 reports, that the Quadi worship their swords or daggers instead of gods; and that it was usual to swear by the spear is evident from others F13. Or else the sense is, they sacrificed to their own valour and courage, skill and conduct. Because by them their portion [is] fat, and their meat plenteous:
that is, by their angle, net, and drag; or by those things signified by them, the arts and methods they used to subdue nations, conquer kingdoms, and bring them into subjection to them; they enlarged their dominions, increased their riches and revenues, and had plenty of everything that was desirable for food and raiment, for pleasure and profit; or to gratify the most unbounded ambition, having everything that heart could wish for and desire: the allusion is to making sumptuous feasts, and rich banquets, on occasion of victories obtained.


FOOTNOTES:

F7 Vid. Doughtaei Analect. Sacra, p. 494, 495.
F8 E Trogo, l. 43. c. 3, 4.
F9 In Jupiter Tragoedus.
F11 Adv. Gentes, l. 6. p. 232.
F12 Hist. l. 17.
F13 (omnusi d'ouicmhn) , Aeschylus.

Habakkuk 1:16 In-Context

14 And thou shalt make men as fishes of the sea, and as a creeping thing not having a prince. (And shalt thou make people like the fish of the sea, and like the creeping things that do not have a leader?/And why makest thou people like the fish of the sea, and like the creeping things that do not have a leader?)
15 He shall lift up all in the hook; he drew it in his great net, and gathered into his net; on this thing he shall be glad, and make joy withoutforth. (For they lift up all the people by their hooks; they gather them into their great nets, and draw them along in their nets; and then they be happy, and rejoice, over this.)
16 Therefore he shall offer to his great net, and shall make sacrifice to his net; for in them his part is made fat, and his meat is chosen. (And they even make offerings to their great nets, and make sacrifices to their nets; for by them their portions be made fat, and their meats be chosen and tasty.)
17 Therefore for this thing he spreadeth abroad his great net, and evermore he ceaseth not for to slay folks. (And so for this they spread abroad their great nets, and they never cease to slaughter the nations.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.