Habakkuk 3

10. The mountains--repetition with increased emphasis of some of the tremendous phenomena mentioned in Habakkuk 3:6 .
overflowing of the water passed by--namely, of the Red Sea; and again, of the Jordan. God marked His favor to His people in all the elements, causing every obstacle, whether mountains or waters, which impeded their progress, to "pass away" [CALVIN]. MAURER, not so well, translates, "torrents (rains) of water rush down."
lifted . . . hands on high--namely, its billows lifted on high by the tempest. Personification. As men signify by voice or gesture of hand that they will do what they are commanded, so these parts of nature testified their obedience to God's will ( Exodus 14:22 , Joshua 3:16 , Psalms 77:17 Psalms 77:18 , 114:4 ).

11. sun . . . moon stood still--at Joshua's command ( Joshua 10:12 Joshua 10:13 ). MAURER wrongly translates, "stand" (withdrawn, or hidden from view, by the clouds which covered the sky during the thunders).
light of thine arrows--hail mixed with lightnings ( Joshua 10:10 Joshua 10:11 ).
they went--The sun and moon "went," not as always heretofore, but according to the light and direction of Jehovah's arrows, namely, His lightnings hurled in defense of His people; astonished at these they stood still [CALVIN]. MAURER translates, "At the light of Thine arrows (which) went" or flew.

12. march--implying Jehovah's majestic and irresistible progress before His people ( Judges 5:4 , Psalms 68:7 ). Israel would not have dared to attack the nations, unless Jehovah had gone before.
thresh--( Micah 4:13 ).

13. with thine anointed--with Messiah; of whom Moses, Joshua, and David, God's anointed leaders of Israel, were the types ( Psalms 89:19 Psalms 89:20 Psalms 89:38 ). God from the beginning delivered His people in person, or by the hand of a Mediator ( Isaiah 63:11 ). Thus Habakkuk confirms believers in the hope of their deliverance, as well because God is always the same, as also because the same anointed Mediator is ready now to fulfil God's will and interpose for Israel, as of old [CALVIN]. MAURER translates to suit the parallelism, "for salvation to Thine anointed," namely, Israel's king in the abstract, answering to the "people" in the former clause (compare Psalms 28:8 , Lamentations 4:20 ). Or Israel is meant, the anointed, that is, consecrated people of Jehovah ( Psalms 105:15 ).
woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked--probably an allusion to Psalms 68:21 . Each head person sprung from and belonging to the house of Israel's wicked foes; such as Jabin, whose city Hazor was "the head of all the kingdoms" of Canaan ( Joshua 11:10 ; compare Judges 4:2 Judges 4:3 Judges 4:13 ).
discovering the foundation--Thou destroyedst high and low. As "the head of the house" means the prince, so the "foundation" means the general host of the enemy.
unto the neck--image from a flood reaching to the neck ( Isaiah 8:8 , 30:28 ). So God, by His wrath overflowing on the foe, caused their princes' necks to be trodden under foot by Israel's leaders ( Joshua 10:24 , Joshua 11:8 Joshua 11:12 ).

14. strike . . . with his staves--with the "wicked" ( Habakkuk 3:13 ) foe's own sword (MAURER translates, "spears") ( Judges 7:22 ).
head of his villages--Not only kings were overthrown by God's hand, but His vengeance passed through the foe's villages and dependencies. A just retribution, as the foe had made "the inhabitants of Israel's villages to cease" ( Judges 5:7 ). GROTIUS translates, "of his warriors"; GESENIUS, "the chief of his captains."
to scatter me--Israel, with whom Habakkuk identifies himself (compare Habakkuk 1:12 ).
rejoicing . . . to devour the poor secretly--"The poor" means the Israelites, for whom in their helpless state the foe lurks in his lair, like a wild beast, to pounce on and devour ( Psalms 10:9 , 17:12 ).

15. Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses--( Habakkuk 3:8 ). No obstacle could prevent Thy progress when leading Thy people in safety to their inheritance, whether the Red Sea, Jordan, or the figurative waves of foes raging against Israel ( Psalms 65:7 , 77:19 ).

16. When I heard . . . trembled--namely, at the judgments which God had declared ( Habakkuk 1:1-17 ) were to be inflicted on Judea by the Chaldeans.
belly--The bowels were thought by the Hebrews to be the seat of yearning compassion ( Jeremiah 31:20 ). Or "heard" may refer to Habakkuk 3:2 , "When I heard as to Jehovah's coming interposition for Israel against the Chaldeans being still at some distance" ( Habakkuk 2:3 ); so also the voice" [MAURER].
at the voice--of the divine threatenings ( Habakkuk 1:6 ). The faithful tremble at the voice alone of God before He inflicts punishment. Habakkuk speaks in the person of all the faithful in Israel.
trembled in myself--that is, I trembled all over [GROTIUS].
that I might rest in the day of trouble--The true and only path to rest is through such fear. Whoever is securely torpid and hardened towards God, will be tumultuously agitated in the day of affliction, and so will bring on himself a worse destruction; but he who in time meets God's wrath and trembles at His threats, prepares the best rest for himself in the day of affliction [CALVIN]. HENDERSON translates, "Yet I shall have rest." Habakkuk thus consoling his mind, Though trembling at the calamity coming, yet I shall have rest in God ( Isaiah 26:3 ). But that sentiment does not seem to be directly asserted till Habakkuk 3:17 , as the words following at the close of this verse imply.
when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade--rather (as English Version is a mere truism), connected with the preceding clause, "that I might rest . . . when he (the Chaldean foe) cometh up unto the people (the Jews), that he may cut them off" [CALVIN]. The Hebrew for "invade" means, to rush upon, or to attack and cut off with congregated troops.

17. Destroy the "vines" and "fig trees" of the carnal heart, and his mirth ceases. But those who when full enjoyed God in all, when emptied can enjoy all in God. They can sit down upon the heap of ruined creature comforts, and rejoice in Him as the "God of their salvation." Running in the way of His commandments, we outrun our troubles. Thus Habakkuk, beginning his prayer with trembling, ends it with a song of triumph ( Job 13:15 , Psalms 4:7 , Psalms 43:3 Psalms 43:5 ).
labour of the olive--that is, the fruit expected from the olive.
fail--literally, "lie," that is, disappoint the hope ( Isaiah 58:11 , Margin).
fields--from a Hebrew root meaning "to be yellow"; as they look at harvest-time.
meat--food, grain.
cut off--that is, cease.

18. yet I will rejoice--The prophet speaks in the name of his people.

19. hinds' feet . . . walk upon . . . high places--Habakkuk has here before his mind Psalms 18:33 Psalms 18:34 , Deuteronomy 32:13 . "Hinds' (gazelles') feet" imply the swiftness with which God enables him (the prophet and his people) to escape from his enemies, and return to his native land. The "high places" are called "mine," to imply that Israel shall be restored to his own land, a land of hills which are places of safety and of eminence (compare Genesis 19:17 , Matthew 24:16 ). Probably not only the safety, but the moral elevation, of Israel above all the lands of the earth is implied ( Deuteronomy 33:29 ).
on my stringed instruments--neginoth. This is the prophet's direction to the precentor ("chief singer") as to how the preceding ode ( Habakkuk 3:1-19 ) is to be performed (compare Psalms 4:1 , 6:1 , titles). The prophet had in mind a certain form of stringed instrument adapted to certain numbers and measures. This formula at the end of the ode, directing the kind of instrument to be used, agrees with that in the beginning of it, which directs the kind of melody (compare Isaiah 38:20 ).