Habakkuk 3:12-15

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Habakkuk 3:3-15

It has been the usual practice of God's people, when they have been in distress and ready to fall into despair, to help themselves by recollecting their experiences, and reviving them, considering the days of old, and the years of ancient times (Ps. 77:5), and pleading with God in prayer, as he is pleased sometimes to plead them with himself. Isa. 63:11; Then he remembered the days of old. This is that which the prophet does here, and he looks as far back as the first forming of them into a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 3:12

Thou didst march through the land with indignation ,.... Not the land of Canaan, fighting against the inhabitants of it, dispossessing them to make room for the Israelites, whatever allusion may be to it; but the antichristian land, the whole Romish jurisdiction, and all the states of it, through which the Lord will march in wrath and fury, when he pours out the vials of it upon them; or this is desired, and prayed for; for it may be rendered, "do thou march through the land" F18 תצעד ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 3:13

Thou wentest forth for the salvation of that people, even for salvation with thine anointed ,.... Or, "thy Messiah"; which Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret of Messiah the son of David; and read and give the sense of the words thus, "as thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, by bringing them into the land of Canaan, so do thou go forth for salvation with thy Messiah.' God of old went forth in his power and providence for the salvation of his people, whom he chose above all... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 3:14

Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages ,.... Of his warriors, mighty men, princes; so the Vulgate Latin, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions; or of his armies, as Jarchi and Kimchi; which some interpret of Pharaoh and his host, who were destroyed by the steps and methods which they themselves took, going into the sea of themselves, and so were struck through with their own staves: others of the princes and armies of the Canaanites, who destroyed one another... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Habakkuk 3:15

Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses ,.... And as thou didst of old, so do again; as Jehovah walked through the Red sea in a pillar of cloud and fire, which were his horses and chariots, and destroyed the Egyptians; so may he walk through another sea by his instruments, and destroy the enemies of his church and people; See Gill on Habakkuk 3:8 . The "sea" here signifies the world, compared to it for the multitude of its people; the noise, fluctuation, and uncertainty of all... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 3:12

Thou didst march through the land - This refers to the conquest of Canaan. God is represented as going at the head of his people as general-in-chief; and leading them on from conquest to conquest - which was the fact. Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger - Thou didst tread them down, as the oxen do the sheaves on the threshing-floor. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 3:13

Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people - Their deliverance would not have been effected but through thy interference. For salvation with thine anointed - That is, with Joshua, whom God had anointed, or solemnly appointed to fill the place of Moses, and lead the people into the promised land. If we read, with the common text, משיחך meshichecha , "thy anointed," the singular number, Joshua is undoubtedly meant, who was God's instrument to put the people in possession of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 3:14

Thou didst strike through - The Hebrew will bear this sense: "Thou hast pierced amidst their tribes the head of their troops," referring to Pharaoh and his generals, who came like a whirlwind to fall upon the poor Israelites, when they appeared to be hemmed in by sea, and no place for their escape. If we follow the common reading, it seems to intimate that the troops of Pharaoh, in their confusion (for God shone out upon them from the cloud) fell foul of each other; and with their staves, or... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 3:15

Thou didst walk through the sea - There was no occasion to hurry across; all was safe, for God had divided the waters: and his terrible cloud had removed from before, and stood behind them, so that it was between them and the Egyptians. See Exodus 14:19 , Exodus 14:20 . read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Habakkuk 3:12

Verse 12 The Prophet relates here the entrance of the people into the land of Canaan, that the faithful might know that their fathers would not have obtained so many victories had not God put forth the power and strength of his hand. Hence he says, that God himself had trampled on the land in anger. For how could the Israelites have dared to attack so many nations, who had lately come forth from so miserable a bondage? They had indeed been in the desert for forty years; but they were always... read more

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