Habakkuk 3 · Verse 19

Habakkuk 3:19

The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3:19, King James Version

Habakkuk 3:19 in other translations

BSBGOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.
WEBGOD, the Lord, is my strength. He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and enables me to go in high places. For the music director, on my stringed instruments.
ASVJehovah, the Lord, is my strength; And he maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, And will make me to walk upon my high places. For the Chief Musician, on my stringed instruments.
YLTJehovah the Lord is my strength, And He doth make my feet like hinds, And on my high-places causeth me to tread. To the overseer with my stringed instruments!
DARBYJehovah, the Lord, is my strength, And he maketh my feet like hinds' feet, And he will make me to walk upon my high places. To the chief Musician. On my stringed instruments.
BBEThe Lord God is my strength, and he makes my feet like roes' feet, guiding me on my high places. For the chief music-maker on corded instruments.
WebsterThe LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon my high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

What does Habakkuk 3:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
19. hinds' feet ... walk upon ... high places--Habakkuk has here before his mind Psa 18:33, 34; De 32:13. "Hinds' (gazelles') feet" imply the swiftness with which God enables him (the prophet and his people) to escape from his enemies, and return to his native land. The "high places" are called "mine," to imply that Israel shall be restored to his own land, a land of hills which are places of safety and of eminence (compare Ge 19:17; Mt 24:16). Probably not only the safety, but the moral elevation, of Israel above all the lands of the earth is implied (De 33:29). on my stringed instruments--neginoth. This is the prophet's direction to the precentor ("chief singer") as to how the preceding ode (Ha 3:1-19) is to be performed (compare Psa 4:1; 6:1, titles). The prophet had in mind a certain form of stringed instrument adapted to certain numbers and measures. This formula at the end of the ode, directing the kind of instrument to be used, agrees with that in the beginning of it, which directs the kind of melody (compare Is 38:20).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 The Lord God is my strength - This is an imitation, if not a quotation, from Psa 18:32-33 (note), where see the notes. Will make me to walk upon mine high places - This last verse is spoken in the person of the people, who seem to anticipate their restoration; and that they shall once more rejoice in the hills and mountains of Judea. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments - This line, which is evidently a superscription, leads me to suppose that when the prophet had completed his short ode, he folded it up, with the above direction to the master singer, or leader of the choir, to be sung in the temple service. Many of the Psalms are directed in the same way. "To the master singer;" or, "chief musician;" to be sung, according to their nature, on different kinds of instruments, or with particular airs or tunes. Neginoth, נגינות which we translate stringed instruments, means such as were struck with a plectrum, or excited by some kind of friction or pulsation; as violins and cymbals or tambourines are. I do not think that the line makes any part of the prophecy, but merely the superscription or direction of the work when it was finished. The ending will appear much more dignified, this line being separated from it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Habakkuk 3:16-19

When we see a day of trouble approach, it concerns us to prepare. A good hope through grace is founded in holy fear. The prophet looked back upon the experiences of the church in former ages, and observed what great things God had done for them, and so was not only recovered, but filled with holy joy. He resolved to delight and triumph in the Lord; for when all is gone, his God is not gone. Destroy the vines and the…

Read the full comment on Habakkuk 3:16-19 →

Habakkuk 3:19 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.

יְהוִ֤הּYah.wehYahwehH3069
אֲדֹנָי֙'a.do.Nai[the] LordH136
חֵילִ֔יchei.Li[is] strength myH2428
וַיָּ֤שֶׂםvai.Ya.semand he makesH7760
רַגְלַי֙rag.Laifeet myH7272
כָּֽאַיָּל֔וֹתka.'ai.ya.Lotlike <the> doesH355
וְעַ֥לve.'Aland onH5921
בָּמוֹתַ֖יba.mo.Taihigh places myH1116
יַדְרִכֵ֑נִיyad.ri.Khe.nihe makes tread meH1869
לַמְנַצֵּ֖חַlam.na.Tze.achto the choirmasterH5329
בִּנְגִינוֹתָֽי\׃bin.gi.no.Taiwith stringed instruments myH5058

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

Cross references for Habakkuk 3:19

  • 2 Samuel 22:34

    He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.

  • Psalms 18:33

    He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

  • Philippians 4:13

    I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

  • Psalms 46:1

    To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

  • Deuteronomy 32:13

    He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;

  • Psalms 27:1

    A Psalm of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

  • Isaiah 58:14

    Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

  • 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

    And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

  • Isaiah 12:2

    Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

  • Ephesians 3:16

    That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

  • Colossians 1:11

    Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

  • Zechariah 10:12

    And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
my strength.
Ps 18:1; 27:1; 46:1; Isa 12:2; 45:24; Zec 10:12; 2Co 12:9,10
Eph 3:16; Php 4:13; Col 1:11
like.
2Sa 22:34; Ps 18:33
to walk.
De 32:13; 33:29; Isa 58:14
stringed instruments. Heb. Neginoth.
Ps 4:1-8; 6:1-10; 54:1-7; 55:1-23; 67:1-7; 76:1-12; *titles

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

Context

  • Habakkuk 3:18

    Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

  • Habakkuk 3:19

    The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Read all of Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk 3:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Jehová el Señor es mi fortaleza, el cual pondrá mis pies como de ciervas, y me hará andar sobre mis alturas. Al jefe de los cantores sobre mis instrumentos de cuerdas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		L’ Éternel, le Seigneur, est ma force; il rendra mes pieds pareils à ceux des biches, et il me fera marcher sur mes lieux élevés. Au chef de musique. Sur Neguinoth.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jehova, der Herr, ist meine Kraft, und macht meine Füße denen der Hindinnen gleich und läßt mich einherschreiten auf meinen Höhen Dem Vorsänger, mit meinem Saitenspiel!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Deus Dominus fortitudo mea, et ponet pedes meos quasi cervorum: et super excelsa mea deducet me victor in psalmis canentem.