ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Habakkuk 3

Hab. 3:1–19 Habakkuk’s Prayer. Habakkuk asks for a new demonstration of God’s wrath and mercy, such as God gave so powerfully in the past. He closes with a confession of faith and trust in God (compare vv. 1, 3, 9, 13, 19 with Psalms 17; 90).

Hab. 3:1 Shigionoth occurs only here and in Ps. 7:1. It may refer to a type of psalm or a musical instrument.

Hab. 3:2 I have heard. Habakkuk had heard of God’s great saving acts, which he recalls in vv. 3–15 (see Ex. 15:1–21). in wrath remember mercy. A plea that when God judges, he will also be merciful. This is how God always deals with his people (see Ex. 34:6–7).

Hab. 3:3 Teman means “south.” Along with the reference to Mount Paran (Num. 13:26; Deut. 33:2), it may suggest the time following Israel’s exodus from Egypt. His splendor covered the heavens. When biblical authors refer to God’s mighty acts in the exodus, they often use images to instill a sense of fear or awe (see Deut. 33:2; Judg. 5:4–5; Ps. 18:7–15).

Hab. 3:4–5 Habakkuk compares God’s presence at Mount Sinai to a thunderstorm with darkness and lightning (see Ex. 19:18–20; Ps. 18:9–14). Pestilence and plague often appear as pictures of divine judgment (Ex. 7:14–12:30; Deut. 28:21–22; Ps. 91:3, 5–6).

Hab. 3:6 eternal mountains. Mountains were considered part of the foundation of the earth, so their quaking was a sign of divine judgment (Ps. 18:7; Jer. 4:24–26).

Hab. 3:7 Cushan . . . Midian. These tribes living near Edom see God’s power and are frightened.

Hab. 3:8 rivers . . . sea. God used his power over the Nile (Ex. 7:14–24) and Jordan Rivers (Josh. 3:14–17), as well as the Red Sea (Ex. 14:2–15:5), to demonstrate his greatness in the exodus era. The chariot of salvation is a picture of God bringing deliverance to this people.

Hab. 3:9 Many arrows probably describes thunderbolts. split the earth. An image of thunderstorms and floods cutting through the desert.

Hab. 3:11 Sun and moon stood still refers to Joshua’s victory at Gibeah (Josh. 10:12–13). The Lord’s victory here will be equally sensational.

Hab. 3:12 threshed the nations. See Amos 1:3.

Hab. 3:13 God fought for his people (your anointed) because they were his covenant people, a nation of priests (Ex. 19:6; Ps. 114:2). The head of the house of the wicked may refer to either the pharaoh of Egypt or the leaders of Canaan.

Hab. 3:16 I hear. Habakkuk realizes he must wait patiently while his people are punished, and then God will unleash his power against the Babylonians.

Hab. 3:17–19 Anticipating great destruction by the Babylonians, Habakkuk has radically changed. He began by informing God how to run his world; he ends by trusting that God knows best and will bring about true justice. Though the fig tree should not blossom. Even during suffering and loss, Habakkuk has learned that he can trust God. That trust brings great joy, not in circumstances, but in God himself: yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Yahweh has become Habakkuk’s strength (see Ps. 18:32, 39).

Hab. 3:19 he makes my feet like the deer’s. Habakkuk can have confidence in God. He can live on the heights even during extreme circumstances (see Mal. 4:2). choirmaster. Probably the director of the temple musicians. This note suggests that Habakkuk meant this to be a “prayer” (Hab. 3:1) that the faithful would sing together.