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 385
in the surrounding difficult to access areas as mountains and caves (Jer 4,29;
Nah 3,18). Enemy cavalry foraged for these escapees and their caches of
food, wine, oil, and cattle. Naturally, the enemy was exultant when after an
arduous search they found the poor folks in hiding. This appears to be the
context of the second hemistich. While the verse as a whole presents a clear
and powerful image in this context, the reconciliation of the MT with this
image is somewhat more problematic. The second hemistich says something
to the effect “Their glee (µtxyl[) (50) is killing the poor (or my people) (51) in
hiding, or the derisive Their glee — as when killing the poor (or my people)
in hidingâ€. Unfortunately, the standard meaning of lkal wmk “as to eat†and
metaphorically “as to killâ€, do not fit the presumed sense. Already the
versions struggled with the phrase lkal wmk. The Septuagint adds “they shall
beâ€, changes the order of lkal and yn[, and reads lka instead of lkal. The
resulting translation is “they shall be as a poor man devouring in secretâ€. The
Peshitta and Barberini omit /mk (52). Perhaps, yn[ lkal rtsmb was a coined
phrase, or Habakkuk is using this phrase as an oblique reference to Ps 10,9
and from there to the following verses 10,11-14, which recall Habakkuk’s
basic complaint, to which the theophany is a full response.
I make the following minimal emendation, Wr[sy / ,wzrp var fmb tbqn
“rtsmb yn[ lkal†/mk µtxyl[ / ,ynxyphl reading “You pierced into the spun of
the head of his horsemen, who stormed to disperse me, their glee — as ‘to
devour (kill) afflicted (my people) in hiding’â€.
Thus, while the specific original is not clear, that much seems implied:
The Lord will in the theophany pierce the napes of the fleeing Babylonians,
who have previously so perversely enjoyed hunting down the afflicted
Judeans.
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(50) The feminine noun (suffixed) µtxyl[ means “their exaltation or joyâ€. This word
occurs only here. It seems to be a derivative from the root ≈l[, which means “to exult, to
rejoice, to be joyfulâ€. The Septuagint translates µtxyl[ as “their bridlesâ€, probably reading
µtlxm (cf. Zech 14,20). The Targum appears to translate µtxyl[ as “because they oppressed
and enslaved†(wqyjrd l[ Wdyb[çw), perhaps reading µtxyla (Jud 16,6). The Peshitta
understands µtxyl[ as “in their savagery†and the Vulgate “their exultationâ€. Barberini takes
µtxyl[ as “in their own self-willâ€, probably reading µtx[ l[ (µtxy l[ “on their burningâ€).
(51) yn[ may be a stand-in for ym[ (Ps 149,4). Such an emendation can be justified by the
similarity between n and m in the paleoscript and the Targum version.
(52) H. SHY, Tanhum Ha-Yerushalmi’s Commentary, 236. Tanhum says, “there is no
need in /mkâ€. Eaton notes that the section /mk ... Wr[sy “offers perhaps the hardest problem
of the whole chapter, and hope of a scientific solution has almost been abandoned. In
particular the construction ‘their exultation (was) as though to eat’ is very unconvincing,
and ‘to scatter me’ is also strange. ...I suggest that, following Driver’s elucidation of µtxyl[
(see Note 52), a solution is now in sight. Following this noun we require a verb; wOmk suggests
the root hmk ‘to crave’ (Ps 63,2 || amx), a meaning which will fit well. Either the
(consonantal) form may be explained as due to syncope, wmk (kËmû) standing for the 3rd
plural perfect Qal whmk, though there is no exact parallel for this form†(J.H. EATON, “The
Origin and Meaning of Habakkuk 3â€, ZAW 76 (1964) 155-156). Kaufmann suggests the
emendation /mbl txyl[ “their heart’s delight†(Toldot Ha-emunah Ha-Israelit, 307-308).
However, /mbl is not attested elsewhere in the Bible, though it is a possible poetic form.
Moreover, while k and b are similar in the square script m and l are very different in both
the paleoscript and the square script, making this attractive reading unacceptable.