Habakkuk 1:16
New International Version
Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.

New Living Translation
Then they will worship their nets and burn incense in front of them. “These nets are the gods who have made us rich!” they will claim.

English Standard Version
Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.

King James Bible
Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.

New King James Version
Therefore they sacrifice to their net, And burn incense to their dragnet; Because by them their share is sumptuous And their food plentiful.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net, Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful.

NASB 1995
Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful.

NASB 1977
Therefore, they offer a sacrifice to their net. And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net Because through these things their portion is rich And their food is fat.

Amplified Bible
Therefore, they offer sacrifices to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large and they live luxuriously, And their food is plentiful.

Christian Standard Bible
That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet and burn incense to their fishing net, for by these things their portion is rich and their food plentiful.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet and burn incense to their fishing net, for by these things their portion is rich and their food plentiful.

American Standard Version
Therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; because by them his portion is fat, and his food plenteous.

Contemporary English Version
that he offers sacrifices to his fishing nets, because they make him rich and provide choice foods.

English Revised Version
Therefore he sacrificeth unto his net, and burneth incense unto his drag; because by them his portion is fat, and his meat plenteous.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
That is why they sacrifice to their nets and burn incense to their dragnets. They are rich and well fed because of them.

Good News Translation
They even worship their nets and offer sacrifices to them, because their nets provide them with the best of everything.

International Standard Version
Therefore he sacrifices to his fishing net, and burns incense in the presence of his dragnet, because by them his assets increase and he gets plenty of food.

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.

NET Bible
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.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious, and his food is good.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore they sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their food plenteous.

World English Bible
Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious and his food is good.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Therefore he sacrifices to his net, "" And makes incense to his dragnet, "" For by them [is] his portion fertile, and his food fat.

Young's Literal Translation
Therefore he doth sacrifice to his net, And doth make perfume to his drag, For by them is his portion fertile, and his food fat.

Smith's Literal Translation
For this he will sacrifice to his net and burn incense to his fish-net; for by them his portion fat and his food growing fat.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore will he offer victims to his drag, and he will sacrifice to his net: because through them his portion is made fat, and his meat dainty.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For this reason, he will offer victims to his dragnet, and he will sacrifice to his netting. For through them, his portion has been made fat, and his meals elite.

New American Bible
Therefore he makes sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his fishing net; For thanks to them his portion is rich, and his meal lavish.

New Revised Standard Version
Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his seine; for by them his portion is lavish, and his food is rich.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Therefore they sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their drag, because by them their portion is made rich, and their food dainty.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he sacrifices to his net and lays incense to his dragnet, because by them his portion is made fat and his food is choice
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, And offer unto their drag; Because by them their portion is fat, And their food plenteous.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Therefore will he sacrifice to his drag, and burn incense to his casting-net, because by them he has made his portion fat, and his meats choice.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Habakkuk's Second Complaint
15The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly. 16Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich. 17Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?…

Cross References
Isaiah 44:17
From the rest he makes a god, his graven image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

Jeremiah 44:17-19
Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster. / But from the time we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been perishing by sword and famine.” / “Moreover,” said the women, “when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ knowledge that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Deuteronomy 32:17
They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they had not known, to newly arrived gods, which your fathers did not fear.

2 Kings 17:16
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

Isaiah 46:6-7
They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship. / They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

Ezekiel 8:10-12
So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel. / Before them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. / “Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”

Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.

1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

Isaiah 2:8
Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

Hosea 2:8
For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold—which they crafted for Baal.

Daniel 5:23
Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore they sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.

they.

Habakkuk 1:11
Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.

Deuteronomy 8:17
And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

Isaiah 10:13-15
For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: …

plenteous.

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Burn Burning Burns Catch Choicest Dainty Drag Dragnet Enjoys Fat Fishing Fishing-Net Food Gets Good Incense Life Luxury Makes Meat Net Offer Offering Perfume Plenteous Portion Reason Sacrifice Sacrifices Seine
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Burn Burning Burns Catch Choicest Dainty Drag Dragnet Enjoys Fat Fishing Fishing-Net Food Gets Good Incense Life Luxury Makes Meat Net Offer Offering Perfume Plenteous Portion Reason Sacrifice Sacrifices Seine
Habakkuk 1
1. Unto Habakkuk, complaining of the iniquity of the land,
5. is shown the fearful vengeance by the Chaldeans.
12. He complains that vengeance should be executed by them who are far worse.














Therefore they sacrifice to their net
The word "sacrifice" in Hebrew is "זָבַח" (zabach), which traditionally refers to the act of offering something valuable to a deity. In this context, it is used metaphorically to describe the Chaldeans' idolatrous behavior. The "net" symbolizes the tools and methods by which they achieve their conquests and wealth. Historically, the Chaldeans were known for their military prowess and strategic conquests. This phrase highlights the folly of attributing success to one's own devices rather than acknowledging God's sovereignty. It serves as a caution against idolatry, reminding believers to place their trust in God rather than in human achievements or possessions.

and burn incense to their dragnet
The act of "burning incense" (קָטַר, qatar in Hebrew) is a ritualistic practice often associated with worship and reverence. The "dragnet" is another metaphor for the means by which the Chaldeans capture and subdue nations. This imagery suggests a deep-seated reverence and devotion to their own power and success. Historically, incense was used in various religious ceremonies to symbolize prayers rising to the divine. Here, it underscores the misplaced devotion of the Chaldeans, who honor their own strength and strategies as if they were divine. This serves as a warning against the dangers of self-reliance and the worship of one's own capabilities.

for by these things their portion is rich
The term "portion" (חֵלֶק, chelek in Hebrew) often refers to one's share or inheritance. In this context, it signifies the wealth and prosperity the Chaldeans gain through their conquests. The phrase "is rich" indicates abundance and material success. Historically, the Chaldeans amassed great wealth through their military campaigns, leading to a false sense of security and pride. This serves as a reminder that material wealth, while seemingly beneficial, can lead to spiritual poverty if it becomes the focus of one's life. Believers are encouraged to seek their portion in God, who provides true and lasting riches.

and their food is plentiful
The word "food" (מַאֲכָל, ma'akal in Hebrew) represents sustenance and provision. "Plentiful" suggests an abundance that meets and exceeds basic needs. This phrase highlights the temporal and fleeting nature of material abundance. While the Chaldeans enjoy prosperity, it is ultimately unsatisfying and temporary. In a broader scriptural context, true satisfaction and provision come from God, who provides for His people both physically and spiritually. This serves as an encouragement to trust in God's provision and to seek spiritual nourishment that leads to eternal life.

(16) The prophet has already stated that the Chaldaean deifies his own military prowess. Of this statement the present verse is an expansion. Weapons of war may have been literally worshipped by the Babylonians. Similarly, the Sarmatians offered yearly sacrifices to a sword, as the emblem of their god of war (Clem. Alex. Protrept. 64). The Romans also sacrificed to their eagles. But probably the language is metaphorical, and we need not seek a closer illustration than that of Dr. Pusey,--"So the Times said at the beginning of the late war, 'The French almost worshipped the mitrailleuse as a goddess.' 'They idolised, it would say, their invention, as if it could do what God alone could.'"

Verse 16. - Therefore they sacrifice unto their net. This is spoken metaphorically, implying that the Babylonians recognized not God's hand, but attributed their success to the means which they employed (comp. ver. 11; Isaiah 10:13 etc.). There is no trace in the monuments of the Chaldeans paying divine honours to their weapons, as, accord-lug to Herodotus (4:62), the Scythians and other nations did (see Justin, 'Hist.,' 43:3; and Pusey's note here). What a man trusts in becomes a god to him. Their portion is fat; his portion is rich. He gains great wealth. Their meat plenteous; his meat dainty. He is prosperous and luxurious.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Therefore
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

they sacrifice
יְזַבֵּ֣חַ (yə·zab·bê·aḥ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice

to their dragnet
לְחֶרְמ֔וֹ (lə·ḥer·mōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2764: A net, a doomed object, extermination

and burn incense
וִֽיקַטֵּ֖ר (wî·qaṭ·ṭêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6999: To smoke, turn into fragrance by fire

to their fishing net,
לְמִכְמַרְתּ֑וֹ (lə·miḵ·mar·tōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4365: A net, fishing net

for
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

by these
בָהֵ֙מָּה֙ (ḇā·hêm·māh)
Preposition-b | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

things their portion
חֶלְק֔וֹ (ḥel·qōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2506: Portion, tract, territory

is sumptuous
שָׁמֵ֣ן (šā·mên)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 8082: Greasy, gross, rich

and their food
וּמַאֲכָל֖וֹ (ū·ma·’ă·ḵā·lōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3978: An eatable

is rich.
בְּרִאָֽה׃ (bə·ri·’āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1277: Fatted, plump


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OT Prophets: Habakkuk 1:16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net (Hab Hb)
Habakkuk 1:15
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