This verse gives the reason for the punishment pictured in verses 15 and 16. This is first of all the destruction carried out on the forests of Lebanon and on the wild animals that lived in them.

The violence done to Lebanon: Lebanon is probably best understood as referring to the area more or less the same as that occupied by the modern country of Lebanon. In particular, it refers to the Lebanon mountain range which in ancient times was covered with thick forest (see comments on Nahum 1.4). The trees, especially the cedars, were highly valued as timber for building. Ancient inscriptions agree with the Old Testament in recording that both the Assyrians (Isa 37.24) and the Babylonians (Isa 14.8) carried out large scale logging operations there. Cutting down forests means that the soil is eroded and the land becomes barren. These results justify the description of the Babylonian activities as violence done to Lebanon.

Will overwhelm you: in keeping with the theme of the taunts that the punishment of the Babylonians will fit their crime, Good News Translation translates “You have cut down the forests of Lebanon: now you will be cut down.” One may also say “You have cut down (or, destroyed) … now people will cut you down (or, destroy you).” If some similar word link can be found in other languages, it will be good to use it.

The destruction of the beasts will terrify you: the forests of Lebanon were a favorite place for hunting parties. When the forests were cut down, the wild animals were robbed of their homes and sources of food, and so diminished in number. This kind of thoughtless behavior by men was hateful to God, and the Babylonians were to be punished for it. Good News Translation expresses this in a manner roughly parallel to the first part of the verse: “You killed its animals; now animals will terrify you.”

The Revised Standard Version footnote indicates that the words terrify you follow the ancient Greek and Syriac translations. Good News Translation and almost all modern versions do the same, and translators into other languages should do so as well (compare Hebrew Old Testament Text Project).

The rest of the verse speaks of a further reason for the punishment of the Babylonians: they had killed people and destroyed cities. The words used are the same as in the second half of verse 8. See comments on verse 8.

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 .