You marched through the earth in fury;you threshed the nations in anger. Habakkuk 3:12 Habakkuk depicts God like an army marching across the earth in conquest. A Marching Army Habakkuk describes God as marching (Hebrew צעד, tza’ad). Other passages depict God marching in judgment. For instance: LORD, when you went out from Seir,when you marched (tza’ad) from the region of Edom,the earth trembledand the heavens dropped,yes, the clouds dropped water. Judges 5:4 Similarly, Isaiah 63:1 depicts God marching from Edom with his garments dripping red. God isn’t the only one who marches. David brought the Ark of the Covenant to […]

The sun and moon stood still in their placeat the light of your arrows as they sped,at the flash of your glittering spear. Habakkuk 3:11 Habakkuk depicts God as a warrior, shooting arrows and throwing his spear against his enemies. Lightning Spear Habakkuk describes God’s “glittering spear” (Hebrew בָּרָק חֲנִ֔ית, barak chanit). The word barak (glittering) is literally “lightning”. With that imagery in mind, we shouldn’t imagine God’s spear as simply sparkly, but rather as bright as lighting, striking with great intensity. The same two Hebrew words also appear in Nahum 3:3. Similarly, God has a “flashing sword” for judgment […]

The sun and moon stood still in their placeat the light of your arrows as they sped,at the flash of your glittering spear. Habakkuk 3:11 Habakkuk continues his depiction of God as a warrior. Exalted He says that the sun and Moon stood in their place. That place (Hebrew זְבֻל, zebul) isn’t just any place. Rather, it is an exalted or lofty place. While this may refer to the sun and moon standing still during the conquest (Joshua 10:12-13), it is a different wording. It refers to their high place in the heavens, watching God strike with his arrows. We […]

You stripped the sheath from your bow,calling for many arrows. SelahYou split the earth with rivers.The mountains saw you and writhed;the raging waters swept on;the deep gave forth its voice;it lifted its hands on high. Habakkuk 3:9-10 Water is a powerful force on this planet, shaping rivers and wearing down mountains. Only God is in control of these overwhelming forces. Rivers and Rain Habakkuk says God “split” (בקע, baka) the earth with rivers. My first instinct upon reading this is geological. Rivers erode the land, carving out paths to the ocean. However, is this how ancient people viewed these things? […]

Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD?Was your anger against the rivers,or your indignation against the sea,when you rode on your horses,on your chariot of salvation?You stripped the sheath from your bow,calling for many arrows. SelahYou split the earth with rivers. Habakkuk 3:8-9 Habakkuk depicts God as a warrior riding into battle on a chariot and shooting arrows at his enemies. God’s Chariot God rides on a chariot. The verb “rode” (rakab) means to ride or drive. It is related to the noun chariot (merkabah). An alternate word for chariot (rekeb) is the most common modern Hebrew word for […]

Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD?Was your anger against the rivers,or your indignation against the sea,when you rode on your horses,on your chariot of salvation? Habakkuk 3:8 Habakkuk depicts God as a great warrior, riding a chariot into battle and striking the earth to bring forth salvation. The Anger of the Lord Verse 8 uses three different words to describe God’s anger. The first (translated “wrath”) is the verb חָרָה (charah), which means to be/become hot. We use similar words to describe anger in English. Have you ever had a “heated” discussion? An angry person is a hothead. […]

He stood and measured the earth;he looked and shook the nations;then the eternal mountains were scattered;the everlasting hills sank low.His were the everlasting ways.I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction;the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Habakkuk 3:6-7 Habakkuk continues his prayer. This time he turns to the awesome power of God over the earth. Measured Shaking There are two different ways to translate the first line of verse six. The ESV quoted above says “measured”. Alternatively, others translate it as “shook” (NIV, NRSV). These are two very different ideas in English. They are translating the same […]

Before him went pestilence,and plague followed at his heels. Habakkuk 3:5 Habakkuk continues his theophany, depicting God’s arrival as a plague spreading around him. Spreading Disease Habakkuk says the disease goes before God (literally “to his face,” a very common Hebrew phrase). Then he says it follows after him (literally, “to his feet”). It sounds like he’s infectious, spreading disease where he goes. Plagues have been a common occurrence throughout human history, although we’ve been reminded of that since the onset of COVID-19. Pestilence The Hebrew word translated pestilence is deber. It’s rooted in the noun dabar, which has a […]

His brightness was like the light;rays flashed from his hand;and there he veiled his power. Habakkuk 3:4 Habakkuk continues his theophany using the imagery of bright lights. Bright Light Habakkuk compares God to a bright light. Think back to what God first created: light (Genesis 1:3-5). Light (Hebrew or) carries the same general idea of light as we use it in English, whether light from the sun or some other means. We find it translated as lightning in a few places in Job. “Behold, he scatters his lightning (or) about him” (Job 36:30). “He loads the thick cloud with moisture; […]

God came from Teman,and the Holy One from Mount Paran. SelahHis splendor covered the heavens,and the earth was full of his praise. Habakkuk 3:3 After announcing God’s arrival, Habakkuk describes God’s awesomeness percolating across the universe using a set of parallel statements. Splendor First, he says that God’s splendor (הוֹד, hod) covers the heavens/skies. Hod is also translated as majesty, glory, or honor. The Psalms (among other places) use it to describe God. O LORD, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth!You have set your glory (hod) above the heavens. Psalm 8:1 “Splendor (hod) and majesty are […]