Habakkuk here pictures the Babylonians as offering sacrifices to the nets as if they were gods, because of the success brought to them by their nets. There is no historical evidence that this was an actual custom of the Babylonians, so it seems best to treat this verse as figurative. When interpreted in this way, it says much the same as the last part of verse 11, which states that the Babylonians treat their own power as a god.

It will be good if the picture can be kept in translation, since it is part of the longer metaphor of the Babylonians as fishermen, which extends over verses 14-17.

The Hebrew speaks of making sacrifices and burning incense as two acts of worship. (For comments on net and seine, see verse 15.) Good News Translation mentions only the sacrifices but makes it explicit that the purpose of the sacrifices is to treat the nets as gods: “They even worship their nets and offer sacrifices to them.” If necessary, translators can add “as if they were gods.” The nets of course stand for the weapons of war with which the Babylonians conquered other nations. An alternative translation model is “They even offer sacrifices and burn incense in honor of their nets, as if these were gods.”

Incense: in some cultures the equivalent of incense will be “sweet-smelling substance.” However, in other cultures where there is no equivalent for incense, translators may have to borrow a word from English or some other language and explain it in a footnote or in the glossary.

The reason the nets are worshiped is stated in two parallel clauses in Revised Standard Version, for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. This is expressed in one general statement in Good News Translation, “because their nets provide them with the best of everything.” This means that military conquest gave the Babylonians a high standard of living. Another way of expressing this is “their nets enable them to live luxuriously and eat the best food.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .