GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3:19
The Lord is Habakkuk’s strength, especially in the tumultuous times coming. He ends his song with a comparison to a deer walking on high places.
Feet of a Deer
Habakkuk says God makes his feed like a deer. What does that mean?
I have deer that live in the forests near me. In the winter I’ve even seen their tracks in my yard. If you look at their prints, you’ll notice the imprint of their split hoofs. God has given deer (and creatures like them) amazing feet which enables them to bound across the terrain. In rocky areas of Israel, they navigate the treacherous terrain with ease.
What I find remarkable about this is Habakkuk isn’t asking God to take him out of hard times. He isn’t asking for an easy, prosperous life. Instead, he asks for feet for the path, the strength to continue even when the path is perilous.
This is the Way
This verse in Habakkuk is very similar to one of David’s Psalms:
He made my feet like the feet of a deer
Psalm 18:33 (see also 2 Samuel 22:34)
and set me secure on the heights.
There are a couple of differences that Habakkuk introduces. The first bit (“he made”) is a different word in Hebrew. Habakkuk literally says that God “sets” or “places” his feet while David uses a comparison: “makes like”.
More importantly, the second line uses a different word. David says that God causes him to stand, but Habakkuk says God causes him to tread (דָּרַךְ, darak). This verb is fairly common. More common, however, is a noun based on it: derek, which means a path or way. This can be a literal way, but more often it is figurative, like following the way of the Lord. “So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways (derek) and by fearing him” (Deuteronomy 8:6). A derek is a way someone goes, whether along a physical path or the path of life. To walk in God’s ways is to follow and be faithful to him. There are alternative ways: “Behold, I set before you the way (derek) of life and the way (derek) of death” (Jeremiah 21:8).
High Places
Both Habakkuk and David speak of being on high places (bama; the Hebrew is the same despite the different English translations). A bama is a high place. Most commonly, we see it referencing a place of worship where the people sacrificed to other gods.
Job told his friends that God “trampled (darak) the waves (bama) of the sea” (Job 9:8). Reworded, we could say he “treads upon the heights of the sea”. The prophet Amos, speaking of God’s creative acts says he “treads (darak) on the heights (bama) of the earth” (Amos 4:13).
Habakkuk’s imagery hints back at Moses’ final words. “He made him ride on the high places (bama) of the land” (Deuteronomy 32:13). “Your enemies shall come fawning to you, / and you shall tread (darak) upon their backs (bama)” (Deuteronomy 33:29).
Habakkuk has come full circle. Despite his doubts and fears, he has confidence in God’s provision. Despite the troublesome times coming, he will continue to trust and walk in the way of the Lord.
To Ponder
Do you ask God to take away your struggles or ask for the feet to make it through the struggles? Are you more interested in God’s way or your own way?
What does it look like for God to give us the feet for the path set before us?