Habakkuk 3 · Verse 14

Habakkuk 3:14

Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.

Habakkuk 3:14, King James Version

Habakkuk 3:14 in other translations

BSB	With his own spear You pierced his head, when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though ready to secretly devour the weak.
WEB	You pierced the heads of his warriors with their own spears. They came as a whirlwind to scatter me, gloating as if to devour the wretched in secret.
ASV	Thou didst pierce with his own staves the head of his warriors: They came as a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
YLT	Thou hast pierced with his staves the head of his leaders, They are tempestuous to scatter me, Their exultation is as to consume the poor in secret.
DARBY	Thou didst strike through with his own spears the head of his leaders: They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me, Whose exulting was as to devour the afflicted secretly.
BBE	You have put your spears through his head, his horsemen were sent in flight like dry stems; they had joy in driving away the poor, in making a meal of them secretly.
Webster	Thou didst strike through with his staffs the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.

What does Habakkuk 3:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

14. strike ... with his staves--with the "wicked" (Ha 3:13) foe's own sword (Maurer translates, "spears") (Jud 7:22). head of his villages--Not only kings were overthrown by God's hand, but His vengeance passed through the foe's villages and dependencies. A just retribution, as the foe had made "the inhabitants of Israel's villages to cease" (Jud 5:7). Grotius translates, "of his warriors"; Gesenius, "the chief of his captains." to scatter me--Israel, with whom Habakkuk identifies himself (compare Ha 1:12). rejoicing ... to devour the poor secretly--"The poor" means the Israelites, for whom in their helpless state the foe lurks in his lair, like a wild beast, to pounce on and devour (Psa 10:9; 17:12).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 14 Thou didst strike through - The Hebrew will bear this sense: "Thou hast pierced amidst their tribes the head of their troops," referring to Pharaoh and his generals, who came like a whirlwind to fall upon the poor Israelites, when they appeared to be hemmed in by sea, and no place for their escape. If we follow the common reading, it seems to intimate that the troops of Pharaoh, in their confusion (for God shone out upon them from the cloud) fell foul of each other; and with their staves, or weapons, slew one another: but the head of the villages or towns, i.e., Pharaoh was drowned with his army in the Red Sea.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Habakkuk 3:3-15

God's people, when in distress, and ready to despair, seek help by considering the days of old, and the years of ancient times, and by pleading them with God in prayer. The resemblance between the Babylonish and Egyptian captivities, naturally presents itself to the mind, as well as the possibility of a like deliverance through the power of Jehovah. God appeared in his glory. All the powers of nature are shaken, and…

Read the full comment on Habakkuk 3:3-15 →

Habakkuk 3:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

נָקַ֤בְתָּna.Kav.tayou piercedH5344

בְמַטָּיו֙ve.ma.Tavwith own arrows hisH4294

רֹ֣אשׁrosh[the] head ofH7218

פְּרָזָ֔יוpe.ra.zovwarriors hisH6518

יִסְעֲר֖וּyis.'a.Ruthey stormH5590

לַהֲפִיצֵ֑נִיla.ha.fi.Tze.nito scatter meH6327

עֲלִ֣יצֻתָ֔ם'a.Li.tzu.Tamexultation theirH5951

כְּמוֹ\־ke.mov-[was] likeH3644

לֶאֱכֹ֥לle.'e.Kholto devourH398

עָנִ֖י'a.Ni[the] afflictedH6041

בַּמִּסְתָּֽר\׃ba.mis.Tarin the secret placeH4565

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Habakkuk 3:14

Zechariah 9:14
And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
Daniel 11:40
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
Psalms 118:10-12
All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
Exodus 11:4-7
And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
Exodus 1:10-16
Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: …
Exodus 12:12-13
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Judges 7:22
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth–shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel–meholah, unto Tabbath.
Psalms 10:8
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
Exodus 14:17-18
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Exodus 15:9-10
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
Exodus 14:5-9
And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. …
Exodus 12:29-30
And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the head.
Ex 11:4-7; 12:12,13,29,30; 14:17,18; Ps 78:50,51; 83:9-11
they.
Ex 14:5-9; 15:9,10; Ps 83:2,8; 118:10-12; Ac 4:27,28
came out. Heb. were tempestuous.
Da 11:40; Zec 9:14
their.
Ex 1:10-16,22; Ps 10:8; 64:2-7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Habakkuk 3:13
Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
Habakkuk 3:14
Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
Habakkuk 3:15
Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.

Read all of Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk 3:14 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Horadaste con sus báculos las cabezas de sus villas, que como tempestad acometieron para derramarme: su orgullo era como para devorar al pobre encubiertamente.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Tu transperças de ses propres traits la tête de ses chefs: ils arrivaient comme un tourbillon pour me disperser, leur joie était comme de dévorer l’affligé en secret.
German Elberfelder 1871	Du durchbohrtest mit seinen eigenen Spießen die Häupter seiner Scharen, welche heranstürmten, mich zu zerstäuben, deren Frohlocken war, den Elenden im Verborgenen zu verschlingen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Maledixisti sceptris ejus, capiti bellatorum ejus, venientibus ut turbo ad dispergendum me: exsultatio eorum, sicut ejus qui devorat pauperem in abscondito.