Habakuk 3:9

3:9 Your bow is ready for action; ¹ 

you commission your arrows. ²  Selah.

You cause flash floods on the earth’s surface. ³ 

Habakuk 3:6

3:6 He takes his battle position ⁴  and shakes ⁵  the earth;

with a mere look he frightens ⁶  the nations.

The ancient mountains disintegrate; ⁷ 

the primeval hills are flattened.

He travels on the ancient roads. ⁸ 

Habakuk 1:9

1:9 All of them intend ⁹  to do violence;

every face is determined. ¹⁰ 

They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. ¹¹ 

Habakuk 3:8

3:8 Is the Lord mad at the rivers?

Are you angry with the rivers?

Are you enraged at the sea? ¹² 

Is this why ¹³  you climb into your horse-drawn chariots, ¹⁴ 

your victorious chariots? ¹⁵ 

[3:9]  ¹ tn Heb “[into] nakedness your bow is laid bare.”

[3:9]  ² tn Heb “sworn in are the arrow-shafts with a word.” The passive participle of שָׁבַע (shava’), “swear an oath,” also occurs in Ezek 21:23 ET (21:28 HT) referencing those who have sworn allegiance. Here the Lord’s arrows are personified and viewed as having received a commission which they have vowed to uphold. In Jer 47:6-7 the Lord’s sword is given such a charge. In the Ugaritic myths Baal’s weapons are formally assigned the task of killing the sea god Yam.

[3:9]  ³ tn Heb “[with] rivers you split open the earth.” A literal rendering like “You split the earth with rivers” (so NIV, NRSV) suggests geological activity to the modern reader, but in the present context of a violent thunderstorm, the idea of streams swollen to torrents by downpours better fits the imagery.

[3:9]  sn As the Lord comes in a thunderstorm the downpour causes streams to swell to river-like proportions and spread over the surface of the ground, causing flash floods.

[3:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “he stands.”

[3:6]  ⁵ tn This verb has been traditionally understood as “measure” (from מוּד, mud), but the immediately following context (vv. 6b-7) favors the meaning “shake” from מָוד (mavd; see HALOT 555 s.v.).

[3:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “makes [the nations] jump [in fear].”

[3:6]  ⁷ tn Or “crumbled,” broke into pieces.”

[3:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “ancient ways [or, “doings”] are his.” The meaning of this line is unclear. Traditionally it has been translated, “his ways are eternal.” However, in this context (see vv. 3, 7) it is more likely that the line speaks of the Lord taking the same route as in the days of Moses and Deborah (see Deut 33:2; Judg 5:4). See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 154.

[1:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “come.”

[1:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “The totality of their faces is to the east” (or “is forward”). The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מְגַמַּת (megammat) is unclear. For a discussion of options see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 93. NEB has “a sea of faces rolls on”; NIV “their hordes advance like a desert wind”; NRSV “with faces pressing forward.”

[1:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and he gathers like sand, prisoners.”

[3:8]  ¹² sn The following context suggests these questions should be answered, “Yes.” The rivers and the sea, symbolizing here the hostile nations (v. 12), are objects of the Lord’s anger (vv. 10, 15).

[3:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “so that.” Here כִּי (ki) is resultative. See the note on the phrase “make it” in 2:18.

[3:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “you mount your horses.” As the next line makes clear, the Lord is pictured here as a charioteer, not a cavalryman. Note NRSV here, “when you drove your horses, // your chariots to victory.”

[3:8]  ¹⁵ tn Or “chariots of deliverance.”