Habakkuk 3 · Verse 9

Habakkuk 3:9

Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

Habakkuk 3:9, King James Version

Habakkuk 3:9 in other translations

BSB	You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers.
WEB	You uncovered your bow. You called for your sworn arrows. Selah. You split the earth with rivers.
ASV	Thy bow was made quite bare; The oaths to the tribes were a sure word. [Selah Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
YLT	Utterly naked Thou dost make Thy bow, Sworn are the tribes--saying, ‘Pause!' With rivers Thou dost cleave the earth.
DARBY	Thy bow was made naked, The rods of discipline sworn according to thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
BBE	Your bow was quite uncovered. Selah. By you the earth was cut through with rivers.
Webster	Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

What does Habakkuk 3:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

9. bow ... made ... naked--that is, was drawn forth from its cover, in which bows usually were cased when not in use. Compare Is 22:6, "Kir uncovered the shield." according to the oaths of the tribes even thy word--that is, Thy oaths of promise to the tribes of Israel (Psa 77:8; Lu 1:73, 74). Habakkuk shows that God's miraculous interpositions for His people were not limited to one time, but that God's oaths to His people are sure ground for their always expecting them. The mention of the tribes, rather than Abraham or Moses, is in order that they may not doubt that to them belongs this grace of which Abraham was the depository [Calvin and Jerome]. Maurer translates, "The spears were glutted with blood, the triumphal song!" that is, no sooner did Jehovah begin the battle by baring His bow, than the spears were glutted with blood and the triumphal song sung. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers--the result of the earthquake caused by God's approach [Maurer]. Grotius refers it to the bringing forth water from the rock (Ex 17:6; Nu 20:10, 11; Psa 78:15, 16; 105:4). But the context implies not the giving of water to His people to drink, but the fearful physical phenomena attending Jehovah's attack on Israel's foes.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 9 Thy bow was made quite naked - That is, it was drawn out of its case; as the arrows had their quiver, so the bows had their cases. A fine oriental bow and bow-case, with quiver and arrows, are now before me; they show with what propriety Jehovah is represented as taking his bow out of its case, in order to set his arrow upon the cord, to shoot at his enemies. It is not the drawing out, or making bare the arrow, that is mentioned here; but the taking the bow out of its case to prepare to shoot. This verse appears to be an answer to the questions in the preceding: "Was the Lord displeased," etc. The answer is, All this was done "according to the oaths of the tribes;" the covenant of God, frequently repeated and renewed, which he made with the tribes, to give them the land of the Canaanites for their inheritance. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers - Or, "Thou didst cleave the streams of the land." Or, "Thou cleavedst the dry land into rivers." This may be a reference to the passage of Jordan, and transactions at Arnon and the brook Jabbok. See Num 21:13-15. In this verse we have Selah again, which, as before, may signify a pause, or some alteration in the music.

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 3:9 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.

עֶרְיָ֤ה'er.YahbarenessH6181

תֵעוֹר֙te.'Orit is made bareH5783

קַשְׁתֶּ֔ךָkash.Te.chabow yourH7198

שְׁבֻע֥וֹתshe.vu.'otoaths ofH7621

מַטּ֖וֹתma.TotarrowsH4294

אֹ֣מֶר'O.mera wordH562

סֶ֑לָהSe.lahSelahH5542

נְהָר֖וֹתne.ha.RotriversH5104

תְּבַקַּע\־te.va.ka'-you split openH1234

אָֽרֶץ\׃'A.retz[the] earthH776

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

Cross references for Habakkuk 3:9

Psalms 7:12-13
If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
Psalms 105:41
He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
Psalms 78:15-16
He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
Luke 1:72-75
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Deuteronomy 32:23
I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.
1 Corinthians 10:4
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Isaiah 51:9-10
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?
Numbers 20:11
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
Hebrews 6:13-18
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. …
Psalms 143:6
I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
Isaiah 52:10
The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

bow.
De 32:23; Ps 7:12,13; 35:1-3; Isa 51:9,10; 52:10; La 2:4
according.
Ge 15:18-21; 17:7,8; 22:16-18; 26:3,4; 28:13,14; Ps 105:8-11
Lu 1:72-75; Heb 6:13-18
Selah.
9; Ps 143:6
Thou.
Ex 17:6; Nu 20:11; Ps 78:15,16; 105:41; 1Co 10:4
the earth with rivers. or, the rivers of the earth.

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

Context

Habakkuk 3:8
Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?
Habakkuk 3:9
Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
Habakkuk 3:10
The 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.

Read all of Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk 3:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Descubrióse enteramente tu arco, los juramentos á las tribus, palabra segura. (Selah.) Hendiste la tierra con ríos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Ton arc était mis à nu,… les verges de jugement jurées par ta parole. Sélah. Tu fendis la terre par des rivières.
German Elberfelder 1871	Entblößt, entblößt ist dein Bogen Zuchtruten, geschworen durch dein Wort! Zu Strömen spaltest du die Erde.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Suscitans suscitabis arcum tuum, juramenta tribubus quæ locutus es; fluvios scindes terræ.