Habakuk 3:1

Habakkuk’s Vision of the Divine Warrior

3:1 This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet: ¹ 

Habakuk 3:19

3:19 The sovereign Lord is my source of strength. ² 

He gives me the agility of a deer; ³ 

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. ⁴ 

(This prayer is for the song leader. It is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.) ⁵ 

[3:1]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text adds עַל שִׁגְיֹנוֹת (’al shigyonot, “upon [or, “according to”] shigyonot”). The meaning of this word is uncertain. It may refer to the literary genre of the prayer or to the musical style to be employed when it is sung. The NEB leaves the term untranslated; several other modern English versions transliterate the term into English, sometimes with explanatory notes (NASB, NRSV “according to Shigionoth”; NIV “On shigyonoth”).

[3:19]  ² tn Or perhaps, “is my wall,” that is, “my protector.”

[3:19]  ³ tn Heb “he makes my feet like those of deer.”

[3:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “he makes me walk on my high places.”

[3:19]  sn Difficult times are coming, but Habakkuk is confident the Lord will sustain him. Habakkuk will be able to survive, just as the deer negotiates the difficult rugged terrain of the high places without injury.

[3:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “For the leader, on my stringed instruments.”