Habakkuk 3 14

Habakkuk 3:14 kjv

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 nkjv

You thrust through with his own arrows The head of his villages. They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret.

Habakkuk 3:14 niv

With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding.

Habakkuk 3:14 esv

You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.

Habakkuk 3:14 nlt

With his own weapons,
you destroyed the chief of those
who rushed out like a whirlwind,
thinking Israel would be easy prey.

Habakkuk 3 verses

Habakkuk 3 14 Meaning

Habakkuk 3:14 describes God's powerful action against oppressive forces. It depicts the Lord as a divine warrior who defeats the enemies of His people, using their own weapons against them. These enemies are portrayed as aggressive and destructive, seeking to scatter the faithful like a storm and devour the vulnerable. The verse highlights God's swift and decisive judgment on the wicked who delight in oppressing the defenseless, reinforcing His commitment to justice and salvation for His people.

Habakkuk 3 14 Context

Habakkuk 3 is a prayer-poem of profound faith and adoration, often considered a liturgical psalm. It follows Habakkuk's dialogue with God in chapters 1-2, where the prophet grappled with God's allowing the wicked Chaldeans (Babylonians) to oppress Judah and how long this injustice would persist. In this chapter, Habakkuk shifts from complaint to trust, recounting God's glorious deeds in Israel's history as a divine warrior (e.g., Exodus, conquest) and anticipating future salvation. Verse 14 is part of a prophetic vision depicting God's past, present, and future intervention against the enemies of His people. Historically, it echoes the Lord's victories over Pharaoh at the Red Sea and various enemies throughout the conquest and judges period, providing assurance that the same God will act against the Babylonians.

Word Analysis

• You pierced (חֹלַלְתָּ - ḥolaltā): From the root ḥālal, meaning "to pierce," "wound," or "slay." It indicates a decisive, destructive action. Here, it refers to God's direct, violent assault against the enemy.
• with his own spears (בְּמַטֵּהוּ - bemaṭṭēhû): Maṭṭeh typically means "rod," "staff," or "branch," and can symbolize authority, discipline, or an instrument of striking/wounding. The use of "his own" (referring to God's enemy) is crucial: God uses the enemies' own means or instruments of power, turning their intended strength against them. This could metaphorically refer to the enemy's own hubris, strategies, or even divisions among them.
• the head of his warriors (רֹאשׁ פְּרָצָו - roʾsh perātsāw): Rosh is "head," signifying leadership, chief figures, or the very essence/source of power. Peraṣāw refers to his "breaching troops," "warriors," "hordes," or "multitudes." It portrays the striking down of the leadership and the entire mass of the opposing army. This signifies a complete and devastating defeat of the enemy's might.
• Who came like a whirlwind (לְסַעֲרֵנִי - lesaʿarēnî): From the root saʿar, meaning "to storm," "be tempestuous." The imagery of a "whirlwind" (or stormy tempest) depicts the enemy's attack as violent, overwhelming, and destructive. It highlights their ferocity and desire to devastate everything in their path.
• to scatter me (לְהֵפִיצֵנִי - lehēfīṣēnî): From pūṣ, meaning "to scatter," "disperse," "put to flight." This conveys the enemy's goal: to utterly break up and dissipate the people of God, to destroy their unity and existence.
• Their exultation (וְעֲלִצֻתָם - weʿălitsūtām): From ʿālatz, meaning "to rejoice," "exult," "be jubilant." This describes the enemy's joyful anticipation and malicious glee in their destructive plans, highlighting their cruelty and perverse delight in oppression.
• was like eating the poor (לֶאֱכֹל עָנִי - leʾĕkhōl ʿānî): ʾAkhōl (to eat, devour) and ʿānî (poor, afflicted, humble). This is a stark metaphor for ruthless exploitation and devouring of the vulnerable. It's a common biblical trope for grave injustice and oppression.
• in secret (בַמִּסְתָּר - bammistār): From sātar, meaning "to hide," "conceal." The phrase "in secret" suggests a clandestine, predatory act, adding an element of treachery, ungodly ease, or unbridled boldness. They believe they can act without consequence, out of sight of justice.

Words-group Analysis

• "You pierced with his own spears the head of his warriors": This vividly portrays God turning the tables on the enemy. The divine warrior does not just defeat but dismantles the foe using their own strengths (represented by "spears" or "rods of authority"), metaphorically implying self-destruction or strategic defeat from within. This can also refer to God using an oppressor's very power against them or one oppressor's tools to judge another (e.g., Babylon being used, then Babylon judged by another power).
• "Who came like a whirlwind to scatter me": This paints a picture of overwhelming force and a deliberate intention to annihilate God's people. The "whirlwind" is chaotic and destructive, emphasizing the complete dispersion the enemy sought. Yet, this power is met and overcome by God's even greater might.
• "Their exultation was like eating the poor in secret": This phrase exposes the moral depravity of the enemies. Their joy is not just in victory but in the cruel and oppressive act of devouring the weak. The "in secret" part highlights their presumption of impunity, demonstrating their moral blindness and their ultimate defiance against God, who sees all. It connects their military ambition directly to social injustice and economic exploitation.

Habakkuk 3 14 Commentary

Habakkuk 3:14 presents a powerful image of God's sovereign might over the forces of evil. It is a triumphant declaration of the Lord as a divine warrior who confronts and utterly dismantles the enemies intent on destroying His people. The verse highlights two core aspects of God's character and actions: His absolute power and His profound justice. The Lord is depicted as taking the initiative, "piercing" the enemy, not merely repelling them. The imagery of using "his own spears" underscores a divine principle where the schemes and instruments of the wicked are often turned back upon themselves by God's hand.

The enemy's intent is clearly hostile: they arrive like a devastating "whirlwind" to "scatter" God's chosen, revealing their desire for total destruction and dispersion. This natural disaster imagery accentuates their destructive ambition. However, the most chilling description lies in their motive: "Their exultation was like eating the poor in secret." This powerful metaphor condemns their perverse delight in oppressing the vulnerable and helpless. It reveals a spirit of malice and cruelty, where social injustice and the exploitation of the weak are not accidental consequences of war, but a source of sadistic pleasure. The "secret" aspect hints at their assumption that their acts will go unnoticed or unpunished, underscoring their moral corruption and defiance of God's omnipresence and justice.

Ultimately, the verse reassures believers that despite the overwhelming appearance and cruel intentions of oppressors, God sees, God acts, and God judges. He will not allow His people to be perpetually devoured, and those who rejoice in injustice will face His righteous wrath.

Bonus SectionThe phrase "eating the poor in secret" holds deep resonance within the prophetic literature of Israel, often used as a condemnation of leadership and economic elites who exploit the vulnerable (e.g., "shepherds" who fleece the flock). This metaphorical language highlights that the military conquest intended by the Chaldeans (the enemies in Habakkuk's context) was not merely a territorial grab but an act rooted in avarice and cruelty, paralleling the internal social injustices Israel often committed. Habakkuk 3:14 can be seen as a fulfillment of principles outlined in Deuteronomy, where the nation's well-being was tied to justice for the poor. The imagery of "piercing the head" also has echoes in ancient Near Eastern victory hymns, where striking the head symbolized complete vanquishment and humiliation of a formidable foe, sometimes implying disarming their chief weapon or strategy.