Habakkuk 3:17-19

Habakkuk 3:17-19 contain one of the most sublime expressions of confidence in Jehovah found anywhere in the Old Testament. If the above suggested interpretation of 16b is correct, Habakkuk 3:17 becomes the natural continuation. The prophet looks forward to the day of trouble announced in Habakkuk 1:6 ff., but the help of Jehovah in the past brings to him the assurance that in the present also he will stand by his people; therefore, however severe the temporary affliction, he will still rejoice in Jehovah and wait for the God of his salvation.

Fig tree… vines… olive The chief products of Palestine (see on Joel 1:7; Joel 1:10).

Fields The cornfields.

Meat Better, R.V., “food.”

Flock… herd A portion of the inhabitants of Judah remained shepherds throughout the entire history of the Hebrews. All the natural resources of Judah are here enumerated, and the poet assumes a complete failure of all these resources; but, he continues, though all may fail, he will rely upon Jehovah, who is his strength and will supply all his needs.

Some have thought that the historical background of Habakkuk 3:17 is not that of chapters 1, 2, and for this reason they have denied the entire third chapter to Habakkuk (see Introduction, p. 473). Others, for the same reason, have raised doubts concerning the genuineness of Habakkuk 3:17 or of Habakkuk 3:17-19. “This verse (17) does not suggest a condition of scarcity and barrenness arising from a hostile invasion of the land, but rather one due to severe natural calamities.” This consideration leads A.B. Davidson to say, “It is possible that the poem originally ended with Habakkuk 3:16, and that Habakkuk 3:17-19 are an addition.” In reply it may be pointed out (1) that the term “God of my salvation” is used frequently, if not exclusively, in connection with deliverance from enemies; (2) that expressions similar to those in Habakkuk 3:19 are used in Psalms 18:33, of Jehovah’s help against hostile armies. In any case, the objections can be urged only against Habakkuk 3:17; but even there it is by no means certain that the reference is to drought and resulting barrenness and to other natural calamities. A hostile army overrunning the land, destroying the crops, tramping down the fields, and killing the cattle and sheep could easily cause the very kind of suffering pictured in Habakkuk 3:17 (compare Isaiah 1:7-9, or almost any historical inscription of the Assyrian kings). Another objection, based upon the sudden transition from gloom to confidence, is without any force. Similar transitions occur in all poetry, they are very numerous in the psalms, and in the present case it is quite natural.

18, 19. Whatever the severity of the affliction, the prophet and those whose mouthpiece he is, will rejoice in Jehovah (Psalms 5:11), for he can supply all needs, and in due time he will prepare a way of escape.

God of my salvation A God who delivers from suffering and distress and restores to the former prosperity and felicity (Micah 7:7; Psalms 18:46). Habakkuk 3:19 shows resemblance with Psalms 18:32-33.

My strength The source of strength in times of calamity (Psalms 18:32; compare 2 Corinthians 12:9).

Like hinds’ feet The point of comparison is not named; it is undoubtedly swiftness, one of the most important qualifications of an ancient hero (2 Samuel 1:23; 1 Chronicles 12:8).

And he will make me to walk upon mine high places A continuation of the preceding figure; the high places are those on which the hinds skip. The thought is of the ease with which the singer, with Jehovah’s help, can walk firmly in difficult places and overcome obstacles which without Jehovah’s aid would be insurmountable. Ultimately the people of Jehovah will triumph. The thought remains the same if, following the most important ancient versions, we omit the pronoun “mine.”

Here ends the poem proper. What follows, “To the chief singer on my stringed instruments,” is the subscription, which, with the exception of the pronoun, is identical with the headings of several psalms in the Psalter (see Introduction, p. 473).

Chief singer R.V., “chief musician.” This word occurs in the headings of fifty-five psalms; it is a participial form of a verb used in Chronicles and Ezra in the sense of “superintending”; in 1 Chronicles 15:21, in the specific sense of “leading the music.” There can be little doubt that the word used here and in the psalm titles means “precentor” or “conductor” of the temple choir. Delitzsch thinks that “To the chief musician” is the direction to this leader to receive a hymn with that superscription into the temple collection.

On my stringed instruments The verb from which this noun is derived means “to pluck the strings,” “to play upon stringed instruments”; the phrase means, therefore, “with the accompaniment of stringed instruments,” and it is a direction that stringed instruments, and no others, are to be used to accompany the singing. The force of the pronoun “my” is doubtful. Does it refer to the poet in the sense that he will accompany the singing with his own stringed instruments? If so, the plural would not be expected. A comparison with Isaiah 38:20, has led some to interpret “my” in a collective sense, referring to the people, equivalent to “our.” If the pronoun is original, the second interpretation is to be preferred. LXX. reads “his,” that is, of the chief musician. However, in view of the fact that the pronoun is found nowhere in the psalm titles, it is probable that here also it should be omitted, that we should read simply, “on stringed instruments.”

Why this musical note stands at the end rather than at the beginning, as in the psalms, is still an open question. Some think that when this psalm was taken from the psalm collection (see Introduction, p. 473) the words, which were intended to be the heading of the next psalm, were copied erroneously and carried over with this psalm. As there were in the beginning no well-marked divisions between the separate psalms, such mistake might easily have been made. On the other hand, it is claimed (see Thirtle, The Titles of the Psalms) that originally only the notices indicating the author and the historical situation were placed at the head, while the musical notes were always placed at the end; that in the present case the original order has been preserved, while in the Psalter the musical notes have been taken from the end of the psalms for which they were intended and have been placed erroneously at the head of the succeeding psalms, which has resulted in much confusion. Thirtle has made out a strong case; he has succeeded in removing some grave difficulties, and much may be said in favor of his view; but it would be perhaps too much to claim that he has placed the subject entirely beyond question.