Habakkuk 3:9 NIV

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Habakkuk 3:9

He pulled His powerful bow out and prepared to use it. He called for many arrows to shoot at His enemies (cf. Deuteronomy 32). This is a notoriously difficult phrase to translate."God had enlisted weapons and pledged them on oath for the destruction of his enemies." [Note: Robertson, p. 234.] "In the ancient Near East, warriors would sometimes empower their weapons with a magical formula. The Lord is depicted here as doing the same (see also Jeremiah 47:6-7)." [Note: Chisholm, Handbook on . .... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 3:1-19

Jehovah comes To JudgmentThis is one of the most brilliant poems in the OT. It was written by a man of imagination as well as of faith. It is not quite certain whether Habakkuk 3:8-15 are intended to refer to a past or future manifestation of Jehovah: in any case, there is the hope, or rather prayer, that history may repeat itself (Habakkuk 3:2). The poem rests upon older theophanies: cp. Judges 5; Deuteronomy 33. Long ago at the exodus Jehovah had shown His power to interpose in history... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Habakkuk 3:1-15

III.(1-15) A hymn describing a future self-manifestation of Jehovah on Israel’s behalf, accompanied by the signs and wonders of the early history. It is impossible to give the English reader an idea of the rhythmical structure of this beautiful composition. We will only observe that it is independent of the arrangement in verses, and that the poem (except in Habakkuk 3:7-8; Habakkuk 3:13, fin.) consists of lines each containing exactly three words. read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Habakkuk 3:3-15

(3-15) Habakkuk describes the “Theophany” or self-manifestation of Jehovah, which is to introduce the desired deliverance. The Authorised Version has unfortunately rendered all the verbs in this section in the past tense, thus obscuring the sense of the poem. They all refer to a scene really future, but brought by the grasp of faith into the immediate present. In the Hebrew some of these verbs are in the future tense, others in the past used with the force of a present, the “prophetic perfect”... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Habakkuk 3:9

(9) Thy bow was made quite naked.—Better, Thy bow shall be bared, even the chastisements sworn by Thy word. Selah. With rivers shalt thou cleave the earth. God’s chastisements, which are compared in Psalms 21:12 to arrows fitted to the string, are here represented as a bow taken out of the case, and so “made naked,” or “bared.” The word matteh, “rod,” “stem” (hence, also, “tribe”), used to denote an instrument of chastisement in Micah 6:9, Isaiah 30:32, here apparently means the punishment, or... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Habakkuk 3:1-19

A Prayer for Middle Life Habakkuk 3:2 What we commonly call a revival of religion is the conversion of the young on a large scale. But when youth, with its energies and hopes, is delivered from this present evil world and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son, this is not revival. It is the access of life to life. But when those who have-known life of nature and of the spirit find it sinking in the midst of the years, to have it restored by the Divine breath this is indeed revival. I. ... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 3:1-19

Habakkuk 3:1-19The third chapter, an Ode or Rhapsody, is ascribed to Habakkuk by its title. This, however, does not prove its authenticity: the title is too like those assigned to the Psalms in the period of the Second Temple. On the contrary, the title itself, the occurrence of the musical sign Selah in the contents, and the colophon suggest for the chapter a liturgical origin after the Exile. That this is more probable than the alternative opinion, that, being a genuine work of Habakkuk, the... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Habakkuk 3:1-19

CHAPTER 3 The Vision of the Coming of the Lord 1. The prophet’s prayer (Habakkuk 3:1-2 ) 2. The coming of the Lord for judgment and redemption (Habakkuk 3:3-15 ) 3. The effect upon the prophet (Habakkuk 3:16-19 ) Habakkuk 3:1-2 . Once more we hear the voice of the man of God in prayer. Shigionoth is the plural of Shiggaion, and is found in the superscription of Psalms 7:1-17 . Its meaning is “loud crying.” The connection with the seventh Psalm is interesting. In that Psalm God appeared... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Habakkuk 3:9

3:9 Thy {k} bow was made quite naked, [according] to the {l} oaths of the tribes, [even thy] word. Selah. Thou {m} didst cleave the earth with rivers.(k) That is, your power.(l) For he had not only made a covenant with Abraham, but renewed it with his posterity.(m) Read Numbers 20:11 . read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 3:1-19

HABAKKUK THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH Nothing is known of the personal history of Habakkuk, and little as to the time when he prophesied. He is placed by some successor to Zephaniah, for he makes no mention of Assyria and yet refers to the approach of the Babylonian invasion. See Habakkuk 1:6 ; Habakkuk 2:3 ; Habakkuk 3:2 ; Habakkuk 3:16-19 . The book seems to have been written by himself, as we judge from Habakkuk 1:2 , and Habakkuk 2:1-2 . His “burden” begins by lamenting the iniquity of... read more

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Habakkuk 3:9

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 3:1-19

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Habakkuk 3:1-15

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Habakkuk 3:3-15

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Habakkuk 3:9

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Habakkuk 3:1-19

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 3:1-19

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Habakkuk 3:1-19

Geneva Study Bible - Habakkuk 3:9

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 3:1-19

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