1:15 The Babylonian tyrant 1 pulls them all up with a fishhook;
he hauls them in with his throw net. 2
When he catches 3 them in his dragnet,
he is very happy. 4
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Babylonian tyrant) has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. NASB “The Chaldeans”; NIV “The wicked foe”; NRSV “The enemy”). Babylonian imperialism is here compared to a professional fisherman who repeatedly brings in his catch and has plenty to eat.
2 tn Apparently two different types of fishing nets are referred to here. The חֵרֶם (kherem, “throw net”) was used by fishermen standing on the shore (see Ezek 47:10), while the מִכְמֶרֶת (mikhmeret, “dragnet”) was used by men in a boat. See R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 165.
3 tn Heb “and he gathers.”
4 tn Heb “Therefore he is happy and rejoices.” Here two synonyms are joined for emphasis.