Habakkuk 3:10
What does Habakkuk 3:10 mean?
A plain-English look at Habakkuk 3:10 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Habakkuk 3:10 means
This verse continues the majestic depiction of creation's response to God's presence. Personifying nature, Habakkuk states that the "mountains saw thee, and were afraid," reflecting their geological movements during God's mighty acts, perhaps at Sinai. The "tempest of waters passed by" and "the deep uttered its voice, And lifted up its hands on high" paints a picture of the sea itself being overwhelmed and reverently acknowledging the Creator's power, perhaps at the Red Sea crossing or in other great floods. These images illustrate God's absolute sovereignty over all natural elements.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000The mountains saw thee, and were afraid; The tempest of waters passed by; The deep uttered its voice, And lifted up its hands on high.
KJV
King James Version · 1611The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901The mountains saw thee, and were afraid; The tempest of waters passed by; The deep uttered its voice, And lifted up its hands on high.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949The mountains saw you and were moved with fear; the clouds were streaming with water: the voice of the deep was sounding; the sun did not come up, and the moon kept still in her place.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Seen thee--pained are mountains, An inundation of waters hath passed over, Given forth hath the deep its voice, High its hands it hath lifted up.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The mountains saw thee, and were grieved: the great body of waters passed away. The deep put forth its voice: the deep lifted up its hands.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890The mountains saw thee, they were in travail: Torrents of waters passed by; The deep uttered its voice, Lifted up its hands on high.
Context
Building upon the depiction of God's active preparation for judgment and His covenant faithfulness in verse 9, verse 10 focuses on the profound, fearful reaction of creation to God's presence. It leads into further descriptions of celestial bodies responding to God's command. This verse underscores the pervasive and overwhelming impact of God's power, emphasizing that all of nature submits to His will, which further supports the prophet's trust in God's ability to intervene for Judah.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Psalms 77:16
The waters saw thee, O God; The waters saw thee, they were afraid: The depths also trembled.
- Psalms 136:13
To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
- Jeremiah 4:24
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to and fro.
- Revelation 6:14
And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
- Revelation 16:12
And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising.
- Psalms 74:13
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: Thou brakest the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.
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