Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge: Habakkuk's Theophany -- Habakkuk 3:4-15 -- February 11, 2026

We continue through Habakkuk 3, beginning and centering on verse 8, where we learn that YHWH has come with victory over the enemies of Israel. A somewhat technical lesson that reveals the core truth that YHWH is for Israel.

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Wednesday October 1, 2025

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

The first four woes deal to some extent with the sin of greed and unjust gain. The fourth woe revolves primarily around drunkenness and violence but touches on the theme of misuse of people for the purpose of unjust gain. Habakkuk placed the taunts in five sections:

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms.

We now turn to verse 2 of Habakkuk 3 in our verse by verse exposition.

Habakkuk 3:2

Habakkuk 3:2 NKJV

2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

3:2 Of the entire chapter, only this verse takes on the form of a petition for God to do something.

The remainder of the prayer describes the greatness of God in the past and expresses the prophet’s quiet confidence in the work of God. The prophet’s petition is threefold: to preserve life, to provide understanding, and to remember mercy.

Patterson has demonstrated the numerous literary connections between verses 2 and 16, creating an envelope of first-person language around the third-person vision report of God’s theophany in verses 3–15.

Habakkuk 3:2,16

Habakkuk 3:16 NKJV

16 When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops.

Israel based its religion on the work of God rather than any mystical experience. The prophet based both his confidence and his petition on the work of God in the past. God’s leading the people of Israel out of Egypt provided hope and instilled confidence that God would continue to work in the future. Seeing the Egyptians dead on the seashore provided conclusive evidence of the protection of God. Israel could never have escaped from Egypt. Only God’s intervention saved Israel. Habakkuk does not present a desire to return to the “good old days,” however. He knows that “the best is yet to come.”

Habakkuk “wants God’s purpose to be fulfilled, God’s work on earth to be done, God’s actions to be seen clearly by faith in the passages of history. Notice that the prophet concentrates on God and not on human beings.”

The prophet declared his awe at the work of God. “I stand in awe” translates the Hebrew verb yarēʾtî, “I fear.” In the Old Testament, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a virtual synonym for “religion” or the idea of rightly orienting to God.

Deuteronomy shows that “hearing and fearing” may be regarded as the natural reaction to an experience with God. “When one hears Yahweh’s mighty work recited in the cult, the appropriate response is fear or awe and a desire to see those ancient marvels repeated in the present.”

Based on the work of God in the past, the prophet called on God to “renew” his deeds in the present day. “In our day” and “in our time” translate identical Hebrew expressions that begin their respective clauses, which call on God to renew his work and to make his deeds known “in the midst of years,” a reference to the prophet’s time period.

[Robertson listed a number of other suggestions for the meaning of בְּקֶרֶב שָׁנִים (“in the midst of the years”), none of which seems satisfactory. The conclusion is that the phrase refers “to the time between the two acts of judgment revealed to Habakkuk in the process of his earlier dialogue” (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 217).] Habakkuk called on God to work in the present day in the way he had worked in the past.

Renew” translates Hb. חַיֵּיהוּ, lit. “make him live” as Robertson renders it, seeing a connection back to 2:4 and saying this is an example of the prophet “pleading the promises” (ibid.). In a sense, Habakkuk meant for God to work a new redemption from the tyranny of Babylon as he had delivered Israel from the old tyranny of Egypt. The prophet showed his profound knowledge of the ways of God. The Lord is a God who acts on behalf of his people. “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel” (Ps 103:7).

Psalm 103:7

Psalm 103:7 NKJV

7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

The last request involves the mercy of God. “Wrath” and “mercy” are picturesque words. “Wrath” comes from a root word which means “to tremble” or “to shake.” [Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 230. Robertson sees רגז indicating agitation, excitement, or disturbance, noting that it occurs four times in this poem (vv. 2, 7, 16). Here he sees it referring to a time when the foundations will be shaken and the people of God go into exile. Thus he translates “trembling” rather than wrath (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 218). Roberts sees the omission of the personal suffix as an indication of intentional double entendre: “When you renew your work, let your wrath, which has brought such turmoil upon us, be tempered by the memory of your mercy, so that your new work, the fulfillment of the vision, will mean our salvation” (Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 151).]

“Mercy” comes from a word associated with the womb, indicating the compassion and tenderness which Habakkuk requested from the Lord.

This clause can mean that the prophet wanted God

(1) to show mercy even in the midst of his anger with Israel,

(2) or (2) to show mercy to Israel even when God was angry with Israel’s enemies.

The former interpretation seems to fit the situation in Judah better than the latter. Roberts notes the “disturbing ambiguity in the concept of God’s work” for God had called out the Babylonians to discipline Israel (1:5–6). “Thus while asking for the fulfillment of the promised vision, the prophet qualifies it with the request that it be accompanied by mercy. He wants a renewal of God’s work, but his early work of deliverance as in the exodus and conquest, not that of his more recent work against Jerusalem” (cp. Isa 10:12; 28:21).

Isaiah 10:12

Isaiah 10:12 NKJV

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

Isaiah 28:21

Isaiah 28:21 NKJV

21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon— That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His unusual act.

End of 10/1/2025

Wednesday October 22, 2025

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms.

We looked at verse 2 of Habakkuk 3 in our verse by verse exposition.

Habakkuk 3:2

Habakkuk 3:2 NKJV

2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

3:2 Of the entire chapter, only this verse takes on the form of a petition for God to do something.

The remainder of the prayer describes the greatness of God in the past and expresses the prophet’s quiet confidence in the work of God.

The prophet’s petition is threefold:

to preserve life,

to provide understanding,

and to remember mercy.

We noted that there were numerous literary connections between verses 2 and 16, creating an envelope of first-person language around the third-person vision report of God’s theophany in verses 3–15.

Habakkuk 3:2,16

Habakkuk 3:16 NKJV

Literary and Theological Connections between verses 2 and 6

1. Structural Framing: Petition → Response

• Habakkuk 3:2 opens the chapter with a shiggaion-style prayer:

“O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”

• This is a judicial imploration: Habakkuk acknowledges Yahweh’s terrifying acts and pleads for mercy amid judgment.

• Habakkuk 3:16 closes the theophanic vision with a personal lament:

“I heard, and my inward parts trembled… Yet I will wait quietly for the day of distress…”

• This is the emotional consequence of the petition—Habakkuk has seen the implications of divine justice and submits in trembling faith.

2. Lexical Echoes and Thematic Continuity

• Both verses use “I heard” (שָׁמַעְתִּי) as a literary hinge:

3:2: “I have heard the report…” → initiates reverent fear.

3:16: “I heard, and my belly trembled…” → evokes physical collapse.

• This repetition links the prophet’s cognitive awareness (God’s deeds) with his visceral response (dread and submission).

3. Judicial Language and Emotional Register

• 3:2 invokes wrath and mercy, classic judicial terms.

• 3:16 describes decay, trembling, and waiting for distress, signaling the internalization of judgment.

• The prophet moves from intercessory distance to embodied lamentation, showing the cost of prophetic insight.

4. Liturgical and Eschatological Framing

• The chapter is structured as a psalmic theophany, with 3:2 as invocation and 3:16 as transition to trust (leading into 3:17–19).

• The lament in 3:16 is not despair but judicial submission—Habakkuk waits for the day of Yahweh’s justice, trusting in divine timing.

3. A Description of the Lord’s Appearing in Great Power (3:3–15)

let’s read it through yet again to get a sense of the flow:

Habakkuk 3:3-15

Habakkuk 3:3–15 NKJV

3 God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise. 4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden. 5 Before Him went pestilence, And fever followed at His feet. 6 He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, The perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; The curtains of the land of Midian trembled. 8 O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers, Was Your anger against the rivers, Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation? 9 Your bow was made quite ready; Oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah You divided the earth with rivers. 10 The mountains saw You and trembled; The overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice, And lifted its hands on high. 11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; At the light of Your arrows they went, At the shining of Your glittering spear. 12 You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger. 13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah 14 You thrust through with his own arrows The head of his villages. They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret. 15 You walked through the sea with Your horses, Through the heap of great waters.

Habakkuk 3:3

Habakkuk 3:3 NKJV

3 God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise.

3:3 God answered the prayer in verse two with a theophany in the following verses (Hab 3:3–15). “The passage forms the most extensive and elaborate theophany to be found in the Old Testament.” A theophany describes an appearance of God in great power and glory, often looking to the events of the exodus and the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. Exodus 19 provides one of the best examples of a theophany:

“Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud.” (Exodus 19:9)

Exodus 19:9

Exodus 19:9 NKJV

9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.” (Exodus 19:16)

Exodus 19:16

Exodus 19:16 NKJV

16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice” (Exodus 19:18-19, NKJV).

Exodus 19:18-19

Exodus 19:18–19 NKJV

18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.

The parallels with Habakkuk’s psalm are striking. Gowan thought of the theophany as a “composite of images drawn from the most awesome elements in the natural world, used freely and poetically in an effort to represent the emotional effect of experiencing the immediate presence of God himself.”

The verb tenses in the Hebrew challenge the interpreter to understand the significance of the passage. Is the passage future, present, or past? Verb tenses in Hebrew do not convey past, present, or future time as much as they do aspectual distinctions. Most of the verbs in theophany are in the perfect tense, typically used in past-time contexts. The NIV, following the KJV and RSV. It translates the verbs into the past tense. Does this describe an event in the past or one coming at some point in the future?

One way of using the perfect tense is the “prophetic perfect” or “perfective of confidence,” a way of describing something so sure that the prophet could speak of it as already accomplished.41A modern phrase that captures the essence of the “prophetic perfect” is to say that “it’s money in the bank,” meaning “you can count on it, it’s sure to happen.” This would mean that the events described would occur in the future while emphasizing the certainty of the occurrence.

Roberts says that the prophet has changed the perspective of his ancient models, such as Deuteronomy 33:2–5; Judges 5:4–5; Psalm 68:8–9; Exodus 15:14–16, which portray God’s theophany as a past event. “Habakkuk portrays God’s march as though it were happening in the present, before his very eyes” (Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 151).

Deuteronomy 33:2-5

Deuteronomy 33:2–5 NKJV

2 And he said: “The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them. 3 Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words. 4 Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob. 5 And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.

Judges 5:4-5

Judges 5:4–5 NKJV

4 “Lord, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens poured, The clouds also poured water; 5 The mountains gushed before the Lord, This Sinai, before the Lord God of Israel.

Psalm 68:8-9

Psalm 68:8–9 NKJV

8 The earth shook; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, When it was weary.

Exodus 15:14-16

Exodus 15:14–16 NKJV

14 “The people will hear and be afraid; Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. 16 Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O Lord, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased.

There is some argument exegetically and theologically for a present interpretation of the theophany, saying that the tradition saw the coming at the Exodus when Israel proclaimed God as their king (Exod 15:18),

Exodus15:18

Exodus 15:18 NKJV

18 “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”

while “this time he comes as King over all the earth: His glorious manifestation so illumines the heavens that all the earth responds in praise (cf. Ps 48:10).”

Psalm 48:10

Psalm 48:10 NKJV

10 According to Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.

End of 10/22/2025

Wednesday October 29, 2025

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms.

We looked at verse 2 of Habakkuk 3 in our verse by verse exposition.

Habakkuk 3:2

Habakkuk 3:2 NKJV

2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

3:2 Of the entire chapter, only this verse takes on the form of a petition for God to do something.

The remainder of the prayer describes the greatness of God in the past and expresses the prophet’s quiet confidence in the work of God.

The prophet’s petition is threefold:

to preserve life,

to provide understanding,

and to remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:2,16

Habakkuk 3:16 NKJV

Literary and Theological Connections between verses 2 and 6

1. Structural Framing: Petition → Response

• Habakkuk 3:2 opens the chapter with a shiggaion-style prayer:

“O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”

• This is a judicial imploration: Habakkuk acknowledges Yahweh’s terrifying acts and pleads for mercy amid judgment.

• Habakkuk 3:16 closes the theophanic vision with a personal lament:

“I heard, and my inward parts trembled… Yet I will wait quietly for the day of distress…”

• This is the emotional consequence of the petition—Habakkuk has seen the implications of divine justice and submits in trembling faith.

2. Lexical Echoes and Thematic Continuity

• Both verses use “I heard” (שָׁמַעְתִּי) as a literary hinge:

3:2: “I have heard the report…” → initiates reverent fear.

3:16: “I heard, and my belly trembled…” → evokes physical collapse.

• This repetition links the prophet’s cognitive awareness (God’s deeds) with his visceral response (dread and submission).

3. Judicial Language and Emotional Register

• 3:2 invokes wrath and mercy, classic judicial terms.

• 3:16 describes decay, trembling, and waiting for distress, signaling the internalization of judgment.

• The prophet moves from intercessory distance to embodied lamentation, showing the cost of prophetic insight.

4. Liturgical and Eschatological Framing

• The chapter is structured as a psalmic theophany, with 3:2 as invocation and 3:16 as transition to trust (leading into 3:17–19).

• The lament in 3:16 is not despair but judicial submission—Habakkuk waits for the day of Yahweh’s justice, trusting in divine timing.

3. A Description of the Lord’s Appearing in Great Power (3:3–15)

Whether or not the interpreter can determine past or present, God answered Habakkuk's prayer and acted according to His sovereign purpose. Habakkuk felt the certainty of God’s work. At the conclusion of the theophany, the prophet determined to wait for God’s redemption (Hab 3:16).

Habakkuk 3:16

Habakkuk 3:16 NKJV

Judgment had been central to Habakkuk’s dialogue with the Almighty. But the whole point had been salvation for God’s own in the context of judgment.

Habakkuk 3:3-4

Habakkuk 3:3–4 NKJV

Theophany may seem an unusual element to follow the petition. But there is a connection: “the prophet provides a framework of faith which will sustain him as well as all those supplicants that would join him through the ages.

The first two lines in the text obviously are parallel statements: “God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran.”

Teman designated a district of Edom, located to the southeast of Judah. Teman dominated the fertile, well-watered area and served as a crossroads for essential trade routes. In this context, Teman likely refers to the entire area of Edom.

Paran was a mountainous region southwest of Judah, located in the Sinai Peninsula and west of the Gulf of Aqaba. Together, the two areas refer to God’s coming in the past when he gave the law and led the people of Israel through the wilderness. Both places are to the south of Judah. When the people of Israel left Egypt, God led them through these areas. Thus, the passage reminded the hearers and readers of God's work in the past and His majestic power in forming a nation among the Hebrews. Interestingly, as Armerding mentions, Sinai does not appear here even though it is the fountainhead of theophanic language. This gives the theophanic allusion an inevitable imprecision: “it recalls, not the exact details of a past event, but the dynamics of that event as an analogy for another revelation of God’s presence and power.”

The name for God, אֱלוֹהַ — ʾĕlôah, used in this instance is a rare and archaic name which probably evoked memories of the work of God in ancient times when he led the patriarchs through the land and the people through the wilderness. אֱלוֹהַ is found fifty-seven times in the Old Testament, forty-one times in the Book of Job, with most of the occurrences found in the dialogue.

It is thought that the text is demonstrating the enemies’ perspective. They saw God “not as Yahweh, Israel’s covenant God, but as Eloah, the Creator (Deut 32:15) and the Lord of the earth (Pss 18:31; 114:7).”

Deuteronomy 32:15

Deuteronomy 32:15 NKJV

15 “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

Psalm 18:31

Psalm 18:31 NKJV

31 For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?

Psalm 114:7

Psalm 114:7 NKJV

7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob,

End of 10/29/2025

Wednesday November 5, 2025

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms.

We looked at verse 2 of Habakkuk 3 in our verse by verse exposition.

Habakkuk 3:2

Habakkuk 3:2 NKJV

2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

3:2 Of the entire chapter, only this verse takes on the form of a petition for God to do something.

The remainder of the prayer describes the greatness of God in the past and expresses the prophet’s quiet confidence in the work of God.

The prophet’s petition is threefold:

to preserve life,

to provide understanding,

and to remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:2,16

Habakkuk 3:16 NKJV

Habakkuk 3:3

Habakkuk 3:3 NKJV

3 God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise.

“The Holy One” is parallel to “God” and came into prominence as a title for God in the Book of Isaiah, who used the term (thirty times) as his favorite title for deity. He thought of the “Holy One” as perfect moral purity.

It is thought that “The term holy one of Israel means above all else that Yahweh keeps close to Israel, that he could not abandon them without denying himself.… The entire history of Israel is the work of holiness; it is not without reason that the prophet who forged the title holy one of Israel is also the one who best showed the realization of God’s plan in history; illustrating the exclamation of the psalmist: ‘Thy way, O God, is in holiness’ (Pss 77:14; 68:25).”

Psalm 77 is written with a consoling view that comes from the memory of God’s redemptive works in history,

Psalm 77:14-15

Psalm 77:14–15 NKJV

14 You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. 15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

Notice that the next stanza in Psalm 77:16-20 bears remarkably parallel concepts to what is written in Habakkuk 3:8-10

Psalm 77:16-20

Psalm 77:16–20 NKJV

16 The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled. 17 The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. 18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. 19 Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known. 20 You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Habakkuk 3:8-10

Habakkuk 3:8–10 NKJV

8 O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers, Was Your anger against the rivers, Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation? 9 Your bow was made quite ready; Oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah You divided the earth with rivers. 10 The mountains saw You and trembled; The overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice, And lifted its hands on high.

While this language has allusions to the vast power of the Noahic flood, the subject matter is the power of God the creator of the world, who is active in the deliverance of Israel via the Red Sea destruction of the Army of Israel, and the removal of the Jordan River as a barrier and protection to the people of Jericho.

Another illustration of the exclamation of the psalmist: ‘Thy way, O God, is in holiness’ is found in Psalm 68:25.

Psalm 68:25

Psalm 68:25 NKJV

25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.

Now the psalmist returns to the triumphal procession of the LORD into the sanctuary, which he says has been witnessed by many people (“they have seen” has no expressed subject, so may be interpreted as the “goings” of God were seen). The goings of God are then explained to be the procession of the LORD into the sanctuary. Here the LORD is called “my God, my King,” the title “king” being a favorable designation for God from the time of David. The procession going before was made up of the singers, and those coming after were the players of stringed instruments. The maidens were in the midst of them, or possibly between them, playing with timbrels.

This procession precedes the coming of the Lord to fill the Holy of Holies with His Shekinah Glory and driving the priests and Levites from the temple with smoke from the fire of His presence.

For Habakkuk this holiness implied another aspect of God, what Roberts calls the “radical and dangerous otherness of God, his separation and elevation over all possible rivals.”

Habakkuk had already complained that the holy God was not showing forth his holiness when he let an unholy nation like Babylon attack his people (Habakkuk 1:12).

Habakkuk 1:12

Habakkuk 1:12 NKJV

12 Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction.

Now having seen the larger plan and purpose of God, the prophet could take up the ancient tradition of theophany and talk of the Holy One coming in salvation. He saw “the righteousness and holiness of God in action. With impartiality he shall strike down first the ungodly in Israel, and then the heathen Babylonian.”

The poet continued his meaningful use of divine titles as he artfully switched to the personal divine name Yahweh in direct address in v. 8

Habakkuk 3:8 NKJV

8 O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers, Was Your anger against the rivers, Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation?

and then to the climactic Yahweh Adonai, Yahweh Lord, or Sovereign Lord, in v. 19.

Habakkuk 3:19 NKJV

19 The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

“Selah” occurs in the middle of the verse and probably denotes the solemnity of the presence of God. How the word was used in ancient times remains a matter of speculation. The best suggestions involve some kind of musical notation, possibly a time for the orchestra to play while worshipers meditated on the profundity of the subject.

This may be the case in Habakkuk’s psalm as well as Psalm 85 where the only use of Selah follows a verse describing the forgiveness of God.

Psalm 85

Psalm 85:1–2 NKJV

1 Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah

Did the psalmist or those who used the psalm in the temple expect the people to consider the importance of God’s forgiveness? Except for Habakkuk’s prayer, the term does not occur outside the psalms.

The last part of the verse consists of two parallel lines, which introduce the thunderstorm in the following verses.

W. G. E. Watson points out that the nouns in the first line are both masculine and those in the second one both feminine, which calls attention to the “polar word-pair,” “heavens/earth,” These elements together with the verbs express merismus and convey the idea of completeness.

Merismus is a rhetorical figure of speech in which a whole is expressed by listing two or more of its parts, often opposites or extremes, to imply totality or completeness.

Here “glory” does not represent the usual Hebrew term, kābōd, but hôd, a term that can be applied to humans (especially the Davidic king) and to natural elements as well as to God, showing evidence of power.

Often hôd is used to reveal God’s majesty, sometimes to foreigners like in Isa 30:30.

Isaiah 30:30

Isaiah 30:30 NKJV

30 The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.

HOD is also a reference to the Glory over the whole world as here in Habakkuk (cp. Pss 8:1; 148:13; 1 Chr 29:11).

“To a greater or lesser degree, the expression implies the experience of astonishment and joy in all passages. Such majesty calls inhabitants of earth to “bow in reverent submission.”

In this instance, “glory” probably includes the bright shining light associated with the presence of God, a meaning which fits well with the reference to lightning in the following verse.

Psalm 8:1

Psalm 8:1 NKJV

1 O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

Psalm 148:13

Psalm 148:13 NKJV

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.

1 Chronicles 29:11

1 Chronicles 29:11 NKJV

11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all.

God’s “praise” refers to his attributes which inspire the praise of men, a usage found in other places in the Old Testament (Isa 60:18; 62:7).

For example in

Isaiah 60:18

Isaiah 60:18 NKJV

18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise.

Isaiah 62:7

Isaiah 62:7 NKJV

7 And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Such praise comes out of “God’s former or typical help, meaning that which was accomplished in the past.

End of 11/5/2025

Wednesday November 12, 2025

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms.

We looked at verse 2 of Habakkuk 3 in our verse by verse exposition.

Habakkuk 3:2

Habakkuk 3:2 NKJV

2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

3:2 Of the entire chapter, only this verse takes on the form of a petition for God to do something.

The remainder of the prayer describes the greatness of God in the past and expresses the prophet’s quiet confidence in the work of God.

The prophet’s petition is threefold:

to preserve life,

to provide understanding,

and to remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:2,16

Habakkuk 3:16 NKJV

Habakkuk 3:3

Habakkuk 3:3 NKJV

3 God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise.

We took a look at the use of the term “The Holy One” and saw that it had a

Other examples can be seen in Ps 22:3; cf. Ps 106:2; Isa 63:7; Jer 20:13).”

Psalm 22:3

Psalm 22:3 NKJV

3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

Psalm 106:2

Psalm 106:2 NKJV

2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can declare all His praise?

Isaiah 63:7

Isaiah 63:7 NKJV

7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.

Jeremiah 20:13

Jeremiah 20:13 NKJV

13 Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor From the hand of evildoers.

In terms of Praise and the purpose of the word, we can note that Israel was chosen to praise God (Jer 13:11)

Jeremiah 13:11

Jeremiah 13:11 NKJV

11 For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’

Those who know God bear an obligation to Praise Him and to do so eternally (Pss 22:23; 78:4).

Psalm 22:23

Psalm 22:23 NKJV

23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!

Psalm 78:4

Psalm 78:4 NKJV

4 We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

Habakkuk 3:4

Habakkuk 3:4 NKJV

4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden.

The opening words carry emotion without specifying the reality to which they refer.

Literally, they read: “Bright light [nōgāh] as light [ʾôr] will be.”

Translators attempt to define the image of the Lord’s brightness. Is it lightening that is in view (GNB),

Habakkuk 3:4 GNB

4 He comes with the brightness of lightning; light flashes from his hand, there where his power is hidden.

or sunlight (NASB, NRSV, CEV),

Habakkuk 3:4 NASB95

4 His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power.

Habakkuk 3:4 NRSV

4 The brightness was like the sun; rays came forth from his hand, where his power lay hidden.

Habakkuk 3:4 NKJV

4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden.

or the dawn (REB, NIV)?

Habakkuk 3:4 NIV

4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.

The term nōgāh [נֹ֫גַהּ -- NOGAH] in Habakkuk 3:4 is ordinarily used “for the shining of the celestial luminaries (2 Sam 23:4; Isa 13:10; Joel 2:10; 3:15).

2 Samuel 23:4

2 Samuel 23:4 NKJV

4 And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain.’

Isaiah 13:10

Isaiah 13:10 NKJV

10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

Joel 2:10

Joel 2:10 NKJV

10 The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.

Joel 3:15

Joel 3:15 NKJV

15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness.

Ezekiel uses it to describe the radiant brightness of the glory of God (Ezek 1:4, 28; 10:4).

Ezekiel 1:4

Ezekiel 1:4 NKJV

Ezekiel 1:28

Ezekiel 1:28 NKJV

28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.

Ezekiel 10:4

Ezekiel 10:4 NKJV

4 Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory.

The psalmist also employs the root to depict the divine theophany in a context parallel to that of Habakkuk 3:4 (Ps 18:12, 28; cf. 2 Sam 22:13, 29).”

Psalm 18:12

Psalm 18:12 NKJV

12 From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

Psalm 18:28

Psalm 18:28 NKJV

28 For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

2 Samuel 22:13

2 Samuel 22:13 NKJV

13 From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled.

2 Samuel 22:29

2 Samuel 22:29 NKJV

29 “For You are my lamp, O Lord; The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.

The following line may indicate the brightness of lightning is referred to.

We can conclude that the precise form of the brightness of God’s presence is less significant than the fact that wherever God is, he shines with unusual brilliance.

In either case the phrase appears to be a simile. The Lord’s brightness can only be compared to something as bright or striking as lightning or the first rays of the sun on a clear day.

“God himself is present in brilliant light and blazing fire at the center of the storm cloud (cf. Ezek 1:4–28),

Ezekiel 1:4-28

Ezekiel 1:4–28 NKJV

4 Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. 8 The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. 9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning. 15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. 19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 22 The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. 24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings. 26 And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.

but the intensity of his presence, his face as it were, is veiled and obscured by an envelope of darkness and thick clouds. Yet his glory cannot be completely hidden. From the brightness of his presence lightning bolts blaze forth, and in their brilliant but flickering light, God’s veil is momentarily pierced, and some hint of the awesomeness of that fiery presence is revealed.”

End of 11/12/2025

Wednesday November 26, 2025

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms.

We looked at verse 2 of Habakkuk 3 in our verse by verse exposition.

Habakkuk 3:2

Habakkuk 3:2 NKJV

2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

3:2 Of the entire chapter, only this verse takes on the form of a petition for God to do something.

The remainder of the prayer describes the greatness of God in the past and expresses the prophet’s quiet confidence in the work of God.

The prophet’s petition is threefold:

to preserve life,

to provide understanding,

and to remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:2,16

Habakkuk 3:16 NKJV

Habakkuk 3:3

Habakkuk 3:3 NKJV

3 God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise.

Habakkuk 3:4

Habakkuk 3:4 NKJV

4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden.

In the second line of the verse there is no verb corresponding to NKJV “flashing,” and the word “rays” is literally “horns.” The ideas is that horns protrude or emanate, and so the same word that essentially means to emanate is used for rays of light.

This is misunderstood in the translation of the Latin Vulgate, and we see this replicated in Michelangelo’s Statue of Moses.

Here is a closer view

If you were aware of this statue, you might have wondered why Moses had horns … and this is why. It is because of a translation error, where they made horns literal.

While some say that under certain conditions light emanates from a source in rays that bear some resemblance to horns, as the light that came from Moses’ face as we see in Exod 34:29, 30, 35, I believe this is merely excuse making.

Exodus 34:29

Exodus 34:29 NKJV

29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.

Exodus 34:30

Exodus 34:30 NKJV

30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

Exodus 34:35

Exodus 34:35 NKJV

35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

This image would be especially fitting if lightening was in view, which can be compared to horns.

Higher critics note that in ancient Near Eastern iconography the storm god was usually pictured with a lightning bolt in his hand. I strongly disagree with those who say that Habakkuk is alluding to this common image of the majesty of God.

Interestingly the NIV deletes the words, but the last line of the verse begins with “and there,” referring to the hand where God hides his power. The line is literally “and there the hiding place of his power.” or “and there His powere was hidden” The word for “hidden” occurs only here, but it is usually derived from the verb for “hide oneself.” A possible meaning of the phrase “hiding place of his power” is that even the splendor of the theophany was a gracious veiling of God’s being (cf. Judg 13:22; Job 26:14).”

Judges 13:22

Judges 13:22 NKJV

22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!”

Job 26:14

Job 26:14 NKJV

14 Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

Even more helpful is Robertson’s comment that “the concentration of power and light in the hand of God at the time of his coming emphasizes his readiness to move into action for his people.”

In Robertson’s commentary, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 225. Roberts uses textual emendation and an understanding of חֶבְיוֹן chevyōn as referring to “the veil or envelope of dark clouds and gloom within which God hides his glory” to translate the verse:

“Brightness like lightning appears, / A double-pronged bolt projects from his hand, / He places the covering for his might.”

In this understanding, God is revealed in momentary brilliance and then vanishes in darkness.

=======

Habakkuk 3:5

Habakkuk 3:5 NKJV

5 Before Him went pestilence, And fever followed at His feet.

Fever in the NKJV is רֶשֶׁף --RESHEF is plague in the NASB, and pestilence in the NIV and we should note the relationship to the West Semitic god Resheph associated with fever.

This would be indicative of a polemical manifestation of the theophany to mock the false religion of the region.

plague (דֶּבֶר — DEVER) and fever (רֶשֶף — RESHEF) are used as personified agents in Yahweh’s theophany. This is not mere poetic flourish but a deliberate polemic: forces that surrounding cultures deified (e.g., Resheph as a West Semitic god of fever and plague) are subordinated as attendants of the Lord.

Thus, the polemical dimension is explicit, not speculative — Habakkuk depicts Yahweh as sovereign over what others worshipped as gods.

Resheph (רֶשֶׁף) was a West Semitic deity worshiped across the Levant, especially in Canaanite and Phoenician pantheons. He was associated with fever, plague, war, and burning heat, and his name often appears in texts as both a divine figure and a common noun meaning “flame” or “pestilence.”

E. R. Clendenen explains that the Hb. word רֶשֶׁף basically means “flame” and that it “is sometimes associated with arrows (see Ps 76:4 [3]), lightning (Ps 78:48), or pestilence (Deut 32:24; Hab 3:5)”

Arrows

Psalm 76:3

Psalm 76:3 NKJV

3 There He broke the arrows of the bow, The shield and sword of battle. Selah

Lightning

Psalm 78:48

Psalm 78:48 NKJV

48 He also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning.

Pestilence

Deuteronomy 32:24

Deuteronomy 32:24 NKJV

24 They shall be wasted with hunger, Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, With the poison of serpents of the dust.

The god Resheph was often associated with the Mesopotamian god Nergal, “god of war, plagues, sudden death, and ruler of the realm of the dead. We see Nergal mentioned as an integral part of the Mesopotamian pantheon.

Jeremiah 39:3

Jeremiah 39:3 NKJV

3 Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.

Jeremiah 39:13

Jeremiah 39:13 NKJV

13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s chief officers;

We see that “Plague” and “Fever” are used as members of Yahweh’s military entourage who both precede and follow him in his march against his enemies. They are commonly mentioned in the history of Near East . They show God’s intention to punish his enemies.

The verse means that God commanded all the forces of nature and used them to demonstrate his mighty power. People of the ancient world would recognize the destructive power signified by these words. “Plague” or “Pestilence” (deber) is often mentioned in the Old Testament as a weapon the Lord uses against his enemies (cf. Exod 5:3; 9:15; Lev 26:25; Num 14:12; Deut 28:21; 2 Sam 24:15; Jer 14:12)

Exodus 5:3

Exodus 5:3 NKJV

3 So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”

Exodus 9:15

Exodus 9:15 NKJV

15 Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth.

Leviticus 26:25

Leviticus 26:25 NKJV

25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

Numbers 14:12

Numbers 14:12 NKJV

12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

Deuteronomy 28:21

Deuteronomy 28:21 NKJV

21 The Lord will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess.

2 Samuel 24:15

2 Samuel 24:15 NKJV

15 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died.

Jeremiah 14:12

Jeremiah 14:12 NKJV

12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.”

as well as “pestilence” (rešep; Deut 32:24).

Deuteronomy 32:24

Deuteronomy 32:24 NKJV

24 They shall be wasted with hunger, Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, With the poison of serpents of the dust.

Wednesday January 7, 2026

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms.

We looked at verse 2 of Habakkuk 3 in our verse by verse exposition.

Habakkuk 3:2

Habakkuk 3:2 NKJV

2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

3:2 Of the entire chapter, only this verse takes on the form of a petition for God to do something.

The remainder of the prayer describes the greatness of God in the past and expresses the prophet’s quiet confidence in the work of God.

The prophet’s petition is threefold:

to preserve life,

to provide understanding,

and to remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:2,16

Habakkuk 3:16 NKJV

Habakkuk 3:3

Habakkuk 3:3 NKJV

3 God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise.

Habakkuk 3:4

Habakkuk 3:4 NKJV

4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden.

This is misunderstood in the translation of the Latin Vulgate, and we see this replicated in Michelangelo’s Statue of Moses.

Here is a closer view

If you were aware of this statue, you might have wondered why Moses had horns … and this is why. It is because of a translation error, where they made horns literal.

Habakkuk 3:5

Habakkuk 3:5 NKJV

5 Before Him went pestilence, And fever followed at His feet.

Fever in the NKJV is רֶשֶׁף --RESHEF is plague in the NASB, and pestilence in the NIV and we should note the relationship to the West Semitic god Resheph associated with fever.

This would be indicative of a polemical manifestation of the theophany to mock the false religion of the region.

Thus, the polemical dimension is explicit, not speculative — Habakkuk depicts Yahweh as sovereign over what others worshipped as gods.

Habakkuk 3:6

Habakkuk 3:6 NKJV

6 He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, The perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting.

Habakkuk’s prayer continued with a picture of the triumphant God overthrowing his enemies. The main questions that seem to arise concern how Habakkuk is using this picture of the Lord and whether Habakkuk is seeing a picture from the past or a vision for the future. Commentators dispute the idea of past versus future. For example, Roberts saw the prayer as a vision that Habakkuk saw.

Habakkuk 3:3–15 “no longer celebrates Yahweh’s march as a past event, but describes this event as it is happening, as a visionary experience.”

The prayer of Habakkuk’s is understood to be a celebration of the Lord’s march from the south, an event that had occurred in the past.

Habakkuk saw in a past event the work of God.

God’s power and majesty were the answers to Habakkuk’s needs. Having seen the awesome God who led his people from the south into the land of promise, Habakkuk saw that God could deal with the sin of Judah and with the arrogance of Babylon.

He saw the Lord standing and shaking the earth. Anthropomorphisms are pervasive in the Old Testament. Though the interpreter may wonder about God standing, hearing, or speaking, it is not a ‘primitive’ way of speaking of God. On the contrary, this figurative picture of God harmonizes easily with the most sublime texts of the Old Testament. See Jacob, Theology of the Old Testament, 39–40.

These descriptions are standard for theophanies (Exod 15:14–16; Nah 1:3–5; Joel 2:10). “In every image there is the essence of power barely held in check by the deity and a recognized danger to the mortal involved. The setting for these divine/human encounters also adds to the awe of the moment and the importance of the messages being conveyed.”

End of 1/7/2026 Habakkuk study

Wednesday January 14, 2026

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms.

Summary of Habakkuk 3:1–19 (Focus on vv. 2–6)

1. Structure and Function of Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk 3 is a prayer psalm describing a theophany of Yahweh.

Only verse 2 is a petition; the rest is a poetic, theophanic description of God’s past acts that grounds the prophet’s confidence for the future.

The chapter forms a literary envelope:

v. 2 – first person response to God’s revelation

vv. 3–15 – third person description of Yahweh’s theophanic march

v. 16 – return to first person trembling and trust

This creates a frame around the central vision.

2. Habakkuk 3:2 — The Prophet’s Threefold Petition

Habakkuk asks God to:

Preserve life (“revive Your work”)

Provide understanding (“make it known”)

Remember mercy in wrath

This is the only explicit request in the chapter. Everything else is a recollection of God’s past saving acts, functioning as the basis for Habakkuk’s renewed trust.

3. Habakkuk 3:3–4 — Yahweh’s Theophanic Appearance

Yahweh comes from Teman and Mount Paran, echoing the southern route theophanies of the Exodus tradition (cf. Deut 33; Judg 5).

His glory covers the heavens

His brightness is like light

“Rays” (literally “horns” קֶרֶן qeren) emanate from His hand

The Hebrew term for “rays” meaning “horns” led to the Latin Vulgate mistranslation, which in turn produced Michelangelo’s horned Moses. The imagery is of emanating power, not literal horns.

4. Habakkuk 3:5 — Polemic Against Pagan Deities

“Pestilence” (דֶּבֶר dever) and “fever” (רֶשֶׁף resheph) march before and after Yahweh.

This is deliberate polemic:

Resheph was a West Semitic god of plague, fever, burning heat, and war.

He was often associated with Nergal, the Mesopotamian god of plague and the underworld.

Habakkuk portrays these forces not as gods, but as servants in Yahweh’s procession.

This is consistent with the OT’s broader polemic: Yahweh is sovereign over what the nations deify.

5. Habakkuk 3:6 — Cosmic Disturbance and Divine Majesty

Yahweh:

Stands and measures the earth

Startles the nations

Causes everlasting mountains to scatter

Makes perpetual hills bow

These are standard theophanic anthropomorphisms, not primitive theology. They communicate God’s overwhelming power in terms humans can grasp, consistent with other theophanies (Exod 15; Nah 1; Joel 2).

6. Past or Future? The Interpretive Question

Scholars debate whether Habakkuk is:

Seeing a future vision (Roberts: a present, unfolding theophany), or

Recalling past acts (the Exodus Sinai march from the south)

Within a conservative, literal grammatical reading, the best synthesis is:

Habakkuk recalls God’s past theophanic deliverance as the basis for trusting Him with Judah’s present crisis and Babylon’s future judgment.

The past becomes the paradigm for the future.

7. Theological Function

Habakkuk’s vision of Yahweh’s overwhelming power:

Answers his earlier questions

Reassures him that God can judge Judah

Confirms that God can also judge Babylon

Leads to the quiet confidence expressed in vv. 16–19

The prophet trembles, but he trusts.

Habakkuk 3:6

Habakkuk 3:6 NKJV

6 He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, The perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting.

Habakkuk 3:3–15 “no longer celebrates Yahweh’s march as a past event, but describes this event as it is happening, as a visionary experience.”

The prayer of Habakkuk’s is understood to be a celebration of the Lord’s march from the south, an event that had occurred in the past.

Habakkuk saw in a past event the work of God.

Exodus 15:14-16

Exodus 15:14–16 NKJV

Nahum 1:3-5

Nahum 1:3–5 NKJV

3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet. 4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And the flower of Lebanon wilts. 5 The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.

Joel 2:10

Joel 2:10 NKJV

10 The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.

The descriptions, with those that follow, suggested to the prophet that the Lord is a mighty God who can withstand the onslaughts of the enemy and overcome evil with little more than a glance. “The ‘mountains’ and ‘hills’ are symbols of grandeur, permanence, and security in the ‘earth’ as we see in parallel passages.

Genesis 49:26

Genesis 49:26 NKJV

26 The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

Deuteronomy 33:15

Deuteronomy 33:15 NKJV

15 With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills,

yet they too are revealed as frail and impermanent … Although they appear to be ‘age-old’, in truth God alone is eternal.”

Habakkuk 3:6

The last line of 3:6 could be translated “His are the ways of eternity.”

Habakkuk 3:7

Habakkuk 3:7 NKJV

7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; The curtains of the land of Midian trembled.

Now to clarify the part that seems the least obvious to us, in less you are a map and atlas geek Hebrew/language apparatus for Cushan and Midian

Cushan — כּוּשָׁן (kûšān)

Form: Masculine singular noun, probably a gentilic/ethnic designation.

Root connection:כּוּשׁ (Kûš) Related to , but used here in a distinct, localized sense.

Function in Hab 3:7:

Object of (רָאִיתִי … תַּחַת אָוֶן or similar structure).“I saw… in affliction”

Syntactically parallel to “the curtains of the land of Midian”, marking it as a real people/region, not a metaphor.

Most conservative commentators see “Cushan” here as either:

A regional subgroup of Midianites (a Cushite‑Midianite clan), or

A poetic/archaic designation for the broader southern Cushite presence in the Midian/Edom area.

They do not treat it as a random or symbolic name; it is a real ethnonym used poetically.

Midian — מִדְיָן (midyān)

Form: Masculine singular proper noun.

Background:

Genesis 25:2 — Midian as a son of Abraham through Keturah.

Exodus 2–3 — Moses dwelling in Midian.

Numbers 25, 31 — Midianite opposition and judgment.

Function in Hab 3:7:

“trembled” Governed by (יִרְגְּזוּן or equivalent form), marking the reaction of a known historical people to YHWH’s approach.

In classic Hebrew poetic parallelism, “land of Midian” balances “tents of Cushan,” reinforcing a regional reading.

The theophanic route in Habakkuk 3 (where Cushan/Midian fit)

If you trace the movement:

Hab 3:3 Teman Mount Paran— “God came from , the Holy One from .”

Teman: linked with Edom.

Paran : wilderness region south of Judah, Sinai‑adjacent.

Hab 3:7— “Tents of Cushan… curtains of Midian.”

These sit naturally in the same southern arc: Edom → Midian → NW Arabia.

Conservative reading:

Wednesday January 21, 2026

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms.

Summary of Habakkuk 3:1–19 (Focus on vv. 2–6)

1. Structure and Function of Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk 3 is a prayer psalm describing a theophany of Yahweh.

Only verse 2 is a petition; the rest is a poetic, theophanic description of God’s past acts that grounds the prophet’s confidence for the future.

The chapter forms a literary envelope:

v. 2 – first person response to God’s revelation

vv. 3–15 – third person description of Yahweh’s theophanic march

v. 16 – return to first person trembling and trust

This creates a frame around the central vision.

2. Habakkuk 3:2 — The Prophet’s Threefold Petition

Habakkuk asks God to:

Preserve life (“revive Your work”)

Provide understanding (“make it known”)

Remember mercy in wrath

This is the only explicit request in the chapter. Everything else is a recollection of God’s past saving acts, functioning as the basis for Habakkuk’s renewed trust.

3. Habakkuk 3:3–4 — Yahweh’s Theophanic Appearance

Yahweh comes from Teman and Mount Paran, echoing the southern route theophanies of the Exodus tradition (cf. Deut 33; Judg 5).

His glory covers the heavens

His brightness is like light

“Rays” (literally “horns” קֶרֶן qeren) emanate from His hand

The Hebrew term for “rays” meaning “horns” led to the Latin Vulgate mistranslation, which in turn produced Michelangelo’s horned Moses. The imagery is of emanating power, not literal horns.

4. Habakkuk 3:5 — Polemic Against Pagan Deities

“Pestilence” (דֶּבֶר dever) and “fever” (רֶשֶׁף resheph) march before and after Yahweh.

This is deliberate polemic:

Resheph was a West Semitic god of plague, fever, burning heat, and war.

He was often associated with Nergal, the Mesopotamian god of plague and the underworld.

Habakkuk portrays these forces not as gods, but as servants in Yahweh’s procession.

This is consistent with the OT’s broader polemic: Yahweh is sovereign over what the nations deify.

5. Habakkuk 3:6 — Cosmic Disturbance and Divine Majesty

Yahweh:

Stands and measures the earth

Startles the nations

Causes everlasting mountains to scatter

Makes perpetual hills bow

6. Past or Future? The Interpretive Question

Scholars debate whether Habakkuk is:

Seeing a future vision (Roberts: a present, unfolding theophany), or

Recalling past acts (the Exodus Sinai march from the south)

Within a conservative, literal grammatical reading, the best synthesis is:

Habakkuk recalls God’s past theophanic deliverance as the basis for trusting Him with Judah’s present crisis and Babylon’s future judgment.

The past becomes the paradigm for the future.

7. Theological Function

Habakkuk’s vision of Yahweh’s overwhelming power:

Answers his earlier questions

Reassures him that God can judge Judah

Confirms that God can also judge Babylon

Leads to the quiet confidence expressed in vv. 16–19

The prophet trembles, but he trusts.

End of Review

Habakkuk is deliberately echoing the Sinai/Exodus theophanies (Deut 33:2; Judg 5:4–5; Ps 68), showing YHWH marching from the south, shaking the desert nations, on His way to deliver Israel and judge her enemies again.

Deuteronomy 33:2

Deuteronomy 33:2 NKJV

2 And he said: “The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them.

Judges 5:4-5

Judges 5:4–5 NKJV

Psalm 68

Psalm 68 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. 1 Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him. 2 As smoke is driven away, So drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 3 But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. 4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah, And rejoice before Him. 5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. 7 O God, when You went out before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah 8 The earth shook; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, When it was weary. 10 Your congregation dwelt in it; You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor. 11 The Lord gave the word; Great was the company of those who proclaimed it: 12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home divides the spoil. 13 Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And her feathers with yellow gold.” 14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, It was white as snow in Zalmon. 15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. 16 Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in; Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever. 17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, Even thousands of thousands; The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place. 18 You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the Lord God might dwell there. 19 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah 20 Our God is the God of salvation; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death. 21 But God will wound the head of His enemies, The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses. 22 The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, 23 That your foot may crush them in blood, And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.” 24 They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. 25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; Among them were the maidens playing timbrels. 26 Bless God in the congregations, The Lord, from the fountain of Israel. 27 There is little Benjamin, their leader, The princes of Judah and their company, The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali. 28 Your God has commanded your strength; Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us. 29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, Kings will bring presents to You. 30 Rebuke the beasts of the reeds, The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver. Scatter the peoples who delight in war. 31 Envoys will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God. 32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah 33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, And His strength is in the clouds. 35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

So in that frame:

Cushan = one segment of those southern peoples.

Midian= the more familiar, broader tribal name.

Together: the desert belt terrified at His appearing.

Theological function inside Habakkuk 3

Within the chapter’s logic:

— Habakkuk fears, but asks God to “remember mercy.”Hab 3:2

— Vision of the coming from the south, shaking nations, splitting seas, trampling the earth.Hab 3:3–15warrior‑God

in v. 7:Cushan/Midian

Concrete case‑studies of nations that His terrifying intervention in history.already experienced

Proof that when YHWH decides to act, .geopolitical entities, not just Israel, are destabilized

Conservative scholars use this as part of the argument that Hab 3 is:

Rooted in real history (Exodus, wilderness, conquest patterns),

Yet projected forward as a template for future intervention.

So “Cushan and Midian” are doing historical and eschatological work at the same time.

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked through the Title Verse and then some of the structure and organization of the 3rd Chapter. We have began the examinatin of this great theophonic psalmic presentation of God which is the answer to all of Habakkuk’s questions.

We have reviewed some of the connection to the polemic theme of other books and psalms, and the fact that God will be the sole solution to Israel, and in this theophany the polemic is applied to mock the pagan world system continuity or chain of being view of the universe.

Theological function inside Habakkuk 3

Within the chapter’s logic:

Hab 3:2— Habakkuk fears, but asks God to “remember mercy.”

Hab 3:3–15 warrior‑God — Vision of the coming from the south, shaking nations, splitting seas, trampling the earth.

in v. 7:Cushan/Midian is cited.

Concrete case‑studies of nations that already experienced His terrifying intervention in history.

Proof that geopolitical entities, not just Israel, are destabilized when YHWH decides to act, .

Conservative scholars use this as part of the argument that Hab 3 is:

Rooted in real history (Exodus, wilderness, conquest patterns),

Yet projected forward as a template for future intervention.

So “Cushan and Midian” are doing historical and eschatological work at the same time, by being mentioned.

For the first and only time in theophany (vv. 3–15), the prophet spoke in the first person, emphasizing that whether in the past or in the present, the passage is a vision of some kind which reassured Habakkuk of God’s faithfulness.

Habakkuk 3:7

Cushan and Midian suffered great distress. אָוֶן—AWEN or , “distress,” usually refers to sin or iniquity, but also means trouble or misfortune.

Liberal commentators take תַּחַת אָוֶן TAHATH-AWEN as a geographical name, Taheth is = in, Awen is affliction This would be Tahath-Awen in southern Transjordan. But there is no further attestation of such a place, so this is a long reach to solve a seeming exegetical problem.

These two lands are pictured neither as Yahweh’s friends nor as his enemies per se. “They are simply nomads encamped along the line of march of a terrifying army, fearful that it may turn its attention to them.”

Midian lay to the east of the Gulf of Aqaba, though the Midianites were a nomadic tribe often found to the west of the Gulf as well.

Here is a view of the Midian land in relation to the Judgement through Gideon.

The term “Cushan” occurs only here in this form. Moses’ wife was referred to as a Cushite, but this may or may not have associations with Cushan. Some interpreters associate Cushan with the land of Cush (an area near the horn of Africa, generally associated with Ethiopia). Since the verse appears to contain parallel thoughts, the best interpretation equates Cushan with Midian

Patterson affirmed that Cushan along with Midian existed in the southern part of Transjordan (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 237). Cushan is found as a compound noun with כּוּשָׁן — RISHATHAIM it is found in Judg 3:8–11 in the name “Cushan-Rishathaim,” a name of an oppressor of Israel.

Judges 3:8-11

Judges 3:8–11 NKJV

8 Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. 9 When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. 11 So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Cushan could have been a tribe of Midian. Taken in this way, both names indicate the Lord’s journey from the South and continue to show his power and majesty.

The curtains in the NKJV or “dwellings” NIV correspond in parallel to the “tents” of the nations trembled before him.

Exodus 26:1–13

Exodus 26:1–13 NKJV

1 “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them. 2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. And every one of the curtains shall have the same measurements. 3 Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. 4 And you shall make loops of blue yarn on the edge of the curtain on the selvedge of one set, and likewise you shall do on the outer edge of the other curtain of the second set. 5 Fifty loops you shall make in the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is on the end of the second set, that the loops may be clasped to one another. 6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains together with the clasps, so that it may be one tabernacle. 7 “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair, to be a tent over the tabernacle. You shall make eleven curtains. 8 The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; and the eleven curtains shall all have the same measurements. 9 And you shall couple five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the forefront of the tent. 10 You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain of the second set. 11 And you shall make fifty bronze clasps, put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. 12 The remnant that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 And a cubit on one side and a cubit on the other side, of what remains of the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and on that side, to cover it.

2 Samuel 7:2

2 Samuel 7:2 NKJV

2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”

Isaiah 54:2

Isaiah 54:2 NKJV

2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes.

Jeremiah 49:29

Jeremiah 49:29 NKJV

29 Their tents and their flocks they shall take away. They shall take for themselves their curtains, All their vessels and their camels; And they shall cry out to them, ‘Fear is on every side!’

1 Chronicles 17:1

1 Chronicles 17:1 NKJV

1 Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.”

End of 2/4/2026

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Habakkuk: Why God Allows the Evil to Judge

Review

I. Questions and Answers (1:2–2:5)

II. Words of Woe (2:6-20)

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19)

Our Questions and Answers section breaks out like this:

1. Habakkuk’s 1st Question: How Long Must I Call for Help? (1:2-4)

2. God’s First Answer: Look and Be Amazed (1:5–11)

(1) The Revelation of God’s Works (1:5-6)

(2) The Description of the Babylonian Army (1:7–11)

3. Habakkuk’s Second Question: Why Do You Tolerate the Treacherous? (1:12–17)

(1) A Description of the Lord (1:12–13)

(2) A Description of How the Babylonians Treat Other Nations (1:14–17)

4. God’s Second Answer (2:1–5)

The remainder of the Book of Habakkuk illustrates the truth of Hab 2:4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him—But the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 NKJV

4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The series of woes confirms the truth of the Lord’s message. The arrogant ultimately will fall under the weight of their sin; the righteous will live by faithfulness to God.

against the extortioner (2:6–8);

against the greedy and arrogant (2:9–11);

against those who build on bloodshed (2:12–14);

against the drunk and violent (2:15–17);

and against the makers of idols (2:18–19).

Having finished this, we finally bring ourselves into

III. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Habakkuk 3:1–19)

We have worked chapter 3, and are now in the midst of our examination of this great theophonic psalmic presentation of God which is the answer to all of Habakkuk’s questions.

Habakkuk 3:8

Habakkuk 3:8 NKJV

8 O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers, Was Your anger against the rivers, Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation?

In 3:8 while we are in the midst of a “victory ode that sings of the mighty strength of Israel’s Redeemer.” we see that verse 8 interrupts the theophany proper for the prophet to question the Lord concerning the purpose of his coming.

The answer may be hinted at in the last line (lit., “your chariots of victory/salvation”), but the answer is not given until v. 13 (“You went forth for the salvation of Your people …”).

Habakkuk 3:13 NKJV

13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah

The syntax of the first three lines are variously understood. The most natural translation would be

“Was/is it against rivers that Yahweh burned/burns?

Or against rivers was/is your wrath?

Or against the sea was/is your rage?”

we see the use of the conjunction אִם IM as “or” in what is called an interrogative sentence and the example from 1 Kgs 22:15. Cf. also Isa 10:15.

1 Kings 22:15

1 Kings 22:15 NKJV

15 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king!”

Isaiah 10:15

Isaiah 10:15 NKJV

15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!

The change from third to second person is not that unusual in Hebrew

Using a grammatical form whose gender, person, etc. is other than what is expected is called enallage

⭐ Enallage: A Grammatical Shift for Rhetorical Effect

Enallage (from Greek enallagē, “interchange, substitution”) is a classical rhetorical and grammatical device in which a writer intentionally uses a grammatical form that differs from what strict grammar would expect—such as a different:

person (1st, 2nd, 3rd)

number (singular/plural)

gender

tense

mood

case

The key is that the “incorrect” form is not a mistake.

It is a deliberate stylistic choice to achieve a rhetorical or semantic effect.

This is why enallage appears in:

• Classical Greek literature

• Hebrew poetry

• Koine Greek (including the NT)

• Latin rhetoric

• English poetry

(F. B. Huey, Jr. and B. Corley, A Student’s Dictionary for Biblical and Theological Studies [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983], 71). Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 240, cites M. H. Pope’s example (Song of Songs. AB [Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1977], 303) from Song 1:4

Song 1:4

Song of Solomon 1:4 NKJV

4 Draw me away! We will run after you. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.

In Song 1:4, the shifts serve a clear literary purpose:

✔ The woman speaks in the singular

“Draw me… the king has brought me…”

This is her personal voice.

✔ The chorus / daughters of Jerusalem respond in the plural

“We will run… we will rejoice… we will remember…”

This is the communal voice.

✔ Then a third‑person plural appears

“Rightly do they love you.”

This is the chorus commenting on the broader admiration for the king.

The text moves between speakers without explicit markers, using grammatical shifts to signal the change.

That is classic enallage.

This may be intended to help to convey “the transition from God’s coming to God’s actually being present.”

Others consider “Yahweh” to be a vocative and the subject of the verb in the first line to be furnished by the nouns “wrath” and “rage” in the second and third lines. R. D. Haak, Habakkuk, VTSup 44 (Leiden: Brill, 1992), 93.

The vocative is the grammatical form of direct address. In Greek it is morphologically marked; in Hebrew it is marked by particles and word order. It identifies the person being spoken to and is essential for interpreting dialogue, prayer, and rhetorical emphasis.

In Latin, the Vocative is in the same case as the Nominative. We had to learn this in Latin - and it was the first time that I ran into the Vocative form. You might remember the line from Shakespeare’s Julius Caeesar, “Friends, Romans, Fellow citizens, lend me your ears” which if in Latin would be

Amīcī — friends

Rōmānī — Romans

Cīvēs — fellow citizens

All three are vocative plural, and all three match the nominative plural (as is normal in Latin).

Habakkuk 3:8 NKJV

8 O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers, Was Your anger against the rivers, Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation?

We also consider salvation יְשׁוּעָֽה —YESHUA at the end of the verse to be a vocative, “O Savior!”; thus forming an inclusion, or an INCLUSIO

In Hebrew poetics, an inclusio is a literary device where:

• a section begins and ends with the same word, name, theme, or image,

• forming a frame or envelope,

• signaling that everything inside belongs together.

It’s like bookends.

Examples:

• Psalm 8: “O LORD, our Lord…” at the beginning and end

Psalm 8:1

Psalm 8:1 NKJV

1 O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

Psalm 8:9

Psalm 8:9 NKJV

9 O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

• Psalm 118: “Give thanks to the LORD…” at the beginning and end

Psalm 118:1

Psalm 118:1 NKJV

1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 118:29

Psalm 118:29 NKJV

29 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

• Isaiah 48:12: “I am He; I am the first, I am also the last”

Inclusio is structural, not grammatical.

Isaiah 48:1

Isaiah 48:1 NKJV

1 “Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the Lord, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness;

Isaiah 48:12

Isaiah 48:12 NKJV

12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.

Nevertheless, the point is that the Lord’s coming cannot be understood as anger against the rivers and the sea,

Habakkuk 3:13

but as Habakkuk explains in v. 13 it is to save the Lord’s people.

According to W. C. Kaiser, Jr., the answer is given even in v. 12.

Habakkuk 3:12

Habakkuk 3:12 NKJV

12 You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger.

“You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger.” (Micah–Malachi, CC [Dallas: Word, 1992], 185).

According to Achtemeier these rhetorical questions convey the thought that the Lord had not come “to turn the rivers to blood once again,” nor “to divide the Red Sea,” nor “to heap up the Jordan … because those rivers and that sea have been subdued and the natural world now serves its Creator.” Rather he had come to conquer the evil of all nations.

Some consider that the rivers and seas refer to cosmic forces; See Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 155, who sees the questions as identifying “Babylon with the primeval powers of chaos” and thus suggesting “that this new march of Yahweh is a fundamental reenactment of Yahweh’s primeval victories from which there emerged an ordered world under God’s kingship.”

others see a figurative description of the Babylonians. Most see the focus on divine interventions of the past as depicting God’s action in the future. “As the Babylonian comes to heap judgment on God’s people, he may expect an awesome retaliation from the same One who has smitten rivers and sea in the past.”

Robertson, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 231. See also Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 239. Baker cites Exod 13:17–14:31; Josh 3:13–17; 4:21–24; Isa 10:26; 43:16; 50:2; Job 26:12–13; Pss 29; 89:9–10 (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 72).

Exodus 13:17–14:31

Exodus 13:17–14:31 NKJV

17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.” 20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. 1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. 5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. 10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” 15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” 19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.” 26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

Joshua 3:13–17

Joshua 3:13–17 NKJV

13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.” 14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

Joshua 4:21–24

Joshua 4:21–24 NKJV

21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; 23 for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Isaiah 10:26

Isaiah 10:26 NKJV

26 And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.

Isaiah 43:16

Isaiah 43:16 NKJV

16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters,

Isaiah 50:2

Isaiah 50:2 NKJV

2 Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst.

Job 26:12–13

Job 26:12–13 NKJV

12 He stirs up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He breaks up the storm. 13 By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

Psalm 29

Psalm 29 NKJV

A Psalm of David. 1 Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. 2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!” 10 The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, And the Lord sits as King forever. 11 The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 89:9-10

Psalm 89:9–10 NKJV

9 You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. 10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

The horses and chariots upon which Habakkuk sees the Lord riding (the Hb. preposition ʿalusually means “upon” rather than “with”) are figurative descriptions of God’s mighty power, as he comes against his enemies like a powerful army.

The idea of God riding a chariot is also suggested by Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory in the first chapter.

However, The term “chariot” does not occur in Ezekiel’s vision, but see L. E. Cooper, Sr., Ezekiel, NAC (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994), 68–69, and 1 Chr 28:18. Also see 2 Kgs 6:14, 17; Pss 18:9–10; 68:17; Isa 66:15; Jer 4:13; Zech 6:1–7.

GNB sees the horses and chariots as figurative descriptions of the Lord riding on the clouds. Scholars have often seen these images as rooted in Ugaritic texts reflecting the Canaanite mythology of Baal riding in the clouds, but “such allusions may be acknowledged as based on a possible but unestablished hypothesis.” Robertson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 232, who continues: “Nothing in the language of the chapter requires that a source be found outside the historical traditions of Israel, and it appears much more natural to identify the frame of reference in terms of the great saving acts of the Exodus.” Roberts (Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 153–58) begins with v. 4 to show parallels with the language associated with the Canaanite storm god in Ug. materials and with other Near Eastern literature, particularly cosmic battles in creation epics. He argues that “the imagery of visions, after all, like the imagery of dreams, arises from the scenes and symbols familiar to one in his or her cultural context.” Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 239, also notes the allusion to the Baal cycle but notes the distinction that Baal fights other gods, while Yahweh fights human opponents.

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