Habakkuk 3 · Verse 2

Habakkuk 3:2

O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2, King James Version

Habakkuk 3:2 in other translations

BSBO LORD, I have heard the report of You; I stand in awe, O LORD, of Your deeds. Revive them in these years; make them known in these years. In Your wrath, remember mercy!
WEBLORD, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Renew your work in the middle of the years. In the middle of the years make it known. In wrath, you remember mercy.
ASVO Jehovah, I have heard the report of thee, and am afraid: O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the years; In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.
YLTO Jehovah, I heard thy report, I have been afraid, O Jehovah, Thy work! in midst of years revive it, In the midst of years Thou makest known In anger Thou dost remember mercy.
DARBYJehovah, I heard the report of thee, and I feared. Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known: In wrath remember mercy!
BBEO Lord, word of you has come to my ears; I have seen your work, O Lord; when the years come near make it clear; in wrath keep mercy in mind.
WebsterO LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.

What does Habakkuk 3:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. I have heard thy speech--Thy revelation to me concerning the coming chastisement of the Jews [Calvin], and the destruction of their oppressors. This is Habakkuk's reply to God's communication [Grotius]. Maurer translates, "the report of Thy coming," literally, "Thy report." and was afraid--reverential fear of God's judgments (Ha 3:16). revive thy work--Perfect the work of delivering Thy people, and do not let Thy promise lie as if it were dead, but give it new life by performing it [Menochius]. Calvin explains "thy work" to be Israel; called "the work of My hands" (Is 45:11). God's elect people are peculiarly His work (Is 43:1), pre-eminently illustrating His power, wisdom, and goodness. "Though we seem, as it were, dead nationally, revive us" (Psa 85:6). However (Psa 64:9), where "the work of God" refers to His judgment on their enemies, favors the former view (Psa 90:16, 17; Is 51:9, 10). in the midst of the years--namely, of calamity in which we live. Now that our calamities are at their height; during our seventy years' captivity. Calvin more fancifully explains it, in the midst of the years of Thy people, extending from Abraham to Messiah; if they be cut off before His coming, they will be cut off as it were in the midst of their years, before attaining their maturity. So Bengel makes the midst of the years to be the middle point of the years of the world. There is a strikingly similar phrase (Da 9:27), In the midst of the week. The parallel clause, "in wrath" (that is, in the midst of wrath), however, shows that "in the midst of the years" means "in the years of our present exile and calamity." make known--Made it (Thy work) known by experimental proof; show in very deed, that this is Thy work.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 In the midst of the years - בקרב שנים bekereb shanim, "As the years approach." The nearer the time, the clearer and fuller is the prediction; and the signs of the times show that the complete fulfillment is at hand. But as the judgments will be heavy, (and they are not greater than we deserve), yet, Lord, in the midst of wrath - infliction of punishment - remember mercy, and spare the souls that return unto thee with humiliation and prayer.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Habakkuk 3:1-2

The word prayer seems used here for an act of devotion. The Lord would revive his work among the people in the midst of the years of adversity. This may be applied to every season when the church, or believers, suffer under afflictions and trials. Mercy is what we must flee to for refuge, and rely upon as our only plea. We must not say, Remember our merit, but, Lord, remember thy own mercy.

Read the full comment on Habakkuk 3:1-2 →

Habakkuk 3:2 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.

יְהוָ֗הYah.wehO YahwehH3068
שָׁמַ֣עְתִּיsha.Ma'.tiI have heardH8085
שִׁמְעֲךָ֮shim.'a.Khareport yourH8088
יָרֵאתִי֒ya.re.TiI fearH3372
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehO YahwehH3068
פָּֽעָלְךָ֙pa.'a.le.Khawork yourH6467
בְּקֶ֤רֶבbe.Ke.revin [the] midst ofH7130
שָׁנִים֙sha.NimyearsH8141
חַיֵּ֔יהוּchai.Yei.hurestore itH2421
בְּקֶ֥רֶבbe.Ke.revin [the] midst ofH7130
שָׁנִ֖יםsha.NimyearsH8141
תּוֹדִ֑יעַto.Di.a'you will make [it] knownH3045
בְּרֹ֖גֶזbe.Ro.gezin wrathH7267
רַחֵ֥םra.Chemto have compassionH7355
תִּזְכּֽוֹר\׃tiz.Koryou will rememberH2142

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

Cross references for Habakkuk 3:2

  • Psalms 85:6

    Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

  • Psalms 90:13-17

    Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. …

  • Hosea 6:2-3

    After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

  • Isaiah 51:9-11

    Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

  • Lamentations 3:32

    But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

  • Habakkuk 3:16

    When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.

  • Philippians 1:6

    Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

  • Isaiah 54:8

    In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

  • Isaiah 63:15-64:4

    Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting. O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. …

  • Jeremiah 10:24

    O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

  • Psalms 119:120

    My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.

  • Habakkuk 1:5-10

    Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I have.
16; 1:5-10; Ex 9:20,21; 2Ch 34:27,28; Job 4:12-21; Ps 119:120
Isa 66:2; Jer 36:21-24; Da 8:17; Heb 11:7; 12:21; Re 15:4
speech. Heb. report, or hearing.
Isa 53:1; Ro 10:16
O Lord.
Ezr 9:8; Ps 85:6; 90:13-17; 138:7,8; Isa 51:9-11; 63:15-19; 64:1-4
Ho 6:2,3; Joh 10:10; Php 1:6
revive. or, preserve alive. in the.
Jer 25:11,12; 52:31-34; Da 9:2
in wrath.
Ex 32:10-12; Nu 14:10-23; 16:46,47; 2Sa 24:10-17; Ps 6:1,2; 38:1
Ps 78:38; Jer 10:24; 29:10; La 3:32; Zec 1:12

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

Context

  • Habakkuk 3:1

    A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.

  • Habakkuk 3:2

    O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.

  • Habakkuk 3:3

    God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

Read all of Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk 3:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Oh Jehová, oído he tu palabra, y temí: oh Jehová, aviva tu obra en medio de los tiempos, en medio de los tiempos hazla conocer; en la ira acuérdate de la misericordia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ô Éternel, j’ai entendu ce que tu as déclaré, et j’ai eu peur. Éternel, ravive ton œuvre au milieu des années; au milieu des années, fais-la connaître. Dans la colère, souviens-toi de la miséricorde!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jehova, ich habe deine Kunde vernommen, ich fürchte mich; Jehova, belebe dein Werk inmitten der Jahre, inmitten der Jahre mache es kund; im Zorn gedenke des Erbarmens! -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Domine, audivi auditionem tuam, et timui. Domine, opus tuum, in medio annorum vivifica illud; in medio annorum notum facies: cum iratus fueris, misericordiæ recordaberis.