Habakkuk 3:8

Translations

Modern

Were You angry at the rivers, O LORD? Was Your wrath against the streams? Did You rage against the sea when You rode on Your horses, on Your chariots of salvation?

Traditional

Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?

Literal

Against the rivers did it burn, O YHWH—Your anger against the rivers? Or was Your wrath against the sea, when You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation?

Latin

Numquid in fluminibus iratus es, Domine? aut in fluminibus furor tuus? vel in mari indignatio tua? Qui ascendes super equos tuos, et quadrigæ tuæ salvatio.

Original

Hebrew

English

Were You angry at the rivers, O LORD? Was Your wrath against the streams? Did You rage against the sea when You rode on Your horses, on Your chariots of salvation?

Notes

Habakkuk 3:8

angry at the rivers … wrath against the streams: See Exodus 7:19–20; 14:15–31.
chariots of salvation: This is an ironic reference to the Egyptian chariots that chased the Israelites when God helped them escape through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:9).

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 68:17
The chariots of God are tens of thousands—thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.
Deuteronomy 33:26–27
“There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid, and the clouds in His majesty.
Exodus 14:21–22
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided,
Psalm 114:5
Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,
Psalm 18:10
He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
Psalm 114:3
The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back;
Isaiah 50:2
Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold, My rebuke dries up the sea; I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.
Mark 4:39
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.
Habakkuk 3:15
You trampled the sea with Your horses, churning the great waters.
Joshua 3:16–17
…the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Psalm 104:3
…laying the beams of His chambers in the waters above, making the clouds His chariot, walking on the wings of the wind.
Psalm 68:4
Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds—His name is the LORD—and rejoice before Him.

Glossary

Book of Habakkuk Habakkuk (Person) Horse Selah Shiggaion, Shigionoth

Topics

Chariot: Chariots of God Salvation: Illustrated by Chariots

Habakkuk 3:8

Translations?

Original?

Notes?

Events?

Related verses?

Glossary?

Topics?

Translations

Original

Notes

Events

Related verses

Glossary

Topics