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Habakkuk

About this book
Chapter 3

1 This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet: 2 Lord, I have heard the report of what you did; I am awed, Lord, by what you accomplished. In our time repeat those deeds; in our time reveal them again. But when you cause turmoil, remember to show us mercy!⁠ 3 God comes from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran.⁠ Selah. His splendor has covered the skies,⁠ the earth is full of his glory.⁠ 4 His brightness will be as lightning;⁠ a two-pronged lightning bolt flashing from his hand. This is the outward display of his power.⁠ 5 Plague will go before him; pestilence will march right behind him.⁠ 6 He took his battle position and shook the earth; with a mere look he frightened the nations. The ancient mountains disintegrated; the primeval hills were flattened.⁠ His are ancient roads.⁠ 7 I saw the tents of Cushan overwhelmed by trouble; the tent curtains of the land of Midian were shaking. 8 Was the Lord mad at the rivers? Were you angry with the rivers? Were you enraged at the sea?⁠ Such that you would climb into your horse-drawn chariots, your victorious chariots?⁠ 9 Your bow is ready for action; you commission your arrows. Selah. You cause flash floods on the earth’s surface.⁠ 10 When the mountains see you, they shake. The torrential downpour sweeps through. The great deep shouts out; it lifts its hands high.⁠ 11 The sun and moon stand still in their courses;⁠ the flash of your arrows drives them away, the bright light of your lightning-quick spear.⁠ 12 You furiously stomp on the earth; you angrily trample down the nations. 13 You march out to deliver your people, to deliver your special servant. You strike the leader of the wicked nation,⁠ laying him open from the lower body to the neck. Selah.⁠ 14 You pierce the heads of his warriors with a spear. They storm forward to scatter us; they shout with joy as if they were plundering the poor with no opposition. 15 But you trample on the sea with your horses, on the surging, raging waters.⁠ 16 I listened and my stomach churned; the sound made my lips quiver. My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying, and I shook as I tried to walk. I long for the day of distress to come upon the people who attack us. 17 When the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines; when the olive trees do not produce and the fields yield no crops; when the sheep disappear from the pen and there are no cattle in the stalls— 18 I will rejoice because of the Lord; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me! 19 The Sovereign Lord is my source of strength. He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.⁠ (This prayer is for the song leader. It is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)

Texts in conversation

Compare Habakkuk 3:19 and Psalm 18:33

Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Psalm 18 and Habakkuk use stock language of feet like a deer to describe swiftness and security on rough ground. In Psalm 18 this language appears in a royal hymn of deliverance, while Habakkuk adapts it to affirm confidence in the middle of chaos.

Passages

Habakkuk 3:19

Hebrew Bible
17 When the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines; when the olive trees do not produce and the fields yield no crops; when the sheep disappear from the pen and there are no cattle in the stalls— 18 I will rejoice because of the Lord; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me! 19 The Sovereign Lord is my source of strength. He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. (This prayer is for the song leader. It is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)
600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Habakkuk

Psalm 18:33

Hebrew Bible
31 Indeed, who is God besides the Lord? Who is a protector besides our God? 32 The one true God gives me strength; he removes the obstacles in my way. 33 He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 35 You give me your protective shield; your right hand supports me. Your willingness to help enables me to prevail.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... In the second strophe of this last stanza, Habakkuk celebrates the Lord as his strength; 'Yahweh, the Lord is my strength, and he will make my feet like the hinds, and upon my high places he will make me tread.' The close resemblance of the second line of verse 19 to Psalm 18:34 (= 2 Samuel 22:34) has been well noted. The simile 'feet like hinds' is a phrase that David used to describe his deliverance from his enemies (Psalm 18:34). Hinds are female deer that are well-known for their swiftness, and their surefootedness on the rough mountainous terrain. The second colon, 'and upon my high places he will make me tread' brings to mind Deuteronomy 33:29, 'and you will tread upon his high places.' 'My high places' also has the meaning of 'the land of victory, dominion.' Thus, here Habakkuk is celebrating Yahweh who is his strength and who is the one who enables him to traverse with confidence through life's rough terrain and to claim victory despite the dire situation. The verb "tread" recalls verse 15, where the Lord is said to have treaded the stormy sea with his horses, and here God is enabling his servant to tread the high places, the land of victory, despite the chaotic situation ..."
Grace Ko, Theodicy in Habakkuk (University of St. Michael's College, 2009), 136–137.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Habakkuk 3:19 and Psalm 18:33

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