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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Habakkuk 3
3
Habakkuk's Prayer
1This is my prayer:#3.1 prayer: The Hebrew text adds “according to the shigionoth,” which may mean a prayer of request or a prayer to be accompanied by a special musical instrument.
2I know your reputation, Lord,
and I am amazed
at what you have done.
Please turn from your anger
and be merciful;
do for us what you did
for our ancestors.
3You are the same Holy God
who came from Teman
and Paran#3.3 Teman … Paran: Teman is a district in Edom, but the name is sometimes used of the whole country of Edom; Paran is the hill country along the western border of the Gulf of Aqaba. In Judges 5.4, the Lord is said to have marched from Edom to help his people; in Deuteronomy 33.2, Paran is mentioned in connection with the Lord's appearance at Sinai. to help us.
The brightness of your glory
covered the heavens,
and your praises were heard
everywhere on earth.
4Your glory shone like the sun,
and light flashed from your hands,
hiding your mighty power.
5Dreadful diseases and plagues
marched in front
and followed behind.
6When you stopped,
the earth shook;
when you stared,
nations trembled;
when you walked
along your ancient paths,
eternal mountains and hills
crumbled and collapsed.
7The tents of desert tribes
in Cushan and Midian#3.7 Cushan and Midian: Tribes of the Arabian desert who were enemies of Israel.
were ripped apart.
8Our Lord, were you angry
with the monsters
of the deep?#3.8 monsters of the deep: The Hebrew text has “rivers and oceans,” which may stand for the powerful monsters that were thought to have lived there before the Lord defeated them.
You attacked in your chariot
and wiped them out.
9Your arrows were ready
and obeyed your commands.#3.9 obeyed your commands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
You split the earth apart
with rivers and streams;
10mountains trembled
at the sight of you;
rain poured from the clouds;
ocean waves roared and rose.
11The sun and moon stood still,
while your arrows and spears
flashed like lightning.
12In your furious anger,
you trampled on nations
13to rescue your people
and save your chosen one.#3.13 chosen one: Or “chosen ones.”
You crushed a nation's ruler
and stripped his evil kingdom
of its power.#3.13 You crushed … power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
14His troops had come like a storm,
hoping to scatter us
and glad to gobble us up.
To them we were refugees
in hiding—
but you smashed their heads
with their own weapons.#3.14 but you … weapons: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
15Then your chariots churned
the waters of the sea.
Habakkuk's Response to God's Message
16When I heard this message,#3.16 heard this message: Or “saw this vision.”
I felt weak from fear,
and my lips quivered.
My bones seemed to melt,
and I stumbled around.
But I will patiently wait.
Someday those vicious enemies
will be struck by disaster.#3.16 I will … disaster: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Trust in a Time of Trouble
17Fig trees may no longer bloom,
or vineyards produce grapes;
olive trees may be fruitless,
and harvest time a failure;
sheep pens may be empty,
and cattle stalls vacant—
18but I will still celebrate
because the Lord God
is my Savior.
19 #
2 S 22.34; Ps 18.33. The Lord gives me strength.
He makes my feet as sure
as those of a deer,
and he helps me stand
on the mountains.#3.19 stand on the mountains: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
To the music director:
Use stringed instruments.
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