Habakkuk , Sarah Barry
HABAKKUK'S PRAYER
Passage: Habakkuk 3:1~19  
Key verse: 19a
Habakkuk’s Prayer
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.[a](A)
2 Lord, I have heard(B) of your fame;
I stand in awe(C) of your deeds, Lord.(D)
Repeat(E) them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.(F)
3 God came from Teman,(G)
the Holy One(H) from Mount Paran.[b](I)
His glory covered the heavens(J)
and his praise filled the earth.(K)
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;(L)
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power(M) was hidden.
5 Plague(N) went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled(O)
and the age-old hills(P) collapsed(Q)—
but he marches on forever.(R)
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian(S) in anguish.(T)
8 Were you angry with the rivers,(U) Lord?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea(V)
when you rode your horses
and your chariots to victory?(W)
9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.(X)
You split the earth with rivers;
10 the mountains saw you and writhed.(Y)
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared(Z)
and lifted its waves(AA) on high.
11 Sun and moon stood still(AB) in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,(AC)
at the lightning(AD) of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed(AE) the nations.
13 You came out(AF) to deliver(AG) your people,
to save your anointed(AH) one.
You crushed(AI) the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
14 With his own spear you pierced his head
when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,(AJ)
gloating as though about to devour
the wretched(AK) who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea(AL) with your horses,
churning the great waters.(AM)
16 I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.(AN)
Yet I will wait patiently(AO) for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,(AP)
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,(AQ)
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,(AR)
I will be joyful in God my Savior.(AS)
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;(AT)
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.(AU)
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 3:1 Probably a literary or musical term
- Habakkuk 3:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the middle of verse 9 and at the end of verse 13.
Cross references
- Habakkuk 3:1 : Ps 7 Title
- Habakkuk 3:2 : S Job 26:14; Ps 44:1
- Habakkuk 3:2 : S Ps 119:120
- Habakkuk 3:2 : S Ps 90:16
- Habakkuk 3:2 : Ps 85:6
- Habakkuk 3:2 : Isa 54:8
- Habakkuk 3:3 : S Ge 36:11, 15
- Habakkuk 3:3 : Isa 31:1
- Habakkuk 3:3 : S Nu 10:12
- Habakkuk 3:3 : S Ps 8:1
- Habakkuk 3:3 : Ps 48:10
- Habakkuk 3:4 : S Isa 18:4
- Habakkuk 3:4 : S Job 9:6
- Habakkuk 3:5 : S Lev 26:25
- Habakkuk 3:6 : S Ps 46:2
- Habakkuk 3:6 : Ge 49:26
- Habakkuk 3:6 : S Ex 19:18; Ps 18:7; 114:1-6
- Habakkuk 3:6 : S Ge 21:33
- Habakkuk 3:7 : S Ge 25:2; S Nu 25:15; Jdg 7:24-25
- Habakkuk 3:7 : Ex 15:14
- Habakkuk 3:8 : S Ex 7:20
- Habakkuk 3:8 : S Ps 77:16
- Habakkuk 3:8 : S 2Ki 2:11; S Ps 68:17
- Habakkuk 3:9 : S Dt 32:23; Ps 7:12-13
- Habakkuk 3:10 : S Ps 77:16
- Habakkuk 3:10 : Ps 98:7
- Habakkuk 3:10 : S Ps 93:3
- Habakkuk 3:11 : Jos 10:13
- Habakkuk 3:11 : Ps 18:14
- Habakkuk 3:11 : S Ps 144:6; Zec 9:14
- Habakkuk 3:12 : S Isa 41:15
- Habakkuk 3:13 : S Ex 13:21
- Habakkuk 3:13 : S Ps 20:6; S 28:8
- Habakkuk 3:13 : S 2Sa 23:1
- Habakkuk 3:13 : Ps 68:21; 110:6
- Habakkuk 3:14 : Jdg 7:22
- Habakkuk 3:14 : Ps 64:2-5
- Habakkuk 3:15 : S Job 9:8
- Habakkuk 3:15 : Ex 15:8
- Habakkuk 3:16 : S Job 4:14
- Habakkuk 3:16 : S Ps 37:7
- Habakkuk 3:17 : Joel 1:10-12, 18
- Habakkuk 3:17 : Jer 5:17
- Habakkuk 3:18 : Ps 97:12; S Isa 61:10; Php 4:4
- Habakkuk 3:18 : S Ex 15:2; S Lk 1:47
- Habakkuk 3:19 : S Dt 33:29; Ps 46:1-5
- Habakkuk 3:19 : S Dt 32:13; Ps 18:33
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
At the very time the Lord pronounced disaster, Habakkuk prayed based on the Lord’s might. He prayed that God, in his wrath, might remember mercy. He was reminded that this is the Lord who revealed himself like this in Israel’s history. He who strode the earth in wrath is he who came out to deliver and save. It is prophetic vision. Habakkuk prayed that the God of Israel would reveal himself and deliver his people in his day.
2. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord (17-19)
Habakkuk was not moved by appearances. What he saw with his eyes was failure. Yet, there he rejoiced. This is faith—to be joyful because of God himself. The Lord is Sovereign. He is the source of strength and joy. He enables us to rise above all things and prophesy his glory and rejoice in all circumstances.
Prayer: Lord, help me to live with prophetic insight in these dark times. Bless me to rejoice only in you.
One Word: I rejoice in God my Savior