3 2 A prayer for the faithful.
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet for the [a]ignorances.
2 [b]O Lord, I have heard thy voice, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy [c]work in the midst of the people, in the midst of the years make it known: in wrath remember mercy.
3 God cometh from [d]Teman, and the holy One from mount Paran, Selah. His glory covereth the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise,
4 And his brightness was as the light: [e]he had horns coming out of his hands, and there was the hiding of his power.
5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth before his feet.
6 He stood and measured the earth: he beheld and dissolved the nations, and the everlasting mountains were broken, and the ancient hills did bow: his [f]ways are everlasting.
7 [g]For his iniquity I saw the tents of Cushan, and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 Was the Lord angry against the [h]rivers? or was thine anger against the floods? or was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride [i]upon thine horses? thy chariots brought salvation.
9 Thy [j]bow was manifestly revealed, and the [k]oaths of the tribes were a sure word, Selah, thou [l]didst cleave the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the stream of the water [m]passed by: the deep made a noise, and lifted up his hand on high.
11 The [n]sun and moon stood still in their habitation: [o]at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the bright shining of thy spears.
12 Thou trodest down the land in anger, and didst thresh the heathen in displeasure.
13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine [p]Anointed: thou hast wounded the head of the house of the wicked, and discoveredst the foundations unto the [q]neck, Selah.
14 Thou didst [r]strike through with his own staves the heads of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
15 Thou didst walk in the sea with thine horses upon the heap of great waters.
16 When I [s]heard, my belly trembled: my lips shook at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in [t]the day of trouble: for when he cometh up [u]unto the people, he shall destroy them.
17 For the fig tree shall not flourish, neither shall fruit be in the vines: the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat: the sheep shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no bullock in the stalls.
18 But I will rejoice in the Lord: I will joy [v]in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength: he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. [w]To the chief singer on Neginoth.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 3:1 The Prophet instructeth his people to pray unto God, not only for their great sins but also for such as they had committed of ignorance.
- Habakkuk 3:2 Thus the people were afraid when they heard God’s threatenings, and prayed.
- Habakkuk 3:2 That is, the state of thy Church which is now ready to perish, before it come to half a perfect age, which should be under Christ.
- Habakkuk 3:3 Teman and Paran were near Sinai, where the Law was given: whereby is signified that his deliverance was as present now as it was then.
- Habakkuk 3:4 Whereby is meant a power that was joined with his brightness, which was hid to the rest of the world, but was revealed in mount Sinai to his people, Ps. 31:16.
- Habakkuk 3:6 Signifying, that God hath wonderful means, and ever had a marvelous power when he would deliver his Church.
- Habakkuk 3:7 The iniquity of the king of Syria in vexing thy people was made manifest by thy judgment, to the comfort of thy Church, Judg. 5:10, and also of the Midianites, which destroyed themselves, Judg. 7:22.
- Habakkuk 3:8 Meaning, that God was not angry with the waters, but that by this means he would destroy his enemies, and deliver his Church.
- Habakkuk 3:8 And so didst use all the elements as instruments for the destruction of thine enemies.
- Habakkuk 3:9 That is, thy power.
- Habakkuk 3:9 For he had not only made a covenant with Abraham, but renewed it with his posterity.
- Habakkuk 3:9 Read Num. 20:11.
- Habakkuk 3:10 He alludeth to the red sea and Jordan, which gave passage to God’s people, and showed signs of their obedience as it were by the lifting up their hands.
- Habakkuk 3:11 As appeareth, Josh. 10:11.
- Habakkuk 3:11 According to thy commandment, the sun was directed by the weapons of thy people, that fought in thy cause, as though it durst not go forward.
- Habakkuk 3:13 Signifying, that there is no salvation, but by Christ.
- Habakkuk 3:13 From the top to the toe thou hast destroyed the enemies.
- Habakkuk 3:14 God destroyed his enemies both great and small with their own weapons, though they were never so fierce against his Church.
- Habakkuk 3:16 He returneth to that which he spake in the second verse, and showeth how he was afraid of God’s judgments.
- Habakkuk 3:16 He showeth that the faithful can never have true rest, except they feel before the weight of God’s judgments.
- Habakkuk 3:16 That is, the enemy, but the godly shall be quiet, knowing that all things shall turn to good unto them.
- Habakkuk 3:18 He declareth wherein standeth the comfort and joy of the faithful, though they see never so great afflictions prepared.
- Habakkuk 3:19 The chief singer upon the instruments of music, shall have occasion to praise God for this great deliverance of his Church.