Habakkuk 3
3
1This is a prayer sung by the prophet Habakkuk. On Shigonoth.#3:1. “On Shigionoth”: the meaning is unknown. It may be a musical instrument.
2I have heard what is said about you, Lord. I stand in awe of your work. Lord, revive it in our times; make it known in our times. In your anger, please remember your mercy.
3God came from Teman; the Holy One from Mount Paran.#3:3. Teman is in the land of Edom, while Mount Paran is in the Sinai Peninsula. Selah.#3:3. “Selah”: an unknown term often also used in Psalms. His glory covered the heavens; the earth was full of his praise.
4His brightness is like lightning; rays flash from his hand from where his power is hidden.
5Plague goes before him, disease#3:5. Or “bolts of fire.” follows at his feet.
6Where he stands, the earth shakes. When he looks the nations tremble. The ancient mountains shatter, the age-old hills collapse, but his ways are eternal.
7I saw the tents of Cushan suffering, the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.#3:7. By this Habakkuk probably means the people that lived in these tents.
8Did you burn with rage against the rivers, Lord? Were you angry with the rivers? Were you furious with the sea when you rode your horses and chariots of salvation?
9You took out your bow; you filled your quiver with arrows. Selah. You split the earth open with rivers.
10Mountains saw you and shook. Water poured down and swept by. The deep called out, lifting high its waves.#3:10. Literally, “hands.”
11The sun and moon stood still in the sky as your sparkling arrows flew and your spears flashed bright.
12Indignant, you marched across the earth, trampling the nations in your anger.
13You came out to save your people, to save your chosen people. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, stripping him from thick to neck.#3:13. This verse has been interpreted in many ways.
14With his own arrows you pierced the heads of his warriors, those who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, gloating like those who secretly abuse the poor.
15You trod upon the sea with your horses, churning up the mighty waters.
16I shook inside when I heard this; my lips quivered at the sound; my bones turned to jelly; I trembled where I stood. I wait quietly for the day of trouble that will come upon those who attacked us.
17Even though there are no blossoms on the fig trees and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no harvest; even though there are no animals in the pen and no cattle in the stalls;
18still I will be happy in the Lord, joyful in the God of my salvation.
19The Lord God is my strength. He makes me able to walk in the highest mountains, as sure-footed as a deer.
(To the music director: with my stringed instruments.)
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Habakkuk 3
3
Habakkuk’s Prayer
1A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.
2O Lord, #ver. 16; [Ps. 44:1] I have heard the report of you,
and #Ps. 90:16 your work, O Lord, do I fear.
In the midst of the years #Ps. 85:6 revive it;
in the midst of the years make it known;
# [Ps. 77:9] in wrath remember mercy.
3God came from #See 1 Chr. 1:45 Teman,
# See Deut. 33:2 and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of his praise.
4 # See Ezek. 1:27 His brightness was like the light;
rays flashed from his hand;
and there he veiled his power.
5 # [2 Kgs. 19:35]; See Ex. 12:29, 30; 1 Chr. 21:11-15 Before him went pestilence,
and plague followed #[Job 18:11]at his heels.#3:5 Hebrew feet
6He stood #[Ps. 60:6] and measured the earth;
he looked and shook the nations;
then the #Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:15 eternal mountains #Mic. 1:4; Nah. 1:5 were scattered;
the everlasting hills sank low.
His were #[Isa. 51:9]the everlasting ways.
7I saw the tents of #Judg. 3:8 Cushan in affliction;
# See Judg. 8:19-21 the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 # [Ps. 114:5] Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord?
Was your anger against the rivers,
# [Ps. 114:5] or your indignation against the sea,
#
Deut. 33:26, 27; Ps. 18:10; 68:4, 17; 104:3; Isa. 19:1; 66:15 when you rode on your horses,
#
Deut. 33:26, 27; Ps. 18:10; 68:4, 17; 104:3; Isa. 19:1; 66:15 on your chariot of salvation?
9You stripped the sheath from your bow,
calling for many arrows.#3:9 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain Selah
#
Ps. 78:15, 16 You split the earth with rivers.
10 #
Ex. 19:18; See Judg. 5:5 The mountains saw you and writhed;
the raging waters swept on;
#
Ps. 93:3 the deep gave forth its voice;
# [Ex. 14:22; 15:8] it lifted its hands on high.
11 # See Josh. 10:12, 13 The sun and moon stood still in their place
# [ver. 5]; See 2 Sam. 22:15 at the light of your arrows as they sped,
at the flash of your glittering spear.
12 # [Josh. 10:42] You marched through the earth in fury;
# [Mic. 4:12, 13] you threshed the nations in anger.
13 # [See ver. 12 above] You went out for the salvation of your people,
for the salvation of #1 Chr. 16:22; Ps. 105:15 your anointed.
#
Ps. 68:21; 110:6 You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,
laying him bare from thigh to neck.#3:13 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain Selah
14You 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 # [Ps. 77:19] You trampled the sea with your horses,
the surging of mighty waters.
16 # ver. 2 I hear, and #Jer. 4:19 my body trembles;
my lips quiver at the sound;
# [Prov. 12:4] rottenness enters into my bones;
my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet #[Ps. 94:13; Isa. 14:3, 4]I will quietly wait for the day of trouble
to come upon people who invade us.
Habakkuk Rejoices in the Lord
17Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 # [Job 13:15] yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
#
Ps. 9:14; 13:5; 21:1; 35:9; Luke 1:47; See Joel 2:23 I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
# See 2 Sam. 2:18 he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me #Amos 4:13; Mic. 1:3 tread on my #Deut. 32:13; 33:29 high places.
# See Ps. 4 To the choirmaster: with #Isa. 38:20stringed#3:19 Hebrew my stringed instruments.
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