Habakkuk 3:8-15

8 ¹Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD? Was your anger against the rivers, ²or your indignation against the sea, ³when you rode on your horses, ⁴on your chariot of salvation?

9 You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows.^[a] Selah ⁵You split the earth with rivers.

10 ⁶The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; ⁷the deep gave forth its voice; ⁸it lifted its hands on high.

11 ⁹The sun and moon stood still in their place ¹⁰at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear.

12 ¹¹You marched through the earth in fury; ¹²you threshed the nations in anger.

13 ¹³You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of ¹⁴your anointed. ¹⁵You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck.^[b] Selah

14 You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.

15 ¹⁶You trampled the sea with your horses, the surging of mighty waters.

Habakkuk 3:8-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HABAKKUK 3

The title of this chapter is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, composed after the manner of a psalm of David, and directed to the chief singer, Hab 3:1,19. The occasion of it is expressed, Hab 3:2 in which the prophet declares his concern for the work of the Lord, and the promotion of the kingdom and interest of Christ; and observes the various steps that were, or would be, taken for the advancement of it; for which he prays, and suggests that these would be after the manner of the Lord's dealing with the people of Israel, and settling them in the land of Canaan, Hab 3:3-15 and there being several things awful in this account, both with respect to the judgments of God on his enemies, and the conflicts and trials of his own people, it greatly affected the mind of the prophet, Hab 3:16 and yet, in the view of the worst, he expresses his strong faith in the Lord, as to better times and things, that would most assuredly come, Hab 3:17-19.

Cross References

• 1. [Psalms 114:5]
• 2. [Psalms 114:5]
• 3. Deuteronomy 33:26, 27; Psalms 18:10; Psalms 68:4, 17; Psalms 104:3; Isaiah 19:1; Isaiah 66:15
• 4. Deuteronomy 33:26, 27; Psalms 18:10; Psalms 68:4, 17; Psalms 104:3; Isaiah 19:1; Isaiah 66:15
• 5. Psalms 78:15, 16
• 6. Exodus 19:18; See Judges 5:5
• 7. Psalms 93:3
• 8. [Exodus 14:22; Exodus 15:8]
• 9. See Joshua 10:12, 13
• 10. [ver. 5]; See 2 Samuel 22:15
• 11. [Joshua 10:42]
• 12. [Micah 4:12, 13]
• 13. [See ver. 12 above]
• 14. 1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalms 105:15
• 15. Psalms 68:21; Psalms 110:6
• 16. [Psalms 77:19]

Footnotes

• [a]. The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
• [b]. The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain