Habakkuk 3.19-Superscription of Habakkuk's Psalm-Prayer (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday March 3, 2024

Habakkuk Series: Habakkuk 3:19-The Superscription of Habakkuk’s Psalm-Prayer

Lesson # 59

Habakkuk 3:19 The Lord, my Sovereign is my strength so that He will cause my feet to be like the deer. Consequently, He will cause me to trample upon the high places. For the conductor by means of my stringed instruments. (Pastor’s translation)

The fourth statement asserts that this prayer-psalm-prophecy recorded in Habakkuk 3:2-19 is for the benefit of the conductor of music in Solomon’s temple and was to be played on Habakkuk’s stringed instruments.

It serves as an addendum to this prayer-psalm-prophecy and is related to Habakkuk 3:1.

Habakkuk 3:1 The prophet Habakkuk’s prayer in accordance with Shigionoth. (Pastor’s translation)

Habakkuk 3:1 is the superscription of the prophet Habakkuk’s prayer he offered up to the Lord God of Israel on behalf of himself and the faithful remnant of Judah, which he directed to be sung in the temple as part of the worship of the Lord God of Israel.

The noun šig·gāy·wōn (שִׁגָּיוֹן) means “shiggaion” which occurs only twice in the Old Testament.

In Psalm 7:1, the word was used in a superscription as it is here in Habakkuk 3:1 and describes the Psalm in a way that indicates that it is a psalm of supplication.

Here in Habakkuk 3:1 it is also used in a superscription of Habakkuk’s intercessory prayer request for the faithful remnant of Judah.

In both instances, the word probably describes the type of Psalm or it is a musical notation of some kind.

We noted in our study of Habakkuk 3:1 that the word šig·gāy·wōn (שִׁגָּיוֹן) is in the plural šigyōnôt (שִׁגְיֹנֽוֹת), “shigionoth” referring possibly to a designation of certain musical instruments.

Habakkuk 3:1 resembles several psalms in which the contents, the author and the poetical character of the song are indicated (cf. Ps. 16; 30; 45; 88; 102; 142).

There is great conjecture among biblical scholars as to the meaning of this word here in Habakkuk 3:1.

I believe that the noun šig·gāy·wōn (שִׁגָּיוֹן), “shiggaion” here in Habakkuk 3:1 is a type of musical notation indicating the arrangement or the style of the music to be performed accompanying or Habakkuk’s prayer recorded in Habakkuk 3:2-19.

The style of music is unknown and lost to history.

However, the contents of Habakkuk 3:2-19 indicate that Habakkuk’s prayer contains intercession for the faithful remnant of Judah (3:2), worship of the Lord in the form of a vision or prophecy of the Lord being victorious in battle with His enemies (3:3-15) and an expression of Habakkuk’s faith in the Lord (3:16-19).

Therefore, Habakkuk 3:2-19 appears to be a prayer offered up to the Lord God of Israel by Habakkuk on behalf of himself and the faithful remnant of Judah at the end of the seventh century B.C. which was set to music.

Thus, this prayer was a psalm or lyrics for music and which music has been lost to history.

In other words, Habakkuk 3:1 marks the contents of Habakkuk 3:2-19 as a psalm-prayer.

The latter is a prayer of Habakkuk which the prophet directed to be set to a particular musical arrangement, which has since been lost to history.

In fact, Habakkuk 3:2 serves as the refrain to this psalm or song and would have been sung after Habakkuk 3:8 and 15.

Habakkuk chapter 3 was an expression of faith in the Lord God of Israel by not only the prophet Habakkuk but also the faithful remnant in Judah.

It expressed their faith that the Lord would protect and preserve them while He disciplined the apostate citizens in Judah by means of the Babylonian army.

It is also an expression of this remnant’s faith that the Lord will administer justice to not only these apostate citizens of Judah for their unrepentant sinful behavior, but also would administer justice to the Babylonians for their unrepentant sinful behavior.

Thus, Habakkuk chapter three is an expression of the prophet Habakkuk and this faithful remnant’s submission to the Lord’s justice and sovereignty over them.