Habakkuk: Habakkuk 1:15-16-The Babylonian Army Conquered Nations Like Fishermen Catch Fish in the Sea and Worshipped Their Military Power

Habakkuk 1:15 The Babylonian tyrant pulls them all up with a fishhook; he hauls them in with his throw net. When he catches them in his dragnet, he is very happy. (NET)

Habakkuk 1:15 He is characterized by causing each one of them to be pulled up with a fishhook. He is characterized by dragging them away with his throw net. When he is gathering them with his dragnet, he is rejoicing, yes specifically he is outwardly expressing joy. (Pastor’s translation)

Habakkuk 1:15 He is characterized by causing each one of them to be pulled up with a fishhook. He is characterized by dragging them away with his throw net. When he is gathering them with his dragnet, he is rejoicing, yes specifically he is outwardly expressing joy. (Pastor’s translation)

Now, we come to Habakkuk 1:15 which contains three assertions which describe the soldiers in the Babylonian army in a figurative or metaphorical sense in relation to the members of the human race from the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world in 605 B.C.

The first of these assertions solemnly states that the Babylonian army is characterized as causing the members of the human race from the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world to be pulled up like a fisherman pulling fish up out of the water with a fishhook.

The second solemnly states that the Babylonian soldiers are characterized as dragging away the members of the human race from the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world like a fisherman drags away a catch of fish with his throw net.

Though the language Habakkuk is using here in Habakkuk 1:15 is figurative or metaphorical here, the Babylonians literally did employ hooks and nets in relation to their captives.

In Jeremiah 16:16, the prophet Jeremiah who prophesied before, during and after Babylon’s three invasions in 605, 597 and 586 B.C. and eventual defeat of the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. uses the same imagery here in Habakkuk 1:15 for the Babylonians.

Jeremiah 16:16 But for now I, the Lord, say: “I will send many enemies who will catch these people like fishermen. After that I will send others who will hunt them out like hunters from all the mountains, all the hills, and the crevices in the rocks. (NET)

Therefore, in Habakkuk 1:15, the Babylonian soldiers are compared to fishermen and the members of the human race from the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world are compared to fish.

The fishhook, throw net and dragnet in this verse represent in a figurative or metaphorical sense the weapons employed by the Babylonian army to capture, kill and deport members of the human race from the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world in 605 B.C.

The Babylonian army’s treatment of the members of the human race from the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world in 605 B.C. is compared to a fisherman plying his trade.

The third and final assertion in Habakkuk 1:15 is a temporal clause which states that when the Babylonian soldiers are gathering the members of the human race from the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world like a fisherman gathers fish in his dragnet, they are rejoicing, yes specifically they are outwardly expressing this joy.

The Babylonian soldiers outward expressions of joy in capturing, killing and deporting these people is a malicious expression of joy since they rejoiced over the misfortune of other people and their suffering.

The Babylonian army expressed no concern for the welfare of humanity as fishermen have for helpless fish.

Habakkuk 1:16 Because of his success he offers sacrifices to his throw net and burns incense to his dragnet; for because of them he has plenty of food, and more than enough to eat. (NET)

Habakkuk 1:16 Consequently, he is characterized by offering sacrifices on behalf of his throw net. Correspondingly, he is characterized by burning incense on behalf of his dragnet. For by means of them, his portion from the spoils of war is abundant. Correspondingly, his food is rich. (Pastor’s translation)

Habakkuk 1:16 contains four more statements about the Babylonian army in relation to their weapons, which they used to conquer the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world.

The Lord asserts that the Babylonian soldier offers sacrifices on behalf of his throw net and correspondingly, they burned incense on behalf of his dragnet.

Then, from the perspective of the Babylonian soldier, the Lord presents the reason why the Babylonian soldier did this.

He asserts that his thrown net and dragnet were the means by which his portion from the spoils of war was abundant and correspondingly, his food was rich.

These four assertions present the result of the previous assertions in Habakkuk 1:14-15.

Therefore, this indicates that the Babylonian soldier offered sacrifices and burned incense on behalf of their weapons because he attributed his success in killing, capturing and enslaving the members of the human race from the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world to his weapons.

Now, the second assertion in Habakkuk 1:16 corresponds to the first indicating that the act of the Babylonian soldiers offering sacrifices on behalf of their throw nets and burning incense on behalf of their dragnets are both expressions of worshipping their weapons which they employed to conquer many nations.

Furthermore, the fourth corresponds to the third indicating that in the view of the Babylonian soldier, his weapons were the means by which both their portion from the spoils of war was abundant and their food rich.

The third and fourth assertions in verse 16 present the reason for the first two.

Therefore, this indicates that the Babylonian soldiers offered sacrifices and burned incense on behalf of their weapons because they believed that by means of these weapons, their spoils of war were abundant and their food was rich.

The implication is that the Babylonians attributed their military success in conquering many nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world and financial prosperity to their weapons.

In reality, it was the God of Israel who gave them military victory over the various nations of the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world in the seventh century B.C.

It was the God of Israel who made them prosperous.

Jeremiah 27 teaches that the Lord delivered over to Nebuchadnezzar the various nations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world including the southern kingdom of Judah.

These statements in Habakkuk 1:16 correspond to the statements in Habakkuk 1:11.

Habakkuk 1:11 Indeed therefore, they characteristically sweep through like a destructive wind and then characteristically move on. However, they are guilty. Those whose own military power is their god. (Pastor’s translation)