Habakkuk 3:13

Translations

Modern

You went forth for the salvation of Your people, to save Your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked and stripped him from head to toe. Selah

Traditional

Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.

Literal

You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your anointed; You struck the head of the house of the wicked, uncovering him from base to neck. Selah

Latin

Egressus es in salutem populi tui, in salutem cum christo tuo: percussisti caput de domo impii, denudasti fundamentum ejus usque ad collum.

Original

Hebrew

English

You went forth for the salvation of Your people, to save Your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked and stripped him from head to toe. Selah

Notes

Habakkuk 3:8–15

The Lord acts as a divine warrior for his people, using his power to save them. This picture of God as a divine warrior appears in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

In the Old Testament, it is seen in Israel’s escape from Egypt and their journey to Mount Sinai (Exodus 15:1–18). It also appears as Israel approached the promised land from the south and during their early victories in the land (for example, Judges 5:4–5; Psalms 18:8–16; 77:16–20).

A key New Testament example of this theme appears in Revelation, where Christ comes as a warrior to defeat evil and bring final justice (Revelation 19:11–21).

Habakkuk 3:3–15

The prophet praises God's power to save. These two praise sections (Habakkuk 3:3–7 and 3:8–15) poetically reflect on Israel's exodus. Although Habakkuk focuses on God's redemption of his people, his imagery sometimes includes ideas from ancient Near Eastern stories about the gods. For example:

pestilence and plague (Habakkuk 3:5)
river and sea (Habakkuk 3:8)
sun and moon (Habakkuk 3:11)

This imagery reminds Habakkuk's original audience that the Lord alone is the one true God who rules over all these things.

Habakkuk 3:1–19

Habakkuk’s prophecy concludes with a prayer that has the style and language of a psalm (a song of prayer).

Theme notes and profiles

Human Confusion and God’s Purpose

Events

Prophecies of Habakkukc. 607 BC

Related verses

Psalm 110:6
He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead; He will crush the leaders far and wide.
Psalm 105:15
“Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!”
Joshua 11:8
…and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who struck them down and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. They struck them down, leaving no survivors.
Psalm 20:6
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand.
Joshua 10:11
As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites.
Psalm 68:19–23
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God of our salvation. Selah
Exodus 15:1–2
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.
Joshua 10:42
And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.
Joshua 10:24
When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks.
Exodus 14:13–14
But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.
Psalm 28:8
The LORD is the strength of His people, a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.
Joshua 11:12
Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and put them to the sword. He devoted them to destruction, as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded.

People

Selah: A musical or liturgical term of uncertain meaning

Glossary

Book of Habakkuk Habakkuk (Person) Selah Shiggaion, Shigionoth

Habakkuk 3:13

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