Habakkuk 3:12
What does Habakkuk 3:12 mean?
A plain-English look at Habakkuk 3:12 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Habakkuk 3:12 means
This verse portrays God as a divine warrior marching across the earth with powerful, decisive action. "Thou didst march through the land in indignation" indicates God's purposeful and righteous anger directed at the wickedness of humanity. The phrase "Thou didst thresh the nations in anger" is a vivid agricultural metaphor: just as grain is threshed to separate the valuable from the worthless, God effectively crushes and scatters wicked nations in His judgment. This highlights God's sovereign wrath against sin and His active role in shaping the destinies of nations.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Thou didst march through the land in indignation; Thou didst thresh the nations in anger.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Thou didst march through the land in indignation; Thou didst thresh the nations in anger.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949You went stepping through the land in wrath, crushing the nations in your passion.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862In indignation Thou dost tread earth, In anger Thou dost thresh nations.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752In thy anger thou wilt tread the earth under foot: in thy wrath thou wilt astonish the nations.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the nations in anger.
Context
Having established God's power over the celestial bodies in verse 11, verse 12 describes God's direct, active intervention in the affairs of humanity, specifically in judging nations. This sets the stage for the explanation in the next verse that God's ultimate purpose in such judgments is the salvation of His own people and His anointed. It emphasizes God's role as a sovereign judge and warrior, bringing righteous wrath upon the ungodly and further building the case for His intervention on Judah's behalf.
v.11The sun and moon stood still in their habitation, At the light of thine arrows as they went, At the shining of thy glittering spear.
v.12This passage
v.13Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, For the salvation of thine anointed; Thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked man, Laying bare the foundation even unto the neck. [Selah
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Jeremiah 51:33
For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor at the time when it is trodden; yet a little while, and the time of harvest shall come for her.
- Psalms 78:55
He drove out the nations also before them, And allotted them for an inheritance by line, And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
- Numbers 21:23
And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel.
- Isaiah 41:15
Behold, I have made thee to be a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
- Amos 1:3
Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Damascus, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron.
- Acts 13:19
And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years:
Related questions readers ask
Keep reading
Want to dig deeper? Explore Habakkuk 3
Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on Habakkuk 3.
Topics that quote it
Topic
Bible Verses About the Eternity of God
God’s endless existence, without beginning or end, assures His faithfulness and unchanging nature through all generations.
Topic
Bible Verses About the Glory of God
Exploring the majesty, splendor, and revealing presence of God as described throughout the Bible, from creation to Christ.
Topic
Bible Verses About the Holiness of God
God’s holiness is a central attribute of His being, distinguishing Him as set apart, pure, and perfect in every way.