Pinker, «On the Meaning of wy+m in Habakkuk 3,14a», Vol. 86 (2005) 376-386
In Hab 3,14a the minimal emendation
of wy+mb “with his staffs” into yw+mb “into the
spun of” is suggested. Hab 3,14 is perceived as describing God on His chariot
chasing the enemy’s fleeing horsemen, piercing the spun or braids at the back of
their head. These horsemen have previously much enjoyed the chase and the loot
when they attacked Judah.
On the Meaning of wyfm in Habakkuk 3,14a 377
Hiebert: You pierced with your shafts his head (?) (6).
Irwin: His carcass the north (wind) swept away (7).
Margulis: Thou didst pierce head(s) with Thy (spear-)shafts Thy
weapons (?) (8).
Roberts: You pierced his head with your shafts. [His followers
...(9).
This sample of interpretations shows some agreement with respect to the
first three words çar wyfmb tbqn in the sense that something harmful is done to
the head of an enemy, though there is considerable difference regarding the
specifics. The purpose of this note is to suggest a minor emendation of wyfmb
that might, perhaps, provide a rational setting for interpreting this verse. To
this end I will discuss each of the four words seriatim and then combine the
likely individual meanings.
*
**
tbqn, the Qal perfect 2nd masculine of bqn, is usually understood as “you
perforated, pierced, separated, cursedâ€. The Septuagint translates tbqn as “you
cutâ€, Targum as “you split or cleftâ€, Peshitta as “you didst breakâ€, and
Vulgate as “cursedâ€. Barberini’s translation “you avengedâ€, apparently
reflects the reading tmqn, stemming from a confusion between b and m in his
Vorlage. Ibn Ezra understands bqn as “the opposite of salvationâ€, in a sense
akin to Barberini’s translation. Japheth takes tbqn as meaning “specifiedâ€; i.e.,
in the process of casting lots God has specified each tribe’s portion (10).
However, it is very doubtful that the verse refers to this historical event. It is
quite clear from the context that God’s battling with His enemies is the theme
rather than the division of the land to the Israelites. Metzudot says that tbqn is
rwjw bqn ˆwçlm, “of the sense of ‘perforation’ and ‘hole’â€. Similarly, Hiebert
feels that “The action of Yahweh piercing his enemy is appropriate in this
context. In a number of other descriptions of the vanquishing of the dragon,
it is pierced (llj) by Yahweh (Ps 89,11; Job 26,13; Isa 51,9). In Job 40 bqn
itself is used of the piercing of Behemoth’s nose (v. 24) and Leviathan’s jaw
(v. 26)†(11). Most commentators understand Hab 3,14a as depicting a battle
scene. In such context tbqn would reasonably describe the action of the
attacker or the consequence of his aggressive act. It seems reasonable to
assume that here tbqn means “you pierced†(12).
wyfmb is usually understood as “his t/fmâ€. The masculine noun (plural) t/fm,
occurring also in Hab 3,9, means “branches, rods, staffs, scepters, spears,
(6) HIEBERT, God of My Victory, 9.
(7) W.I. IRWIN, “The Psalm of Habakkukâ€, JNES 1 (1942) 30, 32. Irwin makes the
emendations: wzrp => wrgp, wmk => wmd, ynxyphl => ˆwpxh, µtxyl[ => htyyx hl[y.
(8) B. MARGULIS, “The Psalm of Habakkuk: A Reconstruction and Interpretationâ€,
ZAW 82 (1970) 427.
(9) J.J.M. ROBERTS, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (Louisville 1991) 145.
(10) O. LIVNEH-KAFRI, “Sepher Habakkuk (Prakim 1, 3) Beperusho shel Ha-Parshan
Ha-Karai Japheth Ben ‘Ali Ha-Levi Ha-Bazriâ€, Sfunoth 6 (1993) 110.
(11) HIEBERT, God of My Victory, 41.
(12) S. MANDELKERN, Veteris Testamenti Concordantiae Hebraicae atque Chaldaicae
(Lipsiae 1896) 1061. Mandelkern’s quote for Hab 3,14 wzrp çar txjm seems to be an error.