Habakkuk 3:10

The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. THE MOUNTAINS SAW THEE - even as God, with his, all-searching glance, "beheld" and "measured" them. AND THEY TREMBLED - repetition, with increased emphasis, of some of the tremendous phenomena mentioned in Habakkuk 3:6. THE OVERFLOWING OF THE WATER PASSED BY - namely, of the Red Sea, and again, of the Jordan. God marked his favour to His people in all the elements, causing every obstacle, whether mountains or waters, which impeded their progress, to pass away (Calvin). Maurer, not so well, translates, 'torrents (rains) of water rush down.' [ Zerem (H2230)...

Habakkuk proceeds with the history of the people’s redemption. We have said what his object was, even this that the people, though in an extreme state of calamity, might yet entertain hope of God’s favor; for he became not a Redeemer to the race of Abraham for one time, but that he might continue the same favor to them to the end. He says that _mountains had seen and grieved_. Some explain this allegorically of kings, and say, that they grieved when envy preyed on them: but this view is too strained. The Prophet, I have no doubt, means simply, that the mountains obeyed God, so as to open a way for his people. At the same time, the verb חול, _chul_, signifies not only to grieve, but also to bring forth, and then to fall and to abide in the same place. We might then with no less propriety read thus—_see thee did the mountains, and were still_, or fell down; that is, they were subservient t...

3-15 God's people, when in distress, and ready to despair, seek help by considering the days of old, and the years of ancient times, and by pleading them with God in prayer. The resemblance between the Babylonish and Egyptian captivities, naturally presents itself to the mind, as well as the possibility of a like deliverance through the power of Jehovah. God appeared in his glory. All the powers of nature are shaken, and the course of nature changed, but all is for the salvation of God's own people. Even what seems least likely, shall be made to work for their salvation. Hereby is given a type and figure of the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ. It is for salvation with thine anointed. Joshua who led the armies of Israel, was a figure of Him whose name he bare, even Jesus, our Joshua. In all the salvations wrought for them, God looked upon Christ the Anointed, and brought delivera...

Verse Habakkuk 3:10. _THE MOUNTAINS SAW THEE_] This is the continued answer to the questions in Habakkuk 3:8. These are figures highly poetic, to show with what ease God accomplished the most arduous tasks in behalf of his people. As soon as the _mountains_ saw him, they trembled, they were in _pangs_. When he appeared, the _sea_ fled to right and left, to give him a passage. "It uttered its voice." The separation of the waters occasioned a terrible noise. "And it lifted up its hands on high." Its waters, being separated, stood in _heaps_ on the right hand and left. These heaps or waves are poetically represented here as the _hands_ of the _sea_....

THE MOUNTAINS SAW THEE AND THEY TREMBLED - literally, “they tremble.” While man is insensate, inanimate nature feels and attests the presence of its Maker. “It saw it trembles.” To see, feel, tremble were one. The prophet does not follow a bare order of events, or bind himself to miracles which actually took place. The mountains tremble with earthquakes, or seem to be shaken by the thunders which they re-echo. And so they are signs, how what is firmest and closes up the way to man, trembles at the Presence of God. Whatever is lifted up shall be bowed down before Him. (See Zechariah 4:7.). But the word “trembled” is that which is especially used of travail pangs and so it may spiritually denote that “they who conceive the fear of God shall bring forth unto salvation.” “The overflowing,” i. e., the impetuous, sweeping, flow, of the water (or, of waters), such as

EXPOSITION HABAKKUK 3:1 Part II. PSALM OR PRAYER OF HABAKKUK. HABAKKUK 3:1 § 1. _The title._ A PRAYER. There is only one formal prayer in the ode, that in Habakkuk 3:2; but the term is used of any devotional composition; and, indeed, the whole poem may be regarded as the development of the precatory sentences in the proemium. (For other hymns in the prophetical books, see Isaiah 24:1, and...

THE MOUNTAINS SAW THEE, [AND] THEY TREMBLED,.... At the power and presence of God, as Sinai of old; Habakkuk 3:6 by which are signified mighty people and nations, kings and great men, struck with terror at the amazing providence of God in the world, on the behalf of his own people, and against their enemies; see Revelation 6:14: THE OVERFLOWING OF THE WATER PASSED BY; which is usually referred to the overflowing of the river Jordan at the time of the passage of the Israelites through it, when the waters above stood and rose up as a heap, and those below failed, and were cut off, and passed away into the salt sea, Joshua 3:15 but perhaps it may refer to the times of David, when he conquered all his enemie

CHAPTER 3 The Vision of the Coming of the Lord _ 1. The prophet's prayer (Habakkuk 3:1) _ 2. The coming of the Lord for judgment and redemption (Habakkuk 3:3) 3. The effect upon the prophet (Habakkuk 3:16) Habakkuk 3:1. 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. Its meaning is “loud crying.” The connection with the seventh Psalm is interesting. In that Psalm God appeared to David as the God of judgment, the right

HABAKKUK 3. THE PRAYER OF HABAKKUK. Habakkuk 3:1. Shigionoth: probably plural of _shiggaion_ (Psalms 7:1, p. 373). But LXX reads _n e ginoth_, on the stringed instruments (_cf._ Psalms 4:1; Psalms 6:1, etc.). HABAKKUK 3:2. The poet has both heard of and seen Yahweh's doings in days gone by, and prays Him anew to reveal His saving power to His people. For _yarethi_, I was afraid, read _ra-' ithi_, I have seen (LXX), to be taken with the following words: thus, I have seen Thy work, O Lord. IN THE MIDST OF THE YEARS:...

THE MOUNTAINS SAW THEE. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 19:18). App-92. Compare Psalms 114:4. THE OVERFLOWING, &C. Referring to the Jordan. Compare Joshua 3:15; Joshua 3:16. THE DEEP, &C. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 14:22). App-92. UTTERED HIS VOICE, i.e. [at Thy presence]. LIFTED UP, &C.. lifted up his hands [in amazement and sub-mission]. Not. "corruption", but the Figure of speech _Prosopopoeia_ (App-6). "The walls" of...